History of Ontario Co., New York, Part 48

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District No. 9 lies along the lake, and is occupied by a dozen families. There still stands upon the farm of Robert Benedict a house built by Israel Reed and occupied by Israel Parrish. A little southward of his house stood a log structure, owned by Van Orman. One of the earliest remembered deaths in this district was that of an emigrant, who, while engaged in clearing up a few acres on the Patten farm, now the property of F. O. Chamberlain, was taken sick, and after a

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short illness died at the house of Van Orman. Messrs. Crane, Smedley, and a few others went in a scow from the foot of the lake and brought the body down for burial in the old cemetery. Where W. Beeman lives, John Wood, a blacksmith, once had his home, and carried on a shop in the village. Farther up the lake lived Jesse and David Parshall, and near the present school-house Joseph Shoemaker had his residence. A son lives on the academy tract.

District No. 8 likewise borders on the lake. Tichnor's Point is located in the northeast portion. Here Mr. Eaton made a settlement and a clearing. A man named Stiles located at the point, and opened a tavern. Miles Hecox settled near him. Stiles had a pioneer cider-mill near his tavern. It consisted of a horizontal wheel attached to an upright shaft, and run in a circular trough, crush- ing the apples in its course. The cider from the pulp was strained through small holes made in a sap trough. This Stiles was the owner of several lots, a man of large family, and well calculated to play the part of a pioneer, being hardy, robust, and enterprising. Descendants are variously located within the county. On lot 57, Seth Lewis, Senior and Junior, made very early settlements. A man named Grant then became owner, and sold in 1806 to Arsino Beebe, who came out from Vermont that year, and brought with him his wife and four children, one of whom, Mrs. Chamberlain, is a resident of Cheshire, at the age of seventy-four. Beebe cleared land now comprised in the farms of C. B. Ward and Henry A. Du- rand. Levi Rowley was an original settler, and cleared up land east of Beebe. Milton Gillett was a resident upon F. Munson's place, and in time became the owner of considerable property. Epaphratus Nott was a very early resident upon the Curtis place, and had quite a family. One son is a minister. Christian Sea- man was a settler upon the lot below Durand. Aaron Hecox, a neighbor to Nott, after a time sold out and moved to Ohio.

District No. 5 contains.the village of Cheshire, early known as Rowley's school- house, from an early school-building erected there on land owned by John Rowley, the first settler on the site of the village in 1795. His house was the first in the hamlet. The lands of this district lie in ridges; hills rise above hills, and in the valleys was marshy land, covered with a heavy growth of oak, poplar, and butternut; on the highlands the forest-trees were fewer and smaller, and hence more easily cleared. The Indians had burned the woods annually, and, caring nothing for the trees, the fresh herbage, inducing the presence of deer, was to them of more account. Two persons, Peter Atwell and E. Nott, young men and soldiers of the Revolution, were the first adventurers to this locality. They pur- chased land of Phelps and Gorham. Atwell gave his time to hunting, in which he was very successful, while Nott settled steadily down to his work of clearing up a farm. Both reached the age of fourscore, and died upon their lands. Their descendants, once numerous, are all but gone,-dead or removed west. Elder E. S. Nott, the only child of E. Nott, still survives, and lives near Cheshire. His long life of seventy-seven years has been passed upon the place. Levi Beebe, Milton Gillett, William Bacon, Jonathan Mack, and Stephen Ward, were later settlers in this district. Mark Doolittle and Selma Hotchkiss were former resi- dents near the Wire farm.

CHESHIRE.

