History of Steuben county, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 66

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 66

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On Potter Hill, Gideon Potter, Sr., and Anthony Crosby were the first settlers. Job and Benjamin Briggs settled farther west. At Brown Hill, John Brown and his sons, William, Abram, Manville, Sylvanus, and Richard, were the first settlers.

James Armstrong settled on the place where he now resides, in the Armstrong neighborhood, in 1815, where he has ever since resided. IIe came with his father, Martin Armstrong, and two brothers and two sisters; they built a log house on the west part of the farm, and afterwards a double log house, hewed down and plastered, in the vicinity of the residence of his brother, Cook Armstrong, who occupies the western portion of the estate. The present residence of Mr. Armstrong was erected in 1833.

About 1823 a saw-mill was built on the site of the present Hoag Mill, by Gabriel Dusenberry and his sons, Seth and John. About 1842, Stoning and Brown con- verted it into a paper-mill, and continued to operate it very successfully for several years. Merritt H. Brown then retired, and his father, Merritt Brown, and his brother, Lucius, conducted the mill till it was destroyed by fire, together with a large dry-house which stood on the site of the present Hoag blacksmith shop, about 1852. It had been operated about ten years as a paper-mill, and several houses had been built near it. Benjamin S. Hoag then

bought the property and built a saw-mill upon the site of the paper-mill ; this was burned, and he built another, which was also destroyed by fire in 1875 ; he then built the mill, which he now owns and operates, upon the site of the former mills. Mr. Hoag came here from Montgomery County in 1814.

REMINISCENCES.

Among the pioneers have often been found many quaint and original characters. Cohocton was not without its representatives in this regard, among whom may be men- tioned Isaac Morehouse, Philetus Finch, and Charles Burlingham, or " Charlie," as he was familiarly called. " Charlie never failed to be on hand on election and town- meeting days. Placing himself under the exhilarating effects of old Bourbon, he would make fun for the hun- dreds with his dance and song, 'Laugh when you win, laugh when you lose,' and ' Hay foot, straw foot,' etc., ete. Isaac Morehouse was emphatically the leader of the turf; he was equal to all emergencies in that line, and in ten minutes could 'drive dull care away' by getting every one in the community excited over a horse-race; even the snow-paths in midwinter were used for his race-courses. Philetus was always on hand to say and do just the right thing to give character, point, and pathos to the operations of Charlie and Isaac. Philetus played a very practical joke on Constant Cook ; it was about as follows: In those days the law for imprisonment for debt was in full force. Philetus was Mr. Cook's debtor, and failed to make pay- went. Mr. Cook had him consigned to jail at Bath, where he remained for some time. When court sat, the judge directed that Mr. Cook be informed that if Mr. Finch was kept any longer in custody he, and not the county, would have to pay his board. There was sufficient logic in that reasoning to induce Mr. Constant Cook to see that his imprisoned debtor was released, and accordingly he set out for Bath on horseback, the best means of conveyance then at hand. Arriving there, he immediately effected the re- lease of Finch, who pretended to be sick, and would not consent to be released unless Cook would take him back to Liberty ; this he agreed to do, provided they would " take turns" in riding the horse on the return journey. Cook took the saddle first, and Finch went limping and cringing after, playing sick to perfection ; they had not gone far when Cook stopped and waited for Finch to come up, when he told him to get on and ride and he would walk a little way. Finch took the saddle and made a forced march right through to Liberty, leaving Cook to foot it the whole distance, sixteen miles. Philetus on arriving home found himself in perfect health."

In the early days the administration of law was conducted upon principles peculiar and in keeping with the primitive condition of the times. Among the early justices of the peace were Constant Cook and Esquires Slack and Barnard. While Esquire Slack was justice there was a case before him in which Esquire Patchin was defendant. The case was set down for one o'clock, but defendant Patchin did not arrive till a little after two On his arrival he found the justice fast asleep in his chair and nobody present. Ile took the justice by the shoulder and shook him vigorously, inquiring what had been done with the suit. The justice

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HISTORY OF STEUBEN COUNTY, NEW YORK.

roused up and yawningly replied, " Took judgment against you by default." The defendant replied that he thought the justice honest, but he was a very ignorant man.

