History of Oneida County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 115

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 115

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TOWN RECORDS.

The town of Bridgewater was formed from Sangerfield, March 24, 1797. From the records we find that the

" Annual town-meeting opened in Bridgewater, April 4, 1797. Agreeable to a law in that case made and provided, the freeholders and inhabitants (qualified to vote for town officers) met at the house of Colonel Thomas Convers, in Bridgewater.

" Ist. Voted to choose towo officers by hallot."

The following were the officers chosen, viz. : Supervisor, Thomas Brown, Esq .; Town Clerk, Aaron Morse; Assess- ors, James Kinnce, Esq., Eldad Corbit, and William Mor- gan ; Overseers of the Poor, Ezra Parker, John W. Brown, and Alexander Tackles; Road Commissioners, Levi Car- penter, Jr., Job Tyler, and James Benham, Jr .; Con- stable, John Mitchell; School Commissioners, Asher Flint, Thomas Brown, Esq., and Jonathan Porter; Collector, John

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HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.

Mitchell; Fenee-Viewers, Ebenezer Barker, Joseph Moore, and Abijah Babcock.

" Voted, that there be a pound built near the house of Ephaphras Moody.

" Chose Joseph Moore trustee and committee to built said pound, and likewise pound-keeper.

" Voted, that said pound be hnilt with logs."

The following pathmasters were then chosen for the dis- tricts, in the same order as they are named, from one to twelve: Zerah Brown, Ebenezer Barker, Jonathan Condy, Jesse Hall, Asher Bull, Asher Flint, Joseph Gardnier, Jonathan Utley, Jr., Stephen Gordon, Elijah Thompson, Truman Blackman, and Jesse Carpenter.

"Voted, that swine run at large, with yokes, from the 15th of April to the 20th of November.

" Voted, that rams shall not run at large from the 20th of Angust to the 20th of November.

" Voted, that boars shall not run at large after the 1st of May next on any condition whatever.

"Voted, the annual town-meeting for 1798 be holden at the house of Asher Bull.

" Voted, that the late town elerk of Sangerfield deliver up the town hooks to the town elerk of Bridgewater.

"Voted, that the supervisor of Bridgewater negotiate all matters to final settlement with the supervisor of Sangerfield.

"Voted, that this meeting be dissolved."

On the 1st of March, 1798, the following persons paid to the town of Bridgewater $5 each as innkeepers' licenses: John W. Brown, Timothy Andrews, Ezra Parker, and Joseph Farwell. On the 9th of the same month Thomas Converse and Timothy Andrews paid their back license for 1797.

In the winter of 1801-2 the smallpox broke out, and numbers were afflicted with it. By-laws were adopted by the town board for devising means wherewith to check its progress and care for those who were sick.

The Supervisors of Bridgewater from 1798 to 1877 in- clusive have been the following persons, viz .: 1798-1800, James Kinnee, Esq .; 1801-2, Job Tyler; 1803, Asher Flint; 1804-6, Peabody Fitch; 1807-13, Daniel Rindge; 1814, Samnel Jones, Jr .; 1815-17, Willard Crafts; 1818, Oliver Brown; 1819-21, Samuel Jones; 1822, Willard Crafts ; 1823, Sardius Denslow ; 1824, James A. Rhodes; 1825-26, Sardins Denslow ; 1827, Willard Crafts; 1828, Samuel Jones; 1829, Peleg Brown; 1830-31, Absalom L. Groves; 1832-35, Laurens Hull; 1836, Levi Carpen- ter; 1837, Peleg Brown; 1838, Theodore Page; 1839, John F. Trowbridge; 1840, James A. Rhodes; 1841-42, Peleg Brown ; 1843-44, Oliver R. Babcock ; 1845, Oliver B. Brown ; 1846, Milton Converse; 1847, John South- worth; 1848, Everett Lewis; 1849, Samuel De Wolf; 1850, Elisha Baker ; 1851-54, Peleg B. Babcock ; 1855, Nehemiah N. Peirce; 1856, Elisha B. Brown; 1857, William N. Southworth ; 1858-60, Peter B. Crandall ; 1861-62, Albert A. Steele; 1863-64, Milton Converse ; 1865-66, J. Jerome Budlong; 1867-69, Nehemiah N. Peiree; 1870-71, Albert N. Bort ; 1872, William Foote ; 1873-74, A. N. Bort; 1875, Gould H. Parkhurst; 1876- 77, Newton Sholes.

