History of Tioga, Chemung, Tompkins and Schuyler counties, New York, Part 117

Author: Peirce, H. B. (Henry B.) cn; Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1879
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Ensign
Number of Pages: 1112

USA > New York > Chemung County > History of Tioga, Chemung, Tompkins and Schuyler counties, New York > Part 117
USA > New York > Schuyler County > History of Tioga, Chemung, Tompkins and Schuyler counties, New York > Part 117
USA > New York > Tioga County > History of Tioga, Chemung, Tompkins and Schuyler counties, New York > Part 117
USA > New York > Tompkins County > History of Tioga, Chemung, Tompkins and Schuyler counties, New York > Part 117

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

In 1870 an act was passed by which Henry B. Lord, Rufus Bates, and Charles M. Titus were constituted com- missioners for the construction of water-works to be owned by the village, and providing for a tax, not exceeding $100,000, to pay the cost thereof; subject first, however, to a vote of the tax-payers. When put to vote, the project was defeated.

GAS-WORKS.

Gas was introduced into the village in December, 1853, by the " Ithaca Gas-Light Company," a private corpora- tion. The persons most largely interested. and having a controlling interest in this company, are also owners of the water-works above described. The gas-works are situated on the block bounded by Mill, Plain, New, and Albany Streets.

FIRES AND FLOODS.

The village has often been visited by fire and flood, sometimes to an extent amounting to a publie calamity. Quite as often, however, conflagrations have cleared the way for and made possible improvements that else had waited on slow decay and slumbering enterprise.

The first fire in Ithaca was in the cabinet-shop of John Whiton, at the southwest corner of Seneca and Aurora Streets, in 1818. This fire was soon extinguished.

The next was more serious. It started in the black- smith-shop of Miles Seymour, which then stood on Owego Street, south of the present stables of Mr. Jonah Sinsepaugh, on the night of Monday, Nov. 22, 1819.

The shop and barn of Mr. Seymour, the blacksmith- shop of a Mr. Smith, and one or two other small buildings were consumed, and the house of Colonel John Johnson, on the east, much damaged. David Booth Beers was hurt at this fire, and soon after died of the injury.

July 14, 1833, a fire originated and consumed nearly all the buildings on the square bounded by Owego, Tioga, Sencea, and Anrora Streets. " On the whole square, whose fronts were nearly compact with buildings, the block of brick buildings owned by T. Downing, at the corner of Owego and Tioga Streets, and the two brick stores in Owego Street adjoining, the small framed dwelling house

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HISTORY OF TIOGA, CHEMUNG, TOMPKINS,

owned by E. Mack, on the lot corner of Tioga and Seneca Streets, and the framed dwelling-house on the next lot (Seneca Street), owned by M. Hutchinson, Esq.," were the only ones left standing.

November 3 of the same year a fire destroyed all the buildings, mostly of wood, between the present stores of Philip Stephens and Samuel Harris.

May 28, 1840, at two o'clock A.M., a fire broke out in a " billiard-room and ball-alley," which had been fitted up by Mr. Frank Atwater, in the rear of the jewelry-store of J. E. Munger. This fire consumed everything on the north side of Owego Strect, from the present store of Mr. John Rumsey to Aurora Street, and all on the west side of Aurora to the store of Seaman & Smith, then at the corner of Au- rora and Seneca. " Ten three-story brick buildings were destroyed, besides the costly stone warehouse of George McCormick, in the rear of his store." Loss by this fire about $65,000.

Sunday night, July 24, 1342, a fire broke out at twelve o'clock in the back part of a shoe-shop on the south side of Owego Street near Tioga. The buildings west of the Chronicle office to the corner of Tioga, and three small buildings on Tioga Street, including the office of Caleb B. Drake, Esq., were all of wood, and were entirely consumed. The Chronicle building was of brick, and proved an effectual barrier to the eastward march of the flames.

