USA > New York > Otsego County > History of Otsego County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 53
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Otsego House, was Davis' barn. At the foot of the ... . . hill in front of Esquire Harrison's house was a goose-poate! The present site of J. M. Lull's house was an orchard, ! ! near where the store is stood the tavern barn.
The old red tavern built by Bradley, situated about wie? . the kitchen of the Louisville Hotel is, was a long two-story building, with a double piazza in front, and a one-story h ...-. room on the east end. In front of it, on a green las ... enough to put up a circus-tent, stood the sign between two, posts, reading " Z. Roberts' Inn." Across the road, on th ... east of the four corners, stood a one and a half story r. - 1 store, facing the west, built by Pratt and owned by Luther Skidmore. This store is now R. Cooley's house, and ti ... present building was built by C. Moore in 1832.
Crossing the turnpike running from New Berlin to Huntsville, on the west corner, was the two-story residence of Esquire Davis. Just beyond the house was the one- story red shop and post-office, and in the rear is the tannery. The bark-mill and fulling-mill were run by the water from the brook. The next building across the brook was Dr. Wing's office, moved from the opposite side of the village.
We next come to the turnpike which led into the settle- ment known as " Hayti." Ou this corner stood a one-story house, owned by Luther Skidmore. Farther on stood the new red school-house, built by Mr. Jackson, and near the tenant-house of H. B. Washbon was an old house occupied by Jos. Pearsall, who always dressed in the Continental costume.
On the road to South Berlin, near the present site of Matteson's tannery, was an old building called the file- factory, used afterwards for boring gun-barrels, and lastly used as a dwelling-house.
Let us retrace our steps and start again from the four corners. On the southeast corner was a small red store. built by Dr. Hadley and - Goble, occupied by Edward C. Williams. Next west of it was a two-story tavern, built and occupied by Jeremiah Crittenden. There was a picket fenee in front, and farther out in the road three trees. Where now is the Perry block were the tavern sheds. It was here that the first elephant in the country (Old Bet) was exhibited. A road ran down by the side of the brook to the other street, and on this was Franchot and Van Rensselaer's distillery. The brick house of Dr. Wing was commenced in 1824. The bricks were burned about five miles up the creek by White & Dayton. An old one-story house stood in what is now the garden occupied by C. Jackson. The next and last building on the main street was a two-story house on the present site of Lyman Brook- residence, owned by Dr. Bard, and where now is Murdock's barn was Eli Walter's wagon-shop, and across the road opposite was the old school-house in Lull's woods.
It is said that these woods were underbrushed to furnish whips for the schoolmaster. To say he wore up one beech " gad" a day would be a moderate estimate. house stood where Murdock's now stands. The house in which W. E. Buun lives was built by Dr. Hadley, and at that time was owned by Stephen Walker, and his carpenter- shop was situated about in the door-yard of L. J. Pavi -. It was sided up with shingles. Lyman Cruttenden Lod a blacksmithe-shop where L. J. Davis is, and in R. Cooley -
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HISTORY OF OTSEGO COUNTY, NEW YORK.
pw at thar the brook was an asliery. Opposite the ashery tas obentory house occupied by Frank Harris, a basket- The wagon-shop on the corner was owned by John Where C. H. Turner's house is was Lysander . ... ' sun-shop. On the opposite side of the road was , usail one-story house occupied by Allen Jackson. 'HIe ... Lilleel July 4, 1814.
Ia these days there were no platform seales, and many w !! »h were sold at gross weight, 2240 pounds for a tou. A " 56" was a weight with a hole drilled in it; in this va. jut a charge of powder, then a erease was cut in a fax. which was driven in, primed and fired. The next L ze (1. Mansfield's) was owned by Lyman Cruttenden. The next ( II. MI. Perry's) by E. C. Williams; the second w ry was a Masonic ball.
The next ( Dr. Fox's) was the residence of John Bard, And the next was Franchot's old store, moved from the eor- tors below, and occupied by Benj. Lull, hatter, afterwards t. T. S. Bergen, and later by Obadiah Seeley. Near the "te of A. C. Moore's house was a small one-story white Louse, owned by Mrs. Louis Franehot.
