USA > New York > Oswego County > Orwell > History of the town of Orwell, New York, from 1806 to 1887 > Part 2
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II. Mary; died in 1840.
III. Uri; was for many years engaged at the Salt Works, of Saginaw. He was connected with a Watertown Insurance com- pany at the time of his death in 1887.
IV. Theresa; married H. M. Stillman and resides in Rome, N. Y. V. William H .; located at New Centreville, Oswego Co., N. Y., where he is extensively engaged in farming and dairying.
VI. Hiram; died in the army.
VII. Anna; married A. J. Shelley, of Oswego city.
VIII. Frances. IX. Jennie.
CHAPTER II.
1. Church Records. 2. Business Men of Orwell in 1830. 3. A List of the Leading Business Men from 1807 to 1887. Cas- ualties, etc.
CHURCH RECORDS.
The following extracts from the church records sum- marize the history of the Presbyterian church, of Orwell, from its first organization in 1819, to its re-organization into a Congregational church in 1858:
Orwell, July 10, 1819.
The Rev. Messrs. Oliver Leavitt and David K. Dixon being present, the 1st Presbyterian church in the place was constituted, consisting of thirteen members, and the above articles of faith and covenant were adopted.
The following persons presented certificates of church member- ship:
Jonas Thompson, William Withington,
Lucy Thompson, Nabby Withington,
Sally Thompson, Elizabeth Brooks.
The following expect letters:
Nemian Aiken, Judah Wheelock, John Brooks.
The following were received on examination:
Orpha Burkett, baptized, Isabella Allen,
Elizabeth Acker, Electa Brooks.
After the solemnities were concluded, Jonas Thompson was elected to the office of deacon in the church. Sometime in 1819, Jonas Thompson was solemnly set apart to the office of deacon by the Rev. John Davenport.
March 26, 1820. Admitted Joseph Wheelock; by letter, Judith Wheelock. (They were parents of Rev. Rufus A. Wheelock.)
May 30th, 1827, according to a previous appointment, the mem-
21
CHURCH RECORDS.
bers of the 1st Presbyterian church and congregation met at Tim- othy Balch's. Mr. Withington took the chair.
Resolved, That we form ourselves into a branch society auxil- iary to the home missionary society, according to the plan recom- mended.
WM. WITHINGTON, Clerk.
The membership increased until in 1833 it numbered 29. Four years later the church formed itself into an Ecclesiastical society, according to statute laws, as will be seen from the following :
Records of the first Presbyterian society of Orwell.
A meeting was held April 5, 1837, according to notice, for the purpose of organizing the first Presbyterian society, of Orwell. The meeting was opened with prayer by Rev. S. W. Leavitt. Daniel Pratt was chosen moderator; Elon Stowell, scribe. They proceeded to organize the society under the name of the First Presbyterian society, of Orwell, Oswego Co., N. Y. They chose for their trustees the following persons:
Ebenezer Knight, Daniel Pratt, one year.
Samuel Stowell, sen., Elon Stowell, two years.
George Knight, three years.
Elon Stowell, clerk.
ELON STOWELL.
Up to 1845 they had no regular pulpit supply, only Communion services being kept up. In 1843 the church was built, and dedicated in February, 1844. The first year thereafter the pulpit was supplied by the Mission- ary Association. The following three years Rev. J. B. Wilson preached alternately here and at Sand Bank, both places being missionary fields.
The following copy of a subscription list for Rev. J. B. Wilson in 1847, shows who were the supporters of the Presbyterian church at this time:
Elon Stowell. $10 00
Elijah Stowell 1 00
David Hollis. 50
James F. Davis 2 00
22
HISTORY OF ORWELL.
Samuel Stowell 1 00
William Groat 1 00
E. S. Barnes. 5 00
John Beadle. 5 00
O. B. Olmstead 5 00
H. F. Ackley
2 00
H. M. Knight
3 00
Amos Beadle. 2 00
Samuel Stowell, jr., 2 00
The ministers in charge up to 1858 were Messrs. Wil- son, Wheelock and Webb.
