History of Onondaga County, New York, Part 71

Author: Clayton, W.W. (W. Woodford)
Publication date: 1878
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y., D. Mason & Co.
Number of Pages: 840

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During the war of 1512 he volunteered with his company about a month previous to its close. He has always manifested a strong interest in church and educational matters, and was one of the founders of the Presbyterian church of Camillus. In politics is a Republican, and has never missed a fall election.

He is one of the oldest and most highly estermed citizens of the county, and has always been found arrayed on the side of justice and truth.

Mrs. Peck died June 21, 1875, having attained the ripe age of seventy-nine years. She was born in the town of Salem, Washington Co., Vt., in the year 1791, and with her parents removed to the town of Camillus at an early day. For more than fifty-seven years she was a faithful and loving companion, and was a woman of rare moral excellence, and genuine Christian worth. She possessed much force of character, clear and conscientious views of truth and duty, and unswerving loyalty to that which she believed was right : was habitually reserved and undemonstrative in manner, but excelled by none in deeds of kindness, which she loved so well to perform. For many years she was a member of the Presbyterian church, and in all the years of her Christian course she " adorned the doctrine of God, our Saviour, in all things."

3II

HISTORY OF ONONDAGA COUNTY, NEW YORK.

whose opinions differed from his own. His name will ever be associated with the noblest work of the age and his fame will descend with admiration to those who shall succeed him."

VILLAGE OF CAMILLUS.

This village is situated in a picturesque spot in the valley of Nine-Mile Creek. It is on the " Old Road," or Auburn branch of the New York Cen- tral Railroad, distant nine miles from the city of Syracuse. A " side cut" or " feeder " of the Erie Canal extends to the village, and the Nine-Mile Creek supplies an excellent water·power, which at- tracted settlers and began to be utilized for mill purposes at an early period. In 1806 the first mills of importance were erected in the village-grist and saw mill-by a company of which William Wheeler and Samuel Powers were m members. Abraham Drake built a carding and cloth-dressing mill about eighty rods up the stream from the bridge in 1812. The year following he removed from Aurelius, Cay- uga county, with his family and settled in the vil- lage, where he resided till his death, December 10, 1832. His son, Philip Drake, now residing at Jack's Reefs, in the town of Elbridge, erected the present flouring mill in 1835-'36, and sold to Phares Gould of Skaneateles, in 1836. The mill is now owned by Munro & Patterson, doing merchant and custom flouring.

The race conveying the water to the mills, a dis- tance of about two and a half miles, was constructed in 1832 by James R. Lawrence, Grove Lawrence, Philip Drake and others.

The Woolen Factory of Walter F. Keefer was built on the race in 1834. The business of this mill at the present is the manufacture of cloth and stocking yarn.

In 1848, the " Novelty Mills " were completed by Weston & Dill, and were driven by steam. Sub- sequently there was also a large steam saw-mill in operation, lath mills, turning lathe, &c.

James G. Fergus has a saw mill at the village, built by James M. Munro in 1860.

Camillus village was the earliest settled of any portion of the town. The northern part of it, on Lot So, became the home of Capt. Isaac Lindsay in 1790. In 1793, Capt. Lindsay kept the first tavern, and erected the first frame house in 1795. The first school house (of logs) was erected in 1808, and was followed by a frame building in 1813. Thomas Corey kept a tavern here in 1801.

INCORPORATION.

The village of Camillus was incorporated in 1852, 1

with the following Board of Trustees : Samuel B. Rowe, David A. Munro, Charles Land, Ira Safford ; Gaylord N. Sherwood, President ; Crayton B. Wheeler, Clerk.

The following have served as Presidents of the Village Board for the years named : Gaylord N. Sherwood, 1853 ; William H. Lee, 1854-'57 ; Hiram A. Mungear, 1858; Eliakim E. Veeder, 1859-'61 ; Gaylord N. Sherwood, 1862; E. E. Veeder, 1863 ; James G. Fergus, 1864; Samuel B. Rowe, 1865 ; Theodore Briggs, 1866-'67 ; James G. Fergus, 1868-'70 ; Charles J. Sherwood, 1871 ; James G. Fergus, 1872; Henry W. Drake, 1873 ; J. O. Slocum, M. D., 1874; J. H. Hitchcock, 1875 ; E. W. Cook, 1876-'77.

