History of Oneida County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 151

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 151

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" We arrived on Tuesday at the Little Salmon Creek. There was fish in the greatest abundance : Oswego hass, perch, suofish, catfish, eel, sheepshead, similar, but superior in flavor to that species called neus braessem by the Dutch, and sword-fish.t We speared a few of these and cut off their heads, armed with swords of five and six inches in length, without tasting the fish, as some of our crew pretended that it was of a poisonous nature, which I would doubt. It might be so in the sword; or it might be that this terrible weapon overawed the first examiners, and roused their imagination to give birth to similar dreams; the meat certainly appears good, being solid, white, and lined with a milky substance. The salmon collects here and in the Big Salmon Creek io carly incredible numbers during the fall and spring.

"The soil along the shore is generally indifferent, seldom, to ap- pearance, above mediocrity. Sand and stone at various distances, intersected hy swamps, a few pinc, more hemlock, and sometimes a

# Ile had mneh better bare thanked Pricc.

t Gar-fish.

WM. J. BABCOCK.

Photo. by Williams.

MRS. WM. J. BABCOCK.

WM. J. BABCOCK.

William J. Babcock was born in Petersburg, Rensselaer Co., N. Y., June 23, 1812, the eldest child of Benjamin and Hannah Babcock. Both father and mother were natives of Petersburg ; died and are buried there. His grand- fathers, Jasou Babcock, and William Reynolds, on the mother's side, both moved from Rensselaer County at an early day. They were both of English descent. His father served as colonel in the war of 1812. Their chil- dren were William J., Nelson P., Minerva, Oliver R., Amy, and Chester T. Oliver R. and Chester T. are deceased. Nelson P. is the proprietor of Babcock's Hotel, in Hoosic. Minerva has been twice married. Her first husband was Porter E. Randall; second, Harris Hopkins, both deceased. She now lives at Holland Patent. Amy, wife of Porter E. Jones, lives at Petersburg, Rensselaer Co.

William J. Babcock lived with his parents till nineteen years of age. He then bought his time of his father, and took up the masou trade, and has followed it almost contin- uously since. When twenty-one years of age he built a large stone cotton-factory for General William Plunket, at South Adams, Mass .; also stone cotton-factory for Brayton & Co., in North Adams, besides quite a number of the prominent stone and brick residences in both those places. In March, 1836, he moved to Utica, and was employed six months as foreman in the construction of the locks of the Chenango Canal. April, 1837, he moved to Holland Patent, where he has ever since resided. Built Ira Thomp- son's and Ingham Townsend's stone houses, in Floyd ; Henry Miller's stone residence, Joy's Hotel, and the cobble-stone house now owned by Owen Evans, in Trenton; two stone poor-houses near Middleville, Herkimer Co .; two large residences in Newport for Perry & Sweezy ; in Canajoharie, six stone dwelling-houses and three stores for Caldwell,

Loucks & Gardinier ; the Baptist Church in Holland Pat- ent, since burned; in Schoharie, Schoharie Co., the brick Dutch Reformed Church, the court-house and jail ; also the stone school-house in Holland Patent. His last work was the fine stone residence near Holland Patent, built for his son-in-law, John G. Williams, which was commenced in 1872, and occupied by him Jan. 1, 1874,-one of the finest residences in Oneida County.

Mr. Babcock was married, Sept. 12, 1833, to Anna Hiscox, daughter of Gardner and Anna Hiscox. Her father was a native of Connecticut, her mother of Rhode Island. Her brothers and sisters were Pamelia, Susan, Gardner, Roxanna, Amanda, and David W. All but Amanda, who died at three years of age, are married and living. Mrs. Babcock was born March 9, 1806.

Mr. and Mrs. Babcock have but one child, Fannie H., born Oct. 15, 1837. She received her education at Hobart Hall Academy, Holland Patent, and at Fort Plain Semi- nary ; was married, Nov. 13, 1860, to John G. Williams, of Utica, N. Y., son of the veteran teacher, John Williams, deceased, who taught in Utica forty years. John G. re- ceived bis education at his father's school, and at the Wes- leyan University, Middletown, Conn., where he graduated in July, 1860. He has adopted the profession of a teacher.

Mr. and Mrs. Williams have one child, William J. B., born July 9, 1866.