A pleasant village, handsomely located, bears the name of Cheshire. Jonathan Beebe, as the agent of Oliver Rose, of Centrefield, opened the first store in the place in the year 1812. The old building, afterwards refitted, is the present home of Mrs. Jane Renwick. The next storekeeper was William King, in what is now the shoe-store and residence of Stillman Doolittle. In 1815, a number of families came to the place and projected the idea of a village. Among these new-comers were Daniel and Selma Hotchkiss, Joseph E. Tyrrel, and Amanda Hitchcock. John Rowley erected a saw-mill in 1814. From his "still" in Centrefield Rose kept his store well supplied with liquors, and an unhappy state of society resulted. Quite a number sold out and removed. Others moved in. Israel Parshall opened a store, and Meesrs. Delano & Green did the same, and both did a thriving busi- ness. Lorenzo Tillitson became a partner with Parshall. Hanaan Cooley aud Ralph Huntley kept a store in the same building. Isaac Webster was engaged in storekeeping about 1840. The first blacksmith in the place was John Adams, who hammered a livelihood from his anvil for ten years, and then moved elsewhere. In 1818, Joseph Israel opened the first tavern in the building now used as Wil- bur's store. Smith Pritchard was his successor for a number of years. Jabes Pritchard built a "corn-cracker"-mill and a carding-mill on the branch south of the village some time in 1834. The latter was run by Morgan Case. In the carly school-house Jonathan Beebe was the standing teacher for years. A new building erected in 1830 is yet in use. Elder Nott, Elder Ward, and Mrs. Cham- berlain are surviving pupils of Beebe's school. Levi Beebe, born in 1806, was one of the earliest births in the village. Rebecca Dodge, daughter of Mrs. John Rowley, was one of the first burials in the old cemetery. The first settled minister in the place was Thomas Tuttle, a Baptist, who, after a dozen years, was succeeded

by Abel Haskin. A dormant season lasted for many years, and finally, in 1870, the village woke up to a new life. It has three stores, two blacksmith-shops, two carriage-shops, a steam custom-mill, and a spoke-factory and saw-mill combined. A post-office has been established here forty years. Mrs. Renwick has held the office a score of years. Not sufficiently strong to warrant the attempt to build a meeting-house alone, members of different denominational belief united with the Christians and Free-Will Baptists and erected a church in 1840. This served until 1870, when it was removed to make way for another, and is now used as the town- hall, and owned by C. H. Wilbur. After various efforts, a union to build a new church was consummated. A house was erected at a cost of three thousand five hundred dollars, and dedicated, in October, 1870, by Rev. Ball, of New York. The movement was started by Elder William Taylor, and is the result of a united effort of the villagers.

BAPTIST CHURCH.

The first Baptist church of Canandaigua was organised June 30, 1800, at the house of Lemuel Castle, and embraced twenty-one members. These were from the Baptist church of Phelpstown. On the organisation of the church at Mr. Castle's, the sermon was preached by Elder Case. Among the prominent mem- bers were Hugh Jameson, Lemuel Castle, John Rowly, Solomon Goold, Eli But- ler, Fairbanks Moore, Jerry Miller, Charity Castle, Rebecca Rowly, Chloe Butler, David Hurd, Jennette Jameson, and John Freeman and wife. Mr. Freeman was one of the first settlers, and cleared up the Monteath farm and built what was known as the Monteath mill. The church for a number of years had only ooca- sional preaching by Elders Goodale, Tuttle, and Mugg. On June 30, 1804, the church procured the services of Elder Silas Barnes, who was to preach one year for seventy-five dollars, and the sum to be raised by equalization from the assessor's rate-bill, and a resolution was passed allowing the sisters to vote at church meet- ings. Hugh Jameson and Lemuel Castle were appointed deacons of the church, and the record shows them energetic in discharge of duty and frequently called upon to sit in council on the formation of other Baptist churches in the county. For thirty-two years the church was destitute of a house of worship. Their meetings were held in private houses, school-houses, and barns, in different places in the south part of the town, known as No. 9. On July 22, 1832, the church met to take into consideration the erection of a house of worship, which was built near the place owned by Zebina Lucas, Esq. Elder Eli Haskell was pastor of the church at this time, and preached there twenty-eight years. After his death the church was removed to Cheshire, where Rev. A. S. Long served as pastor seven years. Becoming reduced in numbers from emigration west, the remaining mem- bers united with the Baptist church in Canandaigua. The largest membership at any one time was one hundred and twenty-six, and the total of membership, from first to last, was three hundred and sixty-five.

