Landmarks of Oswego County, New York, Part 56

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 56

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North Hannibal was formerly called Wheeler's Corners. A post- office was established there in 1867 with John Farnham postmaster. He was succeeded in 1872 by John A. Cox, who was followed in 1873 by M. H. Cox. The latter held the office several years and at the same time conducted a store which he erected in 1865. The present incumbent is George Farnham, who succeeded Rufus Day.

South Hannibal post-office was established prior to 1866. The present postmaster is Edwin Wilcox; a former incumbent was I. H. Meeker. The hamlet is locally known as Hull's Corners.

Fairdale, in the eastern part of the town, has a post-office with Will- iam Gallagher as postmaster, his predecessor being J. A. Barrus.

Kinney's Four Corners, so named from the Kinney family previously

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mentioned, is a post office in the northwest corner of the town. Mrs. Alice Eaton is postmistress. Willis Wiltsie, and before him Mrs. Eliza Shutts formerly held the position.

Churches .- The earliest religious services in this town were held in the little log school house that was built in Hannibal village in 1810. For several years this rude structure performed a double duty, as did also its successor. December 4, 1816, the Presbyterian church of Hannibal was organized by Revs. David R. Dixon and Henry Smith, with eleven members, viz .: Alexander M. and Trumbull Kent, William Grant, Cephas S. Kent, Polly Rice, Barzaleel Worster, Laura Kent, Betsey Curtis, Phoebe Fellows, Marilla Stevenson, and Betsey Worster. Cephas S. Kent was the first deacon and Alexander M. Kent the first clerk. This society not only has the distinction of being the first regu- lar religious organization in the town, but also has the honor, conjointly with the Masonic fraternity, who occupied the second floor as a lodge room, of building the first house of worship. This was in 1826, and the edifice cost $2,000 In 1860 the present frame structure was erected at an expense of $4,000. February 20, 1822, the society changed its form of worship to Congregational, and adhered to that faith until July 25, 1870, when Presbyterianism was again adopted. Among the earlier pastors were Revs. John Alexander, William Clark, Martin Powell, William P. Ells, James T. Hough, Lemuel Dady, Ed- ward Reynolds, John N. Hubbard, and others. The present pastor (1894) is Rev. Duncan McPhie. The ruling elders are Albert F. Allen, Eliab Scott, and Isaac H, Peckham.

The Baptist Church of Hannibal had its beginning in the Baptist Church of Sterling, which was organized early in the year 1817. Among the members were John and Sarah Lake, Amos and Annie Wiltsie, Mr. and Mrs. Wilmouth, Mary Dumass, Mrs. Esther Devine, and Mrs. Joshua Lake. No regular pastor was had until the organiza- tion was changed to the Sterling and Hannibal Baptist Church in 1825, when Rev. Mr. Carpenter was installed. Subsequently the present name was adopted. In 1827 a frame house of worship, 36 by 40 feet in size, was erected at a cost of $2,200. About 1865 it was extensively repaired, the expense being about $1,000. The society has about ninety-three members and property valued at $3,000. The Sunday

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THE TOWN OF HANNIBAL.

school consists of 100 officers and scholars with A. H. Lund as super- intendent. The church clerk is J. S. Stevenson. At present the society is without a pastor, the last one being Rev. Mr. Woodbury, who left in December, 1893.

The Methodist Episcopal Church of Hannibal was originally a part of the Granby circuit. A class was formed in 1835 and on February 26, 1839, the society was duly organized, the certificate of incorporation being filed in the county clerk's office March 13. There were twenty- five constituent members with Rev. John Whitcomb as pastor. From 1840 to 1842 Rev. Benjamin F. Brown officiated as minister in charge and conducted a series of fruitful revivals, the result being the erection in 1841 of a handsome brick edifice at a cost of $1,150. In 1864, under the pastorate of Rev. H. Skeel, about one-third of this structure was removed and a new church built on the front of the remainder, the entire cost of the two buildings and lot being about $9,000. The pastor is Rev. Jabez Stallwood, who was installed in April, 1893, his predecessor being Rev. B. D. Brown. The society has about 220 members, property valued ot $11,000 (including two churches and two parsonages), and two Sunday schools with an average attendance of 130 scholars. Connected with this charge is the M. E. Church at Hannibal Center, which was organized as a class as early as 1830 with James A. Brackett as leader. A church edifice was erected about 1862.