In 1841, Mr. Babcock purchased of Joseph Stevens thirty acres of land and residence, situated a half-mile west of Holland Patent, which he occupied for many years, and still owns. At the present time Mr. and Mrs. Babcock are living with their daughter, Mrs. Williams. Mr. Babcock is Republican in politics ; has served nine years as commis- sioner of highways.

555

HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.

cedar brush. As soon as you penetrate somewhat deeper in the country, its interior parts become more pleasing, the soil more fertile, more valuable the timber; beech nud mapls reappear, intermixed with oak and walnut. Several mill-seats are on thess lurger creeks.

"The wind was too vehement on Wednesday to proceed on our journey with such nn ignorant and even cowardly crew; even the daring Price ndvised us not to run the risk ; but he could not on any necount be psrsunded to remnin longer with us. He grasped bis gun, left his grent-cont with us, und flew out of sight in the woods. We heard the report of a gun, another, und thers was Price returned; be threw a couple of partridges at our feet und departed finally.

" We caught yellow perch which indeed wns exquisite; large pick- erel und pike, some two feet long. The lake hecame more and more tempestuous ; the wind blew a gule, and our Typbeus had left us. Now I could not conquer a rising wish to be reunited to a beloved family, denr to my heart by so many ties, and enjoy with them that placid contentment in our peaceful abode in Ulster; and when I felt that it wns vain it increased for a few moments to a painful anguish. The thought that my presence would be more and more longed for every day ; that it was actually required there; the roughness of our hands, with whose intimacy I hecame disgusted; the want of a number of comforts und conveniences to which I was necustomed, and scemed now for the first time to become sensible of; all this, with the uncer- tainty when we might leave this spot with safety, subdued for n while my sprightliness, und rendered me morose und sullen ; but it was only n morning cloud, which passed by.

" The recollection that He who rules and directs all for the best re- stored my wonted equanimity, while De Zeog's insinunting address and entertaining conversation soon ngain brought my feclings in union with his. The violence of the tempest increased with the falling night, und did not abate till the morning, when we compelled onr pilot and crew to enter once more in the bateau.

" When we perceived that Barker brought us nearly in the same situation as before, we listened to prudence' ndvice, and considered it our duty to land in the same creek which we hnd entered on Monday. We took here, after we had rowed up this creek for two miles, a large quantity of trout of various sizes, to regnle us at dinner.

"Nothing, my dear sir, resembles nearer the small rivulets and canals in South Holland than these creeks, as far as these are naviga- ble. You see the same water-plants and flowers,-in some parts the conserva, covering a part of the surface,-the same insects, the same serpentine windings. We took a walk after dinner n few miles in the country, following the course of the creek at some distance, where we found a rich soil, and here and there a mill-seat. A variety of huts scattered along the creek, with a sort of sheds to dry eels, was a full proof that neither here was a want of fish. The small river-lobster was here plentiful. The soil was full of stones nenr the creek, which diminished in proportion that we receded from it. This fertile soil was covered with some onk, beech, and maple, in some parts mixed with walnut, chestnut, und butternut. We returned about six o'clock tu our encampment, but our pilot und one of our hands were nowilling to embark that evening; to-morrow morning-this night they would start-the Inke was yet too high; at last, however, having prevailed on one of our lads, we got them all-willing, unwilling-in the boat. We placed him whose good will I bnd secured at the belm; the pilot with his mate in mutiny at the oars, und pushed forward decp enough in the lake, while De Zeng und I took n pagay in the hand to prosper onr course.

" Here we met with the bateau from which the British had secured a part of the cargo of salt, permitting it to depart after the remainder had been redeemed. It proceeded to Cadornghkui. A fresh westerly breeze with the falling evening induced us to look out for a Innding- spot, in which we sooner and better succeeded than we could have ex- pected. It was nhout two miles above Ninc-Miles' Point; the wind suddenly increased again ; we hnuled our bateau on dry land so that we might not lose her during the night.

"It was now about 8 o'clock; the evening benutifully charming beyond expression ; the bank on which we had pitched our tent wns about four feet above the level of the shore; before our tent was a large fire in full blaze; the sky remarkably clear ; a double colonnade of stately, broad-branched beech- and birch-trees surrounding our encampment, planted, as it seemed by our warming imagination, in a regular symmetry, without intercepting from our eyes the sight of the lake, which was illumed by the moon. The soil appeared tolerably

good, ths bank continued to rise above us, but it was too late now for a more necurnte examination. I was indeed charmed with this beau- tiful spot ; the supper was welcome; we chatted away a part of the evening before we perceived from the snoring of our crew that it was late, and high time to lic down. My sleep was refreshing. I awoke with a renewed nrdor, sud roused at breakday every soul in the tent hy my uninterrupted halloos.

