USA > New York > Oswego County > History of Oswego County, New York, with illustrations and Biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 33
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Justices of Sessions, with the years of service of each justice .- John M. Casey, Oswego, 1848; L. Thayer, Parish, 1848-50, 1861-63; Norman Rowe, New Haven, 1849, 1856; Robert Simpson, Scriba, 1850, 1863; John Wart, Boylston, 1851, 1852; John B. Higgins, Mexico, 1851; Mason Salisbury, Sandy Creek, 1852, 1855; Ed- ward S. Reed, Albion, 1853; Samuel A. Comstock, Albion, 1853; Ezra Green, Palermo, 1854, 1856; John Vandenburgh, Constantia, 1854; Edson Wilder, Sandy Creek, 1855; Lewis F. Devendorf, Hastings, 1857; Marcus Patterson, West Monroe, 1857 ; Benjamin N. Hin- man, Hannibal, 1858, 1860-62; Nelson J. Williams, Boylston, 1858; Caleb L. Carr, Williamstown, 1859-60; Hiram M. Stevens, Sandy Creek, 1859 ; Alvin Richardson, Mexico, 1864; Fowler H. Berry, Amboy, 1864; Alvin Osborn, Oswego, 1865; Mars Nearing, Hastings, 1865 ; Henry M. Barrett, Hannibal, 1866 ; John Shepard, Albion, 1866; William Congdon, Scriba, 1867, 1873; Marcus Patterson, West Monroe, 1867 ; Levi Brackett, Hannibal, 1868; Jesse W. Cross, Orwell, 1868; R. George Bassett, Volney, 1869-70; Andrew S. Coey, Redfield, 1869-70, 1875; James G. Caldwell, West Monroe, 1871; Joseph W. Phillips, West Monroe, 1871 ; Abraham David, Parish, 1872; Edmund Potter, Parish, 1872, 1874, 1877; Noel A. Gardner, Amboy, 1873; William R. Potts, Williams- town, 1874; F. W. Squires, North Volney, 1875; Henry L. Cole, Mexico, 1876; Cornelius Edick, Parish, 1876; Isaac R. Parkhurst, Scriba, 1877.
Surrogates appointed, with date of appointment .- Elias Brewster, of Mexico, March 21, 1816; Abraham P. Vos- burgh, of Fulton, February 17, 1817 ; Orris Hart, of New Haven, April 8, 1819; Chester Hayden, of Oswego, 1820;
James A. Davis, of Pulaski, March 28, 1823; Joseph Helme, of Pulaski, March 27, 1826; Orville Robinson, of Mexico, March 5, 1830; Joseph Torrey, of Mexico, Feb- ruary 9, 1834; Joel Turrill, of Oswego, February 8, 1843 ; Orris Hart, of Oswego, November 3, 1845; William P. Curtis, of Fulton, October 1, 1846; county judge per- formed duties of surrogate from 1847 to 1852.
Surrogates, elected for four years, with date of entering on office .- James Brown, of Oswego, January 1, 1852; Amos G. Hull, of Fulton, January 1, 1856, re-elected ; Timothy W. Skinner, of Mexico, January 1, 1864 ; Henry L. Howe, of Sandy Creek, January 1, 1868; Timothy W. Skinner, of Mexico, January 1, 1872, clected for six years.
Special Surrogates, elected for three years, with date of entry on office .- William Sanders, of Cleveland, January 1, 1855 ; Joshna B. Randall, of Hastings, January 1, 1858, re-elected ; William W. Seribner, of Oswego, January 1, 1864; Francis David, of Schroeppel, January 1, 1867, re- elected ; William HI. Kenyon, of Schroeppel, January 1, 1873; W. B. Smith, of Pulaski, January 1, 1876.
