History of Steuben county, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 111

Author: Clayton, W. W. (W. Woodford)
Publication date: 1879
Publisher: Philadelphia, Lewis, Peck & co.
Number of Pages: 826

USA > New York > Steuben County > History of Steuben county, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 111

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Eggelston, William, private, 34th Regt., Co. I; enl. April 21, 1861, two years ; re-eol. sergt. 161st Inf., Co. A; Ang. 25, 1862, three years; severely wounded in the neck at Sabine Cross-Roads.

Wagstaff, George Henry, sergt., 161st Inf., Co. A ; enl. Aug. 21, 1862, three years ; died at Baton longe, Feb. 26, 1863.

Seeley, Benjamin Franklin, privato, 161st Inf., Co. A ; enl. Ang. 25, 1863, three years ; disch. Ang. G, 1863; died Ang. 20, 1863.

Horton, Joseph Robert, private, 161st Inf., Co. A ; enl. Aug. 22, 1862, three years ; trans. to Washington, D. C., into the Vet. Res. Corps.

Pinoco, Charles Adelbert, private, 2d Mounted Rifles; enl. Jan. 1863, three years.

Rarick, Abel, private, 161st Inf., Co. A ; enl. Aug. 21, 1862, three years ; disch. on surg. certificate of permanent disability, Jan. 23, 1863.

Prentiss, William Augustin, private, 161st Inf., Co. 1; enl. Ang. 22, 1862, three years; wounded at Spanish Fort ; disch. at Elmira, Sept. 8, 1865.

Prentiss, George Stanly, corporal, 1GIst Inf .; enl. Ang. 22, 1862, three years ; pro, to sergt. ; to 2d lieut., J.in. 1, 1865 ; wounded severely at Sabine Cross- Roads; also wounded in left hand by collision on the Mississippi ; disch. at Marine U. S. A. general hospital, March 28, 1865, by surgeon's certifi- cate of disability.

Neagus, Wilson, private, 161st Inf .; enl. Aug. 22, 1862, three years; must. out Sept. 20; disch. Oct. 16, 1865.

Fay, James, private, 34th legt., Co. 1; oul. April 22, 1861, two years; disch. by must. ont, June 15, 1863.

Lounsberry, John, private.

Ransom, Peter, private, 16tst Regt., Co. A ; enl. Aug. 22, 1862, three years ; disch. Oct. 17, 1865, at Tallahassee, Fla.

RATHBONE.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION.

THE town of Rathbone was formed from Addison, Cam- eron, and Woodhull, Mar. 28, 1856. It lies in the interior of the county, south of the centre; its surface consisting of high, rolling upland, broken by the valleys of the Can- isteo River and a branch of Tuscarora Creek. The upland is from three to four hundred feet above the valleys. In some places, naked and precipitous ledges of rock erop out on the sides of the declivities, but the soil is chiefly a clayey and shaly loam, with alluvium in the valleys.

SETTLEMENT.

The first settlement in the town of Rathbone was made by William Benham, a mile above the east line of the present town, on the left bank of the Canisteo River, in 1793. James Hadley is also said to have settled farther up the valley, near the west side of the town, about the same time. Samuel Benham entertained travelers on the Benham place as early as 1804. Abel White, who was for many years known as the most successful trapper and hunter

in the town, settled on the flat, a mile above the village of Rathbone, on the right bank of the river, in 1804, and on the 24th of June his son, Luther White, the first white child born in the town, and now a leading citizen of Cam- eron, was born there. Far from neighbors, the early set- tlers were subjected to hardships which made an encounter with wild beasts an affair of little importance, if vietory was gained by the hardy pioneer. The river was alive with fish, which gathered in shoals at the riffles, and were easily caught. Shad ascended the river annually in large mim- bers. At night, two men, one with a torch and the other with a rude spear, would take in a short time as many fish as they could carry away. It was easy enough to live, but bread had to be earned. For this purpose sinall elearings were made, while the remaining land was left for years covered with the original growth of the forest, affording protection to wild beasts, who gathered nightly around the little clearings and made the night hideous with their calls.

