History of Oneida County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 164

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 164

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"In January, 1787, Ephraim Blackmer, Esq., and Captain Nehe- miah Jones removed from Berkshire Co., Masa., to Dean's Patent. Esquire Blackmer cama in advance, with a horse-team, bringing tha families, consisting of their wives, Eaquire Blackmer's two children, and Captain Jones' one, some hads, bedding, and clothing, while Captain Jones followed more alowly with an ox-teumn, with such fur- nitura and provisions us were supposed necessary to commenca house- keaping among the Indians, as thair New England friends wera pleased to term the location of the settlers in 'Denasville.' Esquire Blackmar stayed the last night of his journey nt Oriskany, a distanca of about ten miles from Judge Denn's. The next morning he took, to use tha teamster's phrase, un early start, that is, before sunrise, well knowing it would consume tha whole day to travel the distance, and wishing to get through before dark. Probably they would have looked incredulously at tha iden of a ruilroad'a baing constructed in the then next half-century, over a part of their route, carrying pas- sengers nt tha rata of fifteen, twenty, and even thirty miles per hour.# There was no road on any part of the distance, nor track, except that of the Indian snow-shoe, which rathar impedad their progress than otherwise. It was a bitter cold day, the snow about cighteen inchas deep. By dint of untiring perseverance our travelars had, by a littla past the middle of the day, kennad their way to the spot near where the village of Hampton now stands. In crossing the creek a littla north of said villuge, the stream baing but partially frozen, tha sleigh unluckily turned over, turning the women and children into the water, the youngest, a child of Mrs. Jones, less than one year of nge, going completely under water. Happily, the water was not deep enough to endanger them from drowning. In a few minutes they were all safa on shore, but in such a plight ! or, I might have said, 'in such a pickle !' the women and children to a considerable extent drenched in water, without a sheltar or fire nearer than Judge Dean's, a distance of about four miles, which would cost more than that number of hours to reach, with the thermomater, if ona could have been consulted, ranging noar zero. Would not our modern delicate females rather shudder at the thought of being placed in such a situation, and under such circum- stances ? But our settlers had no iden of being diahcartened or dis- couraged. 'Necessity ia the mother of invention.' Fortunataly, tha chest of bedclothes had escaped the drenching. The seats were re- moved from the sleigh, and dry bedclothes spread over the bottom of it. The women and children then placed themselves on them, the brandy-jug was introduced, and each one drank what he could bear, without being too far intoxicated, and some two quarts of it sprinkled over them. In those days alcohol was used to keep people warm in winter and cool in summer. A large amount of dry bedding spread over them completed their arrangements for the rest of their journey. After the first half-hour all fear of freezing gave way to the equally disagreeable one of suffocation. First the water, and then the braody, caused such a profuse perspiration that our travelers could not liken the appearance of their sleigh to anything more appropriate thun a traveling coal-pit. To conclude, they all safely arrived at Judge

# And perhaps at that duy the judge's own eyes would have dilated. had he heen told that in the near future locomotives so powerful would be built, and tracks of such pattern be constructed, that railway trains would speed along at the rate of sixty miles an hour nod more.

Denn's a little before dark. The women are both yet living, f and I have frequently heard them jocosely observe that Judge Dean's olfactory nerves must have borns strong testimony that they had not baen over-temparata on their journey; but they always concluded by observing that not one of the party took even a 'slight cold.'"

Captain Nehemiah Jones had been a soldier of the Rev -. olution. He lived to be nearly seventy-nine years of age, and died Dec. 19, 1838. His sister Mary was the wife of, Ephraim Blackmer. The latter person died in February, 1796, and his was the first Masonic funeral ever held in Oneida Couoty. The sermon was preached by Rev. Asahiel Norton, at Clinton. The attending Masons were principally from New Hartford, where a Lodge had been organized, holding its meetings in the upper part of Judge Sanger's old house. General Joseph Kirkland, then living in New. Hartford, was probably secretary of the Lodge.