March 13th, 1858, the Presbyterian church reorgan- ized itself into a Congregational church by adopting the following resolutions.
Resolved, 1st. That we do hereby dissolve our connection with the Oswego Presbytery, and all connection with the Presbyterian church.
Resolved, 2nd. That we hereby organize ourselves into a Con- gregational church and pledge ourselves to God and to each other to conduct all our affairs according to the rules and usages of strictly Congregational churches.
The following persons thus became members of, and constituted the church.
Cornelius Acker, David Hollis, Elon Stowell, Ruth Acker, B. Maria Beadle, Frances Beadle, Orpha Bur- kett, Melinda Groat, Laura Hollis, Jane Potter, Abigail Stowell, Celinda Stowell, Temperance Ann Stowell.
The church had become reduced by death and re- movals, to the original number thirteen, and of the origi- nal members, Orpha Burkett was the only one who entered into the organization of the new church.
At the next meeting new articles of Faith were adopt- ed, and six members added to the church: Mrs. Mary Stowell, Mrs. Harmony Baker, Allen Campbell, Lean- der C. Preslar, Otis E. Stowell, Rhoda Ann Stowell.
The church then voted to apply for admission to the Black River Consociation. The officers were Rev. Jacob
23
EARLY HISTORY.
R. Shipherd, pastor; Elon Stowell and Davis Hollis, deacons.
EARLY HISTORY OF ORWELL.
About 1830, Gilbert & Dickinson opened a store at Orwell Corners, and Albin Strong at what is now called Pekin. At that time the two places were known as the "upper" and "lower" settlements. Pekin was the larger of the two, being able to boast of five or six houses, be- sides the school house, while Orwell had not more than two or three besides the "tavern." Not far from that time, there arose quite a strife as to which should event- ually take the lead. The removal of two or three promi- nent men from Pekin, the fact that Orwell was more on the line of general thoroughfares, and the opportune erection of a church, grist mill (owned by Reuben Salis- bury) and two or three houses, turned the scale in favor of Orwell. About 1835 Pekin's merchant, Albin Strong, removed to Orwell, and, coming to the conclusion that the place was too small to support two stores, he bought out Gilbert & Dickinson, and was for eight or ten years the only merchant in Orwell. To give some idea of the amount of stock he kept, we add the following reminis- cences of a lady in town:
"I remember," she said, "going into Strong's store between '35 and '40, charged with the weighty responsibility of selecting for the first time, a calico dress for myself. Calico was then the staple in dress goods. But the burden was not so heavy as I had antici- pated, for, on reaching the store, I found only two pieces from which to choose, and one of these was so homely I did not look at it a second time. At that date, the serpent of fashion had not yet entered this forest-girded, hill-sheltered Eden. Milliners were not, and bonnets, like dresses, did service until literally "worn out." But this state of Arcadian simplicity could not last forever. Mr. G., one of the prominent men of the town, returning from a busi- ness trip, brought his wife a new leghorn bonnet. Forthwith,
24
HISTORY OF ORWELL.
another prosperous man declared that his wife could wear just as good a bonnet as G's. wife-which she did in a few days. Now 'behold how great a matter a little fire kindleth.' The unconscious thing worked a complete revolution in town, for every man began to look with a critical eye upon his wife's bonnet. Just at that time it was noised about that a woman had come into town who could dress over bonnets and 'make them just as good as new.' Those whose bonnets would admit of restorative treatment fell into her hands. When this was impossible, new ones were secured, new dresses were required to match the bonnets, and thereafter Queen Fashion asserted her sway. It will be observed that in this case, the serpent tempted Adam, not Eve; 'He gave unto her and she did eat.'"
In 1840 there was no building west of the tavern (which stood on the northwest corner) on the north side of the road, and that side was used as a parade ground by the training companies. Training day was for a few years the "great day" of Orwell. On the south side of the Pulaski road stood a small tannery, owned by John and Nicholas Cook. It was soon after sold to John Mc- Kinley. Emory Bartlett had erected a blacksmith shop and also a dwelling which stood next to the church, on the corner. Nearly opposite, on the mill road, stood the Furguson house; then came the mill built by Reuben Salisbury and afterwards run by his brother Mason.
Strong's store occupied the northeast and his house the southeast corner. Beyond Strong's on the east road was one frame house, and on the hill a log house owned by Orrin West. North of the four corners, there was but one house, owned by Jabez Gilbert, who was then county sheriff. On the hill south lived John Beadle, who has the honor of being the first extensive dairyman in the town, although several others were of considerable importance.
The first school house in town was built in Pekin be- fore 1818. In that year a Mr. Wheelock taught there,
25
EARLY SCHOOL TEACHERS.
and within the next few years a Mr. Knight, Pamelia Mitchell, Lucretia Knight and Apphia Stowell. The next school house built in district No. 2, was a half- mile north of the village near the late Samuel Stowell's. It was built in 1818; while the school house was being built, Miss Lucy Gilbert taught the first term in a private house. Samuel Stowell, jr., taught the first term in the new building.
There was no school house at the Corners until dis- trict No. 2 was divided in 1841 or '42. Previous to that, two or three terms of select school were taught in the Baptist church by Achsa Barton and Gilbert Doane.
The following is a list of teachers as far as known from 1818 to the division of district No. 2, and the con- sequent formation of the Corners district:
Mrs. Noah Damon, Samuel Stowell, Lucy Gilbert, Amos Beadle, Hannah Dewey, B. F. Mason, Emily Dewey, Amasa Carpenter, Hannah Thompson.
The year and order of the above are not known. Thereafter they taught in the following order:
1834,
Collins Dodge,
'35,
65
'36,
William Knight, 66
66
'38,
Achsa Barton.
Truman Leech,
'39,
Celia Beadle.
Harvey H. Champney, 66 66
'40,
Juliana Salisbury.
'41,
Adaline Ladd.
Ephraim Hinman,
'42,
Jane Newton.
Martin L. May, $
Samuel Hollister,
'43,
Emily Pennock.
James Crawford, '44,
66 66
(School house burned)
'45,
66
Henry H. Stevens,
'46,
Orrill Weston.
Cynthia Salisbury. Mary Mellen. 66 66
Almira Plumley.
'37,
26
HISTORY OF ORWELL.
James F. Davis, '47,
66 66 '48,
'49,
Orrill Weston. 66 66
Milly Davis.
James F. Davis, '50,
In 1826, Apphia Stowell, sister of Dea. Elon Stowell, taught school in Pekin. At that time the road from Orwell to Pekin was by the way of the old stone quarry. She sometimes rode home horseback, and tells of the hill by the Corners being so steep that she seemed to be right over the horse's head coming down. The Balch brook at the foot of the hill was a much more formid- able stream than now, and although a fearless rider, she always trembled at her peril. Sixty years of travel and grading has made the hill less steep than formerly, but it is still the terror of teamsters in winter, when the snow often drifts in to a depth of ten or more feet. Oftentimes the slope seems frightfully near a perpendic- ular, and timid passengers are apt to feel each particu- lar hair begin to stiffen, as they essay the precipitous descent. Not seldom the drift is six feet high on the sides as late as the first of May. The high winds of later times were unknown to the early settlers, while the forests still sheltered them. Snow fell light and still. Mrs. J. F. Davis tells of one time when some friends drove up to her father's to spend the evening. It was clear starlight when they came, but at ten o'clock when the door was opened for departure, the cutter was no- where to be seen. Enough snow had fallen in two or three hours to entirely cover it. She remembers going to bed at night when the snow was below the door sill, and no indications of storm, and in the morning when the door was opened, the snow came nearly to its top on a level. The great forest so checked and modified the current of air, that snow would fall to a depth of several
27
BUSINESS MEN.
feet, so silently that its coming was unsuspected. This snow was so light and feathery that one could walk through it, in as far as the armpits, almost as if walking in a vast bed of feathers.
BUSINESS MEN.
1825-There was a store located on the south bank of Salmon river near Bennett's bridge before 1825, kept by Isham Simons.
MERCHANTS -1830, Gilbert & Dickenson, at Corners; Albin Strong, at Pekin; 1835, Albin Strong, at Orwell; 1840, Strong & Hinman; 1842, Strong & Beecher; 1846, Strong & Baker; 1847, Strong & Barnes; 1850, Strong & Brother; 1855, Beecher & Beadle; 1855, L. W. Aldrich; 1860, Beecher & Bentley; 1865, Beecher & Woodbury.
O. B. Olmstead has been merchant since 1840. A. E. Olmstead, son of O. B., last ten years; also for some time E. S. Beecher and F. B. Woodbury.
MILLERS .- 1831, Reuben Salisbury; 1835, Mason Salisbury; 1840, Reuben Salisbury & Son, Theodore; 1850, Jonathan Salisbury; 1860, Hoyt N. Weed; Pres- ent time, W. F. Keeney.
PHYSICIANS .- 1830, Dr. Sanford; 1835, Drs. Dewey and Moreton; 1840, Theo. H. Gilbert, William H. Smith, both from Connecticut; 1845, Thaddeus Mur- dock; 1850, A. B.Howe; 1855, William Skinner; 1860, Becker, Stillman; since 1865, George W. Nelson. All of the above physicians removed from the town except William H. Smith, who died Oct. 7th, 1848, aged 33 years, and George W. Nelson, now here.
DENTIST .- From 1851, James F. Davis, to present time.
TANNERS .- 1838, John and Nicholas Cook; 1840,
28
HISTORY OF ORWELL.
John McKinley; 1845, O. H. Weston; 1855, Weston & Lewis; 1875, Lane, Pierce & Co.
BLACKSMITHS .- 1835, Brooks, Goodall and Bonner; 1840, Emery Bartlett; 1845 to '65, Ira S. Platt; 1855, to present time, James Philips; 1865, A. M. Campbell, Orin Balch.
MECHANICS .- 1830, Elon Stowell, from Connecticut, was the first mechanic who came to town to remain per- manently. He built a shop upon his farm about one and one-fourth miles north of the Corners, on the Sandy Creek road in 1830. There he did all kinds of mechani- cal work, making wagons, sleighs, furniture, coffins, doors, sash and everything required in a new country. He also had a blacksmith shop there. He was a skilful workman.
1835 .- In 1835, Ebenezer Knight, a former ship build- er from Portland, Maine, came to Orwell and built the first shingle mill in town, near what is known as Knight's bridge. He was a fine workman. Another prominent mechanic was George Cogswell who came from Con- necticut about the same time. A fourth was Marcus S. Smith. Stowell, Cogswell and Smith all came from Willington, Connecticut. Others soon followed, among whom were: In 1835, Adam Donburgh, Nelson Don- burgh, James Thomas, Case Ferguson, Henry Cushman; in 1840, Leman Jenkins, Richard Trenham; in 1850, William Cushman. In 1851, Otis E. Stowell, son of Elon, built a wagon and machine shop on the creek running through his farm, where business was carried on for twenty-five years.
In 1814, Orrin Stowell was probably the first mason and brick-layer.
SHOEMAKERS .- 1817, Elijah Stowell, brother of Orrin. He used to work in families during the fall and winter,
29
CASUALTIES.
some of the larger families requiring two or three weeks' time to get them "shod" for the long winter. About 1830 Jeremiah Burch, another shoemaker, settled in town near the Sandy Creek line. His sons, Hilan, Homer and Nelson, have been successively the principal shoemakers in Orwell for forty years.
TAILORS .- In 1830 Frank Gilbert settled in town near Pekin as a tailor, which business he followed 30 years or more. About 1840, D. D. Ashley settled in Orwell, near the church, as a tailor. He removed to Centre- ville, Michigan, about 1852.
CASUALTIES.
In 1830, a son of Hiram Towsley, while coasting on the hill south of the village, ran off on the right hand side and was killed. Not long after, Daniel Damon was killed by a limb falling from a tree just as he was passing under it.