In 1806, Solomon, brother of Isaac Tracy, and Benjamin Riggs made the first improvement iu Rathboneville, by

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HISTORY OF STEUBEN COUNTY, NEW YORK.

building a double log house in what is now the east end of the village, where they lived together while clearing the upper portion of the flat, near the bridge. Across the river, Isaac and Jonathan Tracy built the first saw-mill in the town, a few rods from the mouth of the stream which bears the name of Tracy Creek. In 1816, Mr. Tracy added what was then a grist-mill, but is spoken of by the old men of to-day as a corn-cracker of doubtful capacity. Mrs. Traey was a sister of Jeremiah Baker, of Canisteo. The earliest marriage recorded is that of Peleg Cole to Polly, daughter of Isaac Tracy. Martin Young, a native of Germany, was an early settler in the Canisteo Valley, joining the Addison line. In 1814 his son, Peter Young, located a mile below Rathboneville. At that time his grandson, Martin B. Young, who is still living, was ten years of age. Moses Powers settled two miles above Tracy's, on the left bank of the river, and, in 1815, taught the first school in the town. Jacob Cook lived near the present flouring-mill of Rathboneville in 1810. Zephaniah Townsend and Thomas Maybery were early settlers in the west part of the valley, near the bluff known as " The Narrows," where he kept " entertainment," as did nearly all the early settlers along the river-valley.

Abner Chase, the pioneer preacher, who visited the valley, for the first time, in 1812, relates that in making his first trip up the Canisteo, through an almost unbroken forest of pine and hemlock, intermingled with oak, he inquired at a little log cabin if he could be kept for the night, and was answered that they were in the habit of entertaining travelers. They pro- ceeded to turn his horse upon the grass down by the bank of the river. A few minutes after a peddler, who was passing through the country exchanging his goods for furs and deer- skins, drove up, and also stopped for the night. Before they lay down for the night the family informed them that they might hear the howling of wolves or screech of a panther during the night, but not to be alarmed, as they could not break in. They also informed them that rattlesnakes some- times crept up from under the floor, but they might sleep upon the crossbeans, upon which was laid a piece of rude flooring overhead, supporting a pallet of straw, upon which they were to sleep, out of reach of the snakes.

Zeno Sellick occupied the valley farm joining the west line of Rathbone, in 1825. His son, John Selleek, was an early settler in the Northrup Settlement.

John Helmer, who was the first settler above the May- bery place, gave the name of Helmer Creek, which flowed through his farm and emptied into the Canisteo River from the north. Just out of sight from the river, ou Helmer Creek, is the only cheese-factory ever erected in Rathbone, under the management of the proprietor, John Adamson, whose father settled on the river below, in 1845. This fac- tory was first opened in 1875, and has been steadily inereas- ing its business since its erection. A short distance above the cheese-factory may be seen the foundation of a large shingle-mill long since burned.

Cameron Mills, five miles above Rathboneville, was so named by the post-office department when a portion of the old town of Cameron, and when transferred to the new town of Rathbone still retained its old name, although causing much confusion in the mails thereby. This place was first

known as Hubbardville, Daniel Hubbard, an enterprising man from Broome County, having erected and operated the first flouring-mill in the town, near the present mill, and also opened a store. This place has received many additions, and is at present a beautiful little hamlet, containing, besides the mill, two blacksmith- and wagon-shops, a store, saw-mill, a fine hotel near the neat little depot, a school-house, located in a fine grove of oak and pine, which has been reserved and fitted for a park and pienic ground, and seventeen fine residences. Win. Crawford, whose residence, just opposite the depot, overlooking the river, is the most prominent, is the son of an early settler, and the merchant of the place. John Toles is a prominent business man of the place. Below, towards Helmer Creek, Jonathan Rowley was an carly settler.

Among the early settlers was also Benjamin Northrup, located on the high, rolling land in the west part of the town north of the Cole school-house, in what is now popularly known as the Northrup Settlement, previous to 1829. Ilis sons, George, Moses, James, Peter, and Norman, and their descendants, are leading citizens in that part of the town.

Thomas Allen, from New Jersey, a man of remarkable mathematical capacity, but without education, at an early day lived on the town line of Cameron and Woodhull, and moved out of town, into another room, when displeased with the action of the assessors.

