USA > New York > Ontario County > History of Ontario county, New York : with illustrations and family sketches of some of the prominent men and families > Part 25
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This system continued in operation about ten years, but the results accomplished by it were hardly satisfactory to the people, and especially the business community, and a demand was consequently made for a return to the old volunteer organizations of earlier years. In this, how- ever, the trustees were slow to act, but at last permission was granted to organize one company as an experiment. Hydrant Hose Company was the first to be organized, and its work proved so entirely satisfac- tory that the old paid department was compelled to yield. In the mean time the water works system had been enlarged and increased in effi-
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ciency as a fire fighting factor, the pressure on the mains being sufficient for ordinary use in the case of conflagration, but the steamers have ever been retained and held ready for an emergency. Thus in 1880 the pres- ent department was virtually organized, though some important changes have been made during the fourteen years of its existence.
According to the present arrangement and disposition of this branch of local government, the Geneva Fire Department comprises Hydrant Hose Company, whose building is on Linden street. The company equipment consists of a "jumper," a combination parade and duty car- riage, and a protective carriage. The office of the latter is to protect and preserve property rescued from burning buildings. This company receives from the village $500 annually.
The C. J. Folger Hook and Ladder Company is located on the north side of Seneca street, and has a well equipped "truck " and other auxiliary apparatus. The village pays this company $300 per annum, as its owns the building in which the apparatus is.
Nestor Hose Company occupies comfortable quarters on Exchange street, and owns a handsome parade carriage, also a " duty cart " or jumper. It was named in honor of S. K. Nestor, who has every duly appreciated the compliment thus shown him. The sum of $500 is paid this company by the village.
Ogoyago Hose Company was independently organized, but is recog . nized by the village as a part of the fire department proper. Its rooms are at the corner of Pulteney and Hamilton streets, the company having been formed to protect property in the south part of the village. This company receives $350 annually from the village.
The Holtz Protectives were formed in 1892, and have rooms on Castle street. The organization is similar, in purpose, to the protective department of Hydrant Hose. To this company the village annually pays $300.
From the old steamer companies selections of men were made to form Kanadesaga Steamer Company, whose duty it is to operate the steamers in case of fire. The " Button " engine is ever ready for service and attends all fires, while the "Silsby " is held in reserve for an emergency. The principal department officers are chief engineer (W. P. O'Malley), first assistant (Chas. Hennessy), and second assistant
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(James Tracey), who are elected annually by the trustees on the recom- mendation of delegates from each company.
Cemeteries .- The lot whereon now stands Trinity chapel was the original place of burial for the first white inhabitants of Geneva, but when and by whom founded there appears no record. The first burial in the village, of which there is a record, was that of the child of pioneer Polydore B. Wisner, the death and burial taking place in the latter part of 1797, and the body being laid at rest in the Pulteney street burial ground. During the preceding years deaths were infre- quent, and the lands in the south part of the village were then un- occupied by habitations, hence were put to use for burial purposes.
The Pulteney street burial ground is the oldest of the recognized burial gounds of the village, and is believed to have been laid out and donated for the purpose by Charles Williamson soon after he became settled in the matter of the title to the lands in the gore. The oldest tombstone in this cemetery was erected "in memory " of Martha, wife of Sanford Williams, who died May 9, 1794, but the first burial was that noted above.
Referring briefly to some of the earlier interments in this cemetery, mention may be made of the death and burial of " An Infant, died 31 July, 1798, aged 5 weeks," and of two other infants who died in 1801 and 1803, and were the children of Frederick and Eliza Backenstose. In the same manner may be noted the fact that James Green, born in New Jersey, 1774, settled at Canandarqua, 1795, and died in Geneva in 1801 ; Betsey, wife of Joseph Cole, died November, 1801 ; Amelia, daughter of Dr. Cyrenius Chapin, died August 15, 1818 ; Rev. Jedediah Chapman died May 22, 1813; Margaret, wife of Jedediah Chapman, died September 9, 1812; Lucius Crittenden, died October 1, 1807; Rev. Orin Clark, D. D., rector of Trinity Church, died February 24, 1828, his first wife, Eliza Ann, having died May 4, 1821, and Susan R., his second wife, in 1826. James Rees, March 17, 1837, private secretary to Robert Morris during the Revolution, moved here in 1798. These are but a few of the hundreds of burials in the old Pulteney street cemetery made during the first thirty years of its existence.