Captain Jones' son, Hon. Pomroy Jones, still a resident of Westmoreland, was eighty eight years of age on the 30th of December, 1877, and is probably the oldest man in town. His faculties have been wonderfully preserved, however, and the form of the veteran straightens easier than that of many a man at sixty. He was one of nearly a full company of men from this town, twelve of whom were in the service in 1812, commanded by Captain Gurdon Caswell. The full militia was called out in 1814, and kept on duty nearly two months. A full company was drafted from this town in 1812, and included Mr. Jones. This company was kept in service six months, and its only losses were from dc- sertion.

Judge Jones has in his possession the table used by his father's family, it being the first one brought into the town of Westmoreland,-Judge Dean's people having used a plank for a table. He also has a diminutive pair of shoes, made for his aunt, who was born in 1758, and a couple of chairs more than 130 years old, which were used by the ancestors of his second wife. After the judge returned from the army he belonged to the militia a number of years, and was then upon the bench for ten years. He was at one time personally acquainted with a large propor- tion of the citizens of the county.

Three persons have died in this town at the age of one hun- dred years,-Lewis Crandall, Henry Francis Aaron Keck- land, and a man who lived a mile east of Lairdsville. Keck- land was a German, and had served under Burgoyne, and afterwards enlisted in the American army. The man whose name is not given (because not recollected) was a veteran of the Revolution, and after he was one hundred years of age Judge Jones made out his pension papers for him, and says the old gentleman was then possessed of a man's stature but an infant's mind.

Isaac Jones, the first supervisor of this town, was en- gaged during most of the period of the Revolution in transporting military stores. In 1787 he removed to Clin- ton, Oneida Co., and soon afterwards to Westmoreland. He died in the town of Vernon in 1808. His brother, Joseph Jones, carne to Westmoreland in the spring of 1787, and for many years resided a short distance west of the Baptist Church at Lairdsville. Ile was supervisor four years, jus- tice of the peace more than twenty years, and for some

+ Written in 1851. Now (1878) deceased.

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HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.

time postmaster and town clerk. When he was justice he was the only acting magistrate in his section of the town, and his duties were manifold. He died in Vernon in 1835.

Captain Stephen Brigham, another veteran of the Revo- lution, settled in this town in 1790. Some years later he was unfortunately made the victim of a perjurer, and lost his property here, from having been bail for his nephew, a merchant of Hampton, named Abel Brigham. This was before the abolition of the law imposing imprisonment for debt.

Joseph Blackmer, Sr., moved to this town in 1789, and died in 1795. He was the father of Ephraim (already mentioned) and Joseph Blackmer, Jr. The latter removed in 1808 to Wheatland, Monroe Co., where he died in 1848.

Roderick Morrisen, a native of Hebron, Conn., and a Revolutionary patriot, emigrated to Westmoreland in 1797. He hecame very popular in this town,-was its supervisor fifteen years, many years a justice of the peace, and in 1816 a member of the Assembly. He died in 1843.

Jared Chittenden, Esq., a native of Connecticut; and a soldier of the Revolution, removed to Oneida County, and settled early in Whitestown. A few years later, and some years previous to 1800, he came to Westmoreland. He was supervisor of the town ene year, and for some time a magistrate. He died in 1828.

Captain Phineas Bell, an early settler of this town, was a soldier during the Revolution, and with many ethers suf- fered the tortures of the Sugar- House prisen, on Long Island. He died May 13, 1845, aged eighty-four years, and is buried in the old cemetery near Lairdsville.

Jebn Townsend, Esq., another Revolutionary patriet, settled in Westmoreland in 1790, in the southwest part of tewn, on the level lands which have long been known as the " Townsend Flats."