" At 6 o'clock we rowed already with all our might, and arrived about ten at the fort, to our grent satisfaction and joy. As there re- mnined nothing in the place to keep our curiosity alive, we bad soon our dinner prepared and dispatched; when ready to start Captain Wicham, returning from the woods with half a dozen pigeons in his hand, giveth us a friendly call. We left the fort at 1 o'clock, and made our encampment that night three miles from the falls, after having walked one mile to lessen the freight of the bateau ; and now, my denr sir, you will enjoy with us that we accomplish this journey with- out any real misfortune. The remainder must be, of course, riding post over the same ground, become now to us less interesting, and yet I wish to reserve the conclusion for my next.

" Yours."

" KINGSTON, 15 August, 1792.

" MY DEAR Sin,-Our breakfast was in rendiness nt an early hour, neither did we torry long; all hands to the bnteau! speed, hoys, speed ! and the command was promptly executed. Our bont seemed to acquire a new vigor, either that he was satisfied fully with the length of this trip, or that he netually longed for bis home. We arrived nt Three-River Point about seven, discharged Mr. Barker, und pitched our teot in the vicinity of his house, crowded with trav- elers from several bntenux and canocs, which tarried there since yes- terdny. Barker bnd cnught, by throwing a line behind the batenn, four Inrge Oswego bass, the smallest of a foot long, which was the best part of our supper.

"I had Dow an opportunity of examining and witnessing the truth of what the baron had told me before of the curious manner by which the chubs (triobs) hide their eggs. They deposit these along the rivers of Oswego and Onondago on shallow spots, und cover these afterwards with small pebbles, henped in n conical form, somewbnt below the surface of the water, while others were prominent nbove it.

"Need I tell you, my dear sir, that Fort Brewerton, which we reached at four in the afternoon, was to us n delightful sight ? Cup- tnin Bingham was from home on the snlmon fishery, and Captain Simonds, with the women, on a visit to the island. His eldest dnugh- ter, nevertheless, a smart young girl, prepared us & good supper,-n hass of two pounds, a dish with stewed eel, with fresh bread und but- ter. Our breakfast was congenial, having secured two capital cels, with a pot of milk and rice. We burried to the island, and compli- mented Mr. and Madame Des Wattines, on Monday morning between nine and ten. We were ngain congratulated with a henrty welcome, and a new zest was added to our gratification when Des Wattinee proposed to conduct us to the Fish Creek, or Oneidn River, ns he wns compelled to go the Oneidas for Indian corn. His garden was yet more plensant ; its value unquestionably had increased. Hend- lettuce, parsley [purslane], string-pease, and kidney-benos were in full perfection.

" They would not he refused, and seemed not satisfied before we were provided with some store of their plenty, as they were pleased to call it ; and then yet they, as it were, compelled us by their kind, nithough ncarly importune entrenties, to accept a mess of new potatoes, with a Inrge catfish. Madame walked with us to the shore; there we slept in the batenu; one of his dogs bnd taken curly a place in our canoe, the other did swim behind it. Mudnme Des Wattines, with her Camille to her bosom, ber eldest boy between her, aod his sister at her side, motionless, staring at us, with an expressive countenance, with features portraying what her soul so keenly seemed to fecl in that distressing moment of separation,-adieu, Des Wattines ! was nll which we could distinguish. There stood that lovely, deserted fair one! Not deserted ns Ariadne, but nevertheless left alone with three helpless children-alone ! on an island in Oneida Lake. I turncd my head from this mournful object and conquered, with some reluc- tance, these painful sentiments which tortured my bosom. His dog followed our batenu, swimming, and landed at length at the second island, where he continued n while barking, and then returned, as we supposed, und Des Wattincs assured us, to his mistress.

556

HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.

" We saw before we reached the ereck a summer shower, refreshing the island, on which no drop of rain had fallen sinee three weeks. So takes a bountiful Father care of those of His children who are destitute of every other assistance; so He waters the wilderness, refreshes the herbs in the desert, and fills the hearts of those that are Innguishing, with food and gladness.