Between 1830 and 1832, as William Kilburn and his wife were re- turning from Pulaski, she holding an infant in her lap, the wagon ran against a stump (no uncommon occurrence in those days, ) and the sudden shock threw the child out, and the wheel passed over it, causing its death.
In 1834 or '35, two children, aged ten and twelve, belonging to William Groat, then living on the place now occupied by Cyrus Stowell, were crushed by the falling in of the roof upon a log barn. The accident was caused by the weight of snow upon the roof.
In 1836, a youth, son of Ebenezer Knight, was fatally injured by a log in coming down the long hill on the Williamstown road at West's corner. A few years later, Mary Dwight, a teacher, was killed upon the same hill while riding down upon a log.
In 1838, while Almena Stowell, daughter of Samuel Stowell, sr., was kindling a fire in the fireplace, her clothing suddenly caught fire, and before the flames could be extinguished she was so severely burned as to cause her death two weeks later.
In 1846, Francis Marian, a little son of John Parker, fell into his father's millpond and was drowned.
About 1850, Albin Strong was killed in the edge of Sandy Creck, near the old Hinman place. His horse taking fright, he was thrown from the carriage and his skull fractured by a stone.
30
HISTORY OF ORWELL.
In 1852 or '53, a new settler, Albert Adams, committed suicide by hanging himself from a tree in the woods east of Vorea. De- spondency over his prospects of success there is supposed to have been the cause.
In 1853, Milford Bonner was fatally injured by the falling of a tree, while working in the woods with his father. A few years later Milton Groat and Ezra Stevens went "pigeoning" near the Pennsylvania line, and Stevens was killed by a falling tree.
In the summer of '62 or '63, amid the war news which kept the North at a white heat of excitement, the startling report "A boy lost !" was rapidly passed from lip to lip, and turned the thoughts of the people of Orwell from the more remote national interests, to a calamity in their very midst. Two Crossett boys, with a neigh- bor's son, went fishing in the woods above the Falls. At nightfall only one of the brothers returned with his companion, and when they did not find the other already at home, they began to be frightened, and hurriedly told their story. They said the missing lad had declared his intention of fishing in another direction from the one they had chosen, and had started off across the road to- wards the river. They had not seen him afterward. The alarm was quickly given, and a general search instituted. Day after day passed but no signs of the lost boy were discovered. Men came from all the surrounding towns, leaving their work in the hay-field and elsewhere, and plunged into the woods, which rang with the shouting of men, the barking of dogs and the sounds of bells and horns, the usual accompaniments of such a search. The men worked systematically, forming lines and spreading out so as to cover every rod of ground. For nearly three weeks the hunt was kept up, but all in vain. Not even a shred of his clothing was ever found, and, at last, weary and hopeless, the men abandoned the fruitless search, and returned to their neglected fields of labor. No trace has ever been found and the fate of the lost boy remains an unsolved mystery to the present day.
About 1878, in the southern part of the town, another dreadful death was reported. A young man named Sloper went into the field with a yoke of oxen. Late in the day his body was found be- ing dragged about by the oxen. One end of the chain he had been using, was fastened about his neck, and the other still attached to the animals. Appearances indicated that he had been dragged for several hours.
In 1866, Silas Martin was killed in the mill owned by William
3L
FIRES,
Beecher at Orwell. While running a buzz saw, a stick split, and one piece entered his skull.
In 1882 or thereabouts, Frank Carr was mortally injured in a similar manner in a mill on Salmon River near Knight's bridge. Two or three years after, a nephew of Carr, Delos Brooks, was drowned while trying to swim the river.
In the spring of 1886, a little son of Sylvester Potter was left a few moments in a wagon on the hill south of the village. The horses, taking fright, started up and turned into J. F. Davis' yard. The wagon struck a tree and the child was thrown out and his skull was fractured by a stone.
