History of Oneida County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 127

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 127

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"In 1792, Celonel Alpbens Wheelock and Rachel, his wife, a fa- mous female physician, settled at Elmer Hill, and about the same time Edward Salisbury and his seven sons, Nichelas, Edward S., Enon, Alexander, Lodowick, De Estaing, and Smith, settled near Delta. Nicholas, the father of Mrs. Abigail Rudd, wife of Colonel Benjamin Rudd, was the first resident on the Bugby place, next south ef Esek Sheldon's. Edward S. took land farther up the Mohawk River, on the west side, near what beenme the residence of Silas Morse. An- other early settler, Otis White, father of Moses T., Willard, Otis, Jr., and Israel, took ap land in the same neighborhood. Edward Salis- bnry, Sr., settled with his other sons on the land since the farms owned by Adin and Rensselaer Sly, on the road from Delta to Lee Ceotre. The Sbeldoos, Smith, Wheelocks, and Salisburys emigrated from the State of Rhode Island. ITezekinb Elmer and Elizabeth, his wife, and his sons Andrew, Eliakim, llezekinh, and his daughters, subsequently the wives respectively of Dr. Enoch Alden and James Benedict, came from Connecticut at that early day, and settled near what is known as Elmer Hill. Colonel Wheelock opened the first tavern west of Fort Stanwix, at the Hill. Ia 1792 the inhabitants nenr Delta were joined by John Spianing and his sons, John, Jr., Daniel, and their brother-in-law, Luther Washburn, and sons, Mar- tin, Rafus, Freeman, Luther, Jr., and Calvin ; also their relative, Benjamin Crittenden. Theso were from the State of Vermont. Crittenden was tho first settler en the land afterwards the home of James Baker, father of Miles and Lorenzo D., where Daniel Twitchell subsequently resided. Near this time Deaeon Andrew Clark, father of Joseph Clark, and grandfather of Mrs. Stokes, built a honse near Nisbet's Corners. Ephraim Ballard was the first se'tler on the Nis-

bet farto, and Abiel Kenyon lived near. Matthew Clark and Jona- than Bettis took up the land afterwards occupied by Hazzard Stend- man. Joseph NIale and his brother were the first residcots on the land seld by Simeon Gunn to Alban Comstock, and Frederick Sprague took up the land adjeining, on which Colonel-Wheelock sub- sequently built a large frame house, afterwards occupied by Jehn Dye, Peter Husted, John Shaver, and ethers.

"Smith Miller built the Mallory House, in which the Rev. Lorenzo Dew was married with Margaret (Peggy ) Holcomb, the younger sister of Mrs. Miller. Early in the settlement of what is now Lee, James Young and Hannah, his wife, and his sons, James, Jr., Benjamin, David, and Alvan, and a number of daughters, emigrated from Lee, Masa., and settled balf a mile south of Lee Ceotre. Deacon Jebn Hall bad previously located on land dear Mr. Young, which Jebn Smith purchased of Hall, now owned by William Graves. There was a neighborhood west from Lee Centre, known as Brookfield Set- tlement, where West Waterman, William Lady, Tillotson Ross, and Messrs. Fish, Walker, Hitchcock, and others, from Brookfield, Mass., settled. Dan Taft lived on the State road, towards Taberg, and Tom Lawrence settled on the west branch of the Mebawk at an early day. The land in Lee was mainly embraced in four patents, which cornered on the south side of Canada Creck, where Ezra HIevey afterwards bad bis garden. Fonda's and Oothoudt's Patents were lease-land. Jellis Focda sold mneh of his extensive patent to Stephen Lush, of Albany, and other land dealers, for ten cents per nere. The other patents were Scriba's and Banyar's. There were otber lands in what is now Lee, known as Matchin's, Booo's, and Mappa's tracts. A part of Scriba's Patent, known as the 6000-acre trnet, io township No. I, afterwards known as Fish Creek Settlement, and a part of the 4000-aere tract, in township Ne. 2, were sold to Daniel C. White, John W. Bloomfield, John Hall, George Huntington, and others.