Tuesday, June 10, 1845, at three o'clock in the morning, an incendiary fire was started in the stables of the Franklin House (old Columbian Inn), and before it was finally sub- dued, had swept ncarly the entire block bounded by Owego, Cayuga, Green, and Geneva Streets. The only buildings left standing were the brick stores at the corner of Owego and Cayuga, and the store and dwelling of Mr. John L. Whiton, next west (damaged) the house of Dr. Hawley, corner of Owego and Geneva, a tenement house and small dwelling at corner of Geneva and Green, and a small build- ing at the intersection of Cayuga and Green Streets. Six horses were burned in the stables of the Franklin House.

Other fires have since occurred, but none so destructive as that of August -, 1872, in which the old land-mark, the " Ithaca Hotel," went down in ashes.

A high wind aided the flames; and the supply of combus- tibles was almost unlimited, in shape of barns, wagon-shops, and dwellings, dry as tinder. The entire block on which the hotel stood was made utterly desolate, except that a few stores were left on State Street, on ground swept by the fire of July, 1842, and a few on Aurora Street in a damaged condition. The fire crossed Tioga Street to the westward, and licked up the tannery of Mr. Edward S. Esty and many houses on the north side of Green, and on Tioga several more belonging to Mr. Henry L. Wilgus.

It was on that night of terrors and helplessness, that the firemen of Owego responded so nobly to Ithaca's call,- " Come over and help us !"

Floods .- Innocent as the streams of Ithaca appear at ordinary stages of water, they have at times risen like giants from their narrow beds, and dealt destruction and death along their borders. Chief among these uprisings was that of June 17, 1857, when throughout the whole country the waters went " on a bender." By this freshet a large amount

of property was destroyed in Ithaca, and three persons were drowned,-Coon, Carpenter, and Hawley.

SPECULATION OF 1836.

The year 1836 was a period of wild speculations. Land increased fabulously in price ; whole farms were laid out in city lots, and scarce an acre within two miles of the village was purchasable for tillage.

Banking institutions, railroads, and canals multiplied in brains and upon charts with astonishing facility. Several of the first were formally organized, but never proceeded to business.

The Journal of July in that year reports that a sale of sundry water-powers at Fall Creek brought at auction $220,000; and further says, "a parcel of the De Witt estate, which was purchased last December for $4676, sold at auction on the 6th for $52,929. A farm adjoining the village, which was purchased last summer for $50 per acre, has recently been sold for $500 per acre, and the purchaser has been offered and declined an advance on his pur- chase."

There was but one ending possible to this,-the foamy period of Ithaca's history. A short time served to blow the froth from many a supposed full glass, and reveal the very small bier at the bottom.

EXECUTIONS.

Within the limits of the village capital punishment has been thrice administered by decree of the court. In the fall of 1831, Guy C. Clark, a shoemaker, murdered his wife in an inconceivable shocking manner, using an axe for the purpose, at the old Columbian Inn, then on Owego and Cayuga Strects. He was tried and convicted, and at Fall Creek was executed, Feb. 2, 1832, in the presence of thousands. Peter Hager was then sheriff, and Minos Mc- Gowan, under-sheriff.

His body, buried near by, although under guard of two of Ithaea's " characters," was somehow spirited away before the " dawn of the morrow." The bones of Clark subse- quently graced the museum of a local surgeon.

The second execution was that of John Graham, also a shoemaker, for the murder of a pack-peddler, named Jones. The latter was enticed to a ravine, about two miles from the village, and fell a victim to Graham's greed, on the 13th of July, 1841.

The conviction was based mainly on circumstantial evi- dence. A watch-chain and key of deceased were found in his possession when arrested.

Graham was executed May 5, 1842.

The third execution was that of Michael Ferguson, June 16, 1871, for the murder of John Lunger and his wife.

Clark's execution was publie. Graham and Ferguson were executed in the jail-yard.

HOTELS AND PUBLIC BUILDINGS.

July 27, 1813, Luther Gere sold the hotel to Elnathan Andrews, having occupied it but two years from the time it was finished and completely furnished. He then for a short time lived at the farm-house, as overseer for Mr. De

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AND SCHUYLER COUNTIES, NEW YORK.

Witt, and in 1814 removed to Cineinnati. He returned in 1816, and again took the hotel, but only for a limited period. In that or the next year he began the erection of the " Columbian Inn," meantime oeeupying a small house thien recently vaeated by Caleb B. Drake, Esq., whichi stood where now is the store of Mr. Uri Clark.

The Columbian Inn was built at the northwest corner of Owego and Cayuga Streets, where was a small red house occupied by Higby Burrell, whose blacksmith-shop and wagon shop stood near by.

This inn was quite popular, and shared with Grant's Coffee-House the patronage of the west end.

Joseph Kellogg, Jacob Kerr (from New Jersey), and Moses Davenport were, in turn, the keepers of this inn within the period from 1822* to 1825. Following them we find that Abram Byington and Michael Blue were land- lords,-the latter in 1836; and still later a Mr. Houpt and William H. Brundage, the last dating from May, 1842.

From 1831 an unenviable fame attached to this house, -as the seene of the murder of Mrs. Guy C. Clark by her husband, a shoemaker.

The building was not long afterwards dismembered, three separate parts being removed to as many different qnar- ters of the village. The largest portion became the " Car- son Tavern," situated on the west side of Cayuga Street, midway between State and Green Streets; and, as if ae- companied by the very spirit of evil, became, if not the scene of another murder, at least the rallying point of its instigators and participators. We refer to the murder of a peddler, named John Jones, by John Graham, July 18, 1841. Timid pedestrians ever after dreaded to pass its front or eross its portals, and no moans from these went up as its dry old hulk went down in ashes, with all its attach- ments, in the conflagration of June 10, 1845.

Two other portions of the old inn are now small dwell- ings on the west side of Meadow Street.

The building known so long and favorably as " Grant's Coffee-House,"f was built by a Mr. Teeter, prior to the year 1811, for his own oceupaney ; but he was soon succeeded by Mr. Jesse Grant, a man of mettle, and an enterprising and engaging host. Mr. Grant, for a time after his arrival in Ithaca, in 1811, kept the house Mr. Gere first ereeted, on the corner of Seneca and Aurora Streets ; but soon an- ticipated the march of business westward. The Coffee- House was destroyed by fire in 1833 or 1835, and the present building of briek, known as the " Grant Bloek," ereeted on its site. Other wooden structures, however, preceded the brick.

The Clinton House was begun in 1828 and completed in 1831, and is still one of the most imposing of the publie buildings of Ithaea. It is situated on the west side of Cayuga Street, at the corner of Seneca, having on the for-

mer a front of 120 feet. The barns of the Columbian Inn occupied a portion of the lot, one of which, with its pre- tentious oval window, with metal frame, stands facing Seneca Street, and is now a stable attached to the Clinton House. Reared by three of the most prominent business men of the place,-Henry Aekley, Henry IIibbard, and Jeremiah S. Beebe,-it still stands, little changed in exte- rior, a most fitting monument to their enterprise and publie spirit, and an enduring symbol of Ithaean hospitality. The building is of briek, covered with a grayish stueco, with heavy columns eonneeting three broad portieos, and a cu- pola, from whose top may be had broad views of hill-side, lake, and town. The entire structure cost only $22,000.

It was opened by Speneer & Dunning, and since then has had many changes of hosts, and hosts of friends.

In 1862 many internal and a few external modifieations were made, giving the traveler merely a hint of the modern, in architecture and plan, while retaining the high repute of its management and the unsurpassedness of its cuisine, under its landlords of the olden time. Messrs. Ezra Cor- nell and Sewell D. Thompson were then owners, -the latter now sole proprietor and landlord.t

BANKS AND BANKING.

A branch of the Bank of Newburgh was established under an act of April 18, 1815, authorizing the President, Direetors, and Company of the Bank of Newburgh to es- tablish an office of discount and deposit at the village of Ithaea, county of Seneca.

A lot was purchased on Owego Street, west of Cayuga, running through to Green, and a banking-house ereeted thereon.

This building is now the residenee of Mr. John L. Whiton. The bank proper was in the west room; the vault beneath it, in the eellar.

Among the first directors were William R. Collins, Lu- ther Gere, Benjamin Drake, and Andrew D. W. Bruyn. Iu 1821, Daniel Bates and Jeremiah S. Beebe were ap- pointed additional directors by the parent bank.

Charles W. Connor was the first eashier, and the second Abel Corwin. George W. Kerr, now President of the Bank of Newburgh, was a elerk in the early years of the braneh.

In April: 1830, the real estate owned by this corporation was sold to the Bank of Ithaea for $3000.

The Ithaea Bank was chartered in 1829, with a capital of $200,000. After the books were opened, the entire stock was taken within three days.

The directors first elceted were Luther Gere, President ; Andrew D. W. Bruyn, Daniel Bates, James Nichols, Ben- jamin Drake, Jeremiah S. Beebe, Henry Ackley, Calvin Burr, William Randall, Stephen Tuttle, Jonathan Platt, David Hanmer, and Ebenezer Mack.

The first eashier was Aneel St. Jolin, who was succeeded by Thomas P. St. John and William B. Douglass.

In 1830 this institution purchased the lot and banking-

* Mr. Gere seems to have taken the hotel again in 1822, preparing the dinner the 4th of July of that year.

t The sign, "Grant's Coffee-House," again appears after the lapse of over forty years since the house and it went down to ashes ; and ye ancient Ithacau, like Rip Van Winkle, rubs his eyes and gazes at the familiar face of nearly seventy years ago. Chauncey L. Grant, who came with his father in 1811, again "sets up" the coffee on the saine old grounds.

# Spencer & Dunning kept the house from the time of its comple- tion until May, 1838 ; then William Hall, until 1841 ; David Bots- ford, until 1847 ; Leonard & Burton, until December, 1850; and S. D. Thompson, from that date to the present.

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HISTORY OF TIOGA, CHEMUNG, TOMPKINS,

house of the Newburgh Bank, and afterwards built the fine brick building, which stands on the south side of State Street, east of Cayuga. It is now the property of the Treman Brothers, who have caused a change in its onee grand façade.

The charter of the bank expired in 1850.

The Tompkins County Bank was chartered, in 1836, with a capital of $250,000. The first board of directors was composed as follows : Hermon Camp, President; Tim- othy S. Williams, Jeremiah S. Beebe, Horaee Mack, Wil- liam R. Collins, Robert Halsey, Edmund G. Pelton, Julius Ackley, Chauneey L. Grant, Moses Stevens, Edward C. Reed, Charles Davis, Augustus C. Marsh.

The first eashier was Seth H. Mann ; afterwards Nathan T. Williams took the position, and remained until his death, and was sueeeeded by Philip J. Partenheimer .*

This bank, under the National Bank aet, became the "Tompkins County National Bank," and is still doing busi- ness as such.

The banking-house of this institution is situated also on the south side of Owego Street, towards which it presents a not uncomely gable, supported by heavy, fluted columns.

The present offieers are Lafayette L. Treman, President, and Philip J. Partenheimer, Cashier.

The Merchants' and Farmers' Bank was organized under the banking law of April 18, 1838, with a capital of $150,000, which was equally divided between the three shareholders,-Timothy S. Williams, Manwell R. Williams, and Josiah B. Williams.

This was a bank of discount and deposit, and continued business many years after the death of the two first-men- tioned, represented by Josiah B. Williams, as president ; and Charles E. Hardy, as cashier, until his death.

The bank was not long sinee merged with the First Na- tional Bank of Ithaca.

The First National Bank of Ithaea was organized under the National Bank act, in 1864, with a capital of $150,- 000. This has been increased, by the absorption of the Merehants' and Farmers' Bank, to $200,000. The first president was Ebenezer T. Turner; Cashier, Alonzo B. Cornell.

The bank has now a surplus of $50,000.

Its present offieers are Douglas Boardman, President ; . and Henry B. Lord, Cashier.

The original act incorporating the Ithaea Savings Bank was passed April 17, 1863.

No organization having been effeeted under this law, another was passed, reviving the charter, April 3, 1868, in which were named as direetors, Ezra Cornell, Douglas Boardman, John H. Selkreg, William Andrus, Joseph Esty, John Rumsey, John L. Whiton, Leonard Treman, Obadiah B. Curran, George W. Schuyler, Wesley Hooker, and their sueecssors.

At the organization under this law, Ezra Cornell was made President ; William Andrus and George W. Schuyler,

Vice-Presidents ; Obadiah B. Curran, Treasurer and See- retary ; and F. M. Finch, Attorney.

On the 1st day of July, 1878, the bank made the fol- lowing exhibit of its condition :

Resources, $261,952.20 ; liabilities, $235,356.75 ; sur- plus, $26,595.45.

The officers are John Rumsey, President ; Oristus H. Gregory, Treasurer.

LIBRARIES.

A " Methodist Theologieal and Historieal Library Asso- ciation" was formed in 1821, in which shares were issued at five dollars each. A deposit of books to that amount was made equivalent to one share. Its chief features were that all books instruetive and not demoralizing in their ten- dency were admitted, and that the " poor and trustworthy" who could not subscribe were permitted to use them ; and that memberships were not confined to the Methodist So- ciety. David Ayres was then librarian.

June 15, 1825, Mr. Ebenezer Mack announced that he had appropriated a number of volumes from the shelves of his bookstore, " as a foundation for a eireulating library." For a number of years the public were served with books from this souree, some of which strayed long and far before returning to their places.

In 1826, sundry persons-twenty or more-subscribed about £40 for the purpose of forming a publie library, and in December of that year perfected an organization at a meeting held at the house of David Ayres, and adopted the title of " The Ithaca Methodist Literary Society." David Ayres, Amasa Dana, John Perkins, Ithiel Potter, C. G. Heath, Benjamin S. Cook, and Henry H. Moore were elected as the first board of trustees.

An association was formed at a meeting held at the Clin- ton House, Sept. 24, 1831, called the " New Jerusalem Church Library," of which Lewis Beers, Harry Bailey, Benjamin G. Ferris, Jesse D. Smith, and Isaae M. Beers were elected trustees.

CORNELL FREE LIBRARY.

The Cornell Library Association was incorporated by an act passed April 5, 1864.

Under this aet the Hon. Ezra Cornell eaused to be built a fine and commodious edifiee of briek upon the southeast corner of Seneca and Tioga Streets, where a lot 124 by 74 feet in size had previously been secured.

This building, denominated the Cornell Library, besides the library and reading-rooms, contains a fine hall for public exercises and other excellent rooms for business purposes, whose rental was designed to sustain the library free of eost to patrons. It has more than accomplished this purpose, the receipts proving sufficient to pay expenses and add yearly many volumes to the library.

The use of the Academy fund of $10,000 has for several years past enabled the trustees to inerease the yearly acqui- sitions to a total of about 600 volumes. There are now upon the shelves over 11,000 volumes, among which may be found " Audubon's Birds of America," in four volumes, and other rare and valuable works.

With few necessary exceptions, the books of this library

# Mr. Partenheimer had been promoted from the position of book- keeper, assumed in October, 1839, to that of teller, on the death of William Henry Hall, who had long served in that capacity. Mr. Partenheimer has thus a record of nearly forty years continuous ser- vice as a banker, connected with a single institution.

435

AND SCHUYLER COUNTIES, NEW YORK.

circulate free, within the limits of Tompkins County, to all the inhabitants thereof who comply with the few conditions imposed to secure their proper use and prompt return.

The Library Association is governed by a board of trustecs, whose present offieers are as follows: Alonzo B. Cornell, President ; Benjamin G. Ferris, Vice-President ; Thomas P. St. John, Secretary ; Dudley F. Finch, Treas- urer ; William R. Humphrey, Librarian ; Horace Mack, Assistant Librarian.

The library was dedicated with appropriate ceremonies on the evening of Dec. 20, 1866. The record of the exercises on that occasion is published in a neat memorial volume, in script. From the speech of Mr. W. H. Bogart, delivered on that occasion, we extract the following, because of thic pleasing tribute it contains to the memories of men who, in life, held prominent and honored place in Ithaca affairs :