The rear of the Franchot house, by the creek bridge, was built by Judge Franchot in 1810. In what is now the factory pond, near the old Cotton house, was the mil- ler's honse. The mill has been raised, but stands on the oId site. Coming back to the corners again on the road to N. Berlin, at the foot of the hill, opposite Jas. Little's res- idence, was a blacksmith-shop, and on the left hand, at the top of the hill, was the residence of Newell Marsh. A little farther on, about opposite the road that goes down to the sled-factory, was a red bouse, which was moved about 1-30 nearly opposite Stepheu Walker's residenee, and oe- cupied by Norman Newell, afterwards by Rufus Sanderson, and now by Moses Luther.
The above deseribed houses, 29 in all, were on the eor- poration in 1824. It may not be inappropriate to say that thirty years before there was not a framed house in the town, and there is one person now living in town-Mrs. Benj. Draper, aged ninety-four (died in 1875)-who well remem- bers that time.
A census in 1824 would show about 160 inhabitants. There are but two houses on the corporation to-day that have not been built or altered over, viz. : R. H. Van Rensse- laer's and Dr. Wing's. We add the following as a chro- nology : Avery's cabinet-shop was built in 1828; S. W. Murdock's store ( A. C. Moore's), 1827 ; the old red school- house, in 1825; Bergen's hat-shop (Bunn's), in 1830; Matteson's tannery, 1831, burned in 1847; Avery's house, 1-2; F. Rotch's house, 1833-34; stone hotel and store, 1-33; Hargrave factory, 1833, burned 1850; J. P. Keu- yon's store, 1832; H. R. Washbon's house, 1839; Ot- ~20 House, 1840; Perry's block, 1844; Masonic hall ("Id Baptist church), Methodist and Universal churches, 1>#1 ; engine-house, 1835, opposite Weeden's, moved to its Present location in 1853; J. P. Kenyon's shop, 1842; 1. 1. Washbou's office (N. Stevenson's shop), 1852; Episco- 1al rectory, 1841 ; Weeden's shop, 1847; J. K. Lull's lone, 1842, and shop, 1845; Davis' house, for a hotel, 1:57 ; David Beckman's house and store, 1865; Lawrence's store, 1858, house, 1858; school-house built in 1860; C.
L. Tucker's house, 1868; J. P. Kenyon's house, 1867; Baptist church, 1869 ; A. L. Sanderson's house, and Dr. Still's house, 1833; Garratt's house, 1841; J. Little's house, 1852; S. Barrett's house (first balloon frame in town), 1849; Jaycox's house ( Mordecai Wing's), in 1838; J. E. Cooke's house (Bates'), 1838. On the corner oppo- site Bard's (Lee's) wagon-shop Church & Steen built a stone blacksmith-shop in 1838, which was afterwards en- larged for an iron-foundry and machine-shop by J. H. Bump; and finally it was torn down or moved away, and is now a vacant corner, just as it was fifty years ago.
The sled-factory up the Davis brook was originally a dwelling nearly opposite Bowne's gate, Elm Grove, and was moved there and used by Allen Holeomb as a manu- factory of tobacco-boxes and inkstands. It was enlarged and used as a cabinet-shop. The village was incorporated in 1870. J. E. Cooke was first president ; J. A. Ward, second ; A. S. Avery, third; and Peleg Weeden, fourth.
The Episcopal church bell was recast in 1828, and weighs about 800 pounds.
The town-cloek was purchased by subscription in 1849. Before we had a clock a man was paid by subseription about $25 a year to ring the bell at sunrise, twelve M., and nine P.M .. The number of houses on the corporation is 175, and the population about 750. The new cemetery was laid out in 1862 ; the first burial there was Mrs. Leonard.
We will now speak of the manners and customs of the people.