However, during this same period nearly all the lots in this cemetery were taken by purchasers, and the village authorities were soon con-
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pelled to secure another tract of land for burial purposes. By a deed dated September 13, 1832, the village acquired title to a four acre lot on the south side of Washington street and west of Monroe street, which was laid out in 162 lots, and which has always been known as the Washington Street Cemetery. The first interment here was that of Augusta Matilda, wife of H. H. Merrell, whose death took place September 28, 1832. The lots in this cemetery were subdivided, but at last the grounds became so crowded that still another place of burial must be provided by the authorities. In 1871, at the request of many prominent citizens, the trustees appointed commissioners to investigate and report upon a desirable tract of land to be used for cemetery pur- poses, and upon the report made by these men the taxpayers voted to issue bonds to the extent of $21,000 to pay for the lands selected, being fifty-four acres situated in the south part of the village, and in part in- cluding the old Walnut Hill Seminary property. The transaction was completed early in 1872, and the name "Glenwood Cemetery " was given to this beautiful "city of the dead."
On the 20th of January, 1872, the trustees appointed "Cemetery Commissioners," in whom should be vested the care and management of village cemetery property ; and on April 6, following, the Legislature confirmed the appointments and constituted the board of "Geneva Cemetery Commissioners," composed of Phineas Prouty, Wm. E. Sill, Corydon Wheat, George W. Nicholas, Samuel S. Graves, George B. Dusinberre, Thompson C. Maxwell, Stephen H. Parker and Angus Mc- Donald. The present commissioners are Thompson C. Maxwell, presi- dent ; Stephen H. Parker, secretary; Samuel Southworth, treasurer ; and Solomon E. Smith, Wm. B. Dunning, Joseph S. Lewis, O. J. C. Rose, P. N. Nicholas and Thomas Mc Blain.
Banks of Geneva .- On March 28, 1817, the Legislature chartered the Bank of Geneva, the legal title of which was "The President, Directors and Company of the Bank of Geneva." The capital of this bank was $400,000, 20,000 shares of $20 each, and upon its organization meeting (held at Griffith's Hotel) the directors were Robert Troup, Septimus Evans, Wilhelmus Mynderse, Charles Thompson, George McClure, Herman H. Bogert, Truman Hart, Jacob Dox, Elnathan Noble, Thomas Lee and Leman Hotchkiss. Mr. Troup was elected the first
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president, but very soon resigned in order that Rev. Henry Dwight might succeed to the office, the latter having then become the owner of 14, 100 shares of the bank's stock. This measure was adopted in order to give the bank a standing among similar institutions in the East, and the name of Mr. Dwight in connection with the local concern was itself a guarantee of stability and soundness.
The first place of business occupied by the Bank of Geneva was in the house, now the rectory of Trinity church, from which it was soon moved to the south side of the park, two doors from Main street. About 1837 another removal took place, this time to the large and commodious building now standing at the head of Seneca street (now occupied by R. G. Chase & Co.), which was built for its own use. The charter of the bank expired January 1, 1832, but being a successful institution, its officers in 1829 had secured an extension to January I, 1853. At the latter date, having had a prosperous life of thirty-six years, it closed its business and went into liquidation. During its his- tory, the most serious loss suffered was in the failure of the Canal Bank of Albany, 1848, with which the Geneva bank had a deposit of $93,- ooo, only fifteen per cent. of which was recovered. This great loss, however, did not injure the local bank or impair its standing.
The presidents of the Bank of Geneva were Robert Troup, Henry Dwight (twenty-two years), and Charles A. Cook (thirteen years). The cashiers were James Rees, Benjamin Day, Charles A. Cook, Edmund Dwight and William E. Sill, each serving in the order named.
Immediately following the dissolution of the old Bank of Geneva, another bank of the same name was established, being what was known as a banking association, having a capital stock at the beginning of its business (January 1, 1853) of $200,000. In 1855 the capital was in- creased to $205,000; in 1864 reduced to $200,000, and in 1885 still further reduced to $150,000.
