History of Oneida County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 109

Author: Durant, Samuel W
Publication date: 1878
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Fariss
Number of Pages: 920

USA > New York > Oneida County > History of Oneida County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 109

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).

BLOSSVALE POST-OFFICE

was formerly located at the corners called Pine, in the town of Vienna, and the office was known by that name. It was subsequently moved to Taberg station, on the Rome, Water- town and Ogdensburg Railway, and changed to Blossvale, in honor of the Bloss family, who were early settlers in the locality. John Bloss was the first postmaster ; the present one is M. S. Gray, who is the station agent, and also has a general store.

Below McConnellsville Station is a grist-mill, built in 1854, by David Pike, for a man named Mills. N. B. Foote, of Oswego, is agent for the present owners of the property. The mill does a good custom business. There is a small settlement at this station.

About three miles west of Taberg is " the pond," a sheet of water covering about ten acres, surrounded by high banks, and having no visible inlet nor outlet. The high- lands in the neighborhood form what is known as " Pond Hill," which reaches the greatest elevation of any in the town.

VILLAGE OF TABERG.

This village is named from an iron-mining town in Sweden, and is located on the east branch of Fish Crcek, in the south part of town. It was long connected with Rome by a plank-road. Furnace Creek, flowing through the village and discharging its waters into Fish Creek im- mediately below, furnishes power sufficient to run numerous factories, should they be located here. In 1809 the Oneida Iron and Glass Manufacturing Company commenced opera- tions here, and gave the place its name. The first blast was commenced in 1811, and the products of this establish- ment were excellent in quality. During the war of 1812- 15 it is said shot and shell were made by this company for the United States Government. In after-years hollow- ware was for some time extensively manufactured, but the factory was finally used exclusively in the manufacture of pig-iron of a fine quality. It is not now in operation.

The Furnace Creek had upon its banks a number of im- portant establishments at one time, besides others in the village. Among these were two grist- and flouring-mills, twenty-one saw-mills (this in the entire town), twelve shingle-mills, four lath-mills, four turning-lathes, two stave- machines, one wool-carding, cloth-dressing, and manufactur- ing establishment, one blast-furnace, two cupola-furnaces, and two tanneries. The manufacture of iron at the village has ceased, and so little timber remains in the town that but a tithe of the former amount is cut and made ready for market.

The present planing-mill in the upper part of the village was built in 1874, by Wilson & Draper. It includes also a grist-mill and a butter-tub factory. The grist- and planing- mill is operated by John F. Draper, employing four hands, and the butter-tub factory is carried on by Wilson & Doug- las, who employ two hands in addition to their own labor.

The tannery was originally built by Jotham Warden. It was several times destroyed by fire, and the present one was

408

HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.

built by D. B. Danforth. It is now the property of James A. Terrill & Co., of Boston, who employ about twenty-five hands, and manufacture sole-leather exclusively. The tan- nery is located on Furnace Creek, in the upper part of the village.

Mrs. Lot Sexton, living north of Taberg, says that when her father, Benjamin Morton, removed to the village, in 1812-13, the frame houses in it numbered three. John W. Bloomfield, Esq., who lived on the hill just above Dr. Beach's place, built the first frame house in the village or township, and it was covered over its entire surface with shingles. The remaining two were occupied,-one by Benjamin Hyde, Esq., and the other was used as a boarding- house for the hands who worked at the furnace. Mr. Hyde owned the first tavern in the place, and it stood where Mr. Allanson now lives.

The Taberg post-office was established probably during or soon after the war of 1812-15, and Benjamin Hyde, Esq., was an early postmaster. The present incumbent of the office is O. S. Kenyon, M.D.

The National Christian Temperance Union, at Taberg, was established in October, 1877, and in March, 1878, had 800 members. Its president was then Frederick Lobdell, and its vice-president Benjamin Waterman.

The Women's Christian Temperance Union was organ- ized Feb. 5, 1878, and in March (when these notes were gathered) had 20 members. Its president was Mrs. Ben- jamin Waterman.

Taberg contained in the spring of 1878 a grist-mill, owned by Robert K. Ward; a saw-mill, by G. & T. Water- man ; a planing-mill, a tub-factory, a cotton-mill (small one, not in operation), a large tannery, three wagon-shops (one of which employs, when running full force, about twenty hands), four blacksmith-shops, two harness-shops, one shoe- shop, several millinery and dressmaking establishments, six stores, three religious societies, two school-houses (two dis- tricts, with three schools), a fire company (having a hand- engine), two physicians (W. H. Nelson and O. S. Kenyon), one lawyer (L. S. Snyder), one furniture and undertaking establishment (owned by Stedman & Waterman), a cheese- factory, two tin-shops, a post-office, four hotels, and a popu- lation of nearly 500.