In the winter of 1786-87, or the spring following, there came to this town, besides Joseph Jones and Joseph Black- mer, Jr., already mentioned, Judge Dean's younger brother, William, with a large family. In 1788, Samuel Laird, from New Marlborough, Mass., located at what is new Lairdsville, and soon after commenced keeping a public- house, better known in the early days as a " log tavern." Pelatiah Rawson also came this year, as did Deacon John Blair, who was the first to fix his heme outside of Dean's Patent.

In 1789 there arrived John and Nathaniel Townsend (brothers), Benjamin Blackman, Captain Jehn Vaughan, Josiah Stillman, Nathan Loomis, Adenijah Strong. Mr. Strong built a frame house and barn on his place (which he purchased of Nathan Loomis), and about 1797 sold it te Captain Peabody. This transaction was afterwards the subject of so much litigation that it ate up twice the value of the farm to settle the dispute. Joshua Green, Joseph Blackmer, Sr., John Merse, Daniel Seeley, a Mr. Blodget, and ethers also came in 1789. Jeseph Blackmer, Sr., lived a little over a mile west of Lairdsville, and Mr. Bledget was the first settler upon the site of Hampton village. Elijah Smith and Samuel Starr located in the latter place early. A deed on record in the county clerk's office for a fart in this town, adjoining Hampton village, was executed

to these two men by George Washington and George Clin- ton, and transferred 153 acres of land .: Another deed, from Washington and Clinton to Jehn Baxter, of 259} acres, is dated September 2, 1799. Deeds from those dis- tinguished men are also on record to Jeseph Blodget, Daniel Babcock, Asa. Turner, Stephen Hutchinson, John Babcock, and Ebenezer R. Fitch, all in Westmoreland, and numerous others in what are now Whitestown, Paris, and New Hartford. These were principally conveyed by George Clinton, as attorney for Washington.

Alexander Parkman, Esq., and Captain Stephen Brigham settled in this town in 1790, together with numerous others.

The spring and summer of 1787 were very cold and wet, and it was almost impossible to raise any erops. The corn was spoiled by frosts before it had begun to mature, yet so scarce had it become that it was dried in that shape, and prepared by pounding in a samp mortar, formed by burning out the end of a log. Judge Dean's saw-mill was built in 1787 or '88, and the grist-mill a year later. The first run of stones used in this grist-mill was manufactured by Ed- ward Higbee from a large granite reck, which lay a few reds east of Samuel Laird's dwelling. These stones answered every purpose. Higbee soon after built another grist-mill on the same stream, in the eastern part of town.

The first settler on MeKessen's Patent, in the north part of town, including the site of Lowell village, was Stephen Stilsen, whe located in 1802. Doddridge Leomis soen fel- lowed, and John Tuttle (who took up the lot on which Lowell is located), Zebulon Tuttle, Caleb Thurston, Calvin Adams, and David Stilsen probably came the same year. Sullivan and Abel Brigham, Cyrus Rice, Isaiah Shed, Joseph Perkins, Ezekiel Miller, James Hempstead, Ames Smith, Nathan and Park Adams settled on the same tract in 1803.

In the northeastern portion of town the early settlers were Captains Lay and Lee, Sherman Patterson and his sons, John and Josiah Patterson, Isaac Goodsell, William and Ebenezer Cheever, George and Consider Law, Elijah Waters, Thomas Barnum, Ebenezer, Ephraim, and Heman Besse, George Williams, Alfred Richardson, families named Peckham, Bicknell, and Barker, Samuel Bailey, John Nicholson, Henry Halleck, Peter Doolittle, and many others, who came in the latter part of the last and the beginning of the present century. On and near the road between Hampton and the Hecla Furnace were Walter Cone, Wil- liam, Josiah, and Jonathan Patten, Jehn Bowen, Stephen Hutchinson, Stephen Brigham, and Daniel Babcock. East of Hampton the first settlers were Chester Stillman, Samuel Collins, Benjamin Waters, Nathan Thompson, and John Baxter.