It was a common thing for a shoemaker (cobbler) to " whip the cat,"-go into a farmer's house, put his kit in one corner of the room, and with one last, made, perhaps, from a stick off the wood-pile, make the shoes for the whole fan- ily,-the largest first, then eutting down the last to the next smaller size, the farmer furnishing the leather. Rights and lefts shoes were unknown. The shoe-pegs were all made by hand. Pegged shoes were looked upon with distrust.
Everyday hats were made of wool, and a fur hat, if one was able to own it, was worn Sundays and to trainings. It was a great discovery when " waterproof hats" were made. Silk or cotton plush was unknown. All cloth, wool or linen, was " spuu or wove" by hand, and spinning-wheels and looms were as common then as sewing-machines and piancs now are. Every house had one or more fireplaces (a cook- ing.store was unknown), and by the side of the fireplace was a large briek oven (sometimes the ovens would be built near the house, out of doors). The large loaves of " rye and Indian" bread were staple artieles, and hard to beat. When folks got out of pearlash, they used the ashes of corn- eobs as a good substitute.
In the square-room of " well-to-do" people were brass- ornamented andirons in the fireplace. In the summer time this fireplace would be filled with "sparrow-grass" (aspara- gus), but after wall-paper became cheap, fire-boards, with a landscape on them, filled up the space. It was a great invention when the tin baker was made; quite an improve- ment on the old bake-kettle, or the board on which the Johnny-cake was baked before the fire. At night it was necessary to bury up the fire,-that is, cover the coals and brands with ashes, -- so the fire would " keep" ( not go out) till morning. There were no matches in those days, and
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HISTORY OF OTSEGO COUNTY, NEW YORK.
frequently people would lose the fire and have to go a half- mile to borrow a brand or coal to start a fire at home. Some had tinder-box and flint, or steel, and would strike a fire in that way. If a man had a gun (flint-loek ), he could put powder and tow in the pan, and start a fire by that means.
One stage-coach ran from Cooperstown to Oxford three times a week. It was a four-horse yellow coach, and looked, in children's eyes, as large as a eireus does nowa- days. The postmaster could have carried any one mail for Louisville (Butternuts) in his hat. The postage on a letter was as follows : to Garrattsville 6 eents, to Cooperstown 10 cents, to Albany 12! eents, to New York 18? eents, and to Philadelphia 25 cents. There were no envelopes; the sheet of paper was folded up so as to tuck one edge into another, and sealed with a wafer or sealing-wax.
Hugh Edwards and Jim Willoughby had the honor of being drivers. It was the law then to blow a horn when they came to within 80 rods of the post-office.
It was a grand siglit to see the stage eoming at a ten- miles-an-hour gait (no brake on the eoaeh). Sometimes the driver would eut a figure 8, then swing his long whip and tiek the leader's ear, and when he left the village some- times the horses were on a run till out of sight.
In those days barter was the rule and eash the exception. Farmers bought all their store goods and paid in grain, lumber, ete. A good farmer received $8 to $11 a month, and mechanies from $12 to $16 a month. During haying and harvesting, 50 cents was the price per day. Hemlock lumber was worth $3.50 per thousand, and good pine shingles from 75 cents to $1 per buneh. Good firewood $1 a cord in trade; good three-year old steers, from $11 to $14; butter, 8 to 12 eents per pound; whisky, 25 eents per gallon. The first fair and eattle-show in the county was held in Butternuts in 1835.
The writing-paper used in school was eoarse and hand- made ; each seholar had a piece of lead flattened out to rule it with. The pens were goose-quills, and made by the master. The school-books in use were Dabol's Arithinetie, Murray's Grammar, English Reader, Webster's Spelling- book, Woodbridge's Geography, ete. Blackboards, maps, and mental aritlimetie were unthought of. The sheet- anehors of the system of medical practice were calomel and the lancet. When the doctor was called he would examine the patient, then take a laneet out of his vest- pocket, ask the woman for one of her garters, and proceed to eord the arin and tap a vein, then give a dose of ealomel, and-eall again.
In regard to the valuation of property, the town assess- ment-roll of 1824 shows Dan Smith, Ichabod Davis, and David Shaw, Jr., assessors. The total taxable property of the town of Butternuts (now Morris and Butternuts) was $387,505. The rate was 37 eents on $100, and the amount raised was 81073.70. We give a list of a few lots aud farms : V. P. Van Rensselaer, 195 acres. 83600 : Ste- phen Walker (W. E. Bunu), 4 acres, $450; Joshua Wea- ver (Weeden), 39 acres, $650; A. Holcomb, & acre, $250; A. Avery, 1 acre, 8275; B. W. & C. Factory, 59 acres, 86000, personal 814,000; Davis, 179 acres, 83200; P. Franchot, 458 acres, $5000, personal $4000; General Jacob
Morris, 962 acres, $8976, personal $1000 ; John C. Morri .. 5.59 aeres, $1060, personal $3000; Geo. Shepherd ( Bown .. 145 aeres, $3400, personal 83000 ; Dr. Win. Yates, long aeres, 86000; Richard Cole, 95 aeres, 8450 ; Dan Smith .. 290 acres, $3300, personal $1200; Nathan Lull (F. Rotch . 150 aeres, $1800; Luther Skidmore, 182 aeres, 81700 By comparing this old list with the abstract of 1873. ... find in the latter that the total valuation of the taxa !.. property of Morris to be $419,385. In 1823 the popula- tion of this large town was 1608; to-day the population of this same territory is almost 4500. Go into any State or Territory of the United States, or in any kingdom on the face of the earth, and you will find somebody who used 1. live in Otsego County. The town has furnished some di .. tinguished men, as well as some notorious personaz ... either to the " manor born" or by long residence therein. Franeis Rotch was one of the leading men in the State, as an agriculturist and breeder of eattle and sheep. At one time he was president of the New York State agricultural society, and foremost in inaugurating town fairs, when fai:> meant something besides horse-racing. He became a re-i- dent in 1830, and being a man of wealth, his means Were freely given for all publie purposes, and his charities, which were numerous and bountiful, are best known by his re- eipients. The poor of Morris miss him as much as any elass of people. He died in 1874, aged eighty-six years. Jacob K. Lull is the oldest man living in town, who w.i .- born here, aged eighty years [still living at this date, 1-77, aged eighty-three years]. He was a sueeessful business man, a tanner and eurrier. He acquired a competency by his industry, and raised a large family. In 1838 was eleeted member of assembly, which position he filled with honor and eredit.
Pascal Franehot was one of the first settlers of the town. coming here in 1789, via Cooperstown and Burlington turn- pike, when the road was followed by marked trees. He was supervisor of the town in 1800, and at different times afterwards. He was county elerk and judge of the county (what is now justice of sessions). Thos. A. Filer was the first man to establish a seleet school approaching an aend- emy in the course of study. John C. Morris was once judge of the county. Nelson Dewey, Esq., sou of Ebenezer Dewey, Esq., was twice elected governor of Wisconsin.
Jesse C. Smith, Esq., son of Dan Smith, was a man of influenee, and for many years a publie officer in Brooklyn. The legislature has had Hon. St. Paul Seely, Hon. C. . 1. Church (two terms). The State senate has had Colonel A. M. Smith and Colonel F. M. Roteh. Colonel Rotch. son of Franeis Roteh, was one of the best artists in the country. Some years ago one of his water-color pantin _~ was sold for $50, and the money donated to the poor. He died froin the effects of a fever contracted in the swamp near Yorktown, Va., in 1864.
Charles I., and his brother, Edward C. Walker, son. .. Stephen Walker, are prominent and wealthy lawyer- in the city of Detroit, Mich. Edward C. Walker is a reste! of the University of Michigan. ·
The United States congress has been represented by Hon. S. S. Bowne and Hon. General Richard Franch. t. who have been for the best part of their lives residents . l'
this town. Dr. Wu. Yates was one of Jenner's first eon' verts, and the first man to introduce vaccination for small- pox in America. At his death an obituary of two columns in length was published in the New York Tribune.
The Rev. Reuben Nelson (Methodist) was one of a large family of children who worked in Hargrave factory ; it was here he lost his arm by being caught in a picker.
Dan Smith, another old settler, aided materially in the prosperity of the town, in early life, as a drover. By his purchases the farmers were able to get money to pay their taxes. Ansel C. Moore was a public officer for many years, a man of influence, and in business (mercantile ) was decid- edly successful. He was the first man to establish a bank- ing-house in town, which is successfully conducted by his son and son-in-law Jas. E. Cooke, under the firm-name of A. G. Moore & Co. And. G. Washbon was a successful business man as agent for the B. W. & C. Factory Co. Upon reading the account of the firing upon Fort Sumter, he gave $100 to the first man who volunteered to go in defense of his country, and when the town was in straitened circumstanees to raise its quota and bounties, he stepped forth, and, by his influence and exertion, the $44,000 in money was obtained. The Rev. Russell Wheeler came into this county in 1814. Ile first located in Unadilla, and after- wards was rector of Zion church. He was a very exemplary man, rather eloquent as a speaker, and in 1829 he lived op- posite the church in Morris. He died in 1861, aged seventy- seven years. Joseph Bowne, the Quaker preacher, was one of the most eloquent speakers of his day. The meeting- House was always full and even crowded when he was moved to speak. He wore the Continental costume of the genera- tion gone before. He was well educated, very sociable, and truly a good man whose memory is cherished with reverence even to this day. He died in 1848, aged seventy years. Levi S. Chatfield was born in this town, of poor but re- spectable parents, and rose to the honorable position of attorney-general.
Sixty years ago the school-house in Louisville stood near the corner beyond the bridge in Franchot's (Leonard's) lot. The distriet then extended to Jared Patrick's and Lemuel Brooks' (Hopkin's) on the east, and to Lyman Collar's (Danl. Jackson's) on the west, Saml. Drew, teacher. Dan Smith lived about one mile below Louisville, on the road to Gilbertsville, and for some years kept a tavern. This used to be quite a resort for persons to go and shoot at a mark. To snuff a candle at 15 rods' distance with a rifle- ball was considered something of a shot. Deacon Jackson lived in the next house below, and from there to General Morris' it was nearly all woods.
ELMI GROVE.
Elm Grove was the name given to a little settlement about one and a half miles east of Louisville. A store was situated on what is now the corner where Mr. Ellis lives. A lane ran down to near the creek, and at the foot of the lane was Elm Grove factory. This factory was built in 1815 by Robt. I .. Bowne & Co. The company was the rest of the family. Here were manufactured woolen goods and satinets. Broadcloth was made which sold for 810 per yard. All the weaving was done by hand. This
company failed in 1819. The factory was afterwards owned by Sunl. Stark weather, and operated by - Greenwood. It was burned in 1819. It was rebuilt, but never did much business. Robt. Bowne & Co. owned the first store, and S. S. Bowne was the first clerk. This building now stands, the first house off the ereck road towards Pittsfield beyond Van Rensselaer's farm. Wm. Grant, the boss clothier, lived where Geo. Haynes now lives. Here is where Dr. Rice lived, and his son Thomas, who built a furnace and manufac- tured cast-iron plows. A tannery was also erected here by J. K. Lull & Sons. To-day there is a large chair and cabinet factory, owned by Geo. Benjamin. Jos. Bowne lived on the Wheeler place. Silas Neff had a grocery-store 'near where Thompson Bemis is building a house. We give a few names of the persons who worked in the factory : Wm. Stewart, superintendent, Christopher Gifford, Jesse Ayers, Jas. Gledhell, Heman Lloyd, Richard and George Gibson, Peter Backus, - Raymond, etc.
The whole territory of Elin Grove proper was laid out into lots of one-quarter and one-half aeres ; many sold about home and in New York city. The three aeres of Tracy's are six building lots bought of R. L. Bowne by John Alexander. Wanton Weeden was the surveyor.
About seventy years ago one wing of the Bowne mansion was built ; the main building was erected by Robt. L. Bowne (Peter Platt, builder), in 1817. The house is to-day one of the largest in the country, embracing forty rooms, some of which are very large. It is pleasantly situated on a gentle rise of ground in the valley near the Tienuderrah river, commanding a view of the valley twenty miles in ex- tent, from New Lisbon on the northeast to the hills of Sidney on the southwest. Fifty years ago it was owned by Geo. Sheppard, by whom it was sold in 1830 to the Loomnis brothers, who sold it to Oliver and Joseph Somers, and they sold it to Hon. S. S. Bowne, and it is now owned by his two sons, Charles and Jolin. A framed school-house stood on the lower side of the road, on the corner near the site of the present one. In one end was a large fireplace, and the seats were made of rough slabs from the saw-mill. Here many of the Lulls, Palmers, Yates, Aldriches. Gilberts, Alexanders, Lawrences, Todds, Moores, ete , of the district, graduated. Win. Gilbert first settled at the outlet of a little. lake in the town of Laurens; he afterwards, in 1820, moved on the farm now occupied by his son, Butler Gilbert. It was on this farm that the three towns of Laurens, New Lisbon, and Butternuts joined, and a large butternut-tree was made the corner; hence the name Butternuts. The tree was cut down, and three large trees grew from the stump, one of which is standing to-day. Mr. Lull lived where Mr. Whitcomb now resides. Nathaniel Moore lived where his son Nathaniel now lives, Squire Moore lived where Kirkland lives, Amos Palmer lived where Mr. Hall resides, and Dr. Yates owned 1000 acres adjoining on the north.
The Quaker meeting-house was a log building situated on the Bender farm (Cruttenden), between the old burying- ground and the turnpike. The old Episcopal church (Harmony), as it was called, after the new stom one ( Zion church ) was built, stood on the south side of the road, near the corner. It was used for some years by the Methodists, and finally torn down. It was built by John Aiken, by
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HISTORY OF OTSEGO COUNTY, NEW YORK.
what is known as the " seribe-rule." The present Friends' meeting-house was built by Robt. L. Bowne about 1817. A road ran on the side-hill from A. G. Moore's residence to the old church in front of the meeting-house, and the road up the hill ran on the east side of Moore's residence. Where the factory school-house stands there used to be a large red woolen and cotton factory. Ellis Cook and John Moore commeneed it, and sold out to the factory company. This company included the names of Judge Franchot, V. P. Van Rensselaer, Benajah Davis, Uri Jackson, Dan Smith, J. C. Morris, Joseph Gilbert, A. G. Washbon, and others. The stone factory was built in 1825, and com- menced business in 1826. The cotton was shipped to Cats- kill, and from there hauled to the factory by horses and wagons. Asa Ames was for many years the teamster. It was not an uncommon thing to be two weeks inaking the round trip. Large quantities of the cloth were peddled out through the country. A factory was onee built between the bridge and Mr. Rotch's farm-house (N. Lull's), but the machinery was never put into it.
MORRIS,
a pleasant and flourishing village of seven hundred and fifty inhabitants, located near the centre of the town, on Butternut ereck, was incorporated Feb. 26, 1870, and the first officers elected were as follows, viz. :
President .- James E. Cooke.
Trustees .- William P. Card, J. P. Manning, and J. M. Lull.
Treasurer .- J. P. Kenyon.
Collector .- W. Thurston.
Clerk .- W. II. Bunn. (Appointed.)
Police Constable .- James Pope. (Appointed.) Corporation Counsel .- II. R. Washbon. (Appointed.) Street Commissioner .- William Gifford. (Appointed.) The officers for 1877 are as follows, viz. :
President .- S. W. Murdock.
Trustees .- J. A. Ward, William P. Card, and R. Cooley.
Treasurer .- J. P. Cooke.
Collector .- Alexander Thomas.
Clerk .- L. D. Bassett.
Police Constables .- E. L. Payne and J. L. Winton.
Police Justice .- Isaac Mansfield.
Street Commissioner .- William Gifford.
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