A fine cemetery is located cast of the village, containing a monument of gray granite, upon the south face of which is the following inscription, viz. : "This monument is erected by the citizens of Annsville in memory of the soldiers who lost their lives in the Rebellion of 1861." The monument cost about $1500, and has inscribed upon it the following names :

West Face .- Robert Parks, Jacob Hyde, Jr., William Curry, Stanton Zelic, James A. Lasher, William Lasher, Michael Dailey, Nicholas W. Bristol (of the 117th New Infantry Volunteers), Ezra J. Hyde, Thomas J. Morse, John Wile, John Gerheart, Jay Cornwell, Theron Han- nay (146th New York Infantry).

South Face .- Ira A. Simmons, Niles Hyde, Wolcott Proctor, Clark Widrig, George Kingsley (146th), Thomas Murphy, James Ward, Edwin Kimball, Emery Sexton, Wells Sexton, James Welch, James McCormick, Henry R. Hardy, Van Buren Campbell (81st New York Infantry).

East Face. - Alonzo Rudd, John Douglas, George Evans, Jay Kilburn, Daniel Wilson, Cornelius Dagia, Hugh MeLaughlin, John Waterman (81st New York In- fantry), Eli Marvel, Hiram Marvel, Chancey Thorne, Wil- liam Morgan (97th New York Infantry), David Tanner (68th New York Infantry).

North Face .- Adam Lindredge, Andrew J. Kimball, Edward Butler (2d New York Artillery ), Daniel Thorne, Benjamin Thorne, Charles Converse, Obediah Collins (24th Cavalry), Amos N. Brewster (50th Regiment, Engineers), Eli Baker, Thomas Breen, George W. Morenns, Henry Smith, Byron White, Gilbert Kimball (26th New York Infantry).

Among those who have furnished information concerning the history of this town are Jonathan Stanford, Mrs. Lot Sexton, Mrs. Nunan, pastors and members of churches, proprietors of manufactories, Captain J. F. Abbott and his brother Harvey, and many others,-to all of whom our thanks are hereby tendered.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH.

WILLIAM J. LASHER,

of Taberg, Oneida Co., N. Y., was born at Argyle, Wash- ington County, in the year 1837, and is now, therefore, forty-one years old. He removed to Annsville, Oneida

Your truly W. J. Lasker

County, with his parents when he was four years old, and has resided in that town ever since. His youth and early manhood were devoted to farming. In 1860 he embarked in the mercantile business at Taberg with the late David B. Danforth, Sheriff of Oneida County. In 1867, Mr. Lasher went into a general mercantile business at Taberg

409.

HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.

on his own account, and has followed that business ever since. To this he has added an extensive trade in watches, jewelry, musical instruments, pianos, organs, etc.

Mr. Lasher is one of the most prompt and active bus- iness men of the county. He is a prominent member of the Baptist Church, and was postmaster at Taberg for many years. By his industry and energy he has built up an ex- tensive trade in the northern part of the county, and his · orders for first-class watches and musical instruments are not limited to the county of Oneida or State of New York, but come to him from distant States. A branch of his business, for the manufacture of his best watches, is located in Switzerland.

Snecess in business of any kind is sure to follow strict integrity, industry, and energy, and Mr. Lasher's course is a complete illustration of this truth.

CHAPTER XXIII.

AUGUSTA.

THIS is the southwest corner town of Oneida County, and has an area of 16,763 acres. It includes portions of Peter Smith's tract and New Stockbridge,-a reservation belonging to the Stockbridge Indians. The town lies on both sides of the Skanandoa Creek, the land on either side rising to a height of several hundred feet above the stream. These nplands are known as " East Hill" and " West Hill," and a commanding view may be had from their summits of the valley of the creck, and a large area of surrounding territory. The eastern ridge in this town lies between the Skanandoa and Oriskany Creeks, and that in the west forms the " divide" between the Skanandoa and Oneida Creeks. The soil is excellent, and well adapted to the growth of grain and fruit. Hops are extensively cultivated, and the improvements are generally of the first class. Numerons elegant homes attest the industry of the inhabitants and the fertility of the soil, for this town has few manufacturing establishments, and agriculture is the chief pursuit from whence is derived the many comforts possessed by her citi- zens.