" We took our dinner hy Bruce, where our milk and rice, which we purchased at Fort Brewerton, was to all a palatable dish ; then we bid a hearty farewell to our recluse,-presumptively a farewell forever,-and returned towards evening to the mouth of the Fish Creek or Oneida River, from which we started for our expedition. Des Wattines pre- pared our soupe of eel an'I catfish, while we superintended the pitch- ing of our tent and making a goad fire. This was a truly social entertainment; our hearts were flushed with success, and the prospect before us of meeting ere long with our wives and children, and having passed some of the grent waters of the western lakes, it rendered our feelings exquisitely delightful.

" Here we were gratified with a visit,-if it is not presumptuous to make use of such a familiar term when I speak of a casual. meeting of such great folks as the first Judge Lansing, and Colonel Lewis, the attorney-general of the State, and Major Farley, who all went to attend the circuit; and yet we considered it a visit, as we, too, had been con- sidered as great folks by some who wanted our cash, as we were the first occupants of the soil, and this, according with the gift of, I know not of what ancient or modern pontiff, if it was not St. George or St. Franeis, the proprietors of the soil exclusively. We separated after conversation ; they doomed to remain there till it pleased the westerly breeze to abate; Des Wattines parting from us in his bateau to the Oneida Creek, and we proceeding with our canoe to the Fish Creek or Oneida River. Here we met with one of our old acquaintance, Mr. Abraham Lansing, who, with one Mr. Fonda, went to Ningara. We stopped at the mouth of the Wood Creek. I concluded, while De Zeng with one of our lads was preparing our dinner, to take with the other a view of the Fish Creek. Before we started Captain Bingham returned with five barrels salmon, and sold us a fresh one.

" We rowed up the creek about three miles, and then landed on the side between the Fish and Wood Creeks. Here we met first with a broad girdle of fertile flat land, nearly east by west; then a long tract of pine chiefly, then beech, maple, and oak. The lower parts at this side are often overflown. The land at the west side is much higher than that to the east. I ordered the boy to proceed higher up, and took a similar course landward in, and examined the soil from time to time, which I found generally fertile, although of a less favorable aspeet towards the lake and richer again in proportion that I took a north- western course. My opinion was as much formed from the variety of timber as from the soil, which through a partial and incorrect exam- ination might have Icd me astray. I reached my canoe near the mouth of the Wood Creek, entered it, and found. after an absence of three hours, the peas-porridge ready. We remained that evening two miles at this side of the Oak Orchard, where we breakfasted, and met about one mile from it Messrs. Boon and Lineklaen, who, assisted by Mr. Morris, a land surveyor, proceeded on a similar excursion. It was 2 o'clock before we arrived at the Widow Armstrong's cottage. In an instant the kettle was hung on the fire to boil our fresh salmon. We made ourselves an ample compensation for our frugal repast at breakfast. The salmon was delicious enoog', although not so fat, which, no doubt, was occasionedl that it was speared; but certainly this one, though considered large, was much smaller than usually those on the river the Meuse.

" Amos Fuller, who resided now with his family at the widow's till he should be successful, as he said, in purchasing a farm in this neighborhood, informed us thst two --- past three Massachusetts men, amongst whom one of his brothers, had taken an accurate view of the tract from this point between the Canada Creek, then westward between the Wood and Fish Creeks, and considered it upon the whole so valuable that they had offered to purchase a whole township, to pay D £1000 by the deed of the land, and the residue within a year, obliging themselves further to settle it before April, 1794, with thirty- five families.

" We heard this identical tract described by others,-ardently, per- haps, designing to take it in their grasp,-deseribed as an indifferent traet of land, remarkable chiefly for its bemlock, pine, and swamps, which, perhaps, might fall short in defraying the expenses of its sur- vey. This difference of opinion ean only be accounted for in one way, not that judgment was biased, but that seeret motives indueed the one

