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 83
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Nat Miller, enl. in the 51st Regt., in 1861.
The following enlisted in Berdan's 1st U. S. S. S.
William IInddleston, Charles Herron, Edwin W. Marks, John Phinney; and Daniel Jones.
The following also enlisted from this town, but we are unable to give the date of enlistments or the regiments to which they belonged :
John Pecktel, Frederick Olds, William Seber, Isaac Keller, Nathan Baker, Richard Bogart, Matthew Dann, Henry D. MeDowell, Edwin B. Coontol, James Coon, llenry Patten, Enssel Thorp, George W. Sho, Ephraim Mlrad, and Jolin MeBute.
Jacob W. Salisbury, enl. Ang. 4, 1864; dis. June 25, 1865.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
HENRY ROSEBOOM.
Henry Roseboom, the subject of this memoir, is a worthy representative of an old and honored name. He was born on the premises he now ocenpies in 1811. He obtained his education at the old Cherry Valley academy, then one of the foremost educational institutions in the land. Ile was in the mercantile business in New York until 1933. when he returned to his native county to manage his father's estate, and has since remained here. His father porchased 2000 aeres of land, lying in the present towns of Middle- field, Cherry Valley, and Roseboom, the whole of which, except a few acres, is now owned by the subject of our sketch.
In 1843, Henry Roseboom united in marriage with Cornelia Rutgers Livingston, and their family consists of the following : Levantia Livingston, wife of Rev. H. U. Swinnerton, pastor of the Presbyterian church at Cherry Valley ; Catherine Augusta, Mary Elizabeth, Abram 11. 1. drick, Jacob Livingston, Ruth. William Campbell ; Co ... : 1 Livingston died in infancy.
Mr. Roselwant has ever manifested a lively interest in agricultural matters, and is one of the present active members of the Otero County agricultural society. of
* Killed at Willerurss.
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HISTORY OF OTSEGO COUNTY, NEW YORK.
which he has. officiated as president. Politically he is a Democrat, and an uncompromising advocate of the principles of that party. He has never sought political distinction, but has often officiated in various offices to which he has been called by his fellow-citizens. He was supervisor of the old town of Cherry Valley prior to the organization of the town of Roseboom.
Mr. Roseboom is a communicant of Grace church, Cherry Valley, and has been warden since the organization of the parish ; to him is largely due its organization and present prosperity.
Mr. Roseboom is a prominent and enterprising citizen, and ranks among the more influential men of the county.
JOHN W. STERRICKER, M.D.,
son of Thomas and Jane Sterricker, was born in the county of York, England, in October, 1814. His parents emigrated from the mother country to America when he was a lad, settling first in Canada, where they remained for a period, and subsequently came to this State and located in Cherry Valley.
Dr. Sterricker early chose the medical profession as his
AS CNC
I. M. Sterreicher M. D
. vocation in life, and commenced his studies with Dr. De Forest, of Plattsburg, N. Y., when about twenty-one years of age. He subsequently pursued his studies with Dr. Lewis Storrs, a prominent physician at Waddington, St. Lawrence Co., N. Y. He was also a student at the Vermont medical college. He commenced the practice of medicine in 1810, and has been in active practice from that time to the present, a period of nearly forty years.
Politically he is a Republican, and an earnest advocate of the principles of that party. In 1842 he married Marian Sutphen, a native of Roseboom, and their family consists of four children, viz., Jane, Mary, John W., Jr., and Adelaide, all living with their parents.
Dr. Sterricker has ever manifested an interest in the public welfare, and has repeatedly represented his town in the board of supervisors. He was also supervisor of the old town of Cherry Valley in 1854, the year when Rose- boom was set off. He has also officiated in other official ca- pacities, among which may be mentioned loan commissioner, notary publie, etc. Dr. Sterricker's life has been one of activity and usefulness, and he justly merits the esteem in which he is held by his fellow-citizens.
His son, John W. Sterricker, Jr., is also a physician, having graduated from the Albany medical college in 1875, and is now in practice with his father. He is the present supervisor of Roseboom.
GEORGE BARRETT.
George Barrett was born in Springfield, Otsego Co., Sept. 19, 1818. He is the youngest son of Deacon Benjamin Barrett, who came from Wilton, N. H., in 1811, and set- tled in Springfield, where he died in 1844. His business was that of tanner and currier. The subject of this sketch was brought up to the same business, and in the fall of 1845 came to what is now the town of Roseboom, and purchased a small waterpower and tannery of Ez. kiel Smith, which he has enlarged from time to time as his busi- ness iuereased, adding steam and other modern improve- ments, until it now has a capacity of eight thousand sides of leather yearly.