The present officers of the village (1878) are, Henry G. Chapman, President ; Edwin R. Harmon, Vice-President ; David Lyboult, Julius Noble, William Jones, Trustees ; J. Harry Lyboult, Clerk ; E. E. Veeder, Police Justice ; Sumner T. Darling, Constable ; James Pattan, Treasurer ; John O. Slocum, Frederick Loomis, William R. George, Assessors ; William B. Bucklin, Collector.

Benjamin Brown, present Postmaster.

Camillus contains four churches, viz : Presby- terian, Baptist, Methodist Episcopal, and Roman Catholic ; one store of general merchandise, E. Duane Sherwood ; one grocery, provision and notion store, Sidney H. Cook, Jr. ; one hotel, kept by Philo Bromley ; two groceries and meat markets, kept respectively by Abram Otman and Messrs. Gee & Thompson ; two drug stores, James Pattan's and C. F. Safford's ; the former has been in the drug business since 1845 ; harness and shoe shop. There is one physician in the village, John O. Slocum, M. D., brother of Major-General H. W. Slocum. He was a surgeon in the army during the late war, and has been many years a resident of the village.

Sidney H. Cook, Esq., has held the office of Justice of the Peace over thirty years. E. E. Veeder, Esq., is also Justice, and has held the office about six years.

The oldest settlers now residing in the village are David A. and James M. Munro, who were born here ; Samuel B. Rowe, who became a resident about 1827; Charles Land, 1820; William R. George, David Lyboult, Ambrose Kelsey, A. N. Glynn, G. C. Parsons, James Pattan, Sidney H. Cook and E. Duane Sherwood.

Chapman & Green have an establishment in the village for the manufacture of clay smoking pipes. It is doing quite an extensive business, giving employment to from twenty to twenty-five persons.

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HISTORY OF ONONDAGA COUNTY, NEW YORK.

CAMILLUS GRADED SCHOOL.

School District No. 3 of Camillus furnished for many years the educational facilities of the village. The progress was gradual from a log school house, in the primitive settlement, to a frame building, which, in turn, was superceded by a brick structure, and finally gave place to the present commodious brick graded school building which occupies the old site. The first action for the erection of the present building was taken at a special meeting of the Board of Trustees held on the 15th of May, 1868. J. O. Slocum, E. K. Harmon and A. E. Smith were appointed a building committee. The house was completed in 1869, at a cost of $7,304.58. It is a handsome brick structure, situated upon an elevated and beautiful site.

The school is graded in three departments, under the efficient management of Prof. C E. White, Principal, and two teachers. Mr. White has been Principal most of the time for nine years past. E. W. Cook, Trustee.

MASONIC.

During the summer and fall of 1875, a few breth- ren of the Masonic Order interested themselves in the formation of a Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons in this village. After the usual formalities, a dispensation was granted by Grand Master, Elwood E. Thorne, which was delivered on December 31, 1875 ; a charter was granted by the Grand Lodge on the 13th of June, 1876, and Sapphire Lodge No. ,68 was formed with twenty-one charter members, as follows :

C. S. Safford, J. H. Lyboult, W. B. Bucklin, S. H. Cook, Jr., T. A. Fish, J. Il. Paddock, E. R. Glynn, J. O. Slocum, T. V. Owens, Lafayette Bur- dick, S. L. Hopkins, Merril Skinner, A. L. Hins- dale, A, R. Hopkins, T. H. Shoens, E. C. Skinner, Cyrus Sweet, E. D. Sherwood, E. D. Larkin, H. D. Burdick, J. Paddock.

First officers: T. H. Shoens, W. M .; J. H. Lyboult. S. W .; T. A. Fish, J. W .; E. D. Sher- wood, Treasurer ; C S. Safford, Secretary ; C. E. White, S. D .: W. B. Bucklin, J. D .; H. D. Corwin, Tiler.

The Lodge have nicely furnished rooms in the third story of the Harmon Block, fitted up at an expense of nearly $1,000 and are in a prosperous con- dition, the membership having increased from twenty-one in 1876, to forty-five at the present time.