Several cases of accidental shooting have occurred in this tewn, and on one occasion, in 1806, a terrible murder and suicide was perpetrated, Mrs. Betsey Halleck, wife of Henry Halleck, in a sudden fit of insanity taking the lives of her- self and her four daughters, cutting all their throats with her husband's razor, he being away at a "raising."

The wife of Samuel Bailey, who lived about three and one-half miles north of Hampton, kept a bear at bay on one occasion with a club till assistance came, he having de- scended with dire intent on the pig-sty.

605

HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.

A very severe dysentery visited this town in the latter part of the summer of 1796, and inany children and a few adults were swept off by it. The disease prevailed fatally the same year in the town of Floyd.

The army of General Amherst, on its way to complete the conquest of Canada, in 1760, passed across this town, and traces of its road were seen for a hundred years. The first and only Canada thistles in the vicinity for twenty years after the town was settled sprang up along this old road when the timber was cleared away, and it was a mat- ter of conjecture for many years from whence they came.

The first death in this town was that of Oren Jones, an infant son of Captain Nehemiah Jones, who died March 29, 1788. As no coffin could be procured, it was buried in the sleigh-box in which they had removed from Massachusetts, Esquire Ephraim Blackmer making out of it a very decent coffin. The first death of an adult was that of Pelatiah Rawson, who resided about half a mile southeast of the Hecla Works, who died very suddenly in the summer of 1789.

The first marriage was that of Samuel Hubbard, of Clin- ton, and Miss Mary Blair, eldest daughter of Deacon John Blair, who has been mentioned. The ceremony was per- formed by Rev. John Sargeant, the Iadian missionary, March 23, 1790, in the log cabin of the settler, which stood ncar the first framed house, on the Hampton road. After Rev. Mr. Bradley was settled he married the following per- sons at the dates given : Oct. 17, 1793, Mather Bosworth and Bathsheba Deming; Feb. 24, 1794, Daniel Williams and Lavina Hovey ; May 8, 1794, Peter Pratt and Dolly Smith ; Aug. 17, 1794, Samuel Cornwell and Hannah Fin- ney ; Nov. 12, 1794, Asahel Porter and Abigail Smith. Very probably these were the only marriages in town dur- iag the first eight years of its settlement.

The first merchaat in the town of Westmoreland was Abraham Van Eps, a more extended notice of whom will be found in the Vernoa towa history, he having removed to that town, and opened also the first mercantile establish- ment within its limits.

In the old cemetery west of Lairdsville, on the turnpike, are buried many of the early settlers of the towa, and others who lived to a great age. Among them are the following, viz. :

Mrs. Lucretia Morse, died Sept. 1, 1812, aged 42.

Elder Ora Butier, "pastor of the Baptist Church of Christ, in West- moreland," died Jan. 16, 1811, aged nearly 39.

Chloe, wife of Hezekiah Joslin, died April 27, 1822, aged 61.

Samuel Crary, died Oct. 16, 1810, aged 40. Ephraim Blackmer,.died Fcb. 27, 1796, aged 40. Mary Jones, his wife, died Oct. 19, 1844, aged 86. John Loomis, died Dec. 23, 1835, aged 61.

Mary, his wife, died March 11, 1861, aged 76.

Deacon Meses Upham, died March 21, 1842, aged 67.

Priseilla, his wife, died Aug. 10, 1851, aged 80.

Phineas Bell, "a patriot of the Revolution," died May 13, 1845, aged 84. " He was one of the first to take up arms in defense of his country, at the early age of 15 years, and served faithfully to the close of the perilous contest. Has since been the recipient of the bounty of a grateful people, lived long to enjoy it, and died full of honors and of years."

Sarah Bell, died Dec. 19, 1866, aged 95.

Sarah A., second wife of Andrew J. Bell, died May 8, 1874, aged 70. Augusta, wife of Allen Chapin, died Dec. 26, 1822, aged 22.

Nehemiah Jones, "a soldier of the Revolution," died Dec. 19, 1838, nearly 79.