The Methodist Episcopal Church of South Hannibal was built about 1860, and is valued at $2,000. The society has forty five or fifty members, with Rev. Charles L. Peck as supply. The Sunday school has an average attendance of forty scholars.

The Baptist Church of South Hannibal was organized on the 7th of August, 1851, with fourteen members. The first deacon was John Chapman. The first clerk was J. B. Chapman. Their church edifice was built in 1851-2 and dedicated May 7, 1852.

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LANDMARKS OF OSWEGO COUNTY.

CHAPTER XXIV.

THE TOWN OF HASTINGS.

The town of Hastings, the thirteenth survey-township of Scriba's patent, was set off from Constantia on the 20th of April, 1825. It was originally called " Breda " by the patentee, George Scriba, from a town and fortress in the province of North Brabant, Netherlands, twenty-six miles southeast of Rotterdam, his native place. Upon its civil forma- tion it took by common consent the name of Hastings, from Hastings Curtiss, its most distinguished citizen, a name which it has ever since borne. Mr. Scriba conveyed the title of the entire town to Arent P. Schuyler, who transferred it to Philip A. Schuyler, who in turn con- veyed it to Jacob Mark. On April 15, 1800, Mr. Mark conveyed the title of three-fourths of the tract, or 22, 546 acres, to Solomon Townsend and Samuel Jones as trustees ; one-half of this was subsequently trans- ferred to James I. Roosevelt. About a quarter of the whole town was finally conveyed to Gov. John Jay and another quarter to a Mr. Monroe. The subsequent transfers parceled the lands off in smaller tracts. In the south part of the town are two tracts known as the First and Second L'Hommedieu's Locations.

Hastings lies in the southern-central part of Oswego county and is bounded on the east by West Monroe ; on the south by Clay, Onon- daga county, with the Oneida River as the dividing line ; on the west by Schroeppel and Palermo; and on the north by Mexico and Parish. The surface is level or gently undulating 'and inclines mainly towards the south, the northern part being about seventy-five feet above Oneida Lake. The underlying rock is the Medina sandstone formation, which is frequently impregnated with strong brine. Several salt springs have been discovered, the principal one being in the Coit neighborhood. About 1825 a company was formed for the purpose of boring for salt and in the spring of 1865 a similar enterprise was projected, but both attempts failed to produce practical results. In the northwest part of

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the town is a small tamarack swamp in which is a large spring, com- monly called the " Bear's Wallow," extending to an unknown depth.

The soil is a clay, sand, and gravelly loam, and is generally well adapted to diversified farming. A heavy growth of timber originally covered the entire town, and in early days much of it was converted into ashes, which were manufactured into blacksalts or potash. The sale of these latter products was for several years the principal means of procuring money. As the little clearings increased in area agriculture became the leading industry. Wheat and other grains, fruit, corn, and potatoes were raised in abundance, while considerable attention was devoted to dairying and stock raising. More recently tobacco has been quite extensively cultivated, and hops, potatoes, hay, and apples are grown and shipped in considerable quantities. The leading industry, however, is dairying, which dates its development from about 1860. There are four cheese factories in the town, one each at Hastings, Cen- tral Square, Mallory, and Caughdenoy.

Lumbering for many years constituted an important industry, giving existence to numerous saw mills and other kindred establishments and employment to scores of workmen. The manufacture of barrels for the Syracuse salt market and Oswego flour trade was also extensively pros- ecuted. In 1860 there were eighteen saw mills in active operation ; at present there are only five, viz .: two at Mallory and one each at Carley, Bardeen's Corners, and Crippen's Pond.

The principal water course of the town is Oneida River, which forms its southern boundary. Other streams are Crippen Creek, Rose Creek, Shanty Creek, and South Branch Creek. These afford excellent drain- age and formerly contributed several mill privileges.

On account of the imperfect condition of the earliest town records it is impossible to ascertain the exact date on which the first roads in Hastings were laid out. It is known, however, that many of the sur- veys were made between 1815 and 1830. On April 12, 1844, the Salina and Central Square Plank Road Company was incorporated with a capital of $50,000, and with William D. Bennett as president and Richard Adams as secretary. The road was completed from Salina, Onondaga county, to Central Square in 1846, and was the first plank road in the United States. In 1848 it was extended through the town

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LANDMARKS OF OSWEGO COUNTY.

under the name of the Central plank road, with John Becker as presi- dent and Peter Devendorf as secretary. This was originally a State road leading from the fort at Onondaga to Sackett's Harbor. In 1848 the Central Square and Pine Hill Plank Road Company was chartered with a capital of $25,000; in 1851 the road was extended to Fulton by the Fulton and Central Square Plank Road Company, of which Sands N Kenyon was the president and John J. Wolcott secretary. In 1849- 50 the Oswego and Hastings Center plank road was constructed. These thoroughfares long enjoyed an extensive patronage, but finally an era of decline forced them into disuse as plank roads and about 1873 the worn out planks were removed and the toll gates abandoned. As late as 1860 a daily line of stages was maintained from Pulaski through Central Square to Syracuse. There are now seventy road districts in the town.

. Prior to 1824 the mode of crossing the Oneida River at Fort Brewer- ton was by ferry. On March 16 of that year the Fort Brewerton Bridge Company was incorporated for the purpose of constructing a toll bridge " at the spot where the State road leading from Salina to Sackett's Harbor intersects the outlet of Oneida Lake." This bridge was fre- quently repaired and finally rebuilt. In 1882 the State appropriated $5,000 for the purpose of aiding the counties of Onondaga and Oswego in converting a section of the structure into a draw-bridge. A bridge was built at an early day across the Oneida river opposite Caughdenoy, and on May 6, 1872, the Legislature authorized its reconstruction at a cost not to exceed $10,000, two-thirds of which was to be defrayed by the counties of Oswego and Onondaga and one- sixth each by the towns of Hastings and Clay. John Youmans and Robert T. Sumner were ap- pointed commissioners for the purpose.

The Oneida River at the foot of the lake was a famous crossing place of the great north and south trail leading from the mouth of Salmon River to the Onondaga country. and was also a favorite fishing ground of the Onondaga Indians, who had a fishing village here called Tech- iroguen. Le Moyne mentions it in 1654 as being on the south side of the river, while on a map of Charlevoix, published in 1744, it is located on the north bank. On the north side east of the old plank road, in this town, is a mound which must have been the sepulchre of

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THE TOWN OF HASTINGS.

thousands of human beings. Relics of war and human bones have been found there in large quantities. In 1759 a fort was built there by the English and named Fort Brewerton in honor of Captain Brewerton, an active and meritorious officer of that period. It stood a short distance northwest of the subsequent Fort Brewerton Hotel. It was garrisoned and used as a military depot until 1762, and during Pontiac's war it was again occupied for the same purpose. A quarter of a mile east a mole of huge rocks was built some ten rods out into the river, on the end of which was a sentry box, where a sentinel was placed to watch for enemies. About thirty rods east of the fort was a magazine, the two being connected by a tunnel. When the French abandoned the the place to go to the rescue of Quebec they sunk their cannon in a swamp near by, as the heavy pieces were too cumbersome to admit of being hauled over the wooded roads. The fort was then left to decay. The one hundredth anniversary of the place was celebrated with military honors on September 30, 1859.

The first town meeting was held in the Hastings Curtiss Hotel in Central Square on March 7, 1826, more than a year after the town was legally erected. The officers elected on that day were as follows :

Hastings Curtiss, supervisor ; Nicholas I. Roosevelt, town clerk; William Ford, Rus- sell Ford, and Myron Stevens, assessors; William Ford and Rollin Blunt, overseers of the poor; Rollin Blunt, Horatio Vickery, and Russell Ford, highway commissioners ; William Ford, Russell Ford, and Rollin Blunt, commissioners of common schools ; Daniel Webster, Rollin Blunt, and Nicholas I. Roosevelt, inspectors of common schools ; William Ford, collector ; George Benedict, Heman Tanner, and Alonzo Rosebreaks, constables.

The supervisors of Hastings have been :

Hastings Curtiss, 1826-28; Gilson Dykeman, 1829-32; Russell Fitch, jr., 1833-34 ; Peter Devendorf, 1835-43; Thomas Warner, 1844-45; Peter Devendorf, 1846; James J. Coit, 1847-48; Peter Devendorf, 1849; Gaston G. Curtiss, 1850-52; George Camp- bell, 1853-54 ; Peter Devendorf, 1855; Charles Breed, 1856 ; Henry Emmons, 1857-58; William H. Rice, 1859-60; George Campbell, 1861; T. Wells Green, 1862-65; Will- iam C. Hanchett, 1866; Robert Elliott, 1867-68; Oscar Beebe, 1869-70; Avery T. Low, 1871-72; Charles E. Coville, 1873-74; Thomas W. Green, 1875; Oscar Beebe, 1876; George W. Woodin, 1877; George P. Elliott, 1878-84; John Hamilton, 1885-86; George P. Elliott, 1887-88; Jared Mallory, 1889-91; Jefferson F. Hopkins, 1892-95.

The town officers for 1894-5 were as follows :

Jefferson F. Hopkins, supervisor; Louis H. Traub, town clerk; William Church, Nor- 70

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man L. Wilson, James A. Ure, and E. G. Gale, justices of the peace ; Philip Waterbury, Jason Kenyon, and Philip J. Metzger, assessors; Freeman Farrar, overseer of the poor ; Wallace Coville, collector; James Penfield, commissioner of highways.

The first settlement in the town of Hastings was likewise the first in Oswego county, the pioneer being Oliver Stevens, who came to the abandoned Fort Brewerton in 1789, built a rude log house, and began trading with the Indians. He also kept a tavern for the accommodation of the numerous lake and river boatmen. He had many exciting adven- tures and some thrilling escapes from wild beasts and savages. The latter appeared so dangerous that he applied for and obtained authority from Governor Clinton in 1794 to build a block house at the expense of the State. The fort at this time was rapidly going to decay. The block house was erected on the site of the subsequent Fort Brewerton House and remained standing until a comparatively late day. It was inclosed with log pickets about twelve feet high and surrounded by a trench, and on the side facing the river a substantial gateway was built. It had no connection with the old fort, as many have erroneously sup- posed, but was used as a depository for arms and munitions of war and afterward as a dwelling until 1811. After Mr. Stevens vacated the structure for a more convenient residence in the vicinity, the govern- ment allowed it to go to decay, and until its final destruction it served as the temporary home of various early comers. Mr. Stevens was ap. pointed the first clerk of the great town of Mexico in 1797. The death of his son Horatio in 1792 was the first death, and the birth of another son, John L., in 1802, was the first birth in the present limits of Hastings. John L. Stevens was a side judge and justice of the peace in Onondaga county for many years and died in 1874.

In 1791 Major Ryal Bingham leased some land of a Mr. Kaats and settled near the fort, but removed about two years later to Three River Point. The only other settler of that decade was Brainerd Emmons, who arrived in 1797 and for a time occupied the old block-house. Soon afterward Benjamin Emmons, who lived on the south side of the river, established a ferry and managed it for more than twenty years.