The following are the officers for 1878: Supervisor, William N. Southworth ; Town Clerk, H. T. Mallory ; Justices of the Peace, George H. Burgess, G. H. Park-

hurst, Joshua W. Chase, I. D. Peckham, and William N. South worth (the term of the latter expires Dec. 31, 1878, and that of Mr. Burgess begins Jan. 1, 1879) ; Assessor, W. Harrison Briggs; Commissioner of Highways, David S. Wood; Overseer of the Poor, W. Henry Hayes; Col- lector, James Tefft ; Town Auditors, James H. Tompkins, John B. Tuckerman, and Albert N. Bort; Inspectors of Election, Orson J. Wolcott, Henry B. Hook, and Fred. A. Holmes ; Exeise Commissioners, Adelbert W. Daggett, G. Taylor Brown, and John Bliven.

VILLAGE OF BRIDGEWATER.

This thriving village is located in the south part of town, near the line of Madison County. The place began to grow in 1810, upon the completion of the Cherry Valley Turnpike. Previous to that date the principal settlement was on Far- well's Hill, at the county line, about half a mile farther south. There were at the latter place two taverns, one of them in Oneida County and the other in Madison ; two stores, an ashery, a Masonie lodge, a post-office, and a con- siderable number of dwellings. When the above-mentioned highway was constructed on a route passing north of the hill, business followed it, and the new settlement sprang up, while the old one rapidly declined. The post-office was removed to Bridgewater, where it has since remained. In those days the mail was carried by a " post-rider" from Utiea. The present postmaster at Bridgewater is William C. Marsh.

The hotel known as the " Hibbard House" was built by Levi Bostwick, probably previous to 1812. He continued as its landlord for a number of years. The building has been enlarged to double its original capacity, and in various ways improved. The house at present, under the manage- ment of A. C. Hibbard, has achieved popularity throughout the surrounding region, and is the favorite resort for trav- elers. An excellent livery is kept in connection.

The brick building opposite the Hibbard House, now occupied by the store of Williams & Bort, was built for a hotel by Harvey Curtis in the same year the former was erected. Curtis kept it for many years. It has been en- larged and remodeled at various times, but has long been out of use as a hotel.

The present edifice known as " Wilson's Hotel" oceu- pies the site on which at an early date stood the store of Abner Ives. The store was transformed into a tavern by Platt Herrick, who occupied it for some time. It was finally burned down, and the present large frame building has been erected on the spot within recent years. The proprietor is William Wilson.

Among the early physicians who lived in the village and praetieed in this vicinity were Doctors Laurens Hull and Daniel Avery, who located about 1804. The present physicians of the village are Hiram P. Whitford, Francis A. Baker, Silas Bailey, and Anthony Knight. Dr. Avery came into the town in 1792 or 1793, and was the first who settled within its borders. He located first in the neigh- borhood of Babcock Hill.

One of the ablest attorneys who ever practiced here was John Ruger. Leander Babcock, of this town, and later of Oswego County, was elected to Congress from the latter.

COL. NEHEMIAH N. PEIRCE.

Nehemiah N. Peirce was born in Bridgewater, Oneida Co., N. Y., Oct. 25, 1818. His father, Frederick Peirce, was from Mansfield, Conn., and was of English descent. He settled in Bridgewater in 1796, when the town was without a road and with very few settlers. After settling in Bridgewater he married Miss Rebecca Blood, who was of Scotch descent, and came to this town from Massachu- setts. She survived her husband about thirteen years, departing this life January 29, 1858. He died March 27, 1845.