BAPTIST SOCIETY IN CHESHIRE .- The first meeting was held December 5, 1840, Elder E. F. Crane chairman. The first board of trustees were Amasa Salisbury, Justus Rose, Lester Hulse, Orrin B. Morse, Elias Huntley, William B. Prouty, and Moses Ward. Orrin B. Morse was clerk, and L. Hulse secretary. The proceedings recorded in the county clerk's office March 12, 1841. The soci- ety ran down so that on January 15, 1856, William B. Prouty was the only Bap- tist belonging to the church. Religion was slightly regarded. The Methodists only used the house. A building committee was appointed November 17, 1869, and the house finished. A bell costing five hundred dollars was obtained February 5, 1874. Frank Simmons was the first whose funeral rites were performed in the new church. The sermon was by Rev. Abbott, Christian. Southeast from Cheshire on the lake, at Monteath's point (named for J. S. Monteath's family), lived Whit- ing Truman in the year 1800. He erected a grist-mill in the gully on the stream, and there are ladies yet living who carried grists on horseback to this mill during the days when settlement was sparse, mills few, and access to them difficult. South- ward is Bell's Point, which was settled and cleared by Mr. Eaton, and is now owned by Meesrs. Foster, Benedict, and Brown.

THE ACADEMY TRACT.

In 1804, a tract of land containing three thousand acres in the south end of No. 9, Canandaigua, was donated by Oliver Phelps to aid in establishing and maintaining the Canandaigua Academy, and hence derived its name-Academy tract. It extends from the lake west to the hill-top east of Bristol Hollow, and from the north line of South Bristol northward, to contain the required land. Deep gorges, formed by water-courses, have furrowed its surface, while the wear- ing away of the rocks has contributed to produce the point noted. Originally supposed of little value, it was covered by a growth of stunted oaks, with an un- dergrowth of the huckleberry and cranberry. Survey was made into one hun- dred and fifty acre lots, and these were again divided in halves, so that first

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settlers had seventy-five acres each. The condition of occupation was the payment of a small perpetual interest, and the land was not only thought poor, but the same character was attributed to those who became its occupants. The first set- tlement was made in 1810, upon the land known as the Eaton farm, comprised in about three hundred acres, lying in the northeast corner, and including Bell's Point. The name of the pioneer is Stantliff. Three years later,. fourteen families, coming from various quarters, had settled on the tract. They are thus enumerated : John Penoyer, Deacon James Currier, William Warren, Jonathan Crooker, Solomon Riggs, Stantliff, Widow Holmes, Elias Bascom, Messrs. Old and Gordon, the Bullards, I. Dickerson, and Robert McGue.

Education claimed early attention, and a rude school-house, composed of rough logs, was raised, inclosed and occupied. The structure soon caught fire and was burned. Deacon Currier donated sufficient pine logs for another. Over its con- struction he exercised a personal superintendence. He hewed the logs inside and out, and the house was raised, nicely pointed out and in with lime-mortar, and fur- nished with twelve lighted windows. It was, everything considered, a credit to the committee. This house served the double purpose of school and church down to 1832, when a church was erected near by. The present school-house was erected about 1837, since which time the old building has formed a part of the residence of Widow Gage and Wesley Davis. Primarily, the entire tract constituted a district and numbered an hundred scholars. Upon the erection of the stone school-house, near the residence of Stephen Trickey, the southwest corner fell to the stone-house district. A strong and flourishing school has always been main- tained, and the efficient teacher of to-day is a descendant of Stephen Sisson, who taught there half a century ago. In 1820, thirty to forty families were settled on the tract, and all but four or five of the lots were occupied. There were then but two framed buildings-those of Cyrel Eaton and William Warren. Several of the settlers, among whom were Jonathan Crooker, Deacon Currier, and Stetson Randall, had double-log houses, with stone chimney in the middle and jamb fire-place in both rooms. Many of the log barns were roofed with rye straw. Of all poor lots, one was considered to be particularly so. It lay upon a ridge, with thin, dry soil, and was scantily covered with scrubby timber. About 1825, Jasper Housel, of New Jersey, with a large family, came in and took the lot, being too poor to do better. A cabin was soon put up, and a clearing began. The trees were girdled and the farm was soon in crop. About 1835, a yield of seven hundred and fifty bushels of splendid wheat was taken from it as a single harvest, besides much other produce, and this lot was no longer called poor. Superior wheat had been produced by various farmers at an early day, but about 1832 the Martins, from Dutchess county, moved in and introduced the use of clover and plaster. Henry Howard moved upon a large farm adjacent the tract, and en- gaged as hands Thomas Price, John Dennis, and David Barnes, good English farmers, who not only proved beneficial in their knowledge of husbandry, but ultimately became settlers in their own right.