District Attorneys appointed, with date of appointment. -James F. Wright, Oswego, April 17, 1820; Samuel B. Beach, Oswego, February 19, 1821 ; David P. Brewster, Oswego, 1829 ; Abraham P. Grant, Oswego, 1836; Orville Robinson, Mexico, 1841; Leander Babcock, Oswego, 1843; William Duer, Oswego, 1845.
Elected for terms of three years, with date of entrance on office .- Ransom H. Tyler, Fulton, June, 1847 ; John B. Higgins, Oswego, January 1, 1851 ; Archibald N. Lud- dington, Fulton, January 1, 1854 ; John C. Churchill, Os- wego, January 1, 1857; George G. French, Mexico, Jan- uary 1, 1860 ; William H. Baker, Constantia, January 1, 1863, Sylvanus C. Huntington, Pulaski, January 1, 1866 ; William H. Baker, Constantia, appointed (in place of Hun- tington, resigned) in the spring of 1866, elected for full term in the fall of 1866; Newton W. Nutting, Oswego, January 1, 1870; John J. Lamoree, Oswego, January 1, 1873, relected.
Sheriff's appointed, with date of appointment .- John S. Davis, Pulaski, March 21, 1816; Peter Pratt, Mexico, February 4, 1820 ; Orris Hart, New Haven, February 13, 1821.
Elected by the people for three years, with date of enter- ing on the office .- Orris Hart, Oswego, January 1, 1823; Asa Dudley, Oswego town, January 1, 1826; Hastings Curtiss, Hastings, January 1, 1829; William Ilale, Pu- laski, January 1, 1832; Jonathan Case, Fulton, January 1, 1835 ; Jabez H. Gilbert, Orwell, January 1, 1838 ; Nor- man Rowe, New Ilaven, January 1, 1841; Marinus W. Matthews, Pulaski, January 1, 1844; Iloratio J. Carey, Oswego (appointed in place of Matthews, deceased ), Decem- ber 5, 1844 ; Alvin Lawrence, Mexico, January 1, 1846 ; Norman Rowe, New Haven, January 1, 1849; George W. Stillwell, Orwell, January 1, 1852; Rufus Hawkins. Oswego, January 1, 1855; Charles A. Perkins, Constantia, Jan- ary 1, 1858; Sidney M. Tucker, Pulaski, January 1, 1861 ; Robert D. Gillespie, Richland, January 1, 1864; Sidney M. Tucker, Oswego, January 1, 1867 ; James Doyle, Os- wego, January 1, 1870; Henry II. Lyman, Pulaski, Jan- uary 1, 1873; Frank S. Low, Pulaski, January 1, 1876.
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HISTORY OF OSWEGO COUNTY, NEW YORK.
County Clerks appointed, with date of appointment .- James Adams, Oswego town, March 1, 1816 ; Joseph Davis, Oswego, March 19, 1818; Smith Dunlap, Sandy Creek, February 19, 1821.
Elected by the people for terms of three years, with date of entering on the office .- Hiram Hubbell, Pulaski, Janu- ary 1, 1823; T. S. Morgan, Oswego, January 1, 1826; Thomas C. Baker, Pulaski, January 1, 1829 ; Erie Poor, Oswego, January 1, 1852 ; Marinus W. Matthews, Pulaski, January 1, 1835 ; Daniel H. Marsh, Oswego, January 1, 1838 ; Andrew Z. McCarty, Pulaski, January 1, 1841 ; John Carpenter, Oswego, January 1, 1844; Jabez H. Gil- bert, Pulaski, January 1, 1847 ; Philander Rathbun, Oswego, January 1, 1850; Edwin M. Hill, Pulaski, January 1, 1853; Henry S. Conde, Hastings, January 1, 1856 ; Samuel R. Taylor, Oswego, January 1, 1859 ; Edward N. Rath- bun, Oswego, January 1, 1862 ; Bernice L. Doane, Pulaski, January 1, 1865; Manister Worts, Oswego, January 1, 1868 ; John J. Stephens, Oswego town, January 1, 1871 ; Brainard Nelson, Oswego, Jannary 1, 1874; Daniel E. Taylor, Granby, January 1, 1877.