Mr. Barrett was married, in 1851, to Miss Elizabeth O. Gilchrist, daughter of Daniel Gilchrist, who settled in Springfield soon after 1800, and died in 1866, aged eighty- four years; he was a farmer by occupation, and a Icading man of his day. Mr. Barrett is a man of domestic char- aeter ; has never sought publie office, although he has held the office of supervisor and other town offices for several years.
His only child, Samuel, is engaged in the mercantile business at South Valley.
CHAPTER LXX.
TOWN OF SPRINGFIELD.
Organization-Geographical-Topographical - Early Settlers an.1 their Locations-Pioneer Events-Incidents-First Town- Meet- ing-Officers Elected-Supervisors and Town Clerks from Organ- ization of the town to 1878-Present Town Officials-Agricultural and. General Statistics-Area-Assessed and Equalized Valuation -Population.
THIS town was originally embraced within the bounds of Cherry Valley, from which it was erected March 3, 1797. It is one of the northern tier of towns, and boundel as follows: on the north by Herkimer and Montgomery counties ; on the east by Cherry Valley and Middlefield: on the south by Middlefield and Otsego ; and on the west by Otsego, Richfield, and the county of Herkimer.
The surface is a rolling upland. A high promont ry. cast of the head of Otsego lake, called Mount Wellington. rises to the height of four hundred feet. The soil consists
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HISTORY OF OTSEGO COUNTY, NEW YORK.
chiefly of a black and yellow loam, and is well adapted to grazing and agriculture.
Looking back one hundred and fifteen years, to the year of our Lord 1762, we find this pleasant and prosperous town, with its many comfortable habitations, its school- houses and its sanctuaries, its sweet hills and cultured vales, one unbroken wilderness, a wild and romantic country indeed; then with springs and brooks, rocks and dells, for, est-trees, and wild mountain-flowers, the charming lake, calm as an infant asleep, or sparkling as a gem set amid the hills. But no house of God was there, no human habitations, no cattle grazed among the pastures, no gardens or orchards of fruits beautified a single acre of the rich soil. The wild beast was here, the fox, the bear, and the panther, and the wilder red man pursued his game on the streams and amid the forests. In the year 1762, thirteen years before the war of the Revolution opened, the first settlements were begun, five families taking up lands, viz. : that of John Kelly, Richard Ferguson, and James Young in the eastern section of the town, also by Gustavus Klumph and Jacob Tygart at the head of the lake. Very few were added to the number until after the war, though here and there a house constructed of rude logs sprang up on some hill or within some secluded vale. Cherry Valley had been occupied for twenty years by a company of Presbyterians, originally from Scotland, but a portion of the colony-that coming in 1719 to Londonderry, in New Hampshire- emigrated hither in 1741. Rev. Samuel Dunlop was their minister. Their growth, though the town then included many of the present surrounding towns, was very slow. In 1752, twelve years after the first settlement, there were but eight families in the place, and in 1765, twenty-five years from the settlement, there were but forty families.
It is difficult for us to form a just conception of the country as it was when the first five families commenced a house amid these forests and hills. Cherry Valley was but a little hamlet far out in the woods, a remote outpost of civilization in the distant west, as viewed by the inhabitants of New England and the dwellers on the Hudson. A few German families had occupied lands along the Mohawk, and up the Schoharie creek; but on leaving these streams, north or south, the settler at once advanced into the primeval forest, and iesheard the entire country, with few exceptions, reaching to the Pacific ocean, was a vast unexplored wilder- ness. Indian trails were the only paths in any direction, and, what added vastly more to the disagreeableness and hardships of the times, it was a period of great public excitement, alarm, and peril. The French and Indian wars had hardly been concluded, and the terrible conflict of seven years with England was hastening on. The few seattered inhabitants then occupying this region were kept under almost constant apprehension of danger and attack from hostile Indians, who bore no special friendship to the Eng- lish, much less to the actual settlers in their ancient domains. The war broke ont; thirty-three individuals from the towns of Cherry Valley, Springfield, and Middlefield espoused the American cause as soldiers, and consequently the remnant of the settlers were left in a defenseless condition. So seriously exposed at this time did the people in this region regard their situation that they caused a letter to be written
to the county committee for relief. It bears date of June 3, 1776, and was penned by Rev. Mr. Doulop .*
The committee of the county were unable to comply with this request, and a petition of similar purport, signed by several of the inhabitants, bearing date of July 1, 1776. was addressed to the honorable members of the Provincial congress of New York, and the request was granted. Springfield had many representatives in the colonial army, who did gallant service during that long and arduous struggle.