Anna, his wife, died Oct. 8, 1844, aged 82.

Mehitahel, wife of Pomroy Jones, died Feb. 11, 1846, aged 54.

Dr. Caleb Goff, died Nov. 11, 1820, aged 59.

Lydia, his wife, died Sept. 28, 1832.

Samuel Laird, died May 21, 1820, aged 60. Mary, his wife, died July 30, 1823, aged 60.

Uriah Williams, died Sept. 6, 1833, aged 75.

Uriah Goodwin, died June 16, 1835, aged 75. Abigail, his wife, died May 26, 1845, aged 86. William Ward, died Feb. 6, 1862, aged 71. Anna, his wife, died Oct. 18, 1866, aged 75. Roger Wilson, died March 19, 1839, aged 84. Hannah, his wife, died April 13, 1832, aged 72. Henry, their son, died Oct. 28, 1823, aged 28. Caleb Kelley, died Jan. 6, 1837, aged 54. Selima, his wife, died Nov. 14, 1839, aged 41. Gurshem Wood, died April 24, 1865, aged 72. Lucy, his wife, died Feb. 1, 1846, aged 49. John Irving, died Sept. 17, 1848, aged 65. Elizabeth, his wife, died Feb. 6, 1849, aged 59. Hiram Scripture, died April 17, 1849, aged 77. Elizabeth, his wife, died Aug. 23, 1861, aged 90.

Peleg Havens, a Revolutionary soldier, died Feb. 28, 1847, aged 86.

HIannah, his wife, died July 27, 1841, aged 74.

Roderick Morrison, Revolutionary soldier, died Aug. 17, 1843, aged 79.

Charlotte, his wife, died May 18, 1835, aged 64.

Charlotte, wife of Isaac Pixley, died March 3, 1825, aged 28.

As has been stated, Judge Dean, when but a boy, was adopted by one of the Oneida women, and this circumstance was the means of saving his life after he had become a per- manent resident of Oneida County. A party of drunken Indians on one occasion, returning from their annual fish- ing expedition to the Cohoes, found a blacksmith-shop some- where in the valley of the Mohawk, and took possession of it, ia the absence of the owner, in order to use the fire for cooking purposes. The blacksmith soon returned, and not wishing so noisy a crowd occupying his shop, attempted to drive them away. A fight was the consequence, and the sturdy smith made such free use of his hammer as to kill one of the Indians, whereupon they left. An ancient law of the Oneidas was, that if any of their tribe should be mur- dered by a member of any tribe with which they were at peace, the first person belonging to the offending nation who should pass through their territory should be executed to appcase the sorrow of the murdered man's relatives. The one who had committed this murder was a white man, and a council declared that a white man should be executed in return, and Judge Dean was selected as the victim. It was only through the interposition of his Indian mother, who threw herself before the executioner, Powlis, and threatened to take her own life if that of her adopted son was taken, that he was spared .*

On another occasion, about 1792-93, an Indian, bearing the Dutch name of Hon Yost, who had married a grand- daughter of the celebrated Scanandoa, was seen coming, about noon one day, toward Judge Dean's house, evidently intoxicated, and uttering the dismal Oneida death-knell. He passed through the kitchen of the house to the sitting- room, and demanded of the judge money which he pre- tended he owed him. On the refusal of the judge to pay

# There are several different accounts of this affair.

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HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.

what he did not owe the Indian drew his knife and sprang towards him. Mrs. Dean caught up the heavy iron fire- shovel, and but for her husband would have cleft the skull of the savage in an instant. The judge wrapped his hand- kerchief around his hand, dispossessed the Indian of his knife, and soon had him confined in the cellar, snoring away the effects of the " fire-water" he had imbibed ; and when the savage was once more himself he humbly begged pardon and was allowed to go.