On the 7th of September, 1847, a historical address was delivered at Augusta, by Rev. Orlo Bartholomew, pastor of the Congregational Church, and from that address we make a few extracts. The names of persons mentioned as land- holders will be understood as those who resided in places described at that time,-viz., 1848 :

" The Queidas were tho original possessors of the wilderness, although tradition asserts that they were driven long since froia the country along the St. Lawrence and Grand Rivers. These Indians were friendly to the Colonies, and had been very friendly to other tribes. The Brothertowo remnant bad a region ceded them on the eastern borders of what is now Augusta. The Tuscaroras, who were driven from North Carolina and Virginia in 1712, were received into the confederacy of the Five Nations, and those tribes were after this ealled the Six Nations. Somo of the Tuscaroras, we believe, are set- tled on land now held by this town, and owned by Joha Curry. It has been believed that the Stockbridge tribe mnade the opening and settlement after it was given them by the Oneidas; but the Stoek- brilgo tribe had a definite locatina on the tract called New Stock-

bridge. Wampey, a celebrated Indian, who resided on the place now occupied by Alanson Miller, said that the apple-trees had been set out 84 years when the whites settled on the lot, making it 132 years from the present time (1847), and the appearance of the trees cor- roborated the statement. The apple-trees were, according to this statement, transplanted about three years after the Tuscaroras eame north, which is as soon as we should expect that they would have made such improvements.

"The Stockbridge tribe of about 800# removed from Massachusetts in I784, whielt renders it improbable that they should have transplanted these trees. It was believed that this tribe had gone so far into the wilderness that they would be left unmolested hy their contiguity to the settlement of the whites for many years. But war had ceased in our country, commerce revived, and the tomahawk and scalping- knife were wrested from butchery, and the white man pressed hard upon their tribes in fifteen years. The remnant from Massachusetts mingled more freely with the Tuscaroras than the other tribes; there- fore it has been believed that they were the same, and some parts of Stockbridge were called Tuscarora. There were Indiao wigwams on the opening of which we have spokco when some of the oldest inhabi- tants now livingt came into that neighborhood. Some of the chil- dren of Mr. Francis O'Toole recollect ibat their father told them that they were occupied by Indians when he enme to the place,-on which he died. This man, who had been pressed into the service of England when going to France to complete his education, had beca in some desperate battles, and after three years was landed at Boston, without property or friends. He traveled the country some four or five years. In his search for a place to make his home he came up the Indian path to the spring near where he built his house, and was so fasci- nated with the place that he said if he could obtain it he would mako it his residence. Ho located on that spot in 1794, and did not remove till he was carried to the grave, Fch. 24, 1842, aged ninety. Thero was an Indian road or trail that crossed from the Indian orchard (which was west of Sergeant's Patent) to Brothertown. It passed near where George Dodge now resides (1847), thence across the flat in a southeasterly direction. On this flat was a spring near their trail, the water of which the Iodians boiled for salt. Near where Sylves- ter and Abner Hinman now reside, the path to the opening and to Brothertuwn took a more easterly direction, while the other continued its course, and passed not far from the place where now Riggs Hawley resides, over the rise of land nearly sixty rods easterly of J. W. Stur- tevant, where formerly Abram Davis resided. On that sightly spot Wampey said the Indians tarried on their return from the massacre of Cherry Valley and divided their spoil, washing their scalps at the falls in the ravine near and drying them. The timber on that emi- nence gave evidence of having been affected by their fires, when it was taken up by the white population. From this place the path passed near the spring where Mr. O'Toole built, and thence aeross the place where the house of Judge Nathao Kimball now stands, and crossed the Oriskany Creek some 200 rods below Oriskany Fulls. It is believed that this was their path from Oneida to the Chenango Valley, of which we read in history.