POLITICS

has known little diversity of feeling. In the three presidential campaigns follow- ing 1826 there was but one opponent to the anti-Mason and Whig party. The Republican party is largely in the majority.

RELIGION

has been regarded from the outset. A large society of Episcopal Methodists was formed, and regular appointments were filled by circuit-riders. Among local ex- horters and preachers were Jonathan Croker, John Trembly, and David Davis. In 1823, Edgar P. Sanford moved in and drew around him a large society of the Christian order. There was preaching every Sabbath. 1 church was built, and, till about 1860, the society flourished. Among the residents there have been scattered members of other societies, but not sufficiently strong to organize. There were several of the Baptist faith, and Elder Haskell is referred to as a faithful, popular man. A revival occurred about 1826, under the labors of Elders Sanford, Ward, and Nott. A second revival took place in 1842, under the preaching of Rev. A. S. Langdon. A revival was conducted by Elder John S. Robinson, and in 1866 an awakening was experienced under the teachings of Rev. R. T. Hancock and coadjutors. The old Christian church, erected in 1832, had shown signs of decay, and was removed to make room for a neat, commodious union or people's church, free to all. The first and only tavern kept on the tract was in the house now owned and occupied by Benjamin Hight, and known as the Academy P. O. It was kept by Joseph Coy, who, in 1820, moved from Middlesex (now part of Yates county), with a family of nine children. The tavern closed out in 1831. Despite the presence and use of liquors, the family grew up temperate. We have named Deacon James Currier; he came in 1811 to Academy from Vermont, with eight children. A millwright, he pursued his calling forty-seven years. He erected

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on the Merrimac river the second carding-mill built in the United States. His last mill was constructed in 1832, at Clinton, Michigan. He died at Green lake, that State, in 1859, lacking but six of being a hundred years of age. Cyrel Eaton served in the army of the Continentals, and was a resident of a farm in this locality from 1816 till 1843, when he sold out. John Trembly, from Far- mington, moved in and lived here from 1818 till his death in 1865. Klam Crane came from Connecticut in 1790. After a varied life in respect to place and occupation, he procured him a home on Academy tract in 1826, where he died in 1850, in his eighty-third year. He was well known as a teacher, and an ad- herent of the order of Friends. Of a large family, there remains in his old neighborhood but one, George Crane, who now owns a farm upon which, forty- seven years ago, he worked as a month-hand.

The history of Canandaigua, for a score of years following its first occupation, is but a succession of events which derive their interest from the relation of the settlers to the present. There was peace, charity, generosity, and good-fellowship among them, which traits have been handed down to the present. We are led by these recollections to remember gratefully our pioneers, to emulate their in- dustry, preserve our heritage, and hand it down unimpaired.

CANANDAIGUA IN THE REBELLION.

The following is a record of the names of all officers and soldiers who have entered the military service, and of all officers and seamen who have entered the naval service, of the United States from the town of Canandaigua, since April 15, 1861, together with authentic facts relating to each individual named herein, as far as can be obtained. It is mainly compiled from the " Military Record" of the town, prepared by Jas. C. Fairchild, town clerk in 1865-66.

TWENTY-EIGHTH INFANTRY-Two Years Men-Company E.