and the other to overrate or underrate lands to facilitate its sale or purchase. Come and see, then, and examine for yourself and your friends. Fuller tacked his old horse to our eanoe, and dragged it to Fort Bull. Here I strode on poor Rosinante, step by step, towards Fort Stanwix, where the baron after a little while arrived, having left our. canoe and baggage one mile from the carrying-place by want of water. The ennoe arrived next morning. We dined in part on the new pota- toes of Des Wattines,-the welcome-eup flowed over,-snd I sincerely thanked the baron for his bospitsble reception, for his manifold ser- vices and entertaining society during a journey which required soch a good companion to smooth its roughness. His lady was by her atten- tion entitled to the same civilities. We took a cordial farewell; I stept on my horse, which was nent and plump, rode to Whitesborough, visited Mr. Platt (ouce to be compared to Noordkerk, of Amsterdam), and then made a call to the good-hearted Hugh White, asked for their commands, and slept that night at Old Fort Schuyler, by Mr. Hansje Post. I was again on horseback early in the morning on Friday, and crossed the river. My oiled-silk surtout cost, defended me from the rain, which continued without interruption from five to till eight. I had missed the road near the German Flatts, but met good people, who, with kindness, convinced me that I was on a bye-path. They had observed my inattentive mien, and asked me where I went to. I crossed ngain the Mohawk, took breakfast at Mr. Aldritz's, visited the Rev. Rosekrantz, and arrived at Captain Ballinger's, where I ob- tained for my dinner good chicken-broth. I stept at four on my horse, and associated to another traveler passed Canajohari, baited our horses by Hudson, crossed the Mohawk for the last time, tarried about an hour at the Widow Schuyler's, and slept that night nine miles farther, at Bankert's Inn, much fatigued and thoroughly wet by a copious perspiration.

" The sight of several fields, from which they were reaping the rye, of others where the sheaves stood in array, made me double my speed. Looking steadily forward, and little caring of what I left behind, I discovered first at Simon Veder's, at Caughnawagn, that I had left my spurs ; it was fortunate that I was not in want of these for my good horse. I breakfasted at Putnam's on Trip's hill, staid over noon at Mabce's, six miles from Sehenectadi, without tasting a morsel, pro- viding quietly for my beast, as the landlady declined the trouble to pre- pare a roasted chicken for my dinner. I might have got some pork. I enjoyed the satisfaction to find the Rev. Romeyn with his lady and family in a perfeet health. A good dish of ten, with the delightful society of that respectable clergyman, revived my spirils so that I passed two agreeable hours with theiu. I rode the same evening yet five miles farther, and was before eight next morning under the hos- pitable roof of my worthy friend, Dr. Mancius.

"The Rev. De Ronde, a clergyman of fourscore years, who, expatri- ated from one of the Land Provinces and settled in this State many years past, was to officiate in the Dutch church. I was tempted to be ooe of his hearers. ITis subject was rich enoogh : ' Who shall sbew us what is good ? Let the light of your countenance arise upon us, O Lord!' A Bonnet, a Ilulshoff, a Chevalier would have delivered a master-piece. The good old father. I believe, did as well as he could. But accustomed as I was to dainties, it was a hard fare to digest a coarser meal. In this respect, my dear sir, the time for our adopted country is yet to come, and I doubt not it will, but thus far we are yet behind. I must aeknowledge, however, I did not hear your New York clergy. If I had done so I might have been prompted by jus- tice to a recsotation.

"I retreated after dinner in silence from the city, with the fear of the constable, ignorant that I did attend divine worship in the wor- ship continually before my eyes; slept at Cosochie,# and rode early on Monday morning through an incessant rain to Mr. Sax, in the Imbogt. Let not your warm imagination make you suppose that your learned Sax, of Utrecht, whose talents I so often admired, and who deserved so well the applause which he earned by bis Oromasticon, had transplanted himself in the neighborhood of the beautiful Hudson ; then you could not have been long in suspense while I made such a speed towards his house. No, sir! It was the honest and industrious Ilans Sax, perhaps de- seending from the same lineage. My breakfast was soon in readiness, and I could not deny him the satisfaction to give him the outlines of my excursion. From here I continued my route to Captain Hendrick Schoonmaker, where I took a dish of tea till a heavy thunder-sbower

# Coxsackie.

557

HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.

shall have passed. My patience was exhausted at length, as the day was far gone, and submitted to ride nine miles farther, through a violent rain, before I could reach my dwelling. But not one single drop made any impression, except on my hat, face, and hands, thanks to my silk oiled coat.

"Joy was legible in every countenance; my heart was glad and thankful when I did see me so cordially received, when I felt myself embraced with so much tenderness by all who were so dear to me.

" My dear Jobn alone suffered under an intermittent fever, but that un welcome visitor left us ere long, so that everything is again in its eld train ; the children at school, father in the field, mother unwearied, attentive to her many domestio concerns; all is bustle; ten loads of bay, eleven ef rye, and fourteen of wheat are secured ; the remainder mowed and reaped in the field, so that I must take hold of a few moments early in the morning and late at eveoiog.

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History of Oneida County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 151

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