Officers for 1878: J. Harvey Lyboult, W. M .; C. E. White, S. W .: C. W. Darling, J. W .; E. E. Veeder, Treasurer ; C. S. Safford, Secretary ; W. B. Bucklin, I. D .; H. Abrams, J. D : G. T. Dow-

ner, S. M. C .; L. Richmond, Jr., J. M. C .; H. T. Corwin, Tiler. Trustees : M. L. Hay, E. D. Sher- wood, J. O. Slocum.

CHURCHES.

THE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF CAMILLUS. -This church is located in Camillus village. The first meetings were held in the neighborhood of Howlett Hill, at which place the church was organ- ized under the name of the " First Baptist Church of Onondaga, in January. 1804 The original mem- bers numbered thirteen. six males and seven females. The first house of worship, built at How- lett Hill, was dedicated in 1821. The present edi- fice at Camillus village was dedicated January S. 1851.

From 1804-'06, Rev. Ebenezer Harrington offici- ated as pastor, after which five years elapsed with- out any settled minister. Then the pastors served in the order following :

Rev. Peter Warren, (licentiate,) 1811-'14: Rev. Joseph Moore, 1814 ; Rev. Eben Tucker, 1821-'28 ; Rev. S. Spaulding, 1829-'30 ; Rev. John P. Parsons (supply) from December, 1830, pastor ten months later, continuing till 1832 ; Rev. S M. Plumb, 1833; Rev. John Holladay, (licentiate, ) 1835 : Rev. Levi Farnsworth, 1836, ordained September, 1836 ; Rev. Graham, 1838; Rev. Hall Taylor, 1840 ; Rev. Thos. Fisher, 1841, ordained June, 1841 ; Rev. Henry Brown, 1844 '47 ; Rev. A. Smith, 1848 '51 ; Rev. Chas. Elliott, 1852 : Rev. A. L. Freeman, 1853, ordained August 23, 1853, pastor till 1858 ; Rev. D. McFarland, 1859 '62 ; Rev. E. P. Bingham, part of 1862 ; Rev. D. McFarland, 1862-'65 ; Rev. H. B. Burdick, 1866; Rev. W. E. Lockhart. 1868 ; Rev. H. B. Waring, 1872 '73; Rev. D. D. Brown, 1874 ; Rev. G. F. Genung, 1875, ordained November 3, 1875, present pastor.

The present membership is ninety-three ; attend- ance at the Sunday School about sixty-five. The church has taken measures for the erection of a new house of worship, which will be undertaken in the spring of 1878.

THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH of Camillus was organized on the 4th day of August, 1817, in a hotel on the site of the house where Mr. John Lar- kins now lives, corner of Green and Main streets, and directly opposite where the church now stands. Meetings had previously been held in Nine-Mile Creek School House, and in an old distillery where now stands the carriage shop of James Fergus. The number of original members was fifty-two, six- teen men and thirty-six women.

The first church edifice was a wooden building erected at a cost of $1,200 in 1822. The following pastors and others have officiated and supplied the pulpit : Revs. Jabez Spicer, 1817.'19; Jabez

F.FAAS.L'NG

Sidney 76, books,

The subject of this sketch was born in the town of Marcellus, Onondaga Co., N. Y., Aug. 31, 1806, and was the eldest child of Lyman Cook (whose family consisted of fourteen children), who was born in Wallingford, Conn., in the year 1780, and Mary Norton, who was born in Martha's Vineyard, in the year 1782. At the age of sixteen Lyman Cook came to Marcellus, and was employed as a farm laborer during the summers, and as teacher in the winters. At the age of twenty-five he married, and, having acquired some means, started in the wool-earding and fulling-mill business ; subsequently became a distiller and farmer. He died in the town of Van Buren, June 30, 1837. Our subject remained on the farm with his father until twenty- one years of age, attending school winters until nineteen, when he began teaching, which vocation he followed sowie seven or eight winters. Mr. Cook was married, Dec. 2, 1827, to Lois Mansfield, daughter of Josiah Mansfield. The result of this union was ten children, viz., Dr. George W., Mary Eliza, Morris A., Emily H., Mansfield J., Orange L., C. Janette, Sidney H., Jr., present supervisor of Camillus, and Samuel D., and Fran-