Theophilus Fitzgerald, enlisted May 14, 1861, as captain; promoted major August 15, 1862; served with the regiment till the expiration of his term of enlistment.

Walter J. Brown, enlisted May 14, 1861, as first lieutenant; in battle of Win- chester ; resigned.

Harvey Padelford, mustered May 22, 1861, as second lieutenant; promoted first lieutenant Angust 15, 1862; remained with regiment during term of service.

Henry S. Gulick, May 14, 1861, sergeant; promoted second lieutenant 1863 ; in battles of Winchester, Rappahannock, Antietam, Chancellorsville.

John H. Stall, May 14, 1861, sergeant; served faithfully with his regiment, and was honorably discharged at expiration of term.

Charles P. Akens, May 14, 1861 ; promoted corporal, 1861 ; sergeant, 1862 ; discharged at expiration of term of service.

Mark J. Blakely, May 14, 1861, musician ; served his term.

Francis J. Anderson, May 14, 1861 ; promoted corporal; discharged at end of term.

Allen Burgess, May 14, 1861 ; promoted corporal, then sergeant; served the period of enlistment.

Peter Burgess, May 14, 1861, private.

The following privates enlisted May 14, 1861 : George Benson, Merritt J. Belding, John H. Hogle,-in battles of Winchester, Rappahannock, Antietam ; killed in battle Chancellorsville; La Fayette Lee, Marcus M. Mallison, Amos H. Neafie, Wm. P. Sennatte, Michael Scantling,-participated in every engagement in which the regiment took part; Benjamin P. Frazer, died October 19, 1861, of typhoid fever, at Darmstown, Mo. ; Watson Wyckoff,-died, 1861, at General Hospital, Baltimore, Md., of typhoid fever ; Samuel D. Woods, January 6, 1862. Selah P. Quick, May 14, 1861, sergeant,-discharged for disability July, 1861; Henry Herrick, June 10, 1861,-deserted from hospital, Baltimore, September, 1861 ; Henry M. Tuttle, December 23, 1861.

THIRTY-THIRD INFANTRY-Company D.

David Van de Carr, enlisted May 7, 1861; appointed sergeant; discharged with regiment, June 2, 1863.

Theodore C. Rodney, May 7, 1861, sergeant ; discharged June 2, 1863.

The following is a list of privates who enlisted in this regiment for two years, and were discharged June 2, 1863 :

Richard Appleton, May 7, 1861 ; went to hospital, September 19, 1862, Frederick City, Md.

Alonzo Bayley, August 28, 1862.

Edwin P. Barris, May 7, 1861. John R. Cutler, August 31, 1862.

1 Joseph Gleason, May 7, 1861.

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PLATE XXXVI

PADELFORD STATION, AND RESIDENCE OF H. PADELFORD, CANANDAIGUA,

NEW YORK.

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PLATE XXXVII

MRS. CATHERINE COOLEY.

RES. or CAPT JOHN B. COOLEY, CANANDAIGUA, N. Y.

A37000 @ NHỌN

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HISTORY OF ONTARIO COUNTY, NEW YORK.

James 8. Lyon, August 30, 1862. Henry W. Lewis, May 7, 1861. Albert S. McGowan, May 7, 1861. Edward Murphy, May 7, 1861. Thomas O'Neill, May 7, 1861. Joseph E. Otis, May 7, 1861. Oscar Rogers, May 7, 1861. Jno. G. Scholtz, August 29, 1862. William O. Wittels, August 29, 1862 ; taken prisoner May 4, 1862. Michael Daily, May 7, 1861.

Lorenzo D. Wood, Company G, August 30, 1862; transferred to brigade band by order of General Vinton.

EIGHTY-FIFTH INFANTRY-Company B.

W. W. Clark, enlisted as captain, August 21, 1861; promoted lieutenant- colonel, July 21, 1863; served till regiment was discharged.