This banking association was in fact organized in November, 1852, although its business began on January 1 following. The first directors were Charles A. Cook (president), John L. Eastman, John S. Prouty, George C. Seelye, Horace Devereux, Jedediah Smith and Robert C. Nicholas. In 1854 Mr. Cook died, and was succeeded as president by Wm. E. Sill, who served until January, 1856, when his resignation was
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followed by the election of Wm. T. Scott to the vacancy. The latter resigned in January, 1860, and was succeeded by Samuel H. Ver Planck, who has filled the responsible office of president for a period of more than thirty- three years.
The Bank of Geneva began business in the building on Main street, at the head of Seneca, formerly occupied by the old banking institution, and in 1862 Mr. Ver Planck erected the elegantly appointed building at the corner of Exchange and Seneca streets, which was at once occu- pied. In 1865, without material reorganization or change in the per- sonnel of the corporation, this bank, under the laws of Congress, became known as " The Geneva National Bank," having a capital of $200,000, which was reduced to $150,000 in 1885. The first cashier of the National Bank was Samuel Southworth, succeeded in 1868 by Mont- gomery S. Sandford, who still continues in that capacity.
This bank has now an accumulated surplus of $75.000, with $20,000 of undivided profits; and another fact worthy of note in connection with its history is that from its direction there has been furnished one secretary of the treasury of the United States (Charles J. Folger), who also served as assistant treasurer, and chief judge of the New York State Court of Appeals. Likewise, Thomas Hillhouse, a former director, has been assistant United States treasurer, and is now president of the Metropolitan Trust Company of New York city. The present directors of the Geneva National Bank are Samuel H. Ver Planck, president ; Montgomery S. Sandford, cashier ; and Joseph Lewis, Samuel K. Nestor, Francis O. Mason, Solomon E. Smith and Thos. McBlain.
The First National Bank of Geneva was organized November 20, 1863, with a capital of $50,000, its originators and active officers being Wm. Richardson, president; Thomas Raines, cashier; and Henry J. Messenger, Benj. H. Woodworth and J. H. Tripp. On the 29th of March, 1866, a large proportion of the stock of this bank was purchased by Alexander L. Chew, Phineas Prouty, Corydon Wheat and Thomas Raines, which was followed by a partial reorganization and the election of new directors, as follows: A. L. Chew, Phineas Prouty, Corydon Wheat, Thomas Raines, Thomas Hillhouse, Joshua I. Maxwell, John W. Smith, W. Foster and Thos. Smith. Mr. Chew was at once elected president of the bank, an office he has continued to hold to the present time. Thomas Raines was the first cashier, succeeded by J. B. Hart,
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and the latter in turn by Wm. T. Scott. The present cashier, Thomas H. Chew, was appointed May 1, 1887.
On January 17, 1888, the capital of the bank was increased to $100,- 000. It has a surplus of $40,000, and the undivided profits amount to nearly $15,000. The present directors are A. L. Chew, president ; Thos. H. Chew, cashier ; and Joshua I. Maxwell, Wm. Smith, Thomas Smith, Roscoe G. Chase and O. J. C. Rose, directors.
Samuel Southworth, banker, was clerk in the Bank of Geneva in 1855, and afterward cashier of the Geneva National Bank. In 1868 he purchased a real estate and insurance business and in connection there- with established a private bank, his partner for a time being Major John S. Plattner. ' In December following, Mr. Southworth became sole proprietor, and has ever since conducted a conservative, safe and successful banking business.
Prominent among the banking institutions of Geneva, was the as- sociate corporation known as " The Farmers' Bank of Geneva," which began business July 18, 1839, with a capital of $100,000. Its first and only president was William K. Strong, while the cashiership was filled by William N. Clark. Both of these officers were men of integrity and worth, and the affairs of the bank were almost wholly entrusted to their management. However, the institution was never abundantly success- ful, hence its career was comparatively brief. It did not fail, but not meeting with expected success, it went into liquidation. The Farmers' Bank occupied the building then recently vacated by the Bank of Geneva, standing on the south side of the Park, near Main street.
Nathan B. Kidder will be remembered by the older residents of Geneva as the one time head of a private bank. He began business about 1851 and continued till 1854, then making a disastrous failure.
Schell & Hemiup were private bankers in the Kidder building on Seneca street, following in business the banker last mentioned, and, like him, also failed, in 1862.
EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS. 1
It is quite impossible to give the history of all the schools that have existed in Geneva from the time of settlement over a hundred years
1 Compiled from materials furnished principally by Professor Charles D. Vail, Hobart College, by whom all rights are reserved, also revised and corrected by him.