County Treasurers, appointed by the Council of Ap- pointment .- Peter Pratt, of Mexico, 1816 ; Elias Brewster, of Mexico, 1820.
Appointed by the Board of Supervisors under the Consti- tution of 1821 .- Avery Skinner, of Mexico, 1827 ; Robert A. Stitt, 1839; Starr Clark, 1840 ; Robert A. Stitt, 1841; Hiram Walker, 1846.
By the constitution of 1846, county treasurers were to be elected by the people for terms of three years. Those of Oswego County, with the respective dates of their enter- ing on the office, have been Samuel H. Stone, of Mexico, January 1, 1849, re-elected ; Henry C. Peck, of Mexico, January 1, 1855 ; Luther H. Conklin, of Mexico, January 1, 1858, re-elected each succeeding term; is now serving his seventh term.
State Senators .- There were no senators from Oswego until after the constitution of 1821. By that instrument the State was divided into eight senatorial districts. The fifth district included Oswego, with which were joined Jef- ferson, Lewis, Oneida, and Madison, also Herkimer until 1836, when it was transferred to the fourth district, and Otsego annexed to the fifth. Each district elected four senators for four years, one each year ; but on the first elec- tion they necessarily drew for terms.
In 1822, Alvin Bronson, of Oswego, was elected, and drew a two-years' term, serving in 1823-24. No senator from Oswego County thereafter until 1830. Alvin Bron- son, of Oswego, 1830-33. No senator thereafter till 1838. Avery Skinner, of Mexico, 1838-41. No senator till 1845. Enoch B. Talcott, of Oswego, 1845-47, when his term was cut short by the new constitution.
By the constitution of 1846 the State is divided into thirty-two districts, from each of which a senator is elected. Under its provisions Madison and Oswego counties formed the twentieth senatorial district, which was represented as follows : Thomas H. Bond, of Oswego city, 1848-49; Asa- hel Stone, of Madison county, 1850; resigned, and Moses P. Hatch, of Oswego city, elected in his place, serving in 1851; James Platt, of Oswego city, 1852-53; Simon C.
Hitchcock, of Madison county, 1854-55 ; M. Lindley Lee, of Fulton, 1856-57.
By the apportionment act of 1857 Oswego County alone became the twentieth senatorial district. The following were the senators therefrom : Cheney Ames, of Oswego, 1858-59; Andrew S. Warner, of Pulaski, 1860-61; Richard K. Sanford, of Fulton, 1862-63; Cheney Ames, of Oswego, 1864-65; John J. Wolcott, of Voluey, 1866- 67.
By the act of 1866 Oswego and Madison counties were again united as the twenty-first senatorial district, and so remain. The following gentlemen have represented that district in the senate : Abner C. Mattoon, of Oswego, 1868- 69; William H. Brand, of Madison county, 1870-71; William Foster, of Constantia, 1872-73; Charles Kellogg, of Madison county, 1874-75; Benjamin Doolittle, of Os- wego, 1876-77.
Members of Assembly elected for one year, with years of service .- Barnet Mooney, of Granby (then Hannibal), 1810 (elected from Onondaga county), 1812, 1814; The- ophilus S. Morgan, of Oswego, 1820 (district of Oneida and Oswego); William Root (?), 1821 (district of Oneida and Oswego); Peter Pratt, of Mexico, 1822 (district of Oneida and Oswego); Theophilus S. Morgan, of Oswego, 1823 (Oswego county alone) ; Hastings Curtis, of Has- tings, 1824; Chester Hayden, of Oswego, 1825 ; Henry Williams, of Williamstown, 1826; Orris Hart, of New Haven, 1827-28 ; George F. Falley, of Fulton, 1829 ; Hi- ram Hubbell, of Richland, 1830 ; Joel Turrill, of Oswego, 1831 ; Avery Skinner, of Mexico, 1832-33 ; Orville Robin- son, of Mexico, 1834; Jesse Crowell, of Albion, 1835-36.
