Landmarks of Oswego County, New York, Part 73

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 73

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The town now has fourteen school districts with a school house in each, in which twenty-one teachers were employed and 469 children taught during 1892-3. The value of school buildings and sites is $17,950; assessed valuation of districts, $827,722; public money re- ceived from the State in 1892-3, $2,556.22 ; and raised by local tax, $3,488.73.

About 1820 half an acre of land near the present village of Sandy Creek was purchased by subscription and opened for burial purposes. It was deeded to the Presbyterian church, and about 1850 another half-

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LANDMARKS OF OSWEGO COUNTY.

acre was added. On May 26, 1866, a public meeting was held in the town hall and the organization of the Union Cemetery Association of Sandy Creek under the statute passed April 27, 1847, was effected with the following trustees: Almon Chapin and Henry L. Howe, three years; Benjamin G. Robbins and George S. Buell, two years; and Pitt M. Newton and Oren R. Earl, one year. Almon Chapin was chosen president; B. G. Robbins, vice-president ; P. M. Newton, sec- retary ; and Oren R. Earl, treasurer. An adjoining five acres were purchased, and about this time the trustees of the Presbyterian Society deeded the old plot to the new association. October 14, 1885, two and one-half acres more were added, and in 1889 a brick receiving house was built at a cost of $778. The present trustees are Albert E. Sherman, president ; James K. P. Cottrell, secretary ; Oren R. Earl, treasurer ; Hamilton E. Root, Smith H. Barlow, and Minott A. Pruyn. This is the principal cemetery in town.

Sandy Creek .- This village derives its name from the town and from the creek which flows westerly through its center. In 1812 it com- prised only two or three frame houses and a few log buildings. By 1 825 its population had considerably increased and the inhabitants con- ceived the idea of giving the place a name worthy of its promising future. "Washingtonville " was suggested by Dr. Ayer and Anson Maltby, and for many years it bore that appellation, but the more easily pronounced title of Sandy Creek eventually prevailed. In 1825 a full- ing and carding mill, which was built by Mr. Maltby about 1817 and purchased by J. M. Hopper in 1821, was in active operation, and in 1826 John B. Smith established a tannery, which was burned about 1828. He rebuilt it and in 1857 sold it to Oren R. Earl, who carried it on until 1868, when L. J. Brown became the superintendent with Bos- ton parties as owners. It was burned September 1, 1883, with a loss of about $150,000, and never rebuilt. About 1835 the settlement con- tained two stores kept by Lyman Mallory and Orrin House, the taverns of James Curtiss and Nathan Salisbury, two grist mills, two churches, two blacksmith shops, two shoemakers, a tannery, one distillery, and a woolen mill. Orrin House was in business for twenty-two years, being succeeded by Julius S. Robbins and Edmund H. Sargent, as Robbins & Sargent, who were followed by Pitt M. Newton. E. V. Robbins began

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THE TOWN OF SANDY CREEK.

trade on the north side of the creek about 1848 ; later he moved to the south side and entered into partnership with Calvin Seeley ; still later he was associated with Julius S. Robbins and E. H. Sargent, and finally went to Chicago and became president of the Board of Trade. M. A. Pruyn, upon returning from California, with William Alton bought out Robbins & Sargent and built the present store of E. H. Sargent & Son. Julius S. Robbins and Mr. Sargent purchased Alton's interest in 1855, and in 1861 the business was closed up. In 1867 E. H. Sargent and W. A. Harding began a mercantile trade, from which the latter retired in 1877 and Mr. Sargent's son Fred N. became a partner. They sold to J. S. Robbins & Son in 1879 and moved to the House block, since burned, but two years later they returned to their present location. Other merchants have been J. W. Potter, Edwin C. Hart, Mason Salisbury and Oren R. Earl, Byron Allen (succeeded by E. C. Williams), E S. Harding, S. R. King, L. A. Baldwin, C. W. Colony, C. V. Harbottle, J. K. P. Cottrell, N. M. Moulton, and E. L. Sargent. Dr. Solomon J. Douglass was a druggist here for many years, and at his death was fol- lowed by Dr. Cooke, Dr. J. Lyman Bulkley, Almon Chapin, George N. Salisbury (in business now), and others.