"Some of the early settlers on the 6000-acre traet were Charles Ufford and Jobn, his son ; Eprnim Pease, and Arvin B., his son ; Elam Peasc; Jotham Worden; Jesse Sexten and bis 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 bis sons, Hosen and George; Asahel Castle and bis sons, John J., and others; Reswell Spinning, the son ef Benjamin Spinning ; Joseph Park aod his soo, Joseph, Jr .; Daniel Park and the sons of Jacob Park, Elisba, Abijah, and William ; Oliver Armstrong, father of Wheeler, Jesse, Enech, and Earl; Dencen Sam- uel Wright and his wife Vienna, and his sons, William B., Arunah, Eben, and Samuel, Jr., and his nine daughters, originally from Cen- nectieat, settled on this tract; James Weed and his soos, Amasa and Nathaniel ; Ephraim J. H. Curtis ; Apolles King ; William Taft with bis sons, Paul and Shays, who first settled near Luther Miller, on land afterwards owned by Adonijah Baroard, where George Sheldon after- wards resided ; and many others settled on the 6000-acre traet.

" The lease-land proved to be a great enrse to the town. What is the town of Western, once embracing Lee, dates back one year before the settlement of the Sheldocs. Heory Wager, Asa Beckwith and bis sons, Asa, Jr., Lemael, Renben, and Woleott, enme to the Mehawk country in 1789; and soon after Josiah Church and his sons, George, Bruyton, Jonathan, Ivan, Allan, Frazier; Joshun Northrop; Jabez Halleck 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 neross that river. It was back of the residence of Dr. Zenas Hutchinson, near Elmer ITill, where John Treadway, Ansen Dart, and George Williams afterwards lived. The river bere 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 lamber in it. At this time all this region was in the town of Whitestowe, which had been ent off from the town of German Fintts, in 1788. Whitestown was bounded east by a certain point oo the Mohawk River; narth by the St. Lawrence; south hy Pennsylvania and a part of New York ;# and west by the lakes, the State lins. First supervisor of Whites- town, Jelediab Sanger. All this vast extent of eenntry, more exten- sive than some of the European kingdoms, contained nt the organiza- tion of Whitestown but a few hundred inhabitants ; and in 1810 the same territory had n population of over 280,000; aod now I soppose exceeds 1,000,000.

# See histery of Whitestown.

Photos. by Hovey & 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 Hovey & Brainerd.

ROSWELL F. SPINNING.

Lucinda Spinning

ROSWELL F. SPINNING

is a lineal descendant of the third generation of Levy Spinning, who emigrated from Scotland 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 Lucinda Dewey, who was born in Windham Co.,

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

Mr. Spinning was a successful farmer. He pur- chased the farm now owned by his son Curtis in 1830, where he resided until his death, which oc- curred Sept. 14, 1870. His father died at Lee, N. Y., Nov. 8, 1848.

His wife, Lucinda, 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 erection of the beautiful church at Lee Centre. These like- nesses and this personal sketch were given by her in memory of her husband,

475

HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.

"One of the first mills built on the Muhawk River was erected by Roswell Fellows, Smith and Luther Miller. It stood in the notch or little golf nenrly opposite where John Barnard afterwards built a mill. The water was raised by a wing-dam. Subsequently, General William Floyd, who bought a large tract of land at an early day on the upper Mohawk, built a mill on that stronm near what is now Westernville, and erected a saw-mill and grist-mill on West Cannda Creek," a few miles below Lee Centro. At the first settlements in what are now Western and Lee, and before the erection of these mills, the sarly settlers got their grain ground at Wetmore's on the Sauquoit, and other distant places. The gigantic William Remington is said to have carried on his shoulders the flour of two hushels 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 mnds on horseback or on foot. Henry Wager and Asa Beckwith, Jr., walked to German Flatts, and there prooured one bushel each of secd-potatoes, which they brought home on their shoulders.

" Great changes have been made in the limits of counties and towns once 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 whieb, at the house of Seth Ranney, the first town-meeting was beld in 1793. Roswell Fellows, one of the carliest 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 vamed.

"Esquire Fellowa is worthily represented here to-day in the person of his great-grandson, Benjamin Whitman Williams, of Rome, a grand- son of the late Cyrna Fellows, who enme 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 Steuben embraced what was afterwards Rome; that town nud Floyd-named in honor of Gen. Wm. Floyd-heing set off from Stenben 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 the town of Western completed its organization by clecting 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, aod held the office twenty-four years in succession. Benjamin Rudd succeeded Henry Wager, and held the office for six succeeding yenrs. Arnon Comstock succeeded Col. Redd, and he and Hervey Brayton and others have held the office for different periods since.