By act passed in 1836, Oswego County was allowed two members of assembly, both elected for whole county. Or- ville Robinson, of Mexico, and Caleb Carr, of Williamstown, represented the county in 1837 ; Arvin Rice, of Hannibal, and John M. Richardson, of Mexico, 1838 ; Samuel Haw- ley, of Oswego, and Edward B. Judson, of Constantia, 1839 ; William Duer, of Oswego, and Peter Devendorf, of Hastings, 1840-41 ; Peter Devendorf, of Hastings, and Robert C. Kenyon, of Fulton, 1842; William F. Allen, of Oswego, and Alban Strong, of Orwell, 1843-44; Thomas Skelton, of Hannibal, and L. Thayer, of Parish, 1845 ; Thomas Skelton, of Hannibal, and Reuben Drake, of Red- field, 1846 ; Orrin R. Earl, of Sandy Creek, and M. Lind- ley Lee, of Fulton, 1847.
Henceforth the county was divided into two assembly districts. The first comprised Granby, Hannibal, Oswego city and town, New Haven, Schroeppel, Scriba, and Volney. The second embraced Albion, Amboy, Boylston, Mexico, New Haven, Orwell, Palermo, Parish, Redfield, Richland, Sandy Creek, West Monroe, and Williamstown. The names of members will be given in the order of their dis- tricts : M. Lindley Lee, of Fulton, and Andrew Z. McCarty, of Pulaski, 1848; Henry Fitzhugh, of Oswego, and Ed- ward W. Fox, of Richland, 1849 ; William Lewis, Jr., of Oswego, and Luke D. Smith, of Mexico, 1850; Moses P. Hatch, of Oswego (resigned, and Wm. P. Curtis took his place), and Benjamin F. Lewis, of Redfield, 1851 ; Edwin C. Ilart, of Oswego, and James T. Gibson, of Albion, 1852; De Witt C. Littlejohn, of Oswego, and Charles A.
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HISTORY OF OSWEGO COUNTY, NEW YORK.
Perkins, of Constantia, 1853; De Witt C. Littlejohn, of Oswego, and Azarialı Wart, of Boylston, 1854; De Witt C. Littlejohn, of Oswego, and Jacob M. Selden, of Williams- town (contested by Andrew S. Warner, of Pulaski, to whom seat was awarded), 1855; Orville Robinson, of Oswego (chosen speaker on the forty-seventh ballot), and Andrew S. Warner, of Pulaski, 1856; De Witt C. Littlejohn, of Oswego, and Leonard Ames, of Mexico, 1857.
By an aet passed in 1857, Oswego County was allotted three members of assembly, and the supervisors appor- tioned the districts as follows: First, Oswego city and town, Hannibal and Seriba ; second, Constantia, Granby, Hastings, Palermo, Schroeppel, Volney, West Monroe ; third, Albion, Amboy, Boylston, Mexico, New Haven, Orwell, Parish, Redfield, Richland, Sandy Creek.
William Baldwin, of Oswego, John J. Wolcott, of Ful- ton, and Chauncey S. Sage, of Williamstown, represented the three districts, respectively, in 1858.