ces A.,-seven of whom are living. In the year 1829 our sub- ject was elected constable in Marcellus, and subsequently collec- tor. He also served with distinction in the military line, was elected corporal upon the organization of the independent rifle company belonging to the 159th Regiment, and was promoted until he attained the rank of lieutenant-colonel. In 1841 he moved to Camillus, where he entered into the storage and for- warding business; five years later, at Camillus village, he com- meneed purchasing grain, which business he followed until 1866. In 1843 was elected supervisor, which office he held three terms. Was elected justice of the peace in 1846, and, with the excep- tion of one year, has held the office up to the present time, and was recently elected for a full term of four years ; has also been justice of sessions seven or eight times. Mr. Cook, in politics, is a Democrat of the true type.

Mr. Cook's brothers, Revs. William B., Theodore T., and James M. Cook, were talented ministers of the Universalist church. The first and the last named are deceased. Rev. T. T. Cook is still in the ministry, and resides in Utica.

Daniel Barnett

Daniel Bennett was born in the town of Ridgefield, Fairfield Co., Conn., Oct. 21, 1786. His ancestors came from England as early as the sixteenth century.

Nathan Bennett, his father, at the age of fourteen, entered the Revolu- tionary army, took part in the battle of Monmouth, was taken prisoner, put on board uf a prison-ship, and, after severe and intense suffering, ex- changed as a prisoner of war. Continuing in the service of his country till the close of the war, he received a pension, which continued until his death, in 1830, at the age of seventy-five. He was a man of good educa- tion, good memory, and in comfortable circumstances as a farmer. During his life he held many public offices.

linldah Barlow, wife of Nathan Bennett, was the mother of thirteen children, of whom Daniel Bennett was the fifth. Two of her brothers were in the Revolutionary army. One, Joel Barlow, a graduate of Yale college in 1778, and a classmate of Noah Webster, entered the army as a volunteer, but soon became chaplain. Not long after the close of the war he went to Paris, where, during seventeen years of business life, he acen- mulated a fortune, with which he returned to America. lle went to Washington, built a palace of marble not far from the city, and named it " Kalarama." In ISII he was appointed minister plenipotentiary to the French government. Besides being a diplomatist, he was a man of literary taste, and published several of his productions. Among his most noted writings is " The Columbiad," while of his shorter poems, and perhaps the most popular, is one entitled "The Hasty Pudding." The uther brother was killed at the battle of Quebec. She herself died at the age of forty-nine.

In 1789, when Daniel Bennett was only three years of age, his father migrated to the town of Malta, Saratoga Co., N. Y., which place is only seven miles distant from Saratoga Springs. This migration proved to he greatly to the advantage of the family.

In IS09, at the age of twenty-two, he was married to llannah Crawford, of Saratoga. Ilaving spent four years of married life in Saratoga county, they resolved to leave their home and try the privations of a pioneer's life. They started westward and came tu Camillus, through forests which nearly all the way lined their journey. It was in the winter uf 1813 that they made the tedious journey, consuming six days. Where now stands the city of Syracuse they found but a few unattractive houses. The swampy, marshy conntry around them did not look inviting, nor prophetic of a large and husy eity.

Not having the means to purchase land, he waited for nearly a year and a half before making any financial investment ; and then the investment could hardly bo called financial, inasmuch as the first payment upon a

farm of fifty acres was made by means of a yoke of cattle, which he bor- rowed from a friend for the occasion. The cattle were valned at only thirty -five dollars. From time to time he enlarged his farm by adding fifty-funr and twenty-five and thirty acres, until he possessed nearly two hundred and eighty acres. But nearly all this time he was in deht, not fairly freeing himself from one indebtedness before assuming another. This made perseverance, industry, and economy necessary. And no une can fully know, except those who have passed through the same privations, the nature and extent of the hardships of a pioneer's life.

Of a large family of ten children,-six daughters and four sons,-all except one lived to mature life.