Another case was pending in a justice court, in which Dan. H. Davis was attorney. After working faithfully for his client, with very little hope of success,-the case grow- ing darker and darker as it proceeded,-he resolved not to incur the mortification of a defeat, and, rising from his seat, he seized the minutes of the court, deliberately rolled them up, thrust them into his pocket, and coolly walked out of the room, remarking, "I will take care of the merits of this case."

In 1823, Joseph Wilkinson built a barn, which is now standing, on the farm of W. H. Smith. Like many of the early settlers, Mr. Wilkinson had his peculiarities. In employing workmen to build the above-mentioned barn, he agreed to pay them fifty cents a day if he did not provide them with whisky, or two and sixpence a day and furnish whisky. Thinking they could have free access to his jug, at any rate, they accepted the former offer, -- the fifty cents a day without the whisky.

The barn was framed, and at the raising, as was the cus- tom in those days, the new building had to be named. The person selected to perform this ceremony was Jonas Cleland, one of the most intelligent of the early settlers, and not without a certain quaint humor, which served him in good stead in such emergencies. Mr. Cleland took his place on the plate of the barn, and, after the usual drink and flour- ishing of the bottle, got off the following shrewd poetical version of the bargain made between Mr. Wilkinson and his builders :

"This is a fine frame, and deserves a good name, And what shall we call it ?

It stands upon a rise ; Two and sixpence was its price. Fifty cents he had to pay, And then he hid the jug away."

This was followed by the customary " three cheers," which ended the ceremony.

When Mr. Cleland came here, in 1805, and for quite a number of years afterwards, the Indians used to come here to fish and hunt and trade their articles of native manufac- ture with the whites. They had a very neat lodge, covered with hemlock-bark, which stood about sixty rods below the Davis mill, on the bank of the river, and other lodges along the valley, one of which stood on the Larrowe farm, east of Liberty. Usually they would come and occupy the same lodge for several successive hunting seasous, but they came at last and would not enter the one on the bank of the river, on account of a superstitious belief that it was haunted by some evil spirit.

At that period game was very plenty, and the streams and river abounded with fish ; speckled trout sported in the clear waters; deer crossed the paths of the pioneers, and even entered their door-yards; bears roamed through the forests of the surrounding hills, and the howling of wolves made unwelcome music during the night. The few early settlers who kept sheep were obliged to enfold them in walled inclosures, to protect them from the ravages of wolves during the night.

On the road leading from Potter Hill to Jerome Flint's may be seen the ruins of an old log structure, built up in the form of a square pen. This was Jonas Cleland's " bear trap." Such structures were often built by the pioneers, and baited with mutton, or some other kind of meat, for the purpose of decoying bears to enter at a trap-door in the trap; and such was the nature of the structure that, when once in, his bearship found himself a prisoner to the superior cunning of his captor and unable to escape. Mr. Cleland built, the pen in 1815, but did not complete or use it, for at that time one Robbins, a hunter, brought from the East a large, five-spring iron trap, which was substituted for the more primitive method of catching bears. Mr. Valentine Van Wormer afterwards caught a deer in the same trap, and it is now an interesting souvenir of by-gone days in the possession of James Cleland.

On the Dusenberry farm there was at an early time a famous bear-path along the side of the river. Jonas Cle- land once set a " dead-fall" in this path, in which he caught some thirty or forty bears.

ORGANIZATION.