De Witt C. Littlejohn, of Oswego (elected speaker), James J. Coit, of Hastings, and Beman Brockway, of Pu- laski, 1859 ; De Witt C. Littlejohn, of Oswego (re-elected speaker), William H. Carter, of Hastings, and Robert S. Kelsey, of New Haven, 1860; De Witt C. Littlejohn, of Oswego (re-elected speaker), Richard K. Sanford, of Ful- ton, and Mason Salisbury, of Sandy Creek, 1861 ; Elias Root, of Oswego, Willard Johnson, of Fulton, and Benja- min E. Bowen, of Mexico, 1862 ; Abner C. Mattoon, of Oswego, Hiram W .. Loomis, of Palermo, and Harvey Palmer, of Parish, 1863 and 1864 ; Elias Root, of Oswego, Richard K. Sanford, of Fulton, and Avery W. Severance, of New Haven, 1865; De Witt C. Littlejohn, of Oswego, William H. Rice, of Hastings, and John Parker, of Orwell, 1866 ; De Witt C. Littlejohn, of Oswego, William H. Rice, of Hastings, and Charles MeKinney, of Redfield, 1867 ; John A. Place, of Oswego, James D. Lasher, of Fulton, and Alvin R. Richardson, of Mexico, 1868; Benjamin Doolittle, of Oswego, James D. Lasher, of Fulton, and Nathan B. Smith, of Pulaski, 1869; De Witt C. Little- john, of Oswego, Abraham Howe, of Fulton, and John Parker, of Orwell, 1870; De Witt C. Littlejohn, of Os- wego, Abraham Howe, of Fulton, and Chauncey S. Sage, of Williamstown, 1871; Daniel G. Fort, of Oswego, Thos. W. Green, of Coughdenoy, and Chauncey S. Sage, of Wil- liamstown, 1872; Daniel G. Fort, of Oswego, Willard Johnson, of Fulton, and Justin L. Bulkley, of Sandy Creek, 1873; George B. Sloan, of Oswego, Willard John- son, of Fulton, and Justin L. Bulkley, of Sandy Creek, 1874; Alanson S. Page, of Oswego, Willard Johnson, of Fulton, and Henry J. Daggett, of New Haven, 1875 ; George B. Sloan, of Oswego, Thos. W. Green, of Hastings, and John Preston, of Pulaski, 1876 ; George B. Sloan, of Oswego (elected speaker), George M. Case, of Fulton, and De Witt C. Peek, of Mexico, 1877.
Superintendents and Commissioners of Schools .- By a law passed in the spring of 1843, each board of supervisors was authorized to appoint one or two county superintend- ents of schools. Dr. Otis W. Randall, of Granby, was appointed for the western district of Oswego, and D. P. Tallmage, of Pulaski, for the eastern. In 1845 the districts were consolidated, and Randall was re-appointed. Resigned,
and Baker, of Orwell, appointed. Law repealed in 1847.
By a law passed in the spring of 1856 the office of com- missioner of common schools was created. The first incum- bents were to be appointed by the supervisors, and to hold till December 31, 1857, when commissioners were to be elected by the people for terms of three years. That part of Oswego County outside the city was divided into two districts, the first comprising Oswego town, Hannibal, Granby, Scriba, Volney, Schroeppel, Palermo, New Haven, and Hastings; the second comprising the rest of the county.
Rev. Theodore M. Bishop, of Fulton, was appointed the first commissioner of the first district. He resigned the last of 1856, and John A. Place, of Fulton, was appointed, holding during 1857. Iliram W. Loomis, of Palermo, was elected in the fall of 1857, entering on the office January 1,1858.
James W. Fenton, of Pulaski, was appointed the first commissioner of the second district. George F. Woodbury, of Orwell, was elected in the autumn of 1857, entering on the office January 1, 1858.
In the autumn of 1858 the supervisors re-organized the county into three districts : Oswego town, Hannibal, Gran- by, Seriba, Volney, and New Haven, comprising the first district ; Schroeppel, Palermo. Hastings, West Monroe, Constantia, Amboy, and Parish, the second; and the rest of the county the third. This threw Mr. Loomis into the second district, of which he continued to aet as commis- sioner, Mr. Woodbury remaining in charge of the third. John A. Place was appointed commissioner of the first dis- trict, holding under the appointment till January 1, 1860. In the fall of 1859 he was elected to serve out the remain- der of the term, which was held to expire with the others, December 31, 1860, and was then re-elected. Since then the districts have remained the same, and the commissioners have succeeded each other with more regularity than before. They have been as follows, with times of entering on office :
First District .- John A. Place, of Fulton, January 1, 1861. James W. Parkhurst, of Scriba, January 1, 1864. After serving a short time, Mr. Parkhurst resigned, and went into the army. Lemuel P. Storms, of Fulton, elected, and served remainder of term. David D. Metealf, of Han- nibal, January 1, 1867 ; re-elected. Isaac W. Marsh, of Granby, January 1, 1873. Robert Simpson, Jr., of Han- nibal, January 1, 1876.