Mrs. Hannah Bennett united with the Congregational church in El- bridge, N. Y., in February, 1821, and her husband, Daniel Bennett, during the following April. At the request and desire of Mr. Bennett, he was baptized by immersion. In 1850, June 15, he was elected a deacon of the Congregational church, and, although now in the ninety-second year of his age, still holds this same office, and continues to faithfully discharge its duties. For more than fifty years he has taken a religious newspaper.

It has been Deacon Bennett's enstom and delight to attend the meetings of presbytery and synod, and during a period of twenty years hardly a meeting was held in which he did not represent the church. In 1863 he was elected to the general assembly, held that year in Philadelphia. At that gathering he became well acquainted with Rev. Albert Barnes. Last antumn, while in his ninety-first year, he represented the church at the meeting uf synod, held in the Fourth Presbyterian chinreh uf Syracuse. While Mr. Bennett has always been greatly interested in religion and education, he has never snught positions of publie trust.

Much of his life's success was no doubt due to the assistance rendered by his wife, who possessed great executive ability. Persevering, energetic, and economizing by nature, she tuiled early and late in order to assist and teach her children. Though small of stature, yet she was large hearted. Iler province was home, and her sceptre was love. When she died in ISG4, at the age of seventy-five, all but one of her children were living.

At the present time Deacon Daniel Bennett is living near the old home- stead, in the town of Camillns, and possesses, to a remarkable degree, his powers of budy and mind. He is now " only waiting" for that new home " not made with hands."

The following are the names of his children who are living: Miss Huldah B. Bennett, Camillus, N. Y. ; Mrs. Rhoa B. Ilinsdell, Camillus, N. Y .; Mrs. Harriet Brown, Geneseo, 1Il. ; Mrs. Mary Jane lloff, Pitts- hurgh, Pa .; Mr. Joel Barlow Bennett, Camillus, N. Y .; Mrs. Aun Eliza Sweet, Elbridge, N. Y .; and Mrs. Emma O. Rice, Elbridge, N. Y.

Photo, by W. V. Ranger, Syracuse.

JONATHAN WIHTE.

In 101, Joseph White, a Revolutionary soldier, came with his family from West Springfield, Mass., to Camillus, and bought a farm just north of the bridge over Nine Mile creek, at the village of Amboy. They son built a saw mill and fulling and dying works, which, in those days of homepan, did a flourishing business, Joseph White was a surveyor, and, while opening a highway, received an injury from a Edling tree, which partially paralyzed him and confined him to the house for several years, until his death in 1590, aged eighty one years. His wife, Phoebe C., died in 1529, agel seventy- seven years. His manis filled prominent places in town. Elijah was a surveyor, und Harold a magistrate and member of aserem- bly. In the War of 1812 the latter was first lieutenant, and was stationed in the fort at Oswego. He married, in IN27, Marietta Morley, of West Springfield, Mass,, and died in 1532, aged forty-six. Elijah died unmarried in 1836, aged fifty four. Two of Harold's children grew up, George C. now living in Plattsburgh, N. Y., and Harold M., who graduated at Union college, in 1556, was admitted to the bar in 1859, removed to lowa in 1860, volunteered in 1861, and died in the army in December, 1862, aged thirty years.

In 1-12, Aaron White followed his brother, Joseph, from Massachusetts with his family, and bought a part of last S, Onondaga reservation, siner held by his descendants. He died

in 1-3, aged eighty-six. His widow, lavey Kellogg, die in 1515, agel eighty-eight. Of their children, only Jonathan located permanently in Camillus. He walked from Massachu- setts when eighteen years old, and helped to clear the farm on which he afterwards lived. In 1813 he marched with the militia to Smith's Mills to defend the frontier. In 182- he joined the Presbyterian church at Camillus, and in 1845, with others helped to organize the Presbyterian church at Ambuy. He served as an older in these churches nearly fifty years. Hle was active in sustaining Sunday-schools and neighborhood meetings in the eastern part of the town, and kept open house for all clinical or lay brethren who needed entertainment. lle was a man of strict integrity, and was frequently intrusted with town offices, In politics, he was a Democrat up to 1818 ; thereafter a Free-soiler and Republican.

