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 92
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Nathau B. Case. Enlisted in the 147th Regt, Aug. 27, 1862, as corp. ; died of sickness originating in the service, June 2, 1863. Jonas Caswell. Enlisted in the 110th Regt., Aug. 1, 1863.
Nelson Caswell. Enlisted in the 110th Regt., Aug. 6, 1862; died May 1, 1863, at Baton Rouge, La.
Harrison Chase. Enlisted in the 24th Regt., Nov. 1, 1863; was twelve months in service.
William Comstock. Enlisted in the 24th Regt., Nov. 1, 1863 ; dis. after six months' service.
Franklin Edwards. Enlisted in the 14th Art., Nov. 10, 1863.
William II. Gardner. Enlisted in the 189th Regt., Aug. 31, 1864 ; dis. after nine months' service.
Carlos Gilbert. Enlisted in the 147th Regt., Oct. 10, 1863.
Herman Goodwin. Enlisted in 32d Regt., Oct. 12, 1863 ; dis. after twenty-four months' service.
Sanford Gotham. Enlisted in the 93d Regt., Dee. 4, 1863; dis. after eighteen months' service.
Joseph Gould, Jr. Enlisted in the 110th Regt., Aug. 1, 1862.
Horace llale. Enlisted in the 147th Regt., Aug. 27, 1862; killed in the battle of Gettysburg, July 1, 1863.
Allen ITarp. Enlisted in the 81st Regt., Sept. 16, 1861; dis. after thirty-six months' service.
John Hart. Enlisted in the 147th Regt., Aug. 27, 1862; killed in the battle of Gettysburg, July 2, 1863.
Sninuel C. Harding. Enlisted in the 108th Regt., Aug. 13, 1862; died nt Memphis seminary, Teun., Jan. 7, 1863.
Albert J. Hough. Enlisted in the 147th Regt., Aug. 27, 1862 ; died in service at Belle Plain, La., Feb. 19, 1863.
Samuel Ilough. Enlisted in the Oneida C'av., Sept. 16, 1864; disch. after nine months' service.
William P. Jary. Enlisted in the 97th Regt., Aug. 18, 1863.
Ambrose Kellogg. Enl'd in the 189th Regt., Sept, 3, 1864; served one year.
Truman Kellogg. Enlisted in the 184th Regt., Sept. 3, 1864.
La Fayette Tabor. Enlisted in the 3d Art., Feb. 15, 186.1.
Daniel Marsh. Enlisted in the 186th Regt., Aug. 29, 1864; trans- ferred to the 5th Cav .; discharged after nine months' service.
James Marsh. Enlisted in the 24th Regt., Aug. 17, 1861 ; tronsferred to the 186th Regt., Aug. 24, as sergeant ; discharged after twenty- three months' serviee.
William MelQue. Enlisted in the 81st Regt., Aug. 9, 1862; dis- charged after thirty-six months' service.
Alexander MeNaley. Eolisted in the 117th Regt., Aug. 29, 1862, as a musicinn.
Samuel J. Mills. Enlisted in tho SIst Regt., Aug. 15, 1861; re-en- listed Jan. 1, 1863.
William N. Morrison. Enlisted in the 186th Regt., Sept. 7, 1864; discharged after nine and one-half months' service.
Joseph R. Nash. Enlisted in the 189th Regt., Sept. 3, 1864; dis- charged alter nine months' service.
Francis E. Peabody. Enlisted in the IIth Wisconsin Regt., August 27, 1861; discharge l after twenty-three months in the service. Sugdamus Portals. Enlisted in the 24th Cav., Jan. 2, 1864.
Hlenry Potter. Enlisted in the 97th Regt., Aug. 5, 1863. Discharged after twelve months in the service.
Byron Potts. Enlisted in the 14th Art., Feh. 18, 1863; promoted to 1 st lieut.
James E. Potts. Enlisted in the 186th Regiment, Sept. 7, 1864.
William R. Potts. Enlisted in the 147th liegt., Aug. 27, 1862, as 2d
lieut. ; promoted to 1st lieut., Feb. 13, 1863; was wounded in the left lung.
Benjamin T. Price. Enlisted in the 14th II. Art., in 1863.