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HISTORY OF ONTARIO COUNTY.
ago to date, for while documentary materials are not wanting for the incorporated schools, such materials are almost entirely wanting for the unincorporated or private schools. Indeed, it is doubtful whether even an accurate list can now be given of the schools of the latter class that have existed within the village limits. In this review of the educational institutions of Geneva, attention will be directed more particularly to those which have a living interest either as being now in existence or as having played a prominent part in the earlier days of the town.
THE GENEVA ACADEMY.
It is reasonably certain that the first school established in Geneva was that afterward known as the Geneva Academy, and that the first school-house was the one which stood on the lot now occupied by the session room of the First Presbyterian Church. When the school was established, and when the school-house was built are questions that cannot now be answered definitely. That the school was in operation as early as 1796 may be inferred from the fact that from 1796 to 1800 inclusive school commissioners were elected annually at town meeting to receive the money granted by the State for the use of schools, under the act of 1795, which provided an appropriation annually to schools for the five years following. That the school-house was in existence and was,regarded as in a manner a public or well-known building as early as 1801, appears from the further fact that the annual meeting of the freeholders of the town held that year was adjourned to meet the following year at the " school-house." That there was more than one regular school or one school house at this early date is extremely im- probable, as there were in Geneva in 1800 but sixty families, and as late as 1806 only three hundred and twenty-five inhabitants.
January 30, 1807, twenty three freeholders of Geneva joined in a petition to the Honorable the Regents of the University of the State of New York for the incorporation of Geneva Academy. This document 1 is interesting as being the oldest extant document in which the acad- emy is mentioned by name. It contains the following statement which is historically of much value :
1 It is given entire in the " Historical and Statistical Record of the University of the State of New York," issued 1885.
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" Your petitioners beg leave further to represent that the real estate belonging to their Academy consists of a lot of land fronting the public square in the said village of Geneva, on which they have erected a building twenty- five feet by thirty-eight feet, and one and a half stories high, and that they have for upwards of two years past employed a gentleman of abilities, regularly graduated at Princeton College, who, together with an assistant, has the superintendence of upwards of sixty students."
This petition was not granted, and the academy remained without a charter till 1813, when another and successful application was made. It is a matter of regret that diligent inquiry has thus far failed to ascer- tain the name of the graduate of Princeton referred to in the petition.
August 7, 1809, the trustees of the academy announced by adver- tisement in the Geneva Gazette the engagement of the Rev. Andrew Wilson to take charge of the academy. This announcement is of suffi- cient interest to justify its reproduction here, especially as it has not appeared in any history of the academy.
The Rev. Andrew Wilson, formerly of the University of Glasgow, at the request of the trustees, has undertaken the superintendence of the Geneva Academy, and engaged to teach the respective branches of literature on the following terms, viz. :
First Class-Reading, writing and arithmetic, 2 dollars 25 cents per quarter.
Second Class-English grammar, book-keeping, geography and mathematics, including geometry, mensuration, algebra, surveying, navigation and astronomy, 4 dollars per quarter.
Third Class-The Latin, Greek and Hebrew languages, 5 dollars per quarter.
The tuition fees payable in advance.
From the respectable recommendations produced by Mr. Wilson, the trustees have every reason to believe that he will do ample justice to the pupils committed to his charge.
POLYDORE B. WISNER, JOHN HESLOP, Trustees.
H. H. BOGERT,
N. B .- Boarding can be had on reasonable terms.
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HISTORY OF ONTARIO COUNTY.
In 1812 Mr. Ransom Hubbell, a graduate of Union College, and highly recommended by the Rev. Eliphalet Nott, president of that col- lege, was made principal of the academy and remained such till 1817.
On the 29th of March, 1813, an act of incorporation was obtained from the Regents of the University, for which was subscribed the sum of $1,600 by the following persons, not less than $50 being subscribed by any individual : Polydore B. Wisner, H. H. Bogert, Robt. W. Stod- dard, Samuel Colt, William Hartsen, Jonathan Doane, Thos Lowthrop, James Rees, James Carter, John Nicholas, David Cook, John Woods, Thos. D. Burrall, Joseph Stow, Walter Grieve, Robt. Scott, Fred A. De Zeng, Wm. Tippets, Abner Cole and Abraham Dox. The first Board of Trustees named in the charter was as follows: Rev. Jedediah Chapman, Polydore B. Wisner, Jas. Rees. Samuel Colt, John Nicholas, H. H. Bogert, Robert Scott, David Cook, Thos. Lowthrop, Jonathan Doane, Walter Grieve, Wm. Tippetts and Fred. A. De Zeng.
