Landmarks of Oswego County, New York, Part 57

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 57

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).

Among other pioneers of the town were two men named Hall and Patterson on the river bank near Caughdenoy; Bishop Hoyt, Alvin Briggs, and Messrs. Tiffany and Daggett on lot 23; John Young and John Klock on lot 43; John Jackson, who died August 11, 1877 ; Charles Coon, who died in 1844; Deacon Joseph Perrine, who came in 1826 and died June 30, 1861 ; and Richard E. Sill, a merchant, who settled here in 1828 and died April 7, 1889.

From 1830 to 1840 Hon. Peter Devendorf, Henry Myers, William Caldwell, Lyman Anderson, Dr. D. L. Drake, Dr. H. D. Drake, B. G. Lewis, Jared Mallory, John Youmans, and others became residents of the town. Hon. Peter Devendorf arrived in 1831 and settled on lot IO. He was one of the leading and influential men and served as justice of the peace about twenty years, was supervisor many terms and frequently chairman of the board, and was member of assembly in 1841 and 1842. He died in July, 1867. His son, Rudolph H., died at Central Square in January, 1894, aged sixty - three. Another son, H. C., is a prominent citizen and long time merchant of that village, and was a major of the IIOth New York Volunteers Regiment in the

559

THE TOWN OF HASTINGS.

Rebellion. Henry Myers came to Hastings about 1832 ; his son Jacob was a captain in the war of 1812 and died in Mexico in 1860. William Caldwell settled on the old Curtis farm, now the Gunther place, two miles west of Central Square, in 1836, and died there in 1863. He had three sons : James, who died in Fulton in 1892 ; A. B., a prominent lawyer in Syracuse; and William, jr., who owns two stock farms in town, is prominently identified with the New York State Agricultural and various Holstein-Friesian Stock societies, and resides in Syracuse. Lyman Anderson, after living on his homestead for fifty-seven years, died October 6, 1894, at the age of eighty-one.

The following brief description appears in a volume entitled, " His- torical Collections of the State of New York," published in 1846:

Hastings, taken from Constantia in 1825; from Albany 150, centrally distant from Pulaski S. seventeen miles. Pop. 1,989. Opposite to Brewerton village, at the head of Oneida River, are the remains of Fort Brewerton. Central Square and Hastings are post-offices.

Prominent among other residents may be mentioned the names of Huntington Fitch, Mars Nearing, and Lewis F. Devendorf, who served as associate judges of Common Pleas or as justices of Sessions ; William H. Carter, who was a member of assembly in 1861 ; William H. Rice, who held the same office in 1867, and Thomas W. Green, an assembly- man in 1872 and 1876; Henry S. Condé, who was county clerk from 1855 to 1858 and subsequently an extensive manufacturer in Oswego ; William S. Pierce, father of George M. and Lewis A., who settled in town in 1850 and died July 13, 1894; John Beebe and Dr. N. W. Bates, who are still living here; Daniel Rowe, Aaron Benson, W. P. Parkhurst, George W. Woodin, and Porter Warn; Avery T. Low, the present postmaster of Central Square ; Gabriel Traub, one of the oldest undertakers in the county .; Jacob Beebe, John Curtis, Gaston G. Cur- tiss (son of Hastings Curtiss), the Eggleston family, John Harrington, Peter Woodin (the father of George W.), Thaddeus Waterbury, Lott Fuller, John Crippen, William Briggs (for many years a deputy sheriff and now living on the Gunther farm), and many others subsequently noticed. John Crippen, from whom the name of Crippen Creek is de- rived, built what are known as Crippen's mills about four and one-half miles northwest of Central Square. They are now owned by Eugene

560

LANDMARKS OF OSWEGO COUNTY.

Smith. On the same stream Luther Gilson at an early day had a four- story grist mill and a carding, saw, and stave mill combined, all of which have long since disappeared.

As instances of human longevity it is worth while to add the names of Mrs. Catharine Priest, who was born at German Flats, Her- kimer county, October 8, 1776, came to Caughdenoy in 1862, and died in September, 1878; Francis Pero, who died in July, 1882, aged 100 years ; and Mrs. Keeler (colored), and Mrs. Snow, who are living in town (January 1, 1895), aged 106 and 104 respectively.

Many other prominent and respected residents of Hastings are men- tioned more fully in Part III of this volume.

The population of the town at various periods has been as follows: In 1830, 1,494 ; 1835, 1,828; 1840, 1,989 ; 1845, 2,113; 1850, 2,920; 1855, 3,069; 1860, 3,345; 1865, 3,008; 1870, 3,058; 1875, 2,929; 1880 2,866; 1890, 2,364.

The New York, Ontario and Western (Midland) Railroad was com- pleted through the town east and west in the fall of 1869, and gave a new impetus to the whole territory under consideration. Prior to this the only means of communication was by stage, or by water on the Oneida River and Lake. This road has stations at Central Square and Caughdenoy. In the fall of 1871 the Syracuse Northern, now the R. W. & O Railroad, was opened north and south through Hastings, cross- ing the Midland at Central Square, and affording stations at that village and at Mallory and Hastings. These railways have had a marked influ ence upon the growth of the town and especially upon the develop- ment of the villages through which they pass. To aid in the construc- tion of these roads the town was bonded for a large amount, of which about $56,000 remains unpaid. H. C. Devendorf, William B. Park- hurst, and Alexander Grant are railroad commissioners.

During the war of the Rebellion nearly 260 patriotic citizens of Hast- ings enlisted in the Union army and navy and served with fidelity. Of this number several were meritoriously promoted, prominent among them being Avery T. Low, H. C. Devendorf, Curtis A. Fargo, George W. Woodin, Charles E. Coville, Barber Kenyon and Dr. Nelson W. Bates

The first school in the town of which there is any accurate knowl- edge was taught at Caughdenoy by Patrick Vickery in 1820. In 1824

561

THE TOWN OF HASTINGS.

districts 4 (Central Square), 5 and 6 were organized. In No. 5, Philo W. Carpenter was the first teacher and G. W. Smith served as trustee for twenty five years. Miss Lois Pierce was the first teacher in No. 6. At Central Square Hastings Curtiss, Aaron Snow, and Rollin Blunt were the first trustees and James J. Coit the first teacher, the latter receiving $12 per month. A school house was erected there in 1824.

In the spring of 1825 district No. 7 was formed and a log school house built, largely through the efforts of Mr. Coit. The first teacher was Miss Augusta S. Porter, afterward Mrs. J. J. Coit. The present brick school house at Central Square was erected in 1873 at a cost of $6,000. On February 16, 1887, the district was reorganized as the Central Square Union Free School and Academy with the following Board of Educa- tion : Thomas Smith (president), Avery T. Low, Myron Coville, John Hamilton, and D. D. Drake. The same year Mr. Drake moved away and George W. Woodin was elected to the vacancy. Frederick A. Walker, who had been connected with the school about thirteen years, was appointed the first principal, and was succeeded in the fall of 1887 by A. G. Bugbee, who remained until June, 1894, when he was followed by C. D. Du Bois, the present incumbent, who is assisted by three teachers. The Board of Education for 1894-5 consists of Thomas Smith, president ; G. W. Woodin, A. T. Low, Myron Coville, and John Hamilton.

The town now has sixteen school districts with a school house in each, in which schools were taught in 1892-3 by nineteen teachers and attended by 580 scholars. The school buildings and sites are valued at $15,425; assessed valuation of districts, $850,750; public money received from the State, $2,446 63 ; raised by local tax, $2,737.45. The districts bear the following local designations : No. 1, Caughdenoy; 2, River ; 3, Snow ; 4, Central Square ; 5, Bardeen's; 6, Carley's Mills ; 7, Coit ; 8, Allen ; 9, Hastings Center ; 10, Hastings; 1I, Mallory; 12, Little France ; 13, Crippen ; 14, Brewerton ; 15, Burdick ; 16, Connell.

Supervisors' statistics of 1894: Assessed valuation of real estate, $713,925; equal- ized, $829,538; personal property, $52,325; town tax, $7,401.86; county tax, $4,938.43; total tax levy, $14,179.92; ratio of tax on $100, $1.85; dog tax, $106; value of rail- roads, 16.84 miles, $155,060. The town has three election districts, in which 528 votes were cast in November, 1894.

563

LANDMARKS OF OSWEGO COUNTY.

Central Square village is situated at the intersection of the roads be- tween Fulton and Constantia and between Watertown and Syracuse and at the junction of the R., W. & O. with the Midland Railroad, in the southeast part of the town. The place had its inception in the tavern which Chester Loomis built about 1815. It was destroyed by fire and rebuilt by him in 1818, and in 1820 passed into the hands of Nicholas I. Roosevelt and was occupied by him as a dwelling. It stood on the site now owned by Samuel Sweet. In 1820 Hastings Curtiss erected and opened a small store and in 1823 he built a brick hotel, which be- came a favorite stage station, town meeting place, etc. This was burned in 1839, was rebuilt by Robert Elliott and John Beebe, and is now the hospitable Johnson House. Among its landlords from first to last were George Ives, John Harding, George Campbell, W. G. Robin- son, a Mr. Hart, William Champlin, William Wilson, William C. Han- chett, Gehiel Noble, Sylvester All, H. R. Vrooman, W. H. Slocum, Emery Pierce, and Willard H. Johnson since November, 1885. About 1824 Rollin Blunt, a surveyor, built a saw mill here, and afterward Mr. Curtiss erected a brick dwelling, in which he died. Robert Elliott was the first wagonmaker and had a saw mill and subsequently a tannery, as previously noted. Among the blacksmiths were Joseph Bishop, a Mr. Ainsworth, John Beebe, jr., Judson Skillings (died in 1893), and Frank De Lorm. Masonic lodge, No. 479 was chartered here June 10, 1826, with Hastings Curtiss as W. M .; it was revived in 1867 as No. 622, with G. H. Strong as W. M.

About 1827 Rufus Tiffany erected what is still known as the " Yellow store." The village has had a number of merchants of whom the fol- lowing is believed to be a complete list. Henry S. Condé carried on trade here seventeen years, but upon being elected county clerk re- moved to Oswego in 1853, where he died in 1878. He purchased the store built and opened by Gaston G. Curtiss and subsequently occupied by A. T. Low & Co .; it stood on the Devendorf corner and was finally destroyed by fire. Mr. Condé was succeeded by Emery Pierce, who sold to Wood & Campbell, who were followed by Colton & Hoisington, who in turn gave place to Wood & Woodin. Mrs. Holmes then took the business and conducted it under the name of W. P. P. Woodin. She sold to Anderson & Allen, who were succeeded by Martin Ander-

563

THE TOWN OF HASTINGS.

son, who was followed in 1867 by H. C. Devendorf. Mr. Devendorf had started business here in 1856, taking a store previously occupied by Jonathan Parkhurst. About 1860 his brother-in-law, Charles Breed, purchased an interest under the firm name of Devendorf & Breed. Mr. Devendorf enlisted in the army in 1862, and in 1866 he sold out to Henry Ramsey, the firm becoming Breed & Ramsey. In 1867 it again became Devendorf & Breed and in the spring of 1869 the store burned. In 1867 Mr. Devendorf became a member of the firm of A. T. Low & Co. and in May, 1882, succeeded them as sole proprietor. In the spring of 1880 their old store building was burned and soon afterward the present brick block was erected on the site. About 1848 a "company" or " community " store was started in a building, since burned, which stood just north of the present establishment of George Gorsline; it continued until about 1855 and failed. In the old yellow store C. E. Coville began trade about 1865 and was succeeded by the present pro- prietors, Coville Brothers, Myron and George. John Beebe and J. C. Powell early had a tinware shop, which was converted into a hardware store by James H. Wood, who subsequently took in D. L. Wood as Wood Brothers. P. L. Lane purchased the latter's interest and the firm became Wood & Lane. Afterward J. H. Wood sold out to E. L. Wood and the firm was changed to Lane & Wood. The latter sold to George P. Elliott and the business it now conducted under the name of Elliott & Lane. Amos Richardson at one time had a store where C. A. Bates and Charles D. Smith now are. Dr. N. W. Bates, Dr. H. L. Drake, and Dr. D. D. Drake were formerly druggists here, the latter where G. T. Boyington now is. Other merchants and tradesmen were A. T. Low, E. T. Conterman, J. P. Dix, Samuel Henry, L. B. Campbell, D. C. Wood, P. L. Woodin, T. B. Parker, E. O. Lewis, and Charles Nann, B. G. Lewis, Thomas Warner, Cole Brothers, Russell Fitch, Adams Brothers, John Carp, E. W. Sprague, William Ford, and Tucker Brothers, some of whom are still in business. Gabriel Traub has been a cabinetmaker and undertaker here for many years.

The business portion of the village is situated about three-fourths of a mile north of the station at the junction of the two railroads. The completion of these railways caused some minor business interests to spring up around the depot. A Mr. Rhines erected a frame hotel there,

564

LANDMARKS OF OSWEGO COUNTY.

which he sold to Hamilton & Cushing, who were succeeded by John Hamilton. In the village proper a second hotel was opened many years ago and kept for a time by Sylvester All. George Campbell used it for a dwelling, and some eight years since it was purchased by Lewis Fancher and again conducted as a hotel under the name of the Fancher House.

The post-office was established in 1822 at Loomis Corners, but in December of that year the name was changed to Central Square. Hastings Curtiss was the first postmaster, and among his successors were Henry S. Condé, Daniel Owen, Barber Kenyon, George Coville, Avery T. Low, and James H. Wood. The present incumbent is Avery T. Low.

The cemetery was deeded to the public by James I. Roosevelt, and the first burial in it was that of Mrs. Anna Goodspeed in April, 1822. Through the efforts of Mrs. H. C. Devendorf it was incorporated during the Rebellion under the name of the Hillside Cemetery Association, and by subsequent purchase the plot comprises about five acres. In 1893 a receiving vault was constructed.

The first journalistic enterprise in Central Square was the New Era, which was started by Webb & Wilson. who were suc eeded by Frank Webb. It was sold to B. G. Lewis and conducted by his sons Frederick and E. L., and in January, 1877, passed into the hands of Willis G. Bohannan, who changed it to the Central Square News. He was fol- lowed by Bates & Connelly, who changed it from a folio to eight pages. E. D. Bates became proprietor and gave place to John H. Gridley, who was succeeded by William Sainsbury, who changed it back to a folio. He discontinued the publication May 29, 1890, and removed the outfit to Black River. At the same time Blankman & Hicks started the Cen- tral Square Review, which had a brief existence. On October 1, 1892, William H. Vrooman, the present editor, revived the Central Square News, which he has twice enlarged. It is now an eight- page sheet and independent in politics. Mr. Vrooman was born in Pulaski on January 23, 1861, and is a son of George W. Vrooman, a native of Hastings, and a grandson of Tunis Vrooman, an early settler of the town.

The village of Central Square was incorporated January 13, 1890, the first officers being David L. Wood, president; John Hamilton, George

565

THE TOWN OF HASTINGS.

Coville, and Dr. Nelson W. Bates, trustees; Gabriel Traub, treasurer ; Jacob Farrington, collector; and J. H. Gridley, clerk. Mr. Wood was president in 1891 and 1892 and Dr. Bates in 1893 and 1894. The officers for 1894 were :

Dr. N. W. Bates, president; George T. Boyington, William Church, and John O'Reilly, trustees; Gabriel Traub, treasurer ; William A. White, collector; John Burdick, street commissioner ; H. D. Coville, clerk. The population is about 500.