Col. Franklin B., and his brother, Chauncey P. Hubbard, built a water-mill in the heavy, unbroken forest, on the north branch of Tuscarora Creek, and opened roads in 1829. Their near neighbors to the north were Isaac Merrill and Benjamin Northrup.

The Cole school-house was built on the land of Jacob Cole, who settled early on the hill, four miles south of Rathboneville. The first school-house, built of logs, was replaced by the present red school-house, about 1852. Re- ligious meetings were held on this ground as early as the first school, and have been continuous. When Jacob E. Cole, who still occupies the old homestead, came, in 1847, there were but few paths, and much of the original forest was still untouched. Stephen Gloyd, who had recently came from Massachusetts, settled near the Cole school- house, where his son, Delos Gloyd, lives, in 1846. He was one of the first elected justices of the town of Rath- bone. Harvey Fultz was an early settler between the school-house aud Woodhull village.

Most of these hill lands are covered with hard timber, while the ravines and lower lands back from the river were large bodies of hemlock, much of which is still standing. The higher bluffs along the river were the home of the whortleberry, which lay in rich blue clusters under the straggling chestnut pines, where resorted the dangerous rattlesnake, both snakes and berries disappearing together as the land became more generally cleared.

The hardy lumberman, living in his temporary hut with his companions, working in midwinter with bared arms, and the collar of his red flannel shirt turned baek from his muscular neck, clambering over logs and through the knee- deep snow, cutting logs for thirty or thirty-five cents per thousand feet, and spending his money with a recklessness equal to that with which he dares the falling trees or flying limbs, has given place to the quiet farmer, perhaps his son,

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TOWN OF RATHBONE.

and in his old age sits quietly by the fireside, or attends to feeding the stoek of the farm during the long, idle winter months. Rail-making is almost entirely abandoned ; the broad zigzag lines of fence, which have since the early set- tlement furnished the growing-place for raspberries and blackberries, are fast rotting down, and being replaced by more modern fences of wire or boards.

There are four saw-mills in that part of the town south of the river, one of which contains a planing -. lath- and shingle-mill. Seth Cook, the proprietor of this mill, is one of the earliest settlers, and one of the oldest lumber- men in the town. The gospel lot of one hundred acres, donated by the Pulteney estate to the first religious organ- ization in the original town of Woodhull, is in Rathbone, joining the Woodhull line, and is farmed by the society, thirty acres of wheat having been grown on the newly- cleared portion in 1878.

The early elections were held on Bonny Hill, at the May- bery tavern, which was a prominent place of gathering for years, and at Addison. The first bridge was built on the old county road, but after being carried off by a flood, the crossing was changed to Baker's, in Cameron. This made it inconvenient for teams in high-water, but a man on horseback could still follow the old way of crossing (with knees in the saddle), or lead the horse behind a canoe. There are four river-bridges in the town.

RATHBONEVILLE.

As seen from the east, towards the cemetery, the village of Rathboneville, the principal settlement of the town, presents an individuality of appearance characteristic of the enterprise of its citizens. From the church on the right, which stands out in bold relief against the only eleared slope in sight, a succession of large business houses extend across the narrow valley to the river's bank. First, just beyond the church is seen the little brown depot, beside which rise the tall wooden structures comprising Burgett's Hotel and Burgett's business block, extending across the west end of the public square, each three stories in height, and hiding completely the street on which are the remainder of the buildings comprising the village. To the left of this street, near the river, rises the first brick block in the vil- lage, and one of the finest in the county. This block, bnilt in 1876, is ocenpied by Whitmore Brothers & Co., of whom Orman S. and Keyes Whitmore, who commenced business here in 1845, were the original members. A few rods farther down the river the large flouring-mill built by Henry Rathbone, in 1855, occupies, with its out-buildings, the south side of the square. On the bluff across the river, and nearly 500 feet above, the farm-buildings of Kitchell Lyon are visible over the mill. Upon the street beyond the square are located the remainder of the business houses, and beyond, the few fine residences comprising the remain- der of the village, shaded by closely set maples 40 feet in height, and extending to the bridge, a quarter of a mile distant, which leads to the saw-mill and farm houses where once stood the Tracy mill of 1806. Surrounding the vil- lage is a circle of hills, too steep to be cleared, and covered to their tops with a growth of young pine and bare walls of rock. Upon their summits are fine farming lands, well

tilled, and occupied by an industrious and hardy people, who have for the second time removed the pines from some of their lands, where lumbering first began fifty years ago.