Randolph Rathlin. Enlisted in the 184th Regt., Aug. 31, 1864 ; trans- ferred to the 189th Regt. ; disch. after nine months' service.
John Redding. Enlisted in the 42d Regt., Sept. 9, 1861 ; disch'gd at the expiration of his term.
Wesley Rice. Eolisted in the 147th Regt., Sept. 27, 1862; disch. after fourteen months' service.
Alexander Robinson. Enlisted in the 2d Regt., Aug. 10, 1861 ; pro- moted to 1st sergt. : resigned after twenty-two months' service. Sylvester S. Rodgers. Enlisted in the 21st Regt., August 28, 1862 ; promoted to 1st corporal.
James Rood. Enlisted in the 110th Regt., Ang. 25, 1862; died at New Iberia, La., Nov. 3, 1863.
Thomas Sedgwick. Enlisted in the 21st Regt., Aug. 28, 1862; dis- charged at the expiration of his term.
George Sonas. Drafted in the 97th Regt., Aug. 20, 1863.
Michael Spring. Enlisted iu the 20th Regt., Sept. 2, 1863; disch. at the expiration of his term.
Wheaton Sprink. Enlisted in the 147th Regt., Aug. 27, 1862; died at Belle Plain, La., Jan. 28, 1863.
William A. Stacy. Enlisted in the 110th Regt., Aug. 1, 1862; dis. in Aug., 1865.
William HI. Sylyen, Enlisted in the Ist Regt., Aug. 28, 1862; re-en- listed Sept. 1, 1864.
John Todd. Enlisted Aug. 26, 1864.
Hugh M. Wallace. Eulisted in the 25th Mich. Regt., Aug. 9, 1862, as corp. ; died at Louisville, Ky., May 10, 1863.
Harlow Wills. Eulisted in the 117th Regt., Aug. 27, 1862 ; killed in the battle of Gettysburg, Joly 3, 1863.
Frank Humphrey. Entered the naval service, Sept. 3, 1861, ns sig- nal steward on board the " Neptune;" dis. at the expiration of his term.
The following is a list of the residents of Williamstown who served in the war of 1812:
Anthony Lovejoy, Asa Lovejoy, Herman Goodwin, Samuel Goodwin, Daniel Plumb, Gaston Comstock, Asn II. Selden, Daniel Hough, Alva Rowley, nud Peter Rowley.
HASTINGS.
FOR a description of the numerous exciting scenes which transpired on the southern borders of Hastings previous to its permanent occupation by the whites, when in time of peace trading expeditions were constantly going back and forth between Albany and Oswego, and when in time of war innumerable bateaux, freighted with armies and mu- nitions, burdened Oneida lake and river, we must refer our readers to the general history of the county. Those opera- tions, extending as they did over the whole southern and western portions of Oswego County, were far too important to be treated of in a sketch of a single town. In this case, as in others, we begin the town's history with its earliest settlement.
Even this takes us well back in the past, for Hastings was the first town to be settled in Oswego County. It was in 1789 that Oliver Stevens established himself by the abandoned Fort Brewerton, and built a rude house, in which he traded with the Indians, and kept a kind of tavern for the accommodation of the boatmen, who were still numerous on the lake and river. In 1791, Major Ryal Bingham also located himself near the fort, having hired some land of those who had purchased it from the State. He only re- mained a year or two, however, and then moved to Three Rivers point.
According to the best authority we can obtain, the first death was that of Horatio Stevens, in 1792. Two exciting adventures of Mr. Oliver Stevens occurring about this period are narrated in the general history ; one relating to the ex- ploits of a bear which captured a boat, and the other to a contest between Mr. Stevens and the wolves in the central part of the county.
In 1794 the Indians appeared so dangerous that Mr. Stevens obtained authority from Governor Clinton, and built a block-house, at the expense of the State, just south of the fort, and ou the site of the Fort Brewerton hotel. Some have supposed that the block-house, which remained till a comparatively late day, was an appurtenance of the old fort, but this is a mistake. Mr. Stevens afterwards left the block-house, though he remained in the vicinity. The government paid no more attention to it, and it was used by various persons when they first came into the county until they could provide another residence.