Judge Dean was greatly beloved by the Indians, and was held in high esteem by his fellow-citizens. For a number of years he was one of the judges of the Oneida Common Pleas, and twice held a seat in the Assembly. He was quite an extensive farmer. As a scholar he ranked high. After the close of the Revolution he wrote a lengthy essay upon Indian Mythology, and lent the manuscript to President Dwight; it was never returned .* Judge Dean died Sept. 10, 1823, in the seventy-sixth year of his age.

Captain John Vaughan, an carly settler of this town, died in 1820, aged eighty-seven. He was the father of 14 children, had 134 grandchildren, 236 great-grand- children, and 8 great-great-grandchildren at the time of his death, nearly all of whom were then living.

During the early days of the settlement of this town and county, travel over the old Seneca turnpike was very ex- tensive. Judge Jones relates to us of having seen fifty loads of wheat at once upon it, en route to market. The wagon wheels were made with broad tires, and the vehicles drawn by six or eight horses, and the judge says they were " sometimes in fleets, fairly."

Occasional relics of the "Stone Age" are found in this town, although no traces have been discovered of any works of defense, such as are common in some parts of Jefferson County and in many portions of the Union. John L. Dean has in his possession a stone axe, weighing about four pounds, which was found in the vicinity of the Heela Works; its pattern is similar to that of others found in different sections of the country.

The population of the town of Westmoreland has changed to such an extent that very few descendants of the original settlers are now living within its boundaries. In the Dean school district there are but two familics besides the Deans who were in the locality forty years ago, -these are Ebenezer Fitch and T. J. Olney.

The inhabitants of southern Westmoreland are exten- sively engaged in hop-raising, and those in the northern part have become somewhat interested in dairying. A checse-factory-the first in the town-was established at Lowell, in 1861-62, by H. L. Rose, and is the largest of the six now in existence. The others are the Westmore- land, the Bartlett, Schuyler's, John L. Dean's, and a small one called " Cloverdale." These factories suspend opera- tions for the winter about the middle of November.

For about three years Mr. John L. Dean has been en- gaged in breeding the famous Holstein cattle, and is the only man in town in that business. He has two imported cows, and four head (heifer and bulls) that are pure bred. The cows are very fine milkers; one, four years old, was

giving, when the place was visited (April, 1878), 40 pounds of milk daily, which was remarkable for the season.

SCHOOLS.

The first school in the town of Westmoreland was taught in a log school-house which was built as early as 1792, near the present burying-ground, a short distance west of Lairds- ville. The teacher was Calvin Butler, brother of Deacon Salmon Butler, of Clinton. Rebecca Pomroy, aunt to Hon. Pomroy Jones, also probably taught in this building.

" In 1793 a log school-hoase was hailt in Lairdsville, and some time io 1794 a teacher was hired for a year. He was competent, and his pupils advanced rapidly, but after seven or eight months of his year had elapsed it was discovered that he was intemperate, and that ha was occasionally partially intoxicated in school hours. For several days, upon one veension, he carried about one of his eyes all the hues of the rainbow, received in a drunken brawl at a neighboring public- house. In the spring of 1795, a number of the patrons of the school believing that such examples to their children should be no longer tolerated, a meeting was notified to take the matter into considera- tion. The meeting was a protracted one, part of the distriet strongly advocating the continuance of the school, while the other part were tenacious for dismissing a teacher whose walk before his pupils was so irregalar. The arguments pro and con having been exhausted, it was found upon taking the vote upon the motion for dismissal that there was a tie. The vote not being carried to dismiss the teacher, the advocates for cootiquing the school moved an adjouroment, which was carried, and they dispersed to their homes. Not so with the oppo- nents of the school. Some of the leading spirits passed round the word to their friends to remain after the adjournmeot. They did so, and, after the teacher's friends had all left und were out of sight, they carried out the books and stationery to a secure place, and then kin- dled 'a fire in the building, and did not retire until the destroy- ing element had so far progressed as to preclude all possibility of its being queached, thus most effectually dismissing the drunken school- teacher.' t

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History of Oneida County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 164

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