In the fall of 1845 subscriptions were taken and Oren R. Earl was sent to Albany to purchase what has ever since been known as the "old town bell." It was brought by canal to Oswego, by lake to Port On- tario, and drawn thence by John Nichols and Samuel Salisbury to "Washingtonville," where it was hung on timbers in front of O. R. Earl's present bank. At that time the village was strongly divided into the north and south " clans," the creek being the dividing line, and each side desired the honor of having the bell. It was taken back and forth until 1851, when it found a home in the new town hall. It was finally cracked, and in 1862 sent back to be recast. It again became cracked, and June 14, 1867, a third bell was brought into the town. This was finally placed in the Baptist church, where it now hangs.

The Salisbury grist mill, burned in 1884 and rebuilt by the present proprietor, M. J. Salisbury, in 1885, and the iron foundry of P. T. Titus just below it, have already been noticed. The machine shops of Leman Baldwin and A. C. Skinkle have been operated by them for several years ; the latter business was started in 1862, and that of Mr. Baldwin

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LANDMARKS OF OSWEGO COUNTY.

in 1863. The private bank of which Oren R. Earl is proprietor and M. M. Earl is cashier, was established by Earl & Newton in March, 1870. The steam granite and marble works of Sherman & Hollis were started by Warriner & Soule in 1864. Lucius A. Warriner be- came sole proprietor, and finally Warren T. Wright and Albert E. Sherman purchased the business. In March, 1883, J. B. Allen bought Mr. Wright's interest and afterward Mr. Hollis acquired a part owner- ship. Mr. Sherman's father, Elijah Sherman, was an early blacksmith here, having a shop near where the post-office now stands. Henry Soule afterward conducted a marble and granite works alone. The Sandy Creek Wood Manufacturing Company, Ltd., began business October 1, 1884. They manufacture pie plates, hardwood veneer, and butter dishes, and the present officers are Oren R. Earl, president; A. T. Mckenzie, vice president; and William P. Sandford, secretary, treasurer and general manager. The capital is $12,000, and the works occupy the old tannery site.

Nathan Salisbury. widely known as a cattle buyer and as a man hav- ing but one leg, built and kept a tavern at an early day in front of Earl's bank, and was succeeded by his son, Benjamin F. Salisbury. The hotel became a familiar landmark and was finally destroyed by fire. The opera house block and hotel were burned in April, 1890. The present hotels are the Watkins House and the Sandy Creek House, both good hotels.

The first newspaper was the Sandy Creek Times, which was started by F. E. Merritt in December, 1862, and was continued until the fall of 1864, when its editor removed to Governeur, N. Y. Edwin Soule established a job printing office in 1865, and in 1871 sold a partnership interest to Alvaro F. Goodenough. In April of that year they began the publication of the Sandy Creek News, and six months later Mr. Goodenough sold to Henry Soule, father of Edwin, the firm becoming Henry Soule & Son. April 1, 1877, they sold out to Munger & Washburn, who were succeeded by F. E. Munger and F. E. Lum, and they by F. E. Munger alone. January 8, 1885, the latter sold to F. Dudley Corse, the present editor and proprietor. The News is an eight-page, six-column, non political sheet, filled with bright, newsy matter, and is all printed in the office from which it is issued, which is

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THE TOWN OF SANDY CREEK.

one of the best equipped in the county. Mr. Corse is a son of Rev. Albert E, and a grandson of Ezra Corse, both previously mentioned, and was born in Potsdam, N. Y., September 16, 1859. He was gradu- ated from Ilion Academy in 1880 and from Syracuse University in 1884, and recived the honorary degree of A. M. in 1887. In January, 1885, he settled permanently in Sandy Creek, where he has served as a mem- ber and secretary of the Board of Education since August, 1889, and was elected president of the village in 1894. October 4, 1888, he mar- ried Ella B., daughter of John L. Nichols.

Tha Satellite was started in 1892 and is issued monthly during the school year by the Literary and Debating Society of the High School.

For several years the village has maintained a successful lecture course by an organized association, and has enjoyed hearing such nota- ble men as Rev. Henry Ward Beecher, Bayard Taylor, Rev. T. De Witt Talmadge, Robert Burdett, John F. Parsons, M. P., Schuyler Colfax and others.

Among the postmasters have been Edwin C. Hart, E. M. Howe, Az- ariah Wart, Emma C. Johnston and Gilson D. Wart, incumbent.

In 1878 the village was incorporated and the following officers were chosen :

Hamilton E. Root, president; Oren R. Earl, Pitt M. Newton and Edmund H. Sar- gent, trustees; Danforth E. Ainsworth, clerk ; C. E. Thomas, collector.

The presidