Landmarks of Oswego County, New York, Part 2

Author: Churchill, John Charles, 1821-1905; Smith, H. P. (Henry Perry), 1839-1925; Child, W. Stanley
Publication date: 1895
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason
Number of Pages: 1410

USA > New York > Oswego County > Landmarks of Oswego County, New York > Part 2

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Very little of the Clinton group is to be seen in Oswego county, as it is thickly covered by alluvion ; its position is determined by its range in Oneida and Cayuga counties, and its shale appears on the south side of the outlet of Oneida Lake, and at a few points near the river.

Oswego county is not rich in minerals. Bog iron ore is found in con- siderable quantities on the north shore of Oneida Lake, and was worked quite extensively in past years in the vicinity of Constantia. (See his- tory of that town in later pages.) A valuable fine quartz sand, useful in glass making, is also found in the same region, which led to the estab- lishment of extensive glass works There are few important fossils in the rocks of this county. In the Pulaski shale is found the Open Beller- ophon, and the Striated Orthoceras. In the sandstone before described are found the Carinate pterinea (Pterinea carinata) ; the Ornate cyr- lotite (Cyrlotites ornatus) ; and the Hampton pentacrinite (Pentacri- nites hamptonii), and a few others.

At Pulaski the rock near the water line is highly charged with car- bonate of lime. In the Oneida Conglomerate, which is found in blocks on the bank of the lake east of Cleveland, and in smaller blocks above

GEOLOGY.

the dam at Oswego, and near the village of Scriba, some of the fucoids are found.

In by far the larger part of the area of the county the rocks are cov- ered with drift and alluvial deposits, which give a great variety of soil. The sandy portions are light and weak, while the clayey parts are hard, tough, and unyielding in many places. Where these are mixed, a deep, rich soil is the result. The marshes are generally composed of beds of black muck and other vegetable matter, and constitute the richest kind of natural meadow, when properly drained.

Great A

ADIRONDACK MTS.

Toronto

Hamilton

Lewistop

) Rome

Niagara Falls OCHryville

Rochester

Mchcwr R.

Buffalo

Rizer

Syracuse

Cajuz

L. ERÌE

Genesee's

Map of Lake Iroquois,

Showing conditions in the Glacial Period. The dotted line indicates the present shore of Lake Ontario and the re- cession of the waters that left a site for a large part of Oswego county.

The most elevated parts of this county lie towards the northeast, with the surface inclining south and east, the drainage being mostly into the Salmon River. From Oneida county to Oswego River, near Fulton, the surface of the county inclines in opposite directions, about one-half sloping to the north, with its waters flowing into Lake Ontario; the

Oneida E

Ridge

Read

LANDMARKS OF OSWEGO COUNTY

other half to the south, its waters reaching Oneida Lake and River. The difference of level between these two lakes is 141 1/2 feet, which, of course, gives a greater fall to the northern slope.1

The territory of Oswego county constitutes a part of lands ceded to the State of New York by the Indians after the Revolutionary war. March 1, 1788, an act was passed appointing commissioners to treat with the Indians for the purchase of their lands, and in July a grand council was held at Fort Stanwix, at which the chiefs of the Onon- dagas, Oneidas, and Cayugas were met by Governor Clinton and the commissioners. There the Onondagas ceded all their lands to the State, excepting their Reservation ; the Cayugas made a similar cession at the same time ; and in September of that year the Oneidas granted their lands to the State, excepting certain reservations. This reserved land was largely outside of Oswego county ; but there was a half-mile square reserved in every six miles along the north shore of Oneida Lake, and a " convenient piece at the fishing-place on Onondaga River, three miles below where it issues from Oneida Lake." The considera- tion to the Onondagas was a thousand French crowns in money, 200 pounds (New York currency, equal to about $500) in clothing, and 500 pounds annually forever To the Oneidas it was $2,000 in cash, $3,000 in goods, provisions, etc., $500 towards building mills, and $600 in sil- ver annually thereafter. The lands thus acquired by the State, and ly- ing within the present boundaries of Oswego county, were soon divided into what are still known as the Military Tract, Scriba's Patent, and the Boylston Tract.