These three men, Stevens, Bingham and Emmons, with their families, were the sole occupants of the town prior to the close of the eighteenth century. Even during the first decade of this century few settlers

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THE TOWN OF HASTINGS.

arrived, but throughout all this period there were many transients, principally boatmen and hunters. Timothy Vickery came at an early day to Fort Brewerton and in 1806 his daughter Betsey married Silas Bellows, which was the first marriage in Hastings. Mr. Vickery afterwards became proprietor of the "Block-House Hotel" and re- mained in charge until 1820.

In 1808 Jonathan Parkhurst, a Revolutionary soldier from Vermont, located at the intersection of the military road from Rome to Oswego and the salt road from Salina to Watertown, where he engaged in lum- bering. In June, 1812, he ran a raft into Quebec, and the war having broken out it was confiscated by the British, who gave him and his men three days to leave their territory. Returning home he enlisted and was first a captain and finally a colonel of militia. He was one of the first collectors of the original town of Mexico. His son Gilbert kept tavern several years and in 1832 built the first hotel in Hastings Center, where he died. William P. Parkhurst, a brother of Jonathan, is still living in the town.

Solomon Allen located on lot 26, east of Central Square, in 1809, and died while on his way to Florida in 1875, aged ninety years. His daughter married Gaston G. Curtiss. Other early settlers were Myron Stevens on the river bank near Caughdenoy; Chester Loomis, who came from West Monroe and located at Central Square; and Jacob Rice.

Between 1810 and 1820 Elijah Goodspeed, William Ladd, Daniel Chappel, Rial Hoisington, Leonard Fuller, and others became residents of the town. Mr. Goodspeed located on lot 26 in 1815 and was the first blacksmith in Hastings. Mr. Ladd was accompanied by his brother and settled on the " Salt road " on lot 22 in 1817, at which time there were on that thoroughfare only two houses, both taverns, between Mexico and Fort Brewerton ; one was kept by a Mr. Briggs and the other at Central Square by Chester Loomis. Messrs. Chappel and Hoisington came about 1817 and made their homes on lot 22. Mr. Fuller located at Caughdenoy.

During the decade of 1820-1830 the population materially increased, prominent among the arrivals being Aaron Snow, Nicholas I. Roose- velt, Hastings Curtiss, Orris C. Orman, George L. Carley, Henry

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LANDMARKS OF OSWEGO COUNTY.

Waterbury, John H. Ostrum, Nicholas Keller, James J. Coit, Ambrose Hale, Thomas West, Shuber Button, Obadiah Cornell, Amos Burrows, 2d, Amos Jackson, Schooner Russell, Peter Carr, Robert Elliot, Benja- min Prescott, Dr. Chester Smedley, S. P. Munsel, Benjamin Mallory, John M. Case, and many others. Aaron Snow was a son-in-law of Major Solomon Waring, of Constantia, and came here in 1820. He sold his wheat and potatoes at that time for $2.50 per bushel. In 1822 he moved to Caughdenoy and in 1826 to the L'Hommedieu Location, where his son Leonard succeeded him on the homestead. Nicholas I. Roosevelt purchased the farm of Chester Loomis on lot 41, upon which two salt springs were early discovered and experiments made to pro. duce brine.

Hastings Curtiss became the first supervisor and was long a leading and influential citizen. He was a member of assembly in 1824, asso- ciate judge of the Common Pleas, and sheriff of the county from 1828 to 1831. He came to Central Square in 1820 and built and opened a store on the corner now occupied by the Fancher House. He erected the first brick building in town, a hotel, kept the first post-office, and was a member of the company that established the first line of stages between Watertown and Salina about 1825. He was identified with various enterprises in the town and county and actively promoted every worthy project.