FIRES .- In 1835 there were but two school houses in Orwell, one at Pekin and one half-a-mile north of Moscow, near Samuel Stowell's. The first fire of which we have any record, is the burn- ing of the old school house in the latter district in 1835. It was quite old and had been used for a shop while building a new one. Through the carelessness of a workman in throwing some shavings on the fireplace just as he was leaving for dinner the flames caught in the scattered shaving, and when discovered it was too late to save it. The new one a few feet distant barely escaped the same fate. In 1841 and '42 this district was divided and a school house built at the Corners and one in district No. 2, on the east road. In 1845 this latter school house was burned.
The next fire, except perhaps the burning of a small dwelling at Pekin, and a barn belonging to John Beadle, was in 1861, when occurred the "great fire" of Orwell. The historic "Krimlin," Weston's tannery and Beecher's store were destroyed, and the con- flagration must have been much more extensive but for the timely and efficient aid of women. Orwell's quota of soldiers had just gone to Oswego to be "mustered in," and all the able-bodied men accompanied them, leaving only a handful of old men and boys to fight the "fire king."
Apr. 7th, 1867,a large barn belonging to J. F.Davis was burned, and twelve cows perished in the flames. September, 1874, Oscar. Weston lost a barn by fire. Early in the '80's a cheese box factory was burned at Pekin.
In 1882, the dwelling of Allen Campbell was burned. Since then the buildings lost by fire are Erastus Wyman's house, the Castor mill, Blakeman's barn near the river, Walstein Balch's barn at the village, and four houses in the spring of '87 at Pekin, leaving only three dwelling houses, a church and a school house.
CHAPTER III.
1. Biographies. Silas West, who settled in the Town in 1810, Beadle Family, 1817, Wymans, Stowells, Potters, Hiltons, Cogswells, Bonners, Drs. Davis and Nelson, and many others, all of which are interesting.
WEST FAMILY.
Silas West, son of Benjamin and Susannah West, was born in Lee, Oneida Co., N. Y., July 31., 1800. His parents removed to Orwell about 1810. In 1821 he married Harriet, daughter of Frederick Eastman, and they had seven children, five of whom are living. His wife died in 1840 and he married a second wife, Re- becca, daughter of Dea. Moses Davis, of Madison county. They had three children, Ezra, Judson and Charles, all living. Silas West died Feb. 12, 1883. His son, Charles E., now living on the old homestead, was born in Orwell, May 2, 1848. He married Gertrude, daugh- ter of George Hall, May 31, 1874. They have four children, Iva B., Maggie E., Georgia M. and Alta P., all of whom are living.
Mr. West has always followed farming. His farın is near the Bennett bridge in the south part of the town.
BEADLE FAMILY.
John Beadle, the ancestor of the Beadle family in Orwell, was born in Wallingford, Connecticut, 1745. He had among other children, Harry, Alfred, Mary, who
33
BEADLE FAMILY.
married a Johnson and settled in Chenango Co., N. Y., and Nathaniel born in 1772, married Merub Hitchcock in 1796. The latter removed to Herkimer Co., N. Y., and remained there until twelve children were born to him. But there was one drawback to the advantages of Herkimer county. The original owners had refused to sell the land, but would lease it for long periods. Hence, if one attempted to buy land, he could only get an in- secure title, one that would eventually expire. This arrangement baffled one of the strongest characteristics of all the pioneer settlers-the desire to own the soil they cleared and cultivated. So when it was reported that good titles to land would be given in Oswego county, Nathaniel Beadle gathered up his household possessions, and, loading them upon an ox sled, set out toward Orwell. He arrived in 1817 and located on the farm now owned by Harry Beadle on the Orwell and Pekin road. Of his twelve children six sons and three daughters married and settled in Orwell. Nathaniel Beadle died in 1855. His children were:
I. Sarah; married Ansel Simmons, settled in Albion. Children: John, Lydia, Hannibal and Elizabeth.
II. Athilla; married Lyman Houghton; died about 1835 leaving no children.
III. John; born about 1801; married Cynthia Strong, of Red- field. They had one child, Harriet Sophia, born about 1833; died in 1840. Mrs. Beadle died in 1879, and John Beadle in March, 1885.
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