At this time Hastings was a part of the town of Mexico and county of Herkimer. That town was reorganized in 1796, but Hastings still remained within it. When the first town officers, under the new organization, were ap- pointed, in 1797, by the justices of the peace of Herkimer county, in default of an election, Mr. Oliver Stevens was selected as town clerk. Hastings was also known as survey- township No. 13, of Scriba's patent. It was called " Breda" by that gentlemen, but the name was seldom or never used
by the settlers. Mr. Scriba conveyed the title of the whole township to Arent P. Schuyler, he to Philip A. Schuyler, and he to Jacob Mark. The latter gentleman, on the 15th of April, 1800, transferred the title of three-fourths of the township (twenty-two thousand five hundred and forty-six acres) to Solomon Townsend and Samuel Jones, as trustees. Afterwards half of this tract was conveyed to J. I. Roose- velt, while about a fourth of the whole township was trans- ferred to Governor John Jay, and another fourth to a Mr. Monroe.
About 1797, Brainerd Emmons settled in Hastings, and for a while occupied the old block-house. Benjamin Em- mons lived on the other side of the river, and soon estab- lished a ferry across the stream, which he managed over twenty years.
The first birth of a white child in town was that of John L. Stevens, son of Oliver, in 1802. Timothy Vickery came to Fort Brewerton before 1806, and in that year Betsey Vickery was married to Silas Bellows, that being the first wedding in the present town of Hastings. Several years after, Thomas Vickery took charge of the Block- House hotel, where he remained until 1820. Oliver Ste- vens, Myron Stevens, Mr. Hall, and Mr. Patterson settled along on the river-bank, near Coughdenoy.
In 1820, Mr. Aaron Snow, a son-in-law of Major Sol- omon Waring, of Constantia, became the proprietor of the hotel. Mr. Snow had a flat-boat which he used in trans- porting his property from Rotterdam, or Constantia, to his new home, where he found sale for wheat at two dollars and a half per bushel, and for potatoes at the same price. Mr. Moses Hewitt tells of coming with his uncle on horseback, from near Mexico, to Fort Brewerton, over the Salt road, in 1820, and buying three or four bushels of wheat and several bushels of potatoes at the block-house, at the above prices. They were even obliged to pay a dollar and a half per bushel for potatoes with the eyes cut off.
Mr. Snow moved to Coughdenoy in 1822, and finally, in 1826, settled on a farm in the L'Hommedieu location, where his widow still resides, at the age of eighty-seven, with her son, Leonard Snow.
In 1809 Mr. Solomon Allen had settled a little east of Central Square, on lot 26.
Mr. Allen passed a quiet life in tilling the soil, and died in 1875, at the age of ninety, while on his way to Florida, having lived in town sixty-six years.
The first blacksmith in Hastings was Elijah Goodspeed, who became a resident of this town, on lot 26, in 1815.
Chester Loomis came from West Monroe and built him a house at Central Square, where he remained five or six years, serving the public as a hotel proprietor. His house was burned about 1818, but was soon rebuilt by Mr. Loo-
353
WM. B. PARKHURST.
MRS. WM. B. PARKHURST.
RESIDENCE OF WM. B. PARKHURST, CENTRAL SQUARE, OSWEGO Co., N. Y.
359
HISTORY OF OSWEGO COUNTY, NEW YORK.
mis. About 1820 Mr. Loomis sold his farm, which was on lot 41, to Nicholas I. Roosevelt. It is noted for two salt- springs upon it, with which many experiments have been tried, both in earlier and later days.
This same year Hastings Curtiss moved to Central Square, and built and opened a store on the corner now owned by George Campbell. Mr. Curtiss was one of the most enterprising men in the county. IIe built a briek hotel which was the first brick house in town, kept the first post-office, and was one of the company that ran the first stages from Salina to Watertown, about 1825. As the list of officers both of town and county will show, he held many important positions, and in his honor the town was named Ilastings, being formed from Constantia, April 20, 1825.
In 1824 a bridge was built at Fort Brewerton by Mr. Leonard Fuller, as contractor for a chartered company ; that being the point where the Salt road from Salina to Watertown crossed the river.
In 1820 Orris C. Orman settled near the fort on the Stotts location, bought of Mr. Ray, and Robert Orman located near him in 1824; both remaining in that neigh- borhood. Leonard Fuller settled at Coughdenoy previous to 1820.