Cohocton was formed from Bath and Dansville, June 18, 1812, and takes its name from the Conhocton River, which flows in a southeasterly direction through the central part of the town. A part of Avoca was taken off in 1843, and the principal part of Wayland in 1848. In 1874, an addition was made to the eastern part of the town from the town of Prattsburgh by the adoption of the following reso- lution by the Board of Supervisors :

" Resolved, That so much of the western part of Prattsburgh as is now described, viz. : All that tract or pareel of land situate in the town of Prattsburgh and hounded as follows (according to the com- promise line agreed upon betweeen the parties residing on the adver- tised district) : commencing at the northwest corner of lots No. 96, on the township line; thence east, along the north line of lots Nos. 96, 97, and 98, to the northeast corner of said lot 98; thenee south, along the east line of lots Nos. 98, 85, and 76, to the southeast corner of said lot 76 ; thence east, along the north line of lot 62, to the northeast corner thereof; thence south, along the east line of lots Nos. 62 and 55 to the east bank of Twelve-Mile Creek ; thenee along the east bank of said ereek to the township line; containing 3853 acres of land, more or less, be set off from said town of Prattsburgh, and annexed to said town of Cohocton, as those petitioners have so earnestly prayed.

" CHARLES K. MINOR, " IRA CARRINGTON. " Committee.""

The act erecting the town of Cohocton, passed June 18, 1812, provided that the first town-meeting should be held at the house of Joseph Shattuck, Jr. This meeting was held in April, 1813, and the following town officers were elected : Samuel Wells, Supervisor ; Charles Bennett, Town Clerk ; Stephen Crawford, John Slack, and William Bennett, As- sessors ; Jared Barr, John Woodard, and Isaac Hill, Com- missioners of Highways; John Slack and Samuel D. Wills, Poormasters; James Barnard, Constable and Collector ; Isaac Parmenter, Constable; James Griffis and Thomas Rogers, Fence-Viewers. The following were chosen Path- masters of the ten districts then in the town, in the order named, beginning with District No. 1: Samuel D. Wells, Seth Kellogg, David Reynolds, James Griffis, Jonas Cleland, Jonathan Danforth, Stephen Crawford, - Drake, Elisha

[

G. Cantormen Anna Van Former

VALENTINE VAN WORMER.

Valentine Van Wormer was born in Charleston, Schoharie Co., N. Y., Oct. 22, 1812. His paternal ancestors came from Hol- land. He is the eleventh child in a family of thirteen children of Lawrence and Anna (Staley) Van Wormer, both natives of New Jersey. His Grandfather Van Wormer migrated from New Jersey, first settled on the Hudson River during the Revolution- ary war, and subsequently settled in Montgomery Co., N. Y.

His father was a farmer in Montgomery County for twenty years, and traded his farm there for some eighteen hundred acres of land in the Conhocton valley, near the village of Lib- erty, on the Robert L. Bound's tract, and in 1816 settled in the town of Cohocton, where he purchased two hundred and fifty acres more. Some six hundred aeres of this land he is said to have cleared and made ready for cultivation.

He assisted in the erection of the first Methodist church here, and prior to that time the quarterly meetings of that de- nomination were often held in his baru for want of a more commodious building. He was one of the pioneers of the town and contributed largely to its early local enterprises. Although a man of very little book knowledge, he possessed much native talent and ability, was well informed, and had strong reasoning faculties.

Prior to settling in this county he held various official posi- tions in Montgomery County, was a member of the Democratic party, and ranked as lieutenant in the old militia, with commis- sion signed by Governor Tompkins. He was a man of great perseverance, and known for his correct habits and strict integ- rity. For many years both he and his wife were consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He died August, 1852, aged eighty-four. His wife died January, 1853, aged seventy-ninc.

Of their six sons and eight daughters, thirteen reached man-

hood and womanhood, and five sons and one daughter are now living. Mr. Valentine Van Wormer was only four years of age when the family settled in the town of Cohocton. He spent his minority at home, receiving a good education at the common school and at Lima Seminary. For five terms he was a teacher after reaching his majority, and Nov. 22, 1838, he married Anna, daugliter of Judge E. W. Cleveland, of Naples, Ontario Co. Her father was prominently identified with the local in- terests of that county, and held the various offices of supervisor, justice of the peace, and associate judge for many years. He was a volunteer in the war of 1812, lived to be sixty-seven . years of age, and died in 1860. Mrs. Van Wormer was born Dee. 4, 1817.

Their children are Mrs. Wm. Henry Mattison, of Ionia, Mich. ; Mrs. Dr. E. M. White, of Liberty ; Fayette M., soldier of the late Rebellion, died Feb. 7, 1865, aged twenty-one ; Emory L., of Avoea ; Mrs. C. W. Stanton, of Liberty ; Eugene, a farmer, of Cohocton ; and Eugenia, a teacher.

After his marriage Mr. Van Wormer carried on the farm for nine years settled by his father, and purchased a farm of Constant Cook, contiguous to the village, upon which he has re- sided since 1847.

He was a Democrat until the formation of the Republican party, of which he has since been a somewhat active member. He was school commissioner for two terms, and also school in- spector for two terms under the old law, and has been once the candidate of his party for the Assembly, but was unsuccessful, his party being in the minority. He has ever been interested in the temperance reform since its first organization, yet never a member of any seeret societies, and from their youth both be and his wife have been members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

241

TOWN OF COHOCTON.

Brownson, and Levi Smith. Samuel D. Wells and Jonas Cleland were chosen Poundmasters.

It was voted that a bounty of $5 be given for each wolf's scalp, and $10 for that of a panther. The bounty for wolves' scalps was afterwards raised to $20. Twenty dol- lars per head made wolf-hunting in those days for a time profitable ; many scalps were taken and brought in, and the bounty paid.

The records of the town from 1813 to 1839 appear to have been lost,-at least they are not to be found in the town clerk's office. We have, however, by diligent search in the county clerk's office, and from other sources of in- formation, been able to supply in some measure the defi- ciency.

From 1823 to 1826, inclusive, Paul C. Cook was super- visor, and was followed by David Weld in 1827 and 1828. Paul C. Cook was again supervisor in 1829 and 1830. Then followed David Weld for the year 1831, and then John Nichoson for 1832, when Paul C. Cook was again elected, and held the office for three consecutive years. In 1836, Elias Stephens was chosen supervisor ; then Paul C. Cook again for 1837 and 1838. The rest of the super- visors, together with other town officers, will be found in the tabulated statement below.

Lucius Shattuck held the office of town clerk for twenty- three consecutive years, and was the incumbent of that office at the time of his death, in 1852.

The first justices of the peace, by appointment, in the town of Cohocton, were John Slack, James Barnard, Jonas Cleland, and Frederick Blood. Others who held the office at a later day were Constant Cook, John Nichoson, Paul C. Cook, Thomas A. Bowles, Johu Hess, J. P. Brace, Simeon Holmes, and Myron M. Patchin. Some of these were in what is now the town of Wayland, which was then included in Cohocton. Below will be found a list of the justices of the peace from 1839 to the present time.

At the election for senators and members of Assembly in 1814, the town of Cohocton gave four votes each for Joseph Kirkland, Joshua Forman, Valentine Brother, and Jared Sanford, for senator, and one vote each to Philetus Swift, Chauncey Loomis, Bennett Becknell, and John J. Pendergrast. For member of Assembly, Moses Van Cam- pen received 25 votes, and Daniel Cruger 39 votes. Samuel D. Wells, John Stark, Francis Blakely, and Samuel Rhodes, inspectors of election.

In 1816, Daniel D. Tompkins received 15 votes for Gov- ernor, and Rufus King 14 votes. For Lieutenant-Governor, John Taylor received 14 votes, and George Tibbitts 15 votes. Daniel Cruger had 71 votes for member of Con- gress, and Enos T. Throup 71 ; Elijah Miller 52, and Elea- zer Lindley 52.

The political status of the town of Cohocton was gener- ally Democratic, up to the year 1856, yet, in 1840, it caught up the rallying cry of " Tippecanoe and Tyler too," and gave a decided majority for Gen. Harrison for President. But after the effect of the " Hard Cider" wore off, and it had emerged from the "log cabins," it went back to the Demo- cracy. In 1856 it gave over 200 majority for Fremont, and since that memorable campaign, till the annexation of a portion of Prattsburgh, in 1874, has been a decidedly 31

Republican town. The political parties since then have been more nearly equally divided.