In the battle of Oriskany, in which the insidious efforts of the traitorous party to lead over this region to the enemy was foiled, there were soldiers from this town, and among them Captain Thomas Davy, grandfather to the three brothers who still reside on the paternal acres, James, Jere- miah, and Harvey. He went forth to the fight after bidding good-bye to his wife and two little ones (then living in a lot house burned the next summer by Indians), but never to return. He was doubtless shot in the battle. The noble white steed on which he rode was returned, and his be- reaved widow's first fears of his fate were started by his fa- miliar whinnying, heard at the distance of a mile. This was in August, 1777. In June of the following year, five months previous to the bloody massacre in Cherry Valley, the great chieftain and captain of the Six. Nations, Joseph Brant, came to Springfield with a party and burned the town, carrying away several prisoners, among them John and Jacob, two sons of Mr. Tygart, who were taken to Canada. " Brant collected together the women and children into one house, and there left them uninjured,-an act of mercy not always followed by his allies." Among the houses burned was one owned and occupied by Mr. Spalsbury, a few rods north of the present residence of Mr. Daniel Franklin. Another was that of Widow Thomas Davy ; she had pre- pared dinner for the men, and was about calling them from the field when she saw the Indians approaching, and hiding herself in the woods and her child beneath her skirts her eyes witnessed the destruction of her dinner and her home ; and that night she made her way. with no attendant save her little son, to the nearest fort, several miles away. These invasions and perils put a stop to the further settlement of Springfield for some years. Most if not all the inhal- itants fled away and remained till after the war, and peace and security were restored. Some returned, as the names of Young and Ferguson and Klumph in the immediate sue- ceeding years are found on the town and church records.
The close of the Revolution witnessed an influx of set- tlers who were anxious to secure homes in this fertile and picturesque region.
Among the first who threaded their way into the wilderness was John Cotes, who emigrated from Pomfret. Conn., and located in the town in about the year 1750, ou premises now owned by Daniel Springer, east of what is now known as the Middle village. In his native State bie was a neighbor of General Israel Putnam, of Revolutionary fame, and with him served in the Colonial army. li- wa- in the battle of Bunker Hill, then ouly sixteen years of age. His family consisted of the following children, viz. .
* See page 13.
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HISTORY OF OTSEGO COUNTY, NEW YORK.
Evan, Erastus, Matilda, John, Davis, Prudence, Levant, and Albert. Only two survive, Levant and Albert; the former resides in Batavia, N. Y., and the latter in this town. Mrs. A. A. Cotes Winsor, widow of Davis, resides at Springfield. Evan Cotes was supervisor of this town from 1821 to 1826 inclusive. Davis officiated in the same capacity in 1848 and Albert in 1855.
A sturdy and honored pioneer was Benjamin Rathbun, who came from New England and located in the south part of the town, on premises now owned by a great-grandson, Williams Rathbun. Numerous representatives of the Rath- bun family are numbered among the prominent citizens of the town. Levant W. Rathbun, who was born in this county in 1824, is an influential citizen, and represented Springfield in the board of supervisors for the years 1870 and 1871.
John, James, and Robert Young were among the pio- neers and extensive land-holders of the town. This family was closely identified with pioneer events, and did much to advance the welfare of the town. Although more than a century has rolled away sinee the first representatives of this honored family eame to Springfield, many descendants are yet found in the vicinity.
The Basingers were pioneers in the north part of the town, near where Mrs. Jacob W. Basinger now resides, in district No. 3. Other early settlers in this vicinity were the Spalberys and Pickets.
A worthy pioneer was Moses Franklin. Two sons, Dan- iel and Henry, reside in the town. Daniel was supervisor in 1863 and 1864, and sheriff in 1870 to 1873.
The Bradts and Abner Cooke were pioneers in the cast part of the town.
Calvin Smith, father of Calvin P. Smith, Esq., was also a pioneer at East Springfield.
The first merchant in this vicinity was one Ormston, a native of Scotland and graduate of Edinburgh college.
The first post-office was established at Springfield, with William L. Bigelow as postmaster, who held the office about thirty years.
Elisha Hall was an active pioneer at Springfield Centre, locating upon the site now occupied by the hotel of Jacob Casler. He was active in advancing the interests of the place, and erected a foundry which for many years drew about the town a knot of intelligent and industrious mechanics. The locality was known as Hallsville, subse- quently changed to Springfield Centre. Mr. Hall was a skilled mechanic, and attained considerable notoriety as the inventor of the Ilall threshing-machine. lle removed to the vicinity of Rochester, where he died. A son, Hayden HIall, is a resident of New York city.
Aaron and Bond Bigelow were pioneers at Springfield. William L., a son of Aaron, was the first postmaster in the town, and held the office about thirty years.
A worthy pioneer and native of the Green Mountain State was Luther Smith, who emigrated to this town in about 1791, and located in East Springfield on the farm subsequently known as the Vedder farm. He opened one of the first hotels in the town. He subsequently removed to Canajoharie, Montgomery county, where he died in 1873. Of his family only one, George O., resides in the town. Hle
is a prominent citizen, and represented his town in the board of supervisors in 1876-77. Helen MI., John C., and Martin L. are residents of Canajoharie ; J. M. is deceased.
Many soldiers of the Revolution who had served in that sanguinary struggle from other States subsequently found their way to Springfield; and prominent among that num- ber was Robert Wood, who, with his son Samuel S. Wood, came from Rhode Island in 1797, and located about two miles southwest from Springfield Centre, on premises now owned by the window of Joseph Wood. Samuel S. remained there a short time, and removed to the farin now owned by Hiram R. Wood, Esq, where he died at the advanced age of eighty-seven years. He was an active pioneer, and erected a carding-machine at the Centre, at that time ealled " Hallsville." Two sons, Hiram R. and Samuel J., and two daughters, Mary A., wife of R. O. Burn- ham, and Winona, reside in Springfield, and Sarah E., wife of Philip II. Potter, in Cooperstown. Henry S. is deceased. Hiram R. is a successful merchant at Springfield Centre, and was supervisor of the town in 1859-60.
The Bradt family were early settlers in the east part of the town. Henry Bradt was chosen a commissioner .of roads at the first town-meeting which was held, April +, 1797.
The name of Hayden is closely identified with the history of the town of Springfield. Hezekiah Hayden was a pioneer, settling on lands south of the Centre now owned by Hiram R. Wood, Esq. His family consisted of twelve children. Henry Hayden is an enterprising busi- ness man at Jackson, Michigan, a banker, and president of a railroad. Levi is a resident of New York city, and superintended that great engineering feat of modern times. the explosion of Hell Gate. Albert is a prominent citizen, of Michigan. One daughter of this family, Mrs. Elisha Hall, survives.
The Lindseys were pioneers east of the Centre, on lands now owned by R. J. Bringlow. The house erected by this family upon their advent into the town is still standing. Samuel Way, Squire Crafts, and George Stillman also early located in this vicinity.
A pioneer on the road leading to Stewart's patent was Don F. Herrick, a prominent citizen and sheriff of the county. The Colemans were early settlers in the west part of the town, where some of their descendants now reside.
General Walter Holt was a leading pioneer. A son, Walter, is an attorney in Chautauqua Co., N. Y. Calista married C. L. Flint, and resides in Delaware Co., Iowa. She inherits much of the sterling character of her father. She was appointed by the State government of Iowa to assist in superintending the affairs of that State at the Centennial Exposition held in Philadelphia in 1876. and herself superintended the erection of the Iowa State house. one of the finest State buildings on the grounds, Que representative of the Holt family resides in this town, Lucy Holt Kinney, now at the advanced age of ninety-four years. This venerable old lady is still possessed of much of her youthful vigor of mind and body. William Wyeoff was an early settler, and served in the War of 1812. Il. died in 1877.
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HISTORY OF OTSEGO COUNTY, NEW YORK.
The most cecentric person, perhaps, that ever dwelt within the bounds of Springfield was Daniel Thurston. He was an easy, careless, Rip Van Winkle sort of person- age, wore his hair long and braided, and went hatless in the coldest weather. He was locally famous as a fiddler, and it is related of him that, one winter's night, while fiddling, some one ran to him with the intelligence that his house was on fire. " Well," said he, " melt some snow and put it out !" Phyluria Thurston, sister of Daniel, now at the advanced age of eighty-five years, educated the Rev. Hiram Hutchins, a Baptist clergyman of Brooklyn. Linus Thurston and wife, aged about cighty-three years, reside in the vieinity, and during the autumn of 1876 stood at the same box picking hops.
The Allens were a prominent family in this vieinity. A hotel was kept by a member of this family, which was a popular resort for " ye military men" in the days made memorable by the soul-stirring general trainings. Numer- ous descendants of this family are residents of the vicinity. The Thayers, Loseys, and Wilseys were early settlers.
Daniel Hewes was a worthy pioneer on the turnpike- road. He lived to see Springfield transformed from a com- parative wilderness to one of the finest farming regions within the Empire State. He died at the advanced age of about ninety years. Numerous descendants reside in the town. The Snyders were also early settlers in this vicinity.
Deacon Sterling Way was a pioneer on lands now owned by a son of Deacon Martin Way. He was an active man, and is said to have been the first person baptized in the Baptist church west of Albany.
Deacon John MeKillip was a prominent pioneer, and the first supervisor of the town, and officiated in that capacity for a period of twenty-one consecutive years.
The following extraet is taken from Dr. W. T. Bailey's excellent work, entitled " Richfield Springs and Vicinity," published in 1874 : " A correspondent of The Otsego Re- publican says, 'There are now living in one school dis- triet in the town of Springfield, near the shore of Otsego lake, the following ten persons whose united ages aggregate seven hundred and sixty-four years, being an average of seventy-six years each, viz. : William Thayer, aged eighty years ; Mrs. William Thayer, aged seventy-five; Andrew Gilchrist, aged eighty seven ; Linus Thurston, aged seven- ty-eight ; Mrs. Lyman White, aged seventy-eight ; Horace Coleman, aged seventy-six ; Mrs. Hoke, aged seventy-four ; Miss Thurston, aged seventy-six; Aaron Peck, aged seventy; Mrs. John Weir, aged seventy.'"
The following over ninety years of age are living in the town : Andrew Gilchrist, Nicholas Genter, Mrs. Kinney, and Mrs. King.
Among the earliest and prominent settlers of this town was Isaac White, who was born in Brimfield, Mass. He came to Springfield in 1789, and located on premises now owned by David Taylor, about two miles north of the head of the lake. He served gallantly in the War of the Revo- lution, and was wounded in the battle of Bennington. His family consisted of the following, viz. : Martha, Sarah, Cynthia, Alfred, Almond. Lyman, Almira, Armenia, Ly- man and Susan. Lyman married Mary Donaldson Cary, daughter of Colonel Richard Cary. The family consisted
of the following, viz. : Maria Theresa, Grenville Toun .!... John Randolph, Jacob Jamison, Ann Cary, and Harrit Amelia, all of whom, together with their parents, were born in Springfield. All are living, except Jacob Janivar and Harriet Amelia. Her two eldest-Maria Theresa and Grenville Temple-reside with their mother on the old homestead where they were born. John Randolph re- sides in Iowa, and Ann Cary is the wife of W. G. Smith, of Cooperstown. Mrs. White, although now at the a.l- vanced age of eighty-two years, retains much of her youth- ful vigor of mind and body. She occupies the premise- where she was born in June, 1795.
Mr. Grenville White has in his possession an interesting relie, being a chair which was brought to America by ti ... White family, who came in the " Mayflower." This oll relie is rendered doubly interesting to this family from the fact that in it was placed Isaac White when taken from the battle-field of Bennington. It is, without doubt, the oldest relie in the United States.
A prominent settler and large land-holder in this vicinity was Colonel Richard Cary, who settled in 1793. Hle married Ann Lowe, daughter of Cornelius P. Lowe. His family consisted of Cornelius, Cornelius Lowe, Richard, Elizabeth, Ann Lowe, Cornelius, Nathaniel Dowse, Lonisa, Mary Donaldson, Helen, Amelia, and Harriet, all of whom are deceased, except Mary Donaldson, widow of the late Lyman White, mentioned above.
James Whipple was also an early settler in this town.
. An early settler and extensive land-holder was George Clark, father of G. Hyde Clark. The following description of George Clark is given by Hon. Levi Beardsley, in his reminiscences : " Looking up to the north, over the bhi: expanse of waters may be seen a high headland jutting out into the lake, where stands Hyde hall, the splendid and costly residence of the late George Clark, now owned and occupied by his son. Mr. Clark, the elder, was an Eng- lishman by birth, and came to this county a few years after the Revolution. He was a descendant in the direct line from Lieutenant Governor Clark, a former provincial or- ernor of New York, from whom the late George Clark derived a large landed estate in this county, as well as other portions of the State, and in other States also.
"George Clark encountered at an early day much of fo- sition from his tenantry. The tenure by which they 1. 1 their lands was not in accordance with the views of our citizens generally. For many years I was a tenant und r Mr. Clark, and always found him kind and gentlemanis. - that I wanted no better landlord. To do justice to i .- memory, I wish to state, as the result of my homeest ani unbiased judgment, that had tenants treated him with respect and kindness, and paid him the rents honestly do- to him, they would have had no good right to compra . but they disliked the relation of landlord and tenart. . hence he was frequently annoyed with insolent d: which his high English notions of strict right was to allow him to concede. He would be as obstinate as a and hence collision. He was a man of extensive resi woll informed, social in his feelings, hospitable to , with whom he was on intimate terms, and I lakos a strictly honest man.
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