" In 1811 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 aa n committee for getting an enabling act to divide the town, The net was passed by the Legislature, nttended to in the Senate by Jonns Platt, then a senator, and in the Assembly by George Huntington, then a member from this district. The name ' Les' 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 sinall for their accommodation, retired to the yard, where a division was ngreed on with great unnnimity. Henry Wager, from Western, John Hall, from Les, and George Huntington, of Rome, were chosen commis- sioners to fix the boundaries, with Benjamin Wright as surveyor. The boundaries were harmoniously agreed on, and Lee remained under Western till the 3d of March, 1812, when the first town-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 Capron resided.

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

John Hall and Dan Taft, Overseers of the Poor ; Jotham Worden, Dan Taft, and Thomas E. Lawrence, Commissioners of Highways; George IIawkins, Samuel Hall, and Zebediel Wentworth, Constables; Adonijah Barnard, Dan Taft, and Asahel Castle, Fenee-Viewers. There were then 22 road districts in the town, and overseers were duly chosen. Jostices of tho peace were at that time appointed by the State executive for the county, and 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. Borton, Eleazer Bushnell, Simeoo N. Enmes, William B. Wright, George Hawkins, and Samuel llall such inspectors.

"In 1813, James Young was re-elected Supervisor and West Water- man Town Clerk. The town-meeting was held ot the school-house before deserihed, which answered in that dny as a school-house and for religious and political meetings. Nearly all the officers elected in 1812 were re-elected except the assessors and colleetor. 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 wns little ob- served, it being the aim of the voters to select the best men for local affairs. At the general election of 1813, Daniel D. Tompkins, Repub- lienn, for Governor, received 89 votes; Stephen Van Rensselaer, Fed- eral, for Governor, received 26 votes - Republican majority, 63. Henry Huntington, Republican, for Assembly, 123; Theodore Sill, Federal, for Assembly, 36-Republican majority, 87.

" In 1814, John HIall 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-Repoblican majority, 4fi. These election returns are certified by James Young, John Ilall, Luther Miller, Charles Ladd, and Charles Ufford, Inspectors of Election.

" In 1815-16, Messrs. Hall and Young were respectively re-elected Supervisor aod Town Clerk. After 'Squire Hall's re-election was announced by the moderator nt the town-meeting, in 1816,-his third term,-he arose and said, ' Fellow-citizens and neighbors, look around you and select n young man for supervisor in whom you can confide, and give him your suffrage and hearty support. Make up your minds after n 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 HIall's ndvice, 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 usefolness, to which the publie sentiment would heartily respond, to say that his successful efforts in that position bave 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 early 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 farmners managed to spare a little, those fortunate enough to secure it bringing it home on their backs.

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

476

HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.

HARMONY LIBRARY ASSOCIATION.

" At a meeting of the citizens of Lee to ereet and incorporate a public library in the town of Lee, agreeably to a previous public notice, according to the laws of this State,-the meeting assembled at the North Meeting-House," in Lee, on Tuesday, the 7th day of March, 1820. Proceeded to the business in hand by electing Dr. Elijah Ward moderator aod 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 Ilarmony 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-Honsc, at two o'clock P.M.

" LEE, March 7, 1820."

" Attest : J. YOUNG, Clerk.t

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 Nishet 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 abont 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 . Peck. 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. Peck, now of Delta, was also a suc- eessful 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 :

" Rockronn, IL.L., March 26, 1868.

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

native town, Lce, 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, ia Lee, where Albert Barnes had previously taught. My father resided in an adjoining district. In this school Mr. Brainerd, thongh a mere youth, achieved perfect success. He kept a model school, and his pupils both feared and loved him. Though familiar with his pupils in their plays ont 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, seenred his services at an early day for the next winter, 1824-25. In this district be made bis home with my uncle, the late James Young, Esq., a prominent citizen and publie man of Lee. My uncle Young and his brother Alvao were great readers. The town library was kept at their bonse; 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 uncle 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. He 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 Lec, exceedingly 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 Spencer, Alvan Young, Wheeler Armstrong, Freeman Perry, Jesse Arm- strong, Henry Peck, 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, John 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 Tracy, 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 Peck, 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. Muscott, 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.

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History of Oneida County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 127

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