During the Fremont campaign, a terrible accident occurred in the village of Liberty, which cast a pall of gloom over the place for a long time. While the excitement of the canvass was running high, a cannon had been procured to give vent to Republican enthusiasm, and to invite, by the reverberations of its thundering voice, the inhabitants of the neighboring hills to a mass-meeting, then in progress at the village. The cannon was being discharged in the road (which was full of people), just above the residence of Amos Stone, when it exploded, throwing heavy pieces of iron in every direction, endangering the lives of many. One of the pieces struck and fatally wounded Wallace Hen- dryx, son of Thomas Hendryx, a merchant of the village; another piece struck and badly injured Albert H. Weld, but he afterwards fully recovered. Young Hendryx died the next morning, and his sad and untimely death was mourned by all. He was a universal favorite among all with whom he was acquainted.

It will be appropriate in this connection to speak of some of the citizens of this town, who have held important posi- tions of responsibility and trust by the suffrages of the people. Paul C. Cook, for many years a merchant at Lib- erty, and prominently identified with the political as well as business history of the town, was chosen by the Demo- crats of his Assembly district to represent them in the State Legislature, in 1827. Ile was re-elected to the As- sembly in 1830. In 1844 he was elected county clerk, and changed his residence from Liberty to Bath, where he continued to reside. lle was re-elected county clerk in 1847, and discharged the duties of this, as well as all the responsible offices which he filled, in a highly creditable and satisfactory manner.

Richard Brower was formerly a merchant in the village of Liberty, and did business in the former store of Paul C. Cook, previous to its occupancy by Dan. H. Davis. He owned the farm now belonging to Amos Stone, which he sold to David Rumsey, of Bath, and the latter sold to Mr. Stone. In 1839, Mr. Brower was elected by the Demo- cratic party of this district to represent them in the State Legislature.

At the election held in 1859, C. J. McDowell was chosen district attorney for Steuben Co., and held the office three years. He was especially adapted to discharge the respon- sible duties of that important office, and he administered it with zeal, efficiency, and honor. His termi of office was distinguished by the unrelaxing vigor and persistency with which he prosecuted criminals, who were then banded to- gether in large numbers to resist or evade the law, and de- feat the ends of justice. The breaking up of these bands, sending some to the State-prison, and causing others to flee the country, were the acceptable fruits of his administration. Mr. McDowell has possessed in a large degree the confidence and estecm of his town's people, who have several times elected him to the office of supervisor.

At the fall election of 1873, Stephen Shattuck was elected to represent the district in the Assembly. He served ac- ceptably during the term, and was re-elected and returned the following year, and during the session distinguished

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HISTORY OF STEUBEN COUNTY, NEW YORK.

himself for his earnest and persistent contest on the floor of the Assembly with the enemies of reform. Mr. Shattuck is a popular member of the Democratie party, and has held the office of supervisor of his town for six or seven terms.

LIST OF TOWN OFFICERS.

Supervisors.

Town Clerks.

Collectors.

1839. Calvin Blood.

Paul C. Cook.

Henry Noble.

1840. John Iless.

Thos. Hendryx.

Almond Eggleston.

1841.

Jesse P. Brace.

Lawrence S. Borden.

1842. Paul C. Cook.

66 =

1843. John Hess.

James Draper.

Silas Hulbert.

IS44.

1845. Calvin Blood.

66 66

Hiram Dewey.

1846. Zephman Flint.

llenry G. Blood.

Joseph Crouch.

1847. Joho IIess.

1848. Calvin Blood.

James Draper,

1849. Zephman Flint.

Walter M. Eldred.

1851.

Step'n D. Shattuck. Chas. J. Rosenkrans. L. Shattuck.

1853. David II. Wilcox.

Step'n D. Shattuck. Wm. R. Ilill.