Colonel Peirce was educated at the common schools and at Clinton Liberal Institute, and has followed the occupation of farming and land surveying nearly all his life. He was commissioned by Governor Bouck a colonel of militia of the State of New York, Nov. 17, 1843, and that military appellation has since followed him. He has been four

times elected supervisor of his town, and in 1849 repre- sented his Assembly district in the Legislature. Among the citizens of his town Mr. Peirce justly holds a high rank for his excellent character and efficient public services, while as a private citizen he commands universal respect and confidence.

Colonel Peirce was married, January 8, 1861, to Miss Emily Pullman, daughter of Elias B. and Nancy (Du Bois) Pullman, of the town of Norway, Herkimer Co., N. Y. The family on her mother's side were descendants of the French Huguenots who emigrated to this country over two hundred years ago and settled on the Hudson River. She was born Sept. 8, 1834, and educated at Fairfield Seminary, at the State Normal School, and at Fort Edward Institute. She is a lady of fine culture and of high intellectual and social accomplishments.

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HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.

De Witt C. Littlejohn, of Bridgewater village, has several times been Speaker of the House at Albany. There are at present no lawyers residing in town.

SOCIETIES.

Western Star Lodge, No. 15, F. and A. M., was or- ganized in June, 1797, and is the oldest Masonic Lodge in the county. Its original number was 59, but during the " Anti-Masonic" excitement, consequent upon the Morgan affair, its number dropped to 15. At the time of its organization George Clinton was in the Executive chair of the State. It was chartered at Leonardsville, the settle- ment previously mentioned as located south of Bridgewater, and in 1812 was removed, as was also the building which contained the lodge-room, to the latter place. Its first Master was Jared Kinny. On the 1st of May, 1798, it was " Toted, That Brother John Jacob Astor, Master of Holland Lodge, in New York, be our proxy to represent the Western Star Lodge in the Grand Lodge of the State of New York." As its numher indicates, this Lodge is the fifteenth in age of those now in existence in the State. During the Anti-Masonic excitement the charter was kept alive mainly through the instrumentality of J. A. Rhodes, Esq., and Samuel Richards, who are both yet living. The building then stood upon the south street of the village. Mr. Richards joined the Lodge in 1820, and Esquire Rhodes at an earlier day, and these two are the only persons now living who were members at that time. They are among the oldest Masons in the country. The present officers of Western Star Lodge are : Worshipful Master, A. W. Dag- gett; Senior Warden, C. W. Stoddard; Junior Warden, W. E. Foote ; Senior Deacon, C. N. Brown ; Junior Dea- con, E. D. Waldo; Secretary, I. D. Peckham ; Treasurer, Frank Babcock ; Chaplain, A. T. Worden.

Warren Chapter, No. 22, R. A. M., was organized at Leonardsville in 1808, removed to Bridgewater in 1812, and to Waterville in 1856, where it has since remained.

The village of Bridgewater contained, in June, 1878, 2 hotels, 1 dry-gonds and general store, 1 hardware-store and tin-shop, a boot and shoe store, a grocery-store, a millinery and dress-making establishment, 3 blacksmith-shops, a wagon-shop, a meat-market, a cheese-factory, etc. As many as four general stores have been in operation at one time in the place, but this was in the palmy days of the past. The checse-factory is owned by Zenas Eldred, who has also several others in the northern and western portions of the county.

NORTHI BRIDGEWATER

is a small place located in the north part of town, on the Utica and Chenango division of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railway, which road also passes through Bridgewater village. The cheese-factory at this place is owned and operated by a stock company, of which John Tuckerman is president. It is the largest of the three located in the town, and does the most business. The other stockholders are N. Sholes, T. W. Parkinson, Alonzo Brown, William Palmer, and B. L. Webb. Another fac- tory is located between this and Bridgewater, owned by William N. Southworth.

The post-office at North Bridgewater was established

about 1850, and Elisha Baker appointed first postmaster. Some political differences caused trouble over the office at Babcock Hill, and this was the reason why the one at North Bridgewater was established. The present incumbent of this office is Thomas Parkinson, who has held it since the fall of 1875.