In February, 1823, Henry Waterbury, with his family, came from Rensselaer county, and settled near Coughdenoy, at the head of the rapids. Mr. E. Bailey, a son-in-law, bought the farm some twenty years ago, and kept it until within a few years, when he sold it to its present owner, Mr. Madison.
Nicholas Keller settled on lot 44 in 1823, building the first house west of Central Square, on the Fulton road. T. Paine was also an early settler on lot 44.
In 1817, Wm. Ladd, from the land of steady habits, located himself, with his brother, on lot 22, on the Salt road, which had then been opened. There were at that time but two houses, between Mexico and Fort Brewerton, on that road. One was a tavern near by, kept by a Mr. Briggs, and the other was the tavern at Central Square, owned by Mr. Loomis.
Mr. Ladd, now aged eighty-two, resides with his son Joseph on the farm which he has cleared and improved, and relates with interest his experience in pioneer life.
In those days the great resource of the people was to convert their timber into ashes, and manufacture those into potash and pearlash, which were about the only articles of export for which they received cash.
Daniel Chappel, Rial Hoisington, and a Mr. Allen settled on lot 22, about the same time as Mr. Ladd.
In 1822, George L. Carley, from Otsego county, located on lot 5, made a clearing, and put up a honse, having purchased one hundred and fifty acres of J. I. Roosevelt at four dollars per acre, fifty acres of Mr. Monroe at three dollars per acre, and two hundred aeres, at one dollar and a half per acre, of Mr. Parish, situated in the town of Parish, but adjoining the other lots. In 1823 he removed his family to their wilderness home, and the same year built a saw-mill on the south branch of Salmon ereck. In a year it was consumed by fire, but Mr. C. soon rebuilt it, and attached a carding-machine to it, which was managed by George Benedict for some ten years. Mr. Carley has built
the fourth saw-mill at this place, two having rotted down or been worn out during his stay of fifty-four years. The place may fairly be called " Carley's mills."
Mr. Peter Carr was another early settler. He located on lot No. 5, in 1825, where he has lived for the past fifty- two years, elearing and improving his farm, and raising a family of nine children.
Mr. James J. Coit came from Connecticut, in 1823, and settled upon a farm on lot No. 26, of the Governor Jay tract, where he remained as a farmer for forty-nine years, raising a family of eleven children. Ilis fellow- townsinen honored him with an uninterrupted terin of office for over thirty years, as school commissioner, justice of the peace, assessor, supervisor, etc., and in 1859 he was elected to the assembly.
He taught the first school in Central Square, in the winter of 1824-25. Mrs. Coit taught the first school in district No. 7. Ten out of eleven of Mr. C.'s children have been teachers in the public schools and seminaries. His second wife, as well as his first, was also a teacher. Thirteen teach- ers out of a family of fourteen, who have taught a hundred and eighty-two terms in all.
Mr. J. J. Coit was agent for Governor John Jay's estate in this town from 1827 till within a few years, when the business was closed up, He now resides at Central Square, at the age of seventy-four, having lived in town fifty-three years. Obadiah Cornell, Amos Burrows (2d), Amos Jack- son, and Schooner Russel were also early settlers on lot No. 26, locating there about 1824. Ambrose Hale, Thomas West, and Shuber Button had located on lot No. 25 before 1824.
The early settlers of lot No. 23 were Bishop Iloyt, Alvin Briggs, Mr. Tiffany, and Mr. Daggett.
S. P. Munsel purchased a farm, in 1827, on lot No. 43, on the Fulton road, in what was then known as the Eight-mile woods. Ile, with his family, endured many hardships and privations, living for some time under a bark roof, with the ground for a floor. When he became more wealthy, and able to improve his residence, he obtained two pine boards ten inches wide, for which he paid twenty-five eents apiece, and made a door out of one of them, and some shelves out of the other. Mr. Munsel carried on his back to the Pelton mill, on Coughdenoy creek, the first bushel of corn that was grown there. At another time he chopped an acre of heavy timber for a bushel of corn and a log-chain, receiving his board, however, while at work.