" MR. PRESIDENT,-I cannot close without uttering one brief word of mournfulness amid our jubilant congratulations. I cannot forget with what gladness this night would have been hailed by some of those who now sleep their last sleep in that holy and beautiful place that Ithaca has prepared for the rest of her dead. To many of them the establishment of an opulent library, in the midst of their homes, was a dream. William Linn, with his omnivorous reading, lived to see the enterprise far advanced toward completion ; and had he lived on, in good health, would have walked amid the alcoves as in the so- ciety of familiar friends. I think of N. T. Williams, that kind, truc, and chivalric-hearted man, so ready to lead or follow in works of en- terprise and public good, so quiek to discover the sourecs of useful- ness, and to give himself to whatever might elevate, refine, strengthen Ithaca. And Charles Humphrey, that commanding intellect, whose life of suffering could not queneh the mastery of his mind, whose broad comprehension and noble thought gave him such power in his time. He would have known its more than golden worth, and strengthened in its strength. And of young King, who died all too early for the development of his complete usefulness, but did not leave us till he had, in his most interesting lecture, perpetuated the memorials of the early history of Ithaca. Of those adroit and vig- orous and influential editors, so long severed in the varying judg- ment of political affairs, now in the mutual and perpetual peace of the grave, whose capacity of understanding of wielding political truths made the editorials of Ebenezer Mack and of David D. Spencer potential far beyond the limits of this village, in their power toward the formation of national destinies. They would have made this library their armor, gathering to their eolumuns the illustrations of wit and wisdom, of fiction aud history."

PRESIDENTS* OF TIIE VILLAGE OF ITHACA, 1821 TO 1878.

1821. Daniel Bates.

1822. Andrew D. W. Bruyn.

1823-24. David Woodeoek.

1849. Frederick Deming.

1825. Ben Johnson.

1850. Nathan T. Williams.

1826. David Woodeock.

1851. Horace Maek.

1827-28. Charles Humphrey.

1852. Benjamin G. Ferris.

PRICES CURRENT IN 1821.

Ithaca.

New York.

Ashes, pot ...

ton.

$90.00

$115.00

pearl.

90.00

170.50

Beef, mess ..

bbl.

6.00

10.75

prime.

lb.

Cheese.

Flax

1838. Caleb B. Drake.

1860. George MeChain.

bbl.

2.50

4.37

1839. Amasa Dana.

1861. Elias Treman.

1840. Jacob M. MeCormick.

1862-63. Frederick T. Greenly.

1841. Benjamin G. Ferris.

1864-65. George MeChain.

1842. Henry S. Walbridge.

1866. Philip J. Partenheimer.

1867. Samuel Stoddard.

# After 1853 the village presidents were elected by the people.

1868. John Gauntlett. 1874. Adam S. Cowdrey.

1869. John Gauntlett. 1875. John Rumscy.

1870. Rufus Bates. 1876. William W. Esty.

1871. John Gauntlett.

1877. J. B. Sprague.

1872. John H. Selkreg.

1878. Henry M. Durphy.

1873. Adam S. Cowdrey.

PRESENT VILLAGE OFFICERS, 1878.

President, Henry M. Durphy.

Trustecs, 1st Ward, James Robinson, Orlando Seely ; 2d Ward, Ira C. Rockwell, James Robinson; 3d Ward, Comfort Hanshaw, William E. Osmun ; 4th Ward, Charles HI. White, Edward Tree, Jr.

Clerk, George C. Mowry.

Treasurer, Charles A. Hart.

Collector, Anning O. Shaw.

Assessors, 1st Ward, Aaron Bradbury ; 2d Ward, Philo W. Johnson ; 3d Ward, Ira Gardner; 4th Ward, Fred. Fillingham.

Street Commissioner, Joseph C. King.

Cemetery-Keeper, Barney Kelly.

Chief of Police, William Sullivan.

Attorney, Samucl D. Halliday.

Health Commissioner, Spence Spencer.

Health Officer, Dr. David White.

Janitor, D. Bristol Norton.

Poundmaster, John Berry.

Corporation Printers, Ithaca Democrat.

Charles Humphrey, then deputy marshal, made the fol- lowing report of the

"CENSUS OF THE VILLAGE OF ITHACA ON THE 6TH OF AUGUST, 1820.

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History of Tioga, Chemung, Tompkins and Schuyler counties, New York, Part 117

Author: Peirce, H. B. (Henry B.) cn; Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) Publication date: 1879 Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Ensign Number of Pages: 1112

Author: Peirce, H. B. (Henry B.) cn; Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1879
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Ensign
Number of Pages: 1112