In 1817 Mr. Hubbell was succeeded as principal by the Rev. John S. Cook. December 8, 1817, " in consequence of some differences of feel- ing," at a meeting of the Board of Trustees of the academy it was re- solved, " that the academy operations be suspended." However, to obviate any public disadvantage, a committee was appointed, consisting of Rev. Henry Axtell, Dr. James Carter and David Cook, to take charge of the school building and give the use of it to any respectable teacher till the trustees should again resume their duties.
On the 6th of March, 1821, a meeting was called by senior trustee James Rees, and at this meeting, the first meeting held since December 8, 1817, the following action was taken : "Whereas, Trinity Church, New York (city), in consequence of an application from the trustees of Trinity Church, Geneva, have transferred to Geneva Academy an en- dowment of $750 per annum, granted by them for the support of an academy at Fairfield, N. Y., Therefore, Resolved, That the endowment thus transferred with the conditions stipulated, be and they are hereby accepted, and that we will take immediate measures for raising the necessary funds for carrying the endowment into effect "
One of the conditions of the proposed grant from Trinity Church, New York, being that the inhabitants of Geneva should erect a suitable building for the accommodation of the " Branch Theological School,"
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and funds for this purpose having been already secured by citizens of Geneva by a subscription paper circulated under date of February 15, 1821, it was further resolved at this meeting, in order that the site for the Geneva Academy might be selected without regard to indi- vidual or sectional interest, that the location be made by the Rt. Rev. Bishop Hobart, and that on the site selected by him the necessary buildings be erected. Agreeable to the resolution the bishop viewed several sites in Geneva, and on March 17, 1821, he communicated to the trustees his selection of the site now occupied by the college build- ings. In the same year the erection of " Geneva Hall " was begun, and the work completed in the spring of 1822.
At this same meeting (March 6, 1821) the Rev. Daniel McDonald, D. D., formerly principal of the Fairfield Academy, was appointed prin- cipal of the Geneva Academy, and on the 25th of April Geneva Acad- emy started anew, its home till the completion of Geneva Hall being in the frame school-house erected in 1817 in the rear of Trinity Church in Geneva. Under the Rev. Dr. McDonald (1821-25) Geneva Acad- emy prospered greatly.
On the 21st of January, 1822, the trustees of the academy made application to the Board of Regents to grant the academy the powers and privileges of a college. April 10, 1822, a provisional charter as such was obtained and the conditions imposed by it having been com- plied with, on February 8, 1825, the Regents granted a charter by which Geneva Academy became Geneva College.
With this consummation attained naturally ends the history of the old and noted Geneva Academy, but certain prior conditions and stip- ulations governing the subscription funds continued it in existence for seven more years, and even beyond this time the college trustees found themselves occasionally confronted with an ancient scholarship certifi- cate which entitled the holder to academic instruction in the college or its auxiliary institution, which was for some time maintained in connec- tion with the higher institution. To meet this exigency the college trustees established the Academic School, so called, which went into operation January 3, 1827, and was abolished July 31, 1832.
The circumstances under which the Academic School was estab- lished were briefly these : A very considerable portion of the original
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endowment of the college -- the fund required by the provisional char- ter for the securing of the permanent charter-was raised by the sale of certificates, each of which, in consideration of the sum of one hun- dred dollars subscribed and paid, entitled the holder, his heirs and assigns, to the privilege of sending one student to the Geneva Academy or to Geneva College, free of tuition fees, for the term of twenty years, commencing from the date thereof, or whenever he might choose. No sooner was the permanent charter obtained, February 8, 1825, than claims were put forward by the certificate holders, or in their behalf, that the Geneva Academy could not justly be discontinued. Accord- ingly, at the first sitting of the Board of Trustees of Geneva [Hobart] College, in May, 1825, Doctor McDonald, Mr. R. S. Rose and T. D. Burrall were appointed a committee to consider and report upon the propriety of continuing the Academy School under the care of the trus- tees of the college. Subsequently, August 24, the committee reported against the continuance of the Academy School and their report was adopted.
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