C. S. Aldrich, captain, August 21, 1861 ; promoted adjutant, January 28, 1862. Spencer Martin, first sergeant, August 26, 1861 ; promoted first lieutenant, March 18, 1862 ; resigned.

Wm. H. Dillon, August 26, 1861, corporal; discharged July 27, 1862, on surgeon's certificate of disability.

Privates : O. W. Chamberlain, September 25, 1861; discharged on surgeon's certificate of disability, May 27, 1862.

R. G. Chamberlain, September 25, 1861 ; discharged May 25, 1852, on sur- geon's certificate of disabilty.

James Dunlap, August 26, 1861.

Henry Defaut, August 26, 1861.

John Demerritt, September 21, 1861 ; died in service.

C. B. Hart, August 26, 1861 ; died May 18, 1862, at Chesapeake Hospital.

A. S. Ingraham, August 26, 1861 ; discharged on account of disability, June 7, 1862.

J. J. Mary, August 26, 1861; taken prisoner at Fair Oaks, May 31; ex- changed September 15, 1862.

Milton Wheeler, September 21, 1861.

NINETY-EIGHTH INFANTRY-Company I.

William H. Adams, enlisted as first lieutenant and was mustered January 29, 1862; promoted captain; mustered out on consolidation of regiment June 3, 1863; in battle at Yorktown, Williamsburg, and Seven Days before Richmond. James Johnson, private, enlisted November 5, 1861.

John P. Kelly, October 1, 1861 ; served with regiment during period of en- listment.

Company K.

George N. Williams, enlisted January 29, 1862, as first lieutenant; promoted captain May 22, 1862 ; mustered out on consolidation of regiment June 3, 1863; in battles Yorktown, Williamsburg, and Seven Days before Richmond.

Asher Hayton, October 10, 1861, private; served with regiment during his term of enlistment.

Charles Eighmey, October 9, 1861 ; missing in action of Savage Station, Va., May 31, 1862.

Daniel Scantling, October 15, 1861 ; served with regiment full term.

Lewis Scott, November 10, 1861 ; promoted corporal and first sergeant; in every engagement in which regiment took part; wounded in action at Fort Har- rison, Va., September 29, 1864.

Jackson Buchanan, October 25, 1861; wounded June 3, 1864, at Cold Harbor, Va., from the effects of which he died at Alexandria, Va., 1864.

Alfred Bartlett, January 29, 1862 ; deserted from hospital.

Edward Clohesy, January 29, 1862; detached with a battery part of time of service.

William 'Ryan, January 29, 1862; with regiment till battle of Yorktown, Va., when he was discharged for disability.

Rody Higgins, November 11, 1861 ; served with regiment till January 27, 1864, when he re-enlisted.

James K. P. Eighmey, January 29, 1862; after serving nearly three years, was discharged July, 1864, on account of wound received at Cold Harbor.

William H. Ackley, October 10, 1861; deserted from Annapolis, Md., Novem- ber, 1862; was arrested and returned to his regiment after an absence of two years.

Byron Pierce, corporal, October 15, 1861; wounded in action at Cold Har- bor, June 3, 1864; re-enlisted January 2, 1865; promoted sergeant.

William H. Carr, January 29, 1862 ; died at MoClellan Hospital, Fortress Monroe, from effects of wounds received at Drury's Bluff, May, 1864.

John Pope, January 29, 1862; deserted while home on furlough, April, 1864. Jerry Twohey, November 25, 1861 ; re enlisted January 2, 1864; killed at battle of Drury's Bluff, May, 1864.

Michael Kilday, January 29, 1862; re-enlisted January 2, 1864 ; taken prisoner at Fair Oaks; exchanged; returned to regiment after having been five months in hands of enemy.

ONE HUNDRED AND ELEVENTH INFANTRY.

Dennis Mccarthy, August 29, 1862 ; discharged from One Hundred and Tenth regiment June 6, 1863; re enlisted in One Hundred and Eleventh, and served time out.

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History of Ontario Co., New York, Part 48

Author: Publication date: Publisher: Number of Pages: 391

Author:
Publication date:
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 391