On June 22, 1791, Alexander Macomb, on behalf of himself and two or three associates (probably Daniel McCormick and William Consta- ble), applied to the Commissioners of the Land Office for the purchase of nearly 4,000,000 acres, a comparatively small part of which was in what is now Oswego county. The southwestern boundary of the im- mense tract ran southeasterly from the mouth of Salmon River to the present southwest corner of Lewis county, thus enclosing the present towns of Redfield, Boylston, Orwell, Sandy Creek, and a part of Rich - land. (See outline map accompanying.) The price was eight pence per acre. A sale was effected, and on the 10th of January, 1792, nearly

1 Partly condensed from the Natural History of New York.

THE SCRIBA PATENT.

2,000,000 acres were transferred by patent to Macomb. He became embarrassed, and the following June sold the whole tract to Constable, who went at once to Paris, France, to sell the land. There the " Cas- torland Company " was organized for the purchase of a large tract in Jefferson and Lewis counties. In the same year Constable sold to Sam- uel Ward over 1,000,000 acres, including the Oswego lands in question, who immediately transferred to Thomas Boylston, of Boston, a tract of 800,000 acres, also including the Oswego county tract. This gave us the name "Boylston Tract." A few years later Boylston reconveyed the Oswego tract to Constable, but not until he had had it surveyed into townships,1 to which he gave names, all of which were subsequently dropped excepting one. Township No. 12, was called Redfield, and now constitutes the south part of the town of that name. No. 7, now constitut- ing the north part of that town, was called Arcadia. No. 6, now Boyl- 'ston, was named Campania. No. IT, now Orwell, was called Longinus ; and No. 10, comprising the present town of Sandy Creek, the north part of Richland, and a corner of Albion, was burdened with the name Rhad- amant.

Constable gave his brother James power of attorney to sell the lands March 16, 1798. The former died May 22, 1803, and about fifteen years later the unsold portions were conveyed to individual proprietors.

The Scriba Patent .- Soon after Macomb made his application, John and Nicholas Roosevelt of New York city applied to the commissioners for the purchase of the land lying between Oneida Lake and River, Os- wego River, Lake Ontario, Macomb's Purchase, and Oothout's Patent, for which they offered three shillings and one penny per acre. The terms were accepted.

The Roosevelts procured a survey of the tract to be made by James Cockburn, under direction of his brother, William Cockburn, an emi- nent surveyor of Kingston, N. Y.

Johnson, in his History of Oswego County (p. 45), thus refers to this survey :

With the necessary assistants James Cockburn passed down the north shore of Oneida Lake, and followed all the windings of the. Oneida and Oswego Rivers, con-

1 The reader is cautioned to distinguish between the old survey townships, and the more mod- ern political towns.

LANDMARKS OF OSWEGO COUNTY.

stantly measuring distances and taking angles. Arriving at Oswego he applied to the commander to let him run his line to the mouth of the river. But the officer refused to let him come within range of the guns of the fort. So he was obliged to make an offset and strike the lake east of the fort, though he managed to take several observations by means of the flag-staff. The fort, which then mounted only four carriage guns, was garrisoned by a company of Royal Americans and a few artillerists. There were no inhabitants outside of the fort, and a British custom-house officer exercised his func- tions as coolly as if the territory belonged to King George III.

The work was completed, and a map made under the name of "The Roosevelt Purchase."

On the 7th of April, 1792, the Roosevelts sold their contract to George Frederick William Augustus Scriba, a native of Holland, and then a merchant of New York city, a man whose name has ever since been intimately associated with that tract and with the early history of Os- wego county.

Mr. Scriba received his patent in December, 1794, the land conveyed as stated in the patent being 499, 135 acres. The following is a copy of this important instrument :

" The People of the State of New York by the Grace of God free and independent, To all to whom these presents shall come Greeting. Know ye that we have given granted and confirmed and by these presents do give grant and confirm unto George Scriba : All that certain tract of land Situate in the county of Herkimer, Beginning at the Northwest corner of a tract of land granted to Jelles Fonda at a marked beech tree standing on the Northeast bank of the Canada Creek which empties into Wood Creek and running thence north one degree west six hundred and forty chains to the Northwest corner of a tract of land granted to Henry Oothoudt at a stake standing eight links northwest from a beech sapling marked A. M. R. then north sixty-eight de- grees and fifty minutes west two thousand and eight hundred chains to the mouth of Salmon River where it empties into Lake Ontario; then up along the shore of the said Lake Ontario to the mouth of the Oswego or Onondaga River where it empties into the said Lake; then up along the said river to a tract of two hundred acres of land granted to John Tayler ; then along the north and east bounds thereof to a tract of four hundred and forty acres of land granted to Frederick Cluet; then along the north and east bounds thereof to a tract of two hundred acres of land granted to Gerret New- kerk; then along the east and south bounds thereof to a tract of two hundred acres of land granted to Coonradt Steen; then along the east bounds thereof to a tract of one thousand four hundred and forty acres of land granted to Gerret A. Van Wagenen ; then along the north and east bounds thereof to a tract of eleven hundred acres of land granted to Charles Newkerk; then along the north east and south bounds thereof to the said Oswego or Onondaga River; then up along the same to a tract of three hun- dred and fifty acres of land granted to Steven Lusk ; then along the northwest and

THE SCRIBA PATENT.

northeast bounds thereof to a tract of twelve hundred acres of land granted to Ezra L'Hommedieu; then along the northwest northeast and southeast bounds thereof to a tract of one thousand acres of land granted to the said Ezra L'Hommedieu; then along the north bounds thereof to the said Oswego or Onondaga River; then up along the same to a tract of two thousand and two hundred acres of land granted to the said Ezra L'Hommedieu ; then along the westerly and Northerly bounds thereof to the Northwest corner of a tract of two thousand five hundred and sixty acres of land granted to the said Ezra L'Hommedieu ; then along the Northerly and easterly bounds thereof and the easterly bounds of a tract of four hundred acres of land granted to Barent I. Staats, to the outlet of the Oneida Lake; then up along the northerly shore thereof to the mouth of Wood Creek; then up along the same to the mouth of the said Canada Creek; then up the same to the place of beginning; excepting and reserving three tracts of one half mile square each along the northern bank of the said Oneida Lake and one half mile in breadth of the land on each side of the Fish Creek as the same have been reserved in the deed of Cession from the Oneida nation of Indians to the people of the State of New York dated the twenty-second day of September in the year one thousand seven hundred and eighty-eight ;' excepting and reserving also a tract of land adjoining said Lake Ontario where the said Oswego or Onondaga River falls into the said lake begin- ning at the mouth of the said river on the north side thereof and running thence up along the same as it runs one mile then northerly one mile with a line perpendicular to the General course of the said River within the said mile, then westerly with the said General course to Lake Ontario and then southerly along said Lake to the place of be- ginning as the same has been reserved by an act of the Legislature passed the 11th of May, 1784, the said first mentioned tract containing exclusive of the said exceptions and reservations four hundred and ninety-nine thousand one hundred and thirty-five acres together with all and singular the rights hereditaments and appurtenances to the same belonging or in any wise appertaining excepting and reserving to ourselves all Gold and Silver mines and five acres of every hundred acres of the said tract of land for high- ways. To have and to hold the above described and granted premises unto the said George Scriba his heirs and assigns as a good and indefeasible estate of inheritance for- ever, On condition nevertheless that within the term of seven years to be computed from the date hereof there shall be one family actually settled on the said tract of land hereby granted for every six hundred and forty acres thereof otherwise these our letters patent and the estate hereby granted shall cease determine and become void. In testimony whereof we have caused these our letters to be made patent and the great seal of our said State to be hereunto affixed .. Witness our trusty and well beloved George Clinton, Esq., Governor of our said State, General and Commander in chief of all the Militia and Admiral of the Navy of the same, at our city of New York this twelfth day of December in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety-four and in the Nineteenth year of our independence.

GEO. CLINTON.

Approved of by the commissioners of the land office and passed the Secretary's office the 12th day of December, 1794.

LEWIS A. SCOT, Secy.

LANDMARKS OF OSWEGO COUNTY.

Before receiving the patent the tract had been resurveyed for Mr. Scriba by Benjamin Wright, and divided into twenty-four townships, which were also subdivided into lots. Eight of the townships, num- bered 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9 and 10, are now a part of Oneida county ; the remainder are in Oswego county.

These townships received from proprietors names, most of which are now obsolete, and are now found only in early deeds, as follows :

I. Fulda, Ava, Lee, and Annsville. In Oneida county.

2. Munden, Lee and Rome. In Oneida county.

3. Solingen, Annsville.

In Oneida county.

4. Florence, Florence.

In Oneida county.

5. Franklin, Williamstown.

6. Middleburgh, Amboy.

7. Linley, Camden.

In Oneida county.

8. Bloomfield, Lee and Annsville.

In Oneida county.

9. Embden, Vienna.

In Oneida county.

IO. Edam,

Vienna.

In Oneida county.

II Rotterdam, Constantia.

12 Delft,

West Monroe.

13. Breda, Hastings.

14. Brugen, Palermo.

15. Mentz, Volney.

16. Georgia, Schroeppel.

17. Fredericksburgh, Scriba and Volney.

18. Oswego, Scriba and Oswego city.

19. Vera Cruz, New Haven.

20 Mexico, Mexico.

2I. Richland, Richland.

22. Alkmaer, Albion.

23. Strasburgh, Parish.

24. Erlang, Schroeppel.

At the time of Mr. Scriba's purchase he was a wealthy man, his fortune being estimated at $1,500,000; but the whole of it was swallowed up in his efforts to promote the interests of his settlements in Oswego county. He died, and was buried in Constantia, August 14, 1836, at the age of eighty-four.

THE HAMILTON GORE.

Jacob Marks and Peter Curtenius were each interested in the original Roosevelt Contract, and each had paid to the State his share of the pur- chase money. Scriba, on receiving his patent, deeded to each his share of the land.

The deed to Marks was dated January 6, 1795, and conveyed town - ships 21 and 15 with 7,551 acres at the north end of township 17, now in Oswego county, and townships 9 and 10 (with some exceptions), now in Oneida county. The whole amount conveyed was 75,310 acres.

The deed to Curtenius was dated January 20, 1795, and conveyed township 22, containing 27,065 acres, with 8,974 acres in township 14, and 3,056 acres in township II, all in Oswego county.

Marks, on the 8th of January, 1795, mortgaged for $70,000, to Robert Gilchrist, the land conveyed to him by Scriba; the title to which, by foreclosure of the mortgage, passed, August 2, 1802, to John Lawrence, then recently United States senator from New York, who took title for himself and for his associates, Alexander Hamilton and John B. Church, the latter a brother-in law of Hamilton.

On the 28th of June, 1804, Messrs. Lawrence, Hamilton and Church, by a tri-partite deed, divided the whole property in severalty among themselves, except lots I and 2 in Hamilton Gore and lot 105 in town- ship 9, which continued to be held jointly. A melancholy interest at- taches to this tri-partite deed, since it was one of the "arrangements respecting my own affairs " for which Hamilton asked a "little time," after receiving the challenge of Burr and before the fatal meeting of July II, 1804.

Since that time the 7,55 I acres at the north end of township No. 17, conveyed by Scriba to Marks, have been known as Hamilton Gore, a map of which is herewith given.

Lots I and 2 of the Gore, which adjoined on the south the State reser- vation on the east side of Oswego River at its mouth, and are now a part of Oswego city, are known as the Hamilton Tract, and were sur- veyed in 1825 by Joseph Lamb, and divided into thirty-two subdivi- sions, which were divided among the heirs of the original proprietors.

In 1838 these subdivisions were divided into building lots by S. A. Beers, whose map of the tract, with Joseph Lamb's survey and map, are matters of constant reference.

PLAN OF HAMILTON'S GORE IN 17th Township Scriba's Patent, NY.

By B Wright

37,

3 3

River

Oswego

Lake Ontario

E O

Reservation

4.5

Town Line

Towo Line

MISCELLANEOUS TRACTS.

The Scriba Patent was divided into many lesser tracts and subdivisions before it finally reached individuals who purchased for occupation rather than speculation.

April 15, 1805, Scriba sold to Richard Stockton and Joseph Bloom- field, for $16,040.50, eighteen lots-9, 166 acres-in the northeast corner of township 23, now Parish.

October II, 1805, the lots were divided, Bloomfield taking the east half and Stockton the remainder. They are known as the Bloomfield Tract and the Stockton Tract.

In 1796 William Henderson became the owner of 2, I IO acres in town - ship 14 (Palermo), yet known as the Henderson Tract.

Prior to 1816 Thomas L. and David B. Ogden got title from Scriba to lots I to 48, both inclusive, 6,956 acres, the north part of township 12 (West Monroe), which they sold in 1816 and 1817 for $6,359, to Francis De Pau, from whom the same has since been know as the De Pau Tract.

In 1817 Stephen B. Munn bought for $1 an acre, 3,394 acres of land in township 12, immediately south of the De Pau Tract. Frederick De Puyster became interested in the purchase, which has since been known as the Munn and De Puyster Tract.

John I. De Graff, for $4,012.22, bought 3, 150 acres, the southwestern part of township 12 (West Monroe), since known as the De Graff Tract.

October 19, 1820, Samuel Jones, as trustee, conveyed to James I. Roosevelt 9,534 acres in township 13 (Hastings), and 10,666} acres in township II (Constantia), the latter since known as the Roosevelt Tract.

The definite location of all these tracts is shown on the Blankman county map of 1889.

Besides the foregoing there were numerous "locations" in various parts of the county. Among the more important of these may be given what is still known as Scriba's Location, in Constantia, which contained about 7,147 acres; Lush's Location, in the town of Schroeppel, between the river on the south and Brandy Brook on the north and east, and west of Phoenix, about 350 acres; L'Hommedieu's Location, also in Schroeppel, about 1,000 acres, in the southeast part of the town and reaching to the southeast part of Phoenix ; Harper's or Van Wagenen's Location, 1,440 acres, east and southeast of Fulton, and

LANDMARKS OF OSWEGO COUNTY.

including a large part of the village. L'Hommedieu had also a first and a second location in the southern part of Hastings, the first containing 2,200 acres, and the second 2,560 acres. The Newkerk Location, in Volney, near the southeast corner on the river, contained 1, 100 acres. The Phoenix Patent of 1,200 acres lies on the north, northeast and northwest of Phoenix village.

Lot No. 6 of the Military tract, now forming the western portion of the city, had been a subject of legal warfare in the courts ever since its being granted by the Land Commissioners. Martin Van Buren was the counsel for one of the claimants, and Moses J. Cantine, his brother- in-law, was the attorney. In 1822 the contest was at length decided in favor of Mr. Van Buren's client. The tract was not then very valuable, and the expenses of litigation had been such as to more than equal what the land was worth. The title was accordingly transferred, through Mr. Cantine, to Mr. Van Buren in payment for his services. The land in question has ever since been known as the Van Buren Tract. It is now probably worth more than a thousand times what the counselor would have charged for his services in 1822.