In 1535 be married Marietta White, widow of his cousin Harold, and had one son, Jonathan B., now living in Camillus. He died in 1871, aged eighty, and his wife in 1855, aged sixty -one years.

Jonathan White was a man of many peculiarities ; his form was slender and stooping ; his movements were quick and ner- vous; his disposition kind; his speech and temper hasty. Earnest in whatever he undertook, and with decided opinions, he cared little who was for or against him.

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HISTORY OF ONONDAGA COUNTY, NEW YORK.

Chadwick, 1821-'25 ; Hutchins Taylor, 1826-'28 ; E. H. Adams, 1829-'31 ; B. B. Stockton, 1831-'33 ; Moody Harrington, 1834-'39; Josiah Ward, 1840- '46. Rev. Mr. Kingsley supplied the church dur- ing the year 1847, and was succeeeed by Rev. William W. Williams from 1848-'53.

From 1853-'60, the pulpit was supplied from the Theological Seminary at Auburn. Rev. E. R. Davis was pastor from 1860-'66. From 1866-'68, the pulpit was supplied by Messrs. Grosvenor, Hopkins and Kneeland. During this period a new church was built, and Rev. Mr. Muer occupied the pulpit two years, and was succeeded by Rev. J. S. Root, who remained from 1873-'77 ; since his departure the pulpit has been supplied mainly from the Auburn Theological Seminary.

The present membership of the church is fifty- one ; Sunday School, eighty-eight ; teachers, nine ; infant class, sixteen. Greenville Gaylord, Superin- tendent.

METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF CAMILLUS. -In 1827 Camillus was a "preaching place " in the Marcellus circuit, there being a small society organized there at that time. Meetings were held in private houses and school houses. The Presiding Elder at that time was Rev. George Gary, and Revs. Zenas Jones, Orrin Doolittle and Morgan Sherman circuit preachers. A church was built at Camillus in 1830. Presiding Elder, Rev. John Dempster ; Circuit Preachers, Revs. Isaac Puffer and G. W. Dinsmore. In 1836, Camillus was made a "station" with Rev. Z. Paddock, Presiding Elder ; and Rev. Ross Clark, Station Preacher.

The society at present numbers eighty-eight members ; the average attendance at Sunday School, forty. Church property is valued at about $5,000, and the parsonage at $1,500. Rev. D. W. Bristol, D. D., is Presiding Elder, and Rev. F. H. Stanton, who has held this charge for three years, Pastor at the present time.

AMBOY,

On Nine-Mile Creek, three miles below Camillus Village, was first settled by Joseph White, who built a fulling mill here in 1801, and saw mill in 1806. The place now contains a saw and stave mill, flour- ing mill and cider mill. The large flouring mill was erected by Nathan Paddock in 1826-'27, and is now owned by Lafayette Burdick, who has been in possession of the property since 1861.

There is also a tannery here, conducted by D. B. Paddock ; a Presbyterian church and a Methodist class connected with the charge at Belle Isle.

Amboy has two physicians-Dr. L. C. Skinner, 48*

a graduate of Hobart College in 1840, and a prac- titioner here since the same year ; and his son, Dr. E. C. Skinner, who graduated at the Medical College of the University of New York in 1874.

THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF AMBOY .- This is the first and only religious organization of the place. The records show that a meeting was held December 23, 1845, in the new meeting house erected the same year at a probable cost of $3,000 and in present use, at which Rev's Thos. Castleton, J. J. Ward, J. W. Adams, A. L. Otis, J. E. Meyers, A. C. Lathrop ; and Ruling Elders, T. R. Porter and J. Skinner, were present as the Committee of the Onondaga Presbytery (since, with the Oswego and Mohawk Presbyteries, merged into the Presbytery of Syracuse,) to constitute the church ; which was duly organized with forty-nine communicants, all received by certificate from the Congregational church at Van Buren Center and from the Presby- terian church at Camillus.

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History of Onondaga County, New York, Part 71

Author: Clayton, W.W. (W. Woodford) Publication date: 1878 Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y., D. Mason & Co. Number of Pages: 840

Author: Clayton, W.W. (W. Woodford)
Publication date: 1878
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y., D. Mason & Co.
Number of Pages: 840