. He still keeps the old log-chain as a link-in fact, several links-between the past and the present. IIe relates that eels, which were caught in abundance at Coughdenoy, were the principal meat of the inhabitants for many years.
John Young and John Klock were also among the first settlers on lot 43.
In 1827, Benjamin Mallory purchased a farm on lot No. 27, and commenced a clearing. Ile soon after mar- ried, and took his young wife to his home in the woods. Ile remained on his farm for forty years, when he moved to Central Square, where he died in 1877.
In 1824, Robert Elliott settled on lot 41, moving into a part of the house occupied by N. I. Roosevelt, now oceu- pied by Samuel Sweet. By 1825 he had erected a build-
360
HISTORY OF OSWEGO COUNTY, NEW YORK.
ing, the lower part of which he used for a wagon-shop, and the upper part for his dwelling. He was obliged to do all the work connected with his business himself; to cut the timber, get it to the saw-mill, take back the lumber and scason it, before he could manufacture the wagons, earts, sleds, ox-yokes, ete., which he produced. He made the first wagon, called the " old mud wagon," that carried the mail through on the old Salt road.
In his shop, too, was made the first coach that was used in the stage-line from Salina (now Syracuse) to Watertown. The first stage company consisted of Messrs. Stone & Field, of Salina ; Hastings Curtiss, of Central Square ; and Hiram Lewis, of Pulaski. Mr. Elliott was employed by the Roosevelts as their land-agent for Hastings until 1876, when he bought the remaining territory.
Jonathan Parkhurst, an old Revolutionary soldier, from Vermont, settled in 1808, where the military road from Rome to Oswego, by the way of Constantia, erosses the old Salt road from Salina to Watertown. He engaged in the timber trade, taking rafts to various ports, and especially to Quebee. He ran a raft into that port in June, 1812, and found that war had been declared, unknown to him, while he was on the river. The British confiscated his raft and gave him and his men three days to leave their territory. Smarting from his loss, he returned home, and afterwards served in the war, first as captain and then as colonel. He was one of the first collectors of the old town of Mexico. His mode of operation was to gather the taxes, which were then all in specie, put them in a bag, place the bag upon his back, and then, with his rifle on his shoulder, wend his way on foot through the woods to Utica, where he had to report. Before he got there his blistered baek would painfully attest the round weight, if not the great value, of the Mexican taxes. His son, Gilbert Parkhurst, after having kept a publie-house for several years, built, in 1832, the first and only one at what is now known as Hastings Centre, and moved to that point, where he spent the remainder of his days.
Benjamin Prescott settled on lot No. 1 in 1826. This farm was noticeable in this heavily-timbered country for having upon it a little prairie of three or four aeres, without a tree, nor a sign of a tree, upon it.
Although there were many changes among the pioneers, yet the easy terms offered them caused quite a rapid settle- ment. Only ten dollars was required for the first payment ; after that nothing but the interest was demanded for six years, and even that was not always collected. By 1835 there was as large a population, outside of the villages, as there is to-day. Yet there were a good many hardships to be en- dured, even at that period. John M. Case, who settled in 1829 on lot No. 27, where he has since remained, relates that he was obliged at one time to live four weeks on pota- toes, milk, and green eorn. Neither bread, wheat, nor ripe corn was to be had. Even as late as 1830 to 1835 the bears frequently inflicted considerable loss by tearing down his eorn.
Dr. Chester Smedley, of Connecticut, accompanied by his son Ephraim, settled in 1826 on the southern boundary of the L'Hommedieu location, near Fort Brewerton, where he practiced in this and adjoining counties for over thirty
years. He died in 1862, at the age of eighty-one. In 1823 the Roosevelts held their wild land at three dollars per acre, which was the price paid by John H. Ostrum in that year for a part of lot No. 11, now owned by his son, S. P. Ostrum.
Hon. Peter Devendorf, who settled on lot No. 10 in 1831, was throughout his life one of the leading men of the town. He was elected a justice of the peace several times, and for twelve years represented Hastings in the board of super- visors, of which he was frequently chosen chairman. He was also elected member of assembly in 1840 on a general tieket, voted for by the whole county, with General Ken- yon, of Fulton, as his eolleague, and re-elected in 1841, with A. P. Grant, of Oswego, as his colleague.