Caughdenoy is a station on the N. Y. O. & W. Railroad west of Cen- tral Square and dates its settlement from 1797, when Myron Stevens built the first house in the place. Other early settlers there were Alan - son Seymour, a Mr. Heacock, and Timothy Vickery. The first named erected a saw mill about 1825, and for many years following 1837 Robert M. Pelton carried on a large lumber business. Mr. Heacock had an early grist mill and carding machine, which were finally burned. In 1827 William Lee and Samuel Britton built a saw mill at the inter- section of the railroad and creek which they sold to A. D. Gibson soon afterward. The latter came here in 1837 and was also engaged in the boot and shoe business. John Youmans was an early blacksmith and wagonmaker and subsequently a submarine diver. Ralph Warner was also a blacksmith and Charles Smith, his son-in-law, a wagonmaker. James Dutcher started a brick yard there about 1857 The village has long been noted for its lumber and eel trade and boating interests on the Oneida River. The eel business formerly constituted an important occupation, as many as 1,000 eels being taken daily for four months every year. The present merchants are O. E. West and Jefferson F. Hopkins, the latter being also supervisor. The grist mill is conducted by Addison Hard. The first hotel was erected by Orson Emmons and Peter Neal, who were succeeded by P. B. Oakley ; a subsequent pro- prietor was Charles C. Burghart. The postmaster is Richard P. Burg- hart, who succeeded Orrin E. West. The place contains about 200 in- habitants.

Mallory is a station and post office on the R., W. & O. Railroad, north of Central Square, near the line of West Monroe. As early as 1810 Edward Smith built a saw mill on the east branch of Big Bay Creek. It finally passed to George W. Smith and thence to his son Jerome. From them the place was long known as Smith's Mills. In

566

LANDMARKS OF OSWEGO COUNTY.

1826 Peter and Cornelins Van Alstyne erected a grist mill which after- ward passed into the possession of Isaac W. Brewster and D. C. Smith, who built another saw mill. The establishment was burned ia 1855 and the site came into the hands of Daniel Bowe, who erected a saw mill and conducted it for fifteen years, selling it to Mr. Wilcox. It was afterwards purchased by Joseph A. Courbat, the present owner, who has rebuilt the whole plant and now has a large stave, saw, and planing mill. For a time the place was known as "Brewsterville." Another saw mill was built by William Hobart and after many changes passed into the hands of Jared Mallory in 1857. The next year it was burned, but was soon rebuilt, and since then Mr. Mallory has prosecuted a thriv- ing business. The first store was kept by Russell Winchester, and among the blacksmiths were Amariah Ricker, Newton S. Bowne, and Andrew J. De Bow. George Piguet and John Wyant are general mer- chants. The place also has a cheese factory owned by Jared Mallory, a grist mill, hotel, the usual shops and artisans, and about 150 inhabitants. It was named in honor of Jared Mallory, one of the prominent men of the town. through whose efforts a post-office was established there in 1858, the first postmaster being Bishop Hoyt. He died in 1866 and since then Jared Mallory has held the position.

Hastings Center, situated three miles north of Central Square, was originally a lumber locality and had its beginning in a saw mill erected by Rollin Blunt in 1822. In 1838 Pierce & Cornell built another, and about 1849 a post-office was established with Jonathan Park- hurst as postmaster, who succeeded Harvey Devendorf as a mer- chant there. Among the later postmasters have been Martha Holmes, Ernest C. Tourot, and James Penfield, the present incumbent. M. M. Salisbury was for many years a blacksmith in the place. A little west of the village is a burial ground comprising an acre of land which the heirs of Gov. John Jay deeded to Gilson Dikeman, as supervisor of the town, on November 12, 1869.

Hastings is a postal hamlet in the north part of the town six miles from Central Square. In 1821 it comprised a log house occupied by a Mr. Widger and a frame dwelling on the site of the cheese factory in which William Ford resided. The former was converted into a grocery store as early as 1830. The first tavern was built by Willard Hunt,

567

THE TOWN OF HASTINGS.

who was also the first postmaster and a merchant. At one time this place had two hotels, one of which was kept many years by " Uncle Den " Wightman, who was succeeded by Charles Ingersoll, under whom it burned. The other was conducted at various times by Davis Barrett, John Carney, Willard H. Johnson, Lewis Fancher, and Joseph Hewitt. The first blacksmith was George Stores, who had a shop a little south of the village in 1822. In 1854 a Mr. Corning built a steam saw mill in the same neighborhood which in 1863 passed into the possession of Aaron Benson, who with his brother invented the famous Benson water- wheel. John H. Storer had a store and ashery there about 1835. Among other merchants of the place were Rudolph Devendorf, Lewis F. Devendorf, H. C. Devendorf, William Carley (now the oldest trades- man in Parish), Richard E. Sill, Strickland & Sill, H. P. Bort (about 1864), Bort & Warn, George Baker, Charles Avery, Charles Matthews, John Gorman, and Louis Tourot. N. A. Clute, R. E. Sill. Louis Tourot, and Frank Avery, the present incumbent, have been post- masters. Dr. R. J. Dimon is the present physician.