" This town being the high land from which, or from very near our boundaries, the streams run to the ocean, through the lludson, St. Lawrence, and Susquehannah, we have no streams that ever furnished a bountiful supply of fish ; but salmon were once plenty in our Ska- nandoah, as far up as Vernon Centre, an I doubtless they often found their way near where we now stin 1 [Augusti Centre]. Tradition in- forms us that this creek derived its name from the fact that the Indians, in their path from the Oneida Castle to Clioton, passed this stream on a large hemlock-tree that had fallen across it. Skanandoab, in tho Indian tongue, means hemlock. The aged chief of this name, just before his death, to a visitor, through an interpreter, said, 'I am an aged hemlock. The winds of an hundred winters have whistled through my branches; I am dead at the top.' As it would be very natural to designate the stream by the means they had for crossing it, the stream was called Skanandoah, or hemlock. The tree on which they crossel this creek was a little below the road that leads from Vernon Centre to Sergeant's Patcot.

" It would not be inappropriate to pause and drop a tear over the sad

# These figures are wrong. In 1785, the year after this tribe re- moved from Massachusetts, it numbered 420 individuals, and in 1818 bad only increased to 438.

t Nene now living (1878) who recollect them.

410

HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.

and mournful departure of the once powerful and noble red men who roamed these hills and valleys. They were luxuriantly furnished from the streams and the game that wondered in the foresta, where are now our fields and dwellings. They had their village just at our west, on lands once under our jurisdiction." There was their Council Rock, Oneida,-the upright or standing stone from which perhaps their name arose. It is still to be seen .; One century since, they were greatly distinguished and beloved by their brethren of the wilderness. They gave a home to their brethren, who were wasting away in conse- quence of devastating wars and contact with civilized men. On our east, they gave place to the remnant of a few tribes on the Brother- town traet. On our west and northwest were the eight hundred [438] Stockbridges, and the Tuscaroras had a much wider range and larger extent. But where are these proud and high-minded men of the forest, who possessed the extensive resources of this beautiful and excellent country ? They have fled before the pale-face, and wasted under the power of rum,-that most mighty fue of the red man.

" In 1794, Peter Smith, who was of Dutch parents, and born in 1768, leased of the Oneida Indians about 60,000 acres, which, in honor of his first name, he called New Petersburgh; Gerrit Smith believed this was for 999 years. Some of our oldest inhabitants sup- pose that it was for 21 years, as this was the time for which he leased it to the first settlers. The southeast corner of Peter Smith's tract was the south west corner of this town, and it was bounded south by the twenty townships called the Governor's Purchase. His tract crossed Madison County and this town. There was a tract some five or six miles square that was called New Stockbridge, which the Oneidas had ceded to the Stockbridge tribe. South of this tract there was a strip of lane leased to Smith, whence the name 'Strip' is derived. There was still another tract, of 1000 acres, which lay cast of Stock- bridge and west of the four-mile square ( which was a tract comprised in Smith's 60,000 acres, which was granted to John Gregg, Sr., John Gregg, Jr., and James Alexan ler), called the school lot, the rent of which was appropriated to the education of Indian children. Peter Smith divided his traet into four allotments, the first of which all lay in Augusta.

" As soon as Peter Smith had obtained his lease, which was opposed by the Pagan party among the Indians, who once drove the surveyor from the tract, he commenced leasing to those who wished to obtain twenty-one years' Icases. Before 1797 most of the lands in Augusta were leased. In 1795 and 1797 there were acts passed by the Legis- lature so that all those who had obtained leases of Smith could have patents from the State. Sinith had six lots of land in this town in part or entire pay for this lense. The lands were cncumbered with mortgages given tu the State for the original purchase-money,-$3.53 per acre.#

" In 1795 the Oneidas ceded to the State the land north of the east part of this first allotment, which was soon surveyed, and was sold at auction Aug. 28, 1797. There was retained from this reservation a tract u mile square, which came eventually into the hands of the Northern Missionary Society, for which they were to maintain a mis- sionary and teacher among the Indians. Their method of determin- ing where the tract should lie was to stick a stake by the spring, about 60 rods south west from where now resides John Curry [1847], which was the centre of the lot. The Rev. Mr. Kirkland,? who enme to Oncida Castle in 1766, was this missionary more than 40 years, and enjoyed part of the avails of this lot. Ile died at Clinton, March 28, 18.08. In 1809 the Northern Missionary Society employed a Mr. Jenkins as missionary among the Oneidas. We think there was nothing against his moral character, and still the Indians did not wish him to remain among them, or but very few of them ; and being die- couraged, he left. The Indians have since sought more compensation for the land they had disposed of to the society ; but the neting members of the society maintained that they had been ready to fulfill on their part, and as the land was disposed of in good faith they saw no violation of Christian principles in their course. Two hundred and forty acres of this tract were patented to Israel Chapin, and the remainder was patented to the society."