The pioneers of this town, coming as many of them did from New England homes, forgot not to lay a good founda- tion for religious and educational improvements. The school district No. 1, which was at the village of Cough- denoy, was taught by Patrick Vickery in 1820, and this was the first school of which we can learn in town. Distriet No. 4 (Central Square) was organized in 1824 by electing Hastings Curtiss, Aaron Snow, and Rollin Blunt as trustees, who employed James J. Coit as the first teacher, and pro- ceeded to build a school-house. Mr. C. taught three weeks in a private house before the school-house was ready. He received twelve dollars per month for a school of about forty scholars. The present school-building at Central Square was erected in 1873 by Mr. George Elliott, at a cost of six thousand dollars. Three teachers are employed, viz. : Frederick A. Walker, principal; and Misses Emma Star and Clara E. Morse, assistants. It is attended by two hundred and thirty-seven scholars, and the publie money drawn during the past year was three hundred and ninety- nine dollars.
District No. 5 was organized with Philo W. Carpenter as the first teacher. G. W. Smith was a trustee for twenty- five years. No. 6 was organized in 1824; the first school being taught by Miss Lois Pieree.
In the spring of 1825, through the efforts of J. J. Coit, distriet No. 7 was formed, and a log school-house was erected. The roof was made of split logs, properly hol- lowed out; the lower layer being placed " up side down," and the upper one "right side up." Miss Augusta S. Porter, afterwards Mrs. Coit, taught the first school. The trustees, however, made sure of success by obtaining indi- vidual guarantees of a certain number of scholars before they dared try the hazardous experiment of building such a mansion and employing a teacher.
CENTRAL SQUARE.
This village is situated on lots Nos. 41 and 45, where the Constantia and Fulton road erosses the old Salt road from Syracuse to Watertown.
Mr. Chester Loomis built the first tavern at this point, about 1815. It was afterwards burned, but was rebuilt in 1818. N. I. Roosevelt purchased it near 1820, and oecu- pied it as a dwelling. The house is yet in good repair, and is occupied by Samuel Sweet.
Rollin Blunt, who was a surveyor, was here previous to 1824, and ereeted a saw-mill.
RES. of D.D. DRAKE, M. D. CENTRAL SQUARE. OSWEGO CO., N Y.
ERECTED IN 1834)
RES. OF ROBERT ELLIOTT, CENTRAL SQUARE, OSWEGO CO., NY
361
HISTORY OF OSWEGO COUNTY, NEW YORK.
În 1820, Hastings Curtiss built and opened a small store fronting Mr. Campbell's place on the south. In 1823 he built a brick hotel, which became the centre of a large business. It was a stage station, and the place for town- meetings and almost all other public gatherings. He next built a brick dwelling, in which he resided until his death.
Mr. Robert Elliott, as before stated, was the first wagon- maker. He also carried on the cabinet business for twenty- five years or more. He built a steam saw-mill, and rebuilt it after it was burned, and likewise carried on a tannery at the square for over twenty-five years. The early black- smiths here were a Mr. Ainsworth and Joseph Bishop. Mr. John Beebe, Jr., also worked for Mr. Elliott at an early day. Mr. Beebe has been engaged in wagon-making and blacksmithing for the past forty-five years. Mr. Judson Skillings has been in partnership with him since 1851. Frank De Lorme is also engaged in the same business.
The old "yellow store" was built in 1827 or 1828, by Rufus Tiffany. Its early mercantile occupants were not very suc- cessful. Henry S. Conde was a successful merchant, and was in that business in this place for seventeen years, when he was elected county elerk, and removed to Oswego. Mr. Conde purchased the store built by Gaston Curtis, and now owned and ocenpied for mercantile purposes by A. T. Lowe & Co. The Coville Bros. are another firm, who ocenpy the yellow store, the post-office being kept there by George Coville. There is a grocery and feed store kept by Samuel Henry, and another by L. B. Campbell. The doctors and druggists are N. W. Bates and D. D. Drake. Hardware is represented by D. C. and J. W. Wood, who have carried on that business for many years. Harness-making by P. L. Wooden ; cabinet-making and undertaking by Gabriel Traub. The hotel proprietor is W. H. Slocum.
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