Orris C. Orman located near the fort in 1820, and four years later Robert Orman settled near him ; the former purchased a farm of a Mr. Ray on Staat's location. George L. Carley came from Otsego county in 1822 and purchased 150 acres of James I. Roosevelt at $4 per acre, 50 acres of Mr. Monroe at $3, and 200 acres of David Parish at $1.50, the latter being in the town of Parish but adjoining the other tracts. In 1823 he moved his family here and built a saw mill on the south branch of Salmon Creek, which was burned in 1824. He rebuilt it and added a carding machine, which was managed by George Benedict about ten years. Afterward he erected two other saw mills there, and from him the place derived the name of Carley's Mills. Henry Waterbury re- moved with his family from Rensselaer county and settled at the head of the rapids near Caughdenoy in February, 1823, and the same year Nicholas Kellar located on lot 44, where he built the first house on the

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THE TOWN OF HASTINGS.

Fulton road west of Central Square. On this lot T. Paine was also an early settler. John H. Ostrum located in 1823 on a farm on lot II, for which he paid the Roosevelts $3 per acre ; his son, S. P. Ostrum, suc - ceeded to the homestead.

James J. Coit, another very prominent citizen of early times, came from Connecticut in 1823 and located on lot 26, where he remained for forty-nine years and reared a family of eleven children. He was a member of assembly in 1860, and for over thirty years held office unin- terruptedly, serving as supervisor, school commissioner, justice of the peace and assessor. He taught the first school in Central Square in the winter of 1824-25, and his wife the first in district No. 7. Ten of his children and both of his wives were teachers in public schools or sem- inaries. He was agent for Gov. John Jay's estate in this town from 1827 until the business was closed up some twenty-five years ago.

Ambrose Hale, Thomas West and Shuber Button located on lot 25, and Obadiah Cornell, Amos Burrows, 2d, Amos Jackson and Schooner Russell on lot 26, all as early as 1824. Deacon Amos Burrows died November 15, 1884.

Robert Elliott settled 'on lot 41 in 1824, moving into a part of the house occupied by Nicholas I. Roosevelt in Central Square. He was born in England, February 2, 1802, and came with his father, Joseph S., to Philadelphia, Pa., in 1822. In 1825 he built a wagon shop and dwelling combined, which stood on the site of the present residence of Samuel Sweet, and made wagons, sleds, carts, ox-yokes, etc., doing all the work himself from cutting down the tree to manufacturing the goods. He made the first vehicle, called the "old mud wagon," that carried mail over the old Salt road, and in his shop was also made the first stage coach used on the line between Watertown and Syracuse. This old structure was removed some time ago to Factory street and is now occupied as a tenement. Mr. Elliott also built a saw mill, which was burned after two years' use, and on the site he erected a tannery, which he conducted for a quarter of a century, and which was torn down recently to make room for the barns of his son George P. He held several public offices, supervisor, justice of the peace, assembly- man in 1859, and associate judge of the Common Pleas. He was land agent for the Roosevelt estate in Hastings until 1875, when he pur-

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chased the unsold territory. He was long a deacon of the Baptist Church, was married three times and had nine children, of whom the only survivor is George P. He died here May 6, 1894.

Peter Carr settled on lot 5 in 1825 and raised a family of nine chil- dren. Benjamin Prescott located on lot I and Dr. Chester Smedley on the L'Hommedieu Location in 1826. The farm of Mr. Prescott was noticeable for having upon it a miniature prairie of about four acres. Dr. Smedley came from Connecticut and was accompanied by his son Ephraim. He practiced as a physician for over thirty years and died in 1862 aged eighty-one. S. P. Munsel and Benjamin Mallory arrived in 1817; the former located on lot 43 and the latter on lot 27. Mr. Munsel's farm was on the Fulton road in what was then called the eight-mile woods, and it is related of him that he once chopped an acre of heavy timber for a bushel of corn, a log chain, and his board while doing the work. Mr. Mallory, soon after his settlement, married a young wife and brought her to his pioneer home, where he lived for forty years, when he moved to Central Square and died there in 1877. John M. Case located on lot 27 in 1829.

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Landmarks of Oswego County, New York, Part 56

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