BABCOCK HILL.

Asa and Oliver Babcock, from North Stonington, Conn., were among the first settlers on the hill, and from them it received its name. Asa canie in 1797, and settled on the farm in the town of Paris now owned by George Chapman. This farm joins the one in Bridgewater upon which Oliver Babcock located in 1799, the latter now the property of Nehemiah N. Peirce, of Bridgewater village. Martin Babcock, a younger brother of these two, came to the town in 1807, and located on the farm now owned by his son, C. H. Babcock. He purchased of Roland Stiles, who had made the first improvements on the place. Neither of the three was married at the time of their settlement. Asa Babcock was a cabinet-maker by trade, and erected a shop upon his premises, in which he carried on the business for some time, but finally discontinued it, and paid attention exclusively to farming. Martin Babcock did some work in the cooper's line. Asa originally took up 200 acres of land, and Martin's place contained 100. Oliver began with a small amount, but in after-years became a large land-holder. The first trips of the brothers to this region were made on horseback. Martin and Oliver Babcock both served in the army during the war of 1812, the former being stationed at Ogdensburg and the latter at Sacket's Harbor. Both of them died before the act grant- ing pensions to the soldiers of 1812 was passed.

Major Anthony Rhodes, a veteran of the Revolution, and a resident of North Stonington, New London Co., Conn., came to this town with his family in 1792. His wife was an aunt of the Babcocks before mentioned. It is stated that while she was living in Connectient she dis- tinctly heard the cannonading at the battle of Lonisburg !* Major Rhodes purchased a 500-acre lot of land of Judge Sanger, of New Hartford, 200 acres of which are now owned by his son, James Avery Rhodes, Esq., who resides on the place, which has been his home since the winter after his father settled. The major had been here the pre- vions summer, and built a log shanty on the place, into which he moved his family when he settled. The son, J. A. Rhodes, was born in Connecticut, in 1790, and was consequently two years old when he was brought to this town. He is the oldest settler now living in Bridgewater, yet even at his advanced age manages his farm of 250 acres. He has been a prominent man in the town, and is recog- nized authority on all matters pertaining to its early history and that of the " region round about." He is somewhat of a connoisseur in geological matters, and has gathered some fine specimens. Upon his place are very good quarries of limestone. The house in which he now resides was built by his father about 1806. The latter removed finally to a farm in Herkimer County, where he died. His remains were brought back to Bridgewater, and interred on the old farm.

# About 1000 miles.

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HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.

Esquire Rhodes remembers seeing many of the Oneida Indians in this neighborhood when he was a boy. Most of them could speak no English except to say all brothers, which had been taught them by Rev. Samuel Kirkland, or " Old Priest Kirkland," as he was long familiarly known.

Major Rhodes' wife used to relate the circumstances which induced her husband and herself to remove to this town. Her brother, Captain Oliver Babcock, came this way at some time during the Revolution with a small band of Connecticut soldiers. They proceeded from Schenectady to what is known as the " Carr Farm,"* in Otsego County, and thence up the Unadilla and down the Oriskany to Fort Stanwix. On the way they camped on the very ground which was afterwards selected by Major Rhodes for a home. Captain Babcock mentioned the place to his brother-in-law after his return to. Connecticut, and the latter came out and bought it, settled upon it, and he and his wife are now buried- upon it.

On Esquire Rhodes' farm are a number of apple-trecs which grew up at the spot where Captain Babcock and his party bivouacked. They probably sprang from seeds thrown down by those men, as they undoubtedly procured apples while at the Carr farm. One of the trees is now ten feet in circumference.

When Major Rhodes settled he was accompanied by John W. Brown and brother, the former locating on Bab- cock Hill, and the latter at the forks of the Unadilla; Dr. Daniel Avery and John W. Collins, who also settled in town. Several others eame not long afterwards.

John Rhodes, a brother of the major, settled at about the same time, and purchased a large amount of land, riding on . horseback to New York City to procure his deeds. His grandson, J. S. Rhodes, is now a resident of the town.