A road was opened up the valley at an early day, and its few citizens led an idle life, or worked hard for pleasure rather than profit, until abont 1828, when it began to be learned that some gain might be had in rafting the logs eut from trees near the banks of the river to the nearest mills down stream, or selling them to some speculator as they lay upon the banks. The work of eutting logs was hard, but when they lay upon the skidways it required but little ready cash to buy them.

The first real business of the town began with the advent of Gen. Ransom Rathbone, who came in 1842 and engaged in lumbering, opening the first store in the town on the ground now occupied by Burgett's Hotel. He also opened the first hotel in the place, which was kept by John R. Jones. ) A post-office was opened, and received the name of Rathboneville. Business activity began to be manifest on every hand. Lumbermen came into the valley, and joined those who already resided there in the task of re- moving the forests of pine, felling the tall trees in almost inaccessible positions upon the face of the bluffs, where (when once fallen and cut into logs) it required strong hands and brave hearts to unloose them and send them thundering into the valleys below. High upon the hill-tops, too, were cut thousands of logs, which had to be placed in the valley. Bare, smooth roads, descending in straight lines and bordered by thick young pines, mark the path followed by these logs as they were rolled off at the top, and hurled with terrific force down the steep hill-side, wear- ing away the solid rock to a depth of several feet, and striking with such force as to split logs two or three feet in diameter, or send them spinning across the frozen river in a manner as dangerous as startling to the beholder. Among the prominent men of those days were Martin B. and Capt. James Young, James Il., Isaac, and John Mills, Joseph Longhry, A. H. Kinney, a merchant of the town, and first station-agent, Whitmore Brothers, Ilenry Rathbone, and F Goff, farmer and Inmberman. It was Maj. Rathbone, a citizen of this town, who received the assassin's knife, while intercepting the murderer of President Lincoln.

The people of the surrounding country came into the Canisteo Valley to buy and to sell, and in this valley were collected the popular gatherings of the day. The boisterous revelry of travel up and down the valley added to the tumult, and furnished the groundwork for a name of law- lessness which attaches to new settlements. Yet this valley was remarkably free from crime. The earliest meetings were held here; and in Rathbone, Cameron, and all the valley towns from Corning to Arkport and Dansville, relig- ions services were held as early as settlement was made. Of the early settlers, men of hardihood, whose physical natures were developed by the surroundings with which they battled, many were early recorded as members of Christian churches, and those still living are respected members of society. The only destructive fire which has visited the village burned the store of IT. W. Rathbone and the Good Templars' Hall. in 1853. But little shipment of butter was made at this station previous to 1860, since which date it has been a

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HISTORY OF STEUBEN COUNTY, NEW YORK.

constantly-increasing product of the surrounding farms. Much of the products of Jasper and Woodhull find an out- let through this village, which contains a fine church, about 120 inhabitants, and seven stores, besides the usual trades.

In 1874 a fine cemetery was laid out, half a mile below the village. These grounds were donated to the Methodist Episcopal society by Stephen Mead, and were dedicated by the burial of Ella C., daughter of John H. Masten,-a leading member of the Methodist Church and business man of the village.

ORGANIZATION.

The town of Rathbone was formed March 28, 1850, and on the 6th day of May a special election was held at the house of David A. Fulmers, for the election of town officers. The town was named in honor of General Ransom Rath- bone, father of the first supervisor, and the officers elected were William R. Rathbone, Supervisor; George W. Young, Town Clerk; Israel Horton, Stephen Gloyd, Justiecs of the Peace ; Edmond L. Peckham, Superintendent of Common Schools ; Lucius Parker, Commissioner of Highways; Geo. Northrup, Jonathan Bromley, Uri Scofield, Assessors; Geo. Barber, George Harrington, George B. Davis, Charles Rey- nolds, Timothy T. Brooks, Constables; Abram Rodgers, James Northrup, Overseers of the Poor; Seth Whitmore, Ira Boyer, William P. Barron, Inspectors of Election ; Samuel Edmonds, Collector; Samuel Mitchel, Town Sealer. There were 243 votes cast at this election. William C. Cummins was appointed assessor to fill vacaney of Uri Sco- field, who declined to serve.