THE SETTLEMENT OF AUGUSTA

was begun in 1793, the first habitation for white people being built that year by a man named Gunn, not far from the place afterwards occupied by Peter Stebbins. The second one was built by Benjamin Warren, on the spot where he resided for many years. David Morton and John Alden began elearings this year on the south lot, on the road that passes from north to south through the eentre of the town. August 17, of the same year, Ichabod Stafford, and Joseph and Abraham Forbes settled in town with their families,-in all 23 persons. Some of them slept in their carts on the first night after they reached the town. The first merchant in Augusta, one Mr. Adams, sold goods in Ichabod Stafford's house in 1798. He afterwards built a store on lot seventeen, but failed before he could complete it.

The year 1794 witnessed the arrival of several additional pioneers ; among them were Isaac and Benjamin Allen, Amos Parker, James Cassety (or Casety), Francis O'Toole, Ozias Hart, Abel Prior, Thomas Spafford, Ezra Saxton, Abiel Liosley, and perhaps others. Amos Parker, who had lived two years on the Brothertown tract, had served faithfully and well during the Revolutionary struggle, and the following anecdote is related of him, it having occurred probably at the siege of Yorktown : General Lafayette se- leeted 25 men to go with him and reduce a certain trouble- some intrenchment, giving orders not to fire until word was given, under pain of death. They were armed with guns and the necessary implements to remove abatis and palisade work. Mr. Parker was selected to walk next to Lafayette. The way was cleared to the palisades, and the axe was ap- plied to the timbers composing them, but one, two, and even three stout blows failed to cut them away, and Parker placed his broad shoulder against one of them and drew it forth, when he removed two more the same way. The small foree dashed through the opening towards the intrench- ment, and was met by bristling weapons, threatening instant death to Lafayette and the utter annihilation of his eom- panions. Regardless of orders, Parker threw his gun to his shoulder and shot down one of the enemy, and, rushing upon them with his clubbed gun, soon elcared a way for his comrades, and in a few moments they had won the fray. Parker was afterwards arraigned before a court-martial for disobedience of orders, but it was shown so clearly that his action had saved the life of the commander that he was ac- quitted. Upon the visit of Lafayette to Utica, nearly fifty years later, Mr. Parker called upon him, and, after making himself known and mentioning the incident above related, the two old soldiers embraced with all the fervor of youth. Mr. Parker, who was the tallest man in the American army, stood upon the right of the troops at the surrender of Corn- wallis.

The following sketch of Colonel Cassety, mentioned as having settled in this town in 1794, is copied from Judge Jones' " Annals of Oneida County." The date of his birth cannot be satisfactorily ascertained :

" He was the son of James Cassety, who was a captain in the British army, and on service in this country in the French war of 1756. After the peace of 1760 the captain went to Detroit and established himself as an Indian trader. Here he continued until the commencement of the

# A portion of the town of Augusta was, after its organization, annexed to Madison County.

+ Now in Forest ITill Cemetery at Utica.

# It was many years before this indebtedness was cleared up. ¿ Rev. Samuel Kirkland.

411

HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.

war of the Revolution, when he was ordered to take up arms against the colonies. This he refused to do. In the menn time Thomas was horn, had pursued the usual preparatory course, and was now far advanced in his collegiate education. During a vacation he visited his father at De- troit, and while there an officer of the Crown was sent to arrest his father for treason, in refusing to fight the battles of George III. against the colonies. The arrest was made in the presence of the son, which so exasperated him that he seized a loaded musket and fired at the offi- cer. Whether he killed him or not is not known, as the colonel, in after-life, would never throw any light on the subject further than to say that the hall passed through the officer's hat-crown. The captain was taken to Quebec, and for three long years coufined so closely that in the whole period the sun never for once shone upon him. At length, with two others, he made his escape. Thomas, after firing at the officer, made good his retreat from Detroit, and took refuge with one of the Western tribes of Indians. Here he was received and treated with kindness ; was formally adopted into their trihe, one of the chiefs of which gave him his daughter for a wife. By her he bad issue, and tradition has said-whether truly or falsely-that 'the cole- hrated Tecumseh was a son of Thomas Cassety.'

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 : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 109

Author: Durant, Samuel W Publication date: 1878 Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Fariss Number of Pages: 920

Author: Durant, Samuel W
Publication date: 1878
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Fariss
Number of Pages: 920