Babcock Hill Post-office was established in 1845, with John M. Champion, M.D., as first postmaster. The mail was brought here by carrier from Cassville, in the town of Paris. Dr. Champion was succeeded by David Palmer, since whom the postmasters have been Clark Green, Dr. Champion a second time, Mills Barnet, James Johnson, Lewis J. Tripp, Gould Benedict, John P. Babcock, and the present incumbent, Edward L. Austin. These may not be in their regular order, but Mr. C. H. Babcock, who fur- nished the information, believes the list to be nearly or quite correct.

The hotel on the hill was built in 1812, by Asa Bab- cock, who carried it on until he died. It is now the prop- erty of Lewis J. Tripp, but is not used as a hotel.

The first store at this place was kept by P. Mott, and Henry Robbins and others have been in the business since. There is now no store upon the hill.

We are indebted to the following persons for information given while compiling the foregoing sketch : J. A. Rhodes, Esq., and C. H. Babcock, of Babcock Hill; J. S. Rhodes, T. Parkinson, and others, at North Bridgewater; Miss Charlotte Ives, the Kirkland brothers, N. N. Peiree, A. N. Bort, Silas B. Wood, Garret Scott, and others, at Bridge- water village and vicinity.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH.

DR. S. BAILEY

is a native of Brookfield, Madison Co., where he spent his early professional life in the practice of the old or allopathic system of medicine, but after long and careful investigation changed to homoeopathy, which he has practiced in Water- town and Utica, N. Y., and Toledo, O. In putting hot and cold water into his new house at Bridgewater, he connected with it an apparatus for administering Russian, Turkish, and electro-thermal and medieated baths, which are being used by many needing such to great profit and convenience.

CHAPTER XXVII.

CAMDEN.

THE town of Camden lies on the western border of the county, near its northwest corner, and includes the whole of township number seven and half of township number eight of Scriba's Patent. Its area is 31,438 acres. The west branch of Fish Creek flows through the town, uniting at Camden village with Mad River, and near the southeast cor- ner with Little River, which flows along the southern border. These streams are all rapid, and furnish excellent power, which at Camden village has been extensively utilized. There are also numerous smaller tributaries of these of more or less importance.

The surface of this town is high, level in the southern part, and hilly and broken in the northern. Its soil con- tains a large amount of sand, yet there are many very pro- ductive and excellent farms within its borders. In the western portion is a section known as " Hillsboro'," which is quite stony. Several quarries of good building-stone are found, one on Mad River, in the village. From these are taken considerable quantities of flagging-stones, used for pavements in the village and elsewhere.

EARLY SETTLEMENT OF THE TOWN.

The first permanent settler of this town was Judge Henry Williams. The date of his arrival cannot now be satisfae- torily ascertained. Previous to this time Jesse Curtiss had been here, and erected a saw-mill, but his family did not arrive until after that of Judge Williams. It is pre- sumed that several other families came into town at nearly the same time with the judge, but all of them, with the exception of the latter, returned to their homes to remain the first winter. Following Williams, came Levi Matthews, Daniel Parke, Seth and Joel Dunbar, Aaron Matthews, Thomas Comstock, Jesse and Elihu Curtiss, Samuel Royce, Noah and Andrew Tuttle, Benjamin Barnes, Sr., Benjamin Barnes, Jr., Philip Barnes, Israel Stoddard, and a Mr. Carrier.

Judge Israel Stoddard visited the town in 1798, and pur- chased a farm upon which a small house had been erected. In 1799, he returned to it with his family, and upon arriv- ing found that a funeral was being conducted within it. It seemed that a Mrs. Bacon, with her infant child, was, in

Named from one Carr, an Indian agent.

OLD HOMESTEAD of JESSE IVES, BRIDGEWATER.N. Y. ( BUILT IN 1797 )

RESIDENCE OF E. B. UPSON, CAMDEN, N. Y.