The town board at this election were C. H. Cool, George C. Lloyd, George W. Young, and Seth Whitmore, Jr.

LIST OF TOWN OFFICERS.

Supervisors. Town Clerks.

Collectors.

1856. Wm. R. Rathbone.

George W. Young. Samuel Edmunds.

1857. Corimander H. Cole.

16 William Young.

1858. Wm. R. Rathbone.

James Crawford.

1859. George Northrup.

1860. .4

James B. Young. George W. Young.

Samuel Phoenix.

1861. A. H. Kinney.

I862. Georgo C. Lloyd.

1863.

1864.

1865. John Miles.

1866. George W. Young.

Aug. F. Timerman. William Young.

1867. =

Dan'l J. Chittenden.

1868.

James B. Young.

Charles II. Wattles.

1869.

Aug. F. Timerman, Franklin Ilarder. Northrup P. Young. William H. Warner.

1872.

1873.

Charles W. Rumsey.

1874. James Northrup.

W. H. MeChesney.

D. M. Rutherford.

1875. John Kenally.

4 4

Lewis D. Crawford.

1876. «

N. P. Young.

Juhn Adamson.

1877.

1878. Moses Northrup.

Warner Cheesman. Curtis Young.

JUSTICES OF THE PEACE.

1856. Israel llorton.

Stephen Gloyd.

1861. Stephen Gloyd. Nathan Young.

1857. George C. Lloyd.

1862. C. Barnum Torrenee.

Stephen Gloyd.

1863. Nathan T. Young.

1858. C. Barnum Torrenee.

1864. Alfred Northrup.

1859. George B. Young.

1865. John Toles.

Harvey Fultz.

1866. Frederick D. Brown. 1872. John Kenally.

C. Barnum Torrence. John Toles.

1867. C. 11. Cole.

1873. Frederiek D. Brown.

Seth Whitmore.

1874. John F. Bowyer.

1868. John Kenally.

1875. Alvah II. Kinney.

Israel llorton.

1876. Gilbert L. Wilbur.

1869. Frederick D. Bruwn.

Charles E. Severance.

1870. C. H. Cole.

1877. Charles P. Cole.

John Toles.

1871. John Kenally.

1878. Jolin F. Bowyer.

CHURCHES.

THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.

Before religious meetings were held in Rathbone, the few settlers living along the river-valley attended those in what is now Cameron, farther up the river, where Rev. Abner Chase preached as early as 1812, and was afterwards joined in his long circuit by Revs. Ebenezer White and Charles Giles. In 1831 a class was formed at the Town- Line school-house, and Jacob Cole was made elass-leader. Samuel Miles was also a class-leader before the church was built. James H. Miles, a leader in moral enterprises, and a genial, vigorous speaker, was an early class-leader,-his leadership commencing from the date of his marriage, in 1831, when a young man. Among the early members of the Methodist Church were James Miles and wife, Stephen Willard and wife, Jacob Cole and wife, Rolland Sanders, Jonathan Herrington and wife, James Reynolds and wife, Eleazer Geer and wife, Isaac McDuffey and wife. During the pastorates of Revs. Carlos Gould and Samuel Nichols, in 1844-45, a church was built in the town of Cameron, joining the Addison line, and became known as the Town- Line church. This church, costing $1100, was built by James H. Miles, Stephen Willard, and Rolland Sanders, trustees, and dedicated by Rev. Mr. Powers, of Painted Post.

The subsequent formation of the town of Rathbone placed this church in the centre of the new town. The present officers of the Town-line church are Adam Wilson, Class-Leader ; Adam Wilson, Finley Goff, Luther Sever- ance, Stewards; Luther Severance, Isaac Sanders, and Dr. Samuel Mitchell, Trustees. E. D. Peckham was for many years a prominent member and a class-leader of this society, until his removal from the town, in 1878.