1854. C. J. McDowell.

A. W. Chase. George W. Haight.

1855. A. Larrowe.

Andrew W. Moore. George T. Mead.

1856. "

IS57. “

Austin Hall.

1858. James Draper.

Leonard D. Conner.

George W. Haight.

1860. David II. Wileox.

John HI. Stanley.

1861.

Austin Ilall. Cyrus H. Stone.

1862. 66

Ezra S. Carpenter.

Wm. Washburn.

1863. F. N. Drake.

Walter M. Eldred. S. D. Shattuck.

1864. “

Ezra S. Carpenter.

1865. David II. Wilcox.

Austin HIall.

A. Larrowe.

1866. John H. Butler.

Charles 11. Beyer.

John D. Hendryx. Charles Tripp, Jr.

1868. C. E. Thorp.

Marcus S. Harris.

C. P. Bailey.

1869. Step'n D. Shattuck. 1870. « 16

Carlos II. Wileox.

T. J. Briggs.

1871. J. M. Tripp.

Iliram W. Hatch.

1872. Step'n D. Shattuck. Albert T. Parkhill. F. Granger Tripp.

1873. Thos. Warner.

Edwin A. Draper. .6

James C. Green. 66

1875. James P. Clark. .6

4 4

Jacob Wagner.

1876. O. S. Searl.

II. C. Liddiard.

Charles E. Ilall.

1877. Myrou W. Harris.

Jas. M. Reynolds.

James H. Moulton.

1878. Byron A. Tyler.

John Robinson.

JUSTICES OF THE PEACE.

1839. Myron M. Patehin.

1858. James F. Wood.

1840. Constant Cook.

1841. Frederick Blood, Sr.

1859. Edwin Fineh.

1842. Dan. II. Davis.

1860. Thos. S. Crosby.

1843. Myron M. Patchin.

1861. Asa Adams.

1844. Jesse MeQuigg.

1862. James F. Wood. Samuel G. Fowler.

1845. Frederick Blood.

1846. C. J. MeDowell.

1863. Wm. W. Wait.

1847. Myron M. Patchin.

1864. Thos. S. Crosby.

1848. Stephen C. Phillips.

Nelson Thorp.

1866. James F. Wood.

1849. Wm. W. Wait. Levi C. Chase.

1850. Walter M. Eldred.

1851. Samuel G. Fowler.

1870. Marcus S. Harris.

1852. E. L. Bradley.

1871. George M. Ilewitt.

Austin Hall.

1872. Eetna M. Davis.

1873. Asa Adams.

1874. Hiram Wygant.

1854. James F. Wood.

1875. Jasper Partridge.

1855. Edward Finch.

1876. Clarence W. Stanton.

1856. Thos. S. Crosby.

1877. Charles Sheldon.

1878. Thos. S. Crosby.

TAX-ROLL OF 1829.

From an old tax-roll in the office of the town clerk we find that in 1829 there were in the town of Cohocton (then including Wayland) 381 land-owners, who resided in the town and paid taxes on from one-fourth of an acre to 541 aeres. This latter was the largest estate then owned by any resident of the town, and belonged to Philip Cook. It was valued at $11.42 per acre, and the tax assessed upon it was $11.69. Warren Patchin owned 409 aeres in what is now Wayland, assessed at $12 an acre, and his tax amounted to $15.65. Silas Shattuck owned 288 acres, assessed at $2.24 an acre, tax $2.29. James Cleland had 234 aeres, assessed at $6 an acre, tax $6.14. Dan H. Davis, 330 acres, valued at $10 an aerc, tax $10.33. The most valuable land in the town at that time scems to have been a quarter of an acre owned by Ira Gilbert, which was assessed at a valuation of $50, and taxed 52 cents. From this roll we find that the lands belonging to residents of the town at that time amounted to 33,821 aeres, while 21,706 aeres were owned by non-residents, and of this latter amount, 18,057 acres were owned by the Pultency estate.

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History of Steuben county, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 66

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