Little France is a post-office in the northeast corner of the town and derives its name from the colony of French Canadians who have settled in the vicinity. It contains a hotel kept by Levi Pattat and two stores kept by Augustus Pattat and A. A. Besanson. John Brickheimer is postmaster, succeeding Charles Besanson in that position.

Carley's Mills, so called, contains a saw mill and wool carding estab- lishment.

Churches .- The Baptist church in Hastings was first organized at the house of Nathan Raymond on August 25, 1826, and was duly recog- nized by Council at a school house in West Monroe on September 20 of the same year, the original members being Charles Smedley, Nathan and Maria Raymond, Stephen Richmond, Ferrin B. Wheelan, Abigail Russell, Cordelia Fuller, and Rachel Merchant. Elder G. B. Davis gave the hand of fellowship. Meetings were held in various places, princi- pally at Central Square and Caughdenoy, until 1842, when a church edifice was built at the last named village and dedicated by Rev. Peter Woodin. On June 30, 1849, the church formally disbanded.

The Baptist church of Central Square was organized by Rev. Peter Woodin on June 14, 1845, and duly recognized by Council on the 25th

568

LANDMARKS OF OSWEGO COUNTY.

of the same month. There were twenty-two constituent members with Philip Carter as deacon and T. H. Waterbury as clerk. A frame edi- fice was built in 1846 and dedicated December 18 of that year. The institution of this church was mainly due to the persistent labors of Rev. Peter Woodin, the first pastor, who remained until 1850, when he went to California and organized a Baptist church there He returned to Central Square in May, 1852, and served as pastor of this church until April 1, 1872, when he resigned, being succeeded by Rev. D. D. Owen. He was a man greatly respected and possessed rare executive ability. The society has about 115 members and property valued at $3,000. Mrs. J. P. Dix is superintendent of the Sunday school.

A Methodist class was formed at Hastings Center about 1825, and consisted of William Ford and wife, Richard Ford, Truman and Daniel Wooster, and others. About 1833 another class was organized at Mallory, to which forty or fifty members were added during a revival in 1842. In 1851 a church was erected and dedicated there, the first trustees being Titus Bowe, David Baird, and Titus Bowe, jr. A Sun- day school was organized about 1841, of which Milton Flowers was long the superintendent.

About 1850 the Methodists of Caughdenoy purchased the old Bap- tist church, which they used until 1881, when they moved it back. It is now occupied as a store. On the old site a new edifice was erected in 1881-2, under the pastorate of Rev. G. G. Dains, at a cost of $2,000. The class has about fifty members and is under the leadership of Har- vey A. Youmans.

A Methodist class was formed at Central Square about 1830, and in 1846 a house of worship was built at a cost of $1,000. This society has about sixty members and is connected with the Caughdenoy charge, Rev. C. W. Brooks being the pastor. A class was organized in School District No 5 at an early date and reorganized in 1874 with fifteen members. The Methodist pastors have been as follows :

Revs. Anson Fuller, assisted hy Joseph Cross; Lewis Bell, assisted by John Thomp- son ; Truman Van Tassel, assisted by Isaac Covert ; Isaac Hall, C. C. Mason, Augustine C. Munson, Alonzo Chapin, Joseph Smedley, William Peck, Daniel Barnard, William Morse, Thomas D. Mitchell, Isaac Turney, Francis A. C. Farrell, Dennison D. Parker, Reuben Reynolds, Horatio Arthur, Silas Bell, Nathaniel Salisbury, David Stone, Hiram Nichols, William B. Joice, Henry S. Holmes, E. Arnold, R. O. Beebe, R. Webster, W.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Landmarks of Oswego County, New York, Part 57

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