Second District .- Elias A. Fish, of Schroeppel, January 1, 1861. Resigned, after serving about a year, and weut into the army. Willis G. Chaffee, of Palermo, served re- mainder of term. Newton W. Nutting, of Parish, Janu- ary 1, 1864. Amos J. Richardson, of Palermo, January 1, 1867. Byron G. Clapp, of Schroeppel, January 1, 1870. William B. Howard, of Schroeppel, January 1, 1873. Fowler II. Berry, of Amboy, January 1, 1876.
Third District .- George F. Woodbury, re-elected, enter- ing on second term, January 1, 1861. William S. Goodell, of Mexico, January 1, 1864. Orville A. Fobes, of Pulaski, January 1, 1867. George F. Woodbury, of Orwell, Janu- ary 1, 1870. Johu W. Ladd, of Mexico, January 1, 1873. Re-elected.
OSWEGO CITY.
THE early history of the military post at Oswego was so closely interwoven with that of the northern frontier that it has been given at full length in the general history of the county. The history of modern Oswego begins with the surrender of Fort Ontario by the British, which occurred on the 14th day of July, 1796. John Love and Ziba Phillips were either here when the British left or came im- mediately afterwards. Little is known of them, except that they were engaged in the Indian trade. Phillips left in a short time, but an individual named John Love was here six years later. He was evidently an obscure person, how- ever, as no mention is made of him by the early settlers, except in a single instance.
-In this year (1796) that part of the present city east of Oswego river was in the town of Mexico, Herkimer county, while the portion west of the river was in the town of Lysan- der, Onondaga county. The main parts of the city on both sides of the river were in the State reservation, intended to be a mile square, which had been provided for by law while the place was still in the hands of the British. The outer portion on the west side was in the survey-township of Han- nibal, of the Military tract (the political town of Hannibal was not yet in existence), while the similar portion on the east side was in the two survey-townships of Fredericks- burg aud Oswego, of Scriba's patent. The distinction be- tween survey-townships and political towns must be con- stantly kept in mind by any one who wishes to have a clear idea of the changes of those early days.
That same season Neil McMullin, a merchant, of Kings- ton, New York, determined to take up his abode at Oswego, where he had previously been on business. Anxious to provide for his family comfortably, he had the frame of a small house constructed at Kingston, and brought it through, with his family, over the long, tedious route by way of the Mohawk river, Wood creek, Oneida lake, and Oswego river, so often traversed by English soldiers and Dutch fur-traders. On their arrival the house was erected on the west side, near the river-bank, in the centre of the ground afterwards occupied by Seneca street. This was the first framed house in the place, and McMullin's was the first family here, after the military occupation ceased, of which there is any account, though Phillips or Love may possibly have had one. Mr. McMullin opened a trade with the Indians, which was the only mercantile business possible here at that time.
That same season came Captain Edward O'Connor, an Irishman of good education and pleasing manners, who had fought for freedom during the Revolution, and had fol lowed the leadership of Willett in the desperate attempt to surprise Oswego in the winter of 1783 (described in the
general history). He and his family occupied a log house at first, but, being fearful of the terrible winters which pre- vailed here, removed them to the little settlement at Salt Point, now Syracuse, to remain during the cold weather. His daughter, afterwards Mrs. Alvin Bronson, was born there in the early part of 1797. It is probable the captain taught school at Salt Point that winter, as he certainly did in subsequent years. If Mr. McMullin's family remained at Oswego, which is not certain, they must have been sub- stantially alone.