Among the pastors who have officiated in this town may be mentioned, 1812-20, Revs. Abner Chase, Andrew Peck, Robert Parker, Ebenezer White, and Charles Giles ; 1821, Leeds Allen ; 1824, Micah Seager, C. V. Adgate ; 1822, Solon Stocking, Elisha Bibbins; 1827, Levi B. Castle, John Arnold ; 1835, Theodore MeElheney, Thomas Wheat ; 1838, Charles Wheeler; 1840, Philo P. Tower ; 1841, R. T. Hancock ; 1842, John Bowman; 1844, Carlos Gould; 1845, Samuel Nichols; 1847, William Potter, Ebenezer Colson ; 1848-49, Joseph Ashworth ; 1859, J. Knapp; 1860, E. D. Rosa, - Buell, I. J. B. MeKinney, Wm. Sharp, A. A. Van Allen, C. G. Lowell, M. Jackson, F. M. Smith ; 1876, W. Bartle, H. Peck, J. H. Blades.

A class was formed at the Cole school-house, in the south part of the town, by Rev. William Potter, during his pas- torate in 1847, with Jacob Cole, Class-Leader, and Jacob

1860. George C. Lloyd.

Israel llorton.

1870.

1871.

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TOWN OF RATHBONE.

E. Cole, Steward. Among the early members of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the town of Rathbone, besides those mentioned above, were Martin B. Young and wife, Mrs. James Young, John H. Soper, Mrs. Israel Per- sons, Lewis H. Bridgeman, and others, who in 1850 joined in building a large edifice in the village of Rathboneville, where the population and business of the town then cen- tred. James H. Miles, Lewis H. Bridgeman, Ira Martin, Lewis Crawford, Martin B. Young, J. H. Soper, and Wil- liam D. Smith were the trustees. The ground was donated by Gen. Ransom Rathbone. The usual difficulty of col- lecting subscriptions and paying for material was avoided by giving John Toles the subscription for building the church complete. At its dedication, in 1850, this was one of the finest churches in the charge, and its meetings were well sustained by the inhabitants of the surrounding coun- try. This church is finely situated on an elevation over- looking the town, and is joined by a handsome parsonage. In 1874 the Rathboneville charge was formed from parts of Woodhull and Rathbone, and includes the Cole school- house, Hedgesville, and Rathboneville. The class-leaders have been James H. Miles, George W. Young, Lewis Gokey, A. F. Timerman, and the present leader, Joseph Burlingame; Rev. William Bartle is pastor; John II. Mas- ten, Recording Steward ; Northrup P. Young and John Dewel, Stewards; Osman S. Whitmore, N. P. Young, and John H. Masten, Trustees. The present membership is 67, including 20 at the Cole school-house. Rev. William Bartle is pastor of the Rathboneville Church, and Rev. J. H. Blades is pastor of the Town-Line Church; both of which organizations are well sustained.

MILITARY RECORD OF RATIIBONE.

David C. Chase, corp., Co. B, 86th Regt .; enl. Aug. 30, 1861. Alanson Faucher, Co. B, 86th Regt .; enl. Aug. 30, 1861. Matthew Phoenix, Co. B, 86th Regt .; enl. Ang. 30, 1861. Lyman R. Root, Co. B, 86th Regt .; enl. Aug. 30, 1861. Wolcott C. Torrence, Co. B, 86th Regt .; enl. Aug. 30, 1861. Peter D. Titus, Co. B, 86th Regt .; enl. Oct. 2, 1861. Silvestus S. Bailey, Co. I, 86th Regt. ; enl. Oct. 24, 1861. Edward Dickinson, Co. I, 86th Regt .; enl. Oct. 24, 1861. Lester C. Dishrow, Co. I, 86th Regt .; enl. Nov. 8, 1861. Samuel Dickinson, Jr., Co. I, 86th Regt .; enl. Nov. 12, 1861. William M. Wood, Co. I, 86th Regt .; enl. Oct. 24, 1861. 49

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History of Steuben county, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 111

Author: Clayton, W. W. (W. Woodford) Publication date: 1879 Publisher: Philadelphia, Lewis, Peck & co. Number of Pages: 826

Author: Clayton, W. W. (W. Woodford)
Publication date: 1879
Publisher: Philadelphia, Lewis, Peck & co.
Number of Pages: 826