The Military Tract .-- As that part of Oswego county lying to the west of Oswego River was a part of the old Military Tract, it is essential that a brief sketch of that peculiar territorial division of the State should have a place in these pages.

On the 16th of September, 1776, while war measures were under consideration in Congress, the following resolutions were adopted :

That eighty-eight battalions be enlisted as soon as possible, to serve during the present war ; and that each State furnish their respective quotas in the following proportions, viz .: (the quota of New York was four battalions ; those of other States need not be given here).

That twenty dollars be given as a bounty to each non-commissioned officer and private soldier who shall enlist to serve during the present war, unless sooner discharged by Congress. .

That Congress make provision for granting lands in the following proportions to officers and soldiers, who shall so engage in the service, and continue therein until the close of the war, or until discharged by Congress, and to the representatives of such officers and soldiers as shall be slain by the enemy.

Such lands to be provided by the United States; and whatever expenses as shall be necessary to procure such lands, the said expenses shall be borne by the States in the same proportion as the other expenses of the war, viz .: to a Colonel, 500 acres; to a Lieutenant-Colonel, 450 acres; to a Major, 400 acres; to a Captain, 300 acres ; to a

THE MILITARY TRACT.

Lieutenant, 200 acres ; to an Ensign, 150 acres; to each non-commissioned officer and soldier, 100 acres.

By an act of the 12th of August, 1780, Congress also made provision for land bounties to major-generals, 1,100 acres, and to brigadier- generals, 850 acres. .

On the 20th of March, 1781, and 23d of March, 1782, the State Leg- islature passed acts which further provided for the raising of troops to complete the "line " of this State in the United States service, and for two regiments to be raised on bounties of lands, for the further defense of the frontiers of the State. The lands granted by these last mentioned acts were known as "gratuity lands," and those granted by the previous action of the United States government were known as "bounty lands."

On July 25, 1782, an act was passed, the provisions of which fixed the boundaries of the Military Tract and definitely applied it to the pur- pose in question. The act reads :

Whereas, Congress have, by several of their acts declared that certain quantities of land should at the termination of the present war with Great Britain, be granted to the persons respectively described in such acts, officers and soldiers in the army of the United States, and

Whereas, the legislature of this State are inclined to make provision to carry into effect the said acts of Congress at a future day, so far as they respect officers and sol- diers in the army of the United States, who have a right to such grants from this State;

I. Be it therefore enacted by the people of the State of New York represented in Senate and Assembly, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same ;

That all the lands situate, lying and being in the county of Tryon, bounded on the north by Lake Ontario, the Onondago River and the Oneida Lake, on the west by a line drawn from the mouth of the Great Sodus or Asorodus creek, thro' the most westerly inclination of the Senica Lake, on the south by an east and west, line drawn thro' the most southerly inclination of the Senica Lake, and on the east by a line drawn from the most westerly boundary of the Oneida or Tuscarora country on the Oneida Lake thro' the most westerly inclination of the west bounds of the Oneida or Tuscarora country ; shall be and the same is hereby declared to be set apart and assigned for the purpose of making grants to major-generals and brigadier-generals, who, at the time of their enter- ing the service were inhabitants of this State, and to the troops of this State serving in the army of the United States, and their legal representatives, agreeable to any acts of Congress heretofore published and declared, or any law or laws hereafter to be passed by the legislature of this State, and to such other persons as the legislature may here- after deem it necessary to provide for by gratuities in land, on account of their military services in the army of the United States. 3

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Landmarks of Oswego County, New York, Part 2

Author: Churchill, John Charles, 1821-1905; Smith, H. P. (Henry Perry), 1839-1925; Child, W. Stanley Publication date: 1895 Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason Number of Pages: 1410

Author: Churchill, John Charles, 1821-1905; Smith, H. P. (Henry Perry), 1839-1925; Child, W. Stanley
Publication date: 1895
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason
Number of Pages: 1410