At the session of the legislature in 1797 an act was passed directing the surveyor-general to lay out a hundred acres on the west side of the Oswego river at its mouth, so as to form a public square or market-place at the most convenient point. Lots for public buildings were to be reserved on the square. House lots to be sixty-six feet front by two hundred feet deep. The principal streets were to be a hundred feet wide, and eross-streets sixty, and a map of the survey was to be deposited in the surveyor- general's office. The lots were directed to be sold at auction, but the governor was authorized to reserve for public pur- poses any that he saw fit. It was further enacted that the town so laid out should be "ealled forever thereafter by the name of Oswego."
The locality was spoken of in the law as being in the town of Lysander and county of Onondaga. That part of the present city on the east side of the river, it will be re- membered by the reader of the general history, was then in the town of Mexico and county of Herkimer.
The new village was laid out, in accordance with the law, during the summer of 1797, under the direction of Surveyor-General Simeon De Witt, by Benjamin Wright, the surveyor of Scriba's patent. The plat ran from the river west nearly to the line of Military lot No. 6, now known as the Van Buren tract, and from the lake southward to the neighborhood of Oneida street. The streets running north and south were named-as now-" First," "Second," "'Third," " Fourth," etc., but those running east and west received entirely different appellations from those they now bear. Surveyor-General De Witt was as classical in regard to Oswego's streets as he or the land-commissioners had been respecting the townships of the Military traet, and the constellations of the heavens were utilized as freely as the heroes of Greece and Rome had been. Only nine streets were named at the time in question, but the number of appellations taken from the celestial sphere was afterwards inereased to fifteen. To promote the clearness of subse- quent history we will give the whole number here.
The northernmost street laid out in 1797 was Aquila, a very short one, which was nearly an eastward extension of
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IHISTORY OF OSWEGO COUNTY, NEW YORK.
Bronson street, running through to the river, but is now closed up. As extended to the east side it is now called Mercer street. On the east side, also, still north of Aquila, were afterwards laid Auriga street, now De Witt, and Orion street, now Mercer. South of Aquila street the ancient and modern names are as follows: Lyra street, now Van Buren ; Aries street, now Schuyler; Taurus street, now Seneca ; Gemini street, now Cayuga; Cancer street, now Bridge; Leo street, now Oneida ; Virgo street, now Mo- hawk ; Libra street, now Utica , Scorpio street, now Albany ; Sagittarius street, now Erie; Capricornus street, now Ni- agara ; Aquarius street, now Ohio. Certainly it was not Simeon De Witt's fault that Oswego did not become a celes- tial city.
The two bloeks now occupied by the public square were re- served, in 1797, for that purpose, together with the next one to the east. The three blocks north of these,-Nos. 8, 9, and 10,-bounded by Third and Sixth streets, and by Taurus and Aries (now Seneca and Schuyler streets), were reserved for public buildings, while the ground between Third and Sixth streets, northward from Aries (Schuyler) to the lake, -being blocks one to six inelusive,-was set apart for a cemetery.
The street-lines of the embryo city were marked by blazed trees, for-except where MeMullin and O'Connor had made little clearings to set their houses-the ground on the west side as far up as Ohio street was covered with woods. It was mostly second growth, however, as the original forest had all been cleared off (except a few scattering trees) during the early period before 1756, when large garrisons were stationed on the west side of the river. There was a similar clearing on the east side, but more recent, it having been made after the establishment of Fort Ontario, in 1755. On that side, too, a large traet in the vicinity of the fort had been entirely cleared, and had been used as garden and grass-ground from the advent of "Duncan of Lundie" in 1760. There were numerous oaks, maples, etc., on both sides, but the principal growth was of chest- nuts.
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