LITH BY L.N EVERTS &CO PHILA PA

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HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.

company with another woman, crossing Mad River in a canoe, which by some accident was upset, leaving the three occupants to the mercy of the waters. Mr. Carrier, who was near at hand, rescued the woman who was with Mrs. Bacon, but the latter and her child were drowned. These were the first deaths in town, and it was the funeral of these persons which was being attended when the judge arrived upon the scene with his family.

Noah Tuttle, one of the first settlers, lived half a mile southwest of the village. His youngest son, Daniel, born April 22, 1798, was the first white male child born in town. The first birth of a white child was that of a daughter of Judge Henry Williams. The first marriage was that of Elihu Curtiss and Anna Northrup.

Elijah Perkins came from Connecticut in 1803, and set- tled in the north part of town, on the farm now owned by James Nisbet. He brought with him his wife and two sons, Elijah M. and Woodard. The former and his brother, Lyman, served in the war of 1812. Lyman was wounded at the battle of Little York, and died from the effects, and Elijah died at home soon after of disease. Woodard Per- kins now resides on the road between the village of Camden and the station of West Camden.

Abel Munson, from Windham, Greene Co., N. Y., set- tled in 1809, moving into a house on land now owned by Wallace Barnes, and afterwards locating on what is known as the " Marvin place," now occupied by a Mr. Lewis. His son, Lorenzo Munson, resides a mile above West Camden, and has lived in the town continuously since his father set- tled, or for the term of sixty-nine years.

Eldad Smith, the grandfather of S. L. Smith, of West Camden, settled in 1800, coming from Connecticut with an ox-team, the trip occupying two weeks. He brought away from his old home with him a dash-churn full of chickens to cook on the way. He located on the farm now owned hy Robert Sparrow, great lot number nine, east of West Camden.

John Bryan, from Watertown, Connecticut, came about 1805, driving through with a yoke of cattle and one horse, bringing his family and what furniture he could conveniently load in his cart. He settled on what is now the Taberg road, in the east part of the town. He was away at Sack- et's Harbor with the militia in the war of 1812. His daughter, Abigail, the widow of Amos D. Mix and mother of J. W. Mix, proprietor of the canning-factory, at present resides in the village of Camden.

EARLY SCHOOLS.

A frame school building stood in the park in Camden village in 1803, and was probably built two or three years previous to that time. The names of the early teachers cannot now be ascertained.

About 1809-10 a school-house was built in the Perkins district, in which the first teacher was Clark Crofoot, a resident of Florence, which town included a portion of the district. Mr. Crofoot's death occurred at a compara- tively recent date.

A school was kept soon after the war of 1812 in the log house of Manning Barnes, at West Camden, and was probably the earliest in the neighborhood. The teacher

was a lady named Rachel Hungerford. The present schools of the town are in a fine condition, and are con- ducted by an able corps of teachers.

RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES.

FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, CAMDEN .*

" The First Congregational Church of Camden was organized in Paris, on the 19th of February, 1798, by Rev. Eliphalet Steele, pastor of the Congregational Church at Paris Hill, Oneida Co., N. Y. It consisted of eight members,-Benjamin Barnes and Jemima, his wife ; Noah Tuttle and Thankful, his wife ; Philip Barnes and Laura, his wife; Marshall Meriam and Benjamin Barnes, Jr.,-all dismissed from Mr. Steele's church. The first sermon preached in the new set- tlement was by Rev. Joshua Johnson, of Redfield, from Isaiah Xxxv. 1 : ' The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them, and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose.' In this case it was a significant prophecy remarkably fulfilled. The church was orgen- ized a year before the organization of the town. 'Thus,' says the second pastor of the church, writing abont 1826, ' thus the settlement of the town commenced under religious auspices; public and private worship was immediately set up on the Sabbath in & log house, ser- mons were read, the praises of God sung, and prayer offered by the brethren of the church.' The settlement grew from year to year, and the little church received accessions. In September, 1800, 12 persone were received; in November, 1803, 11 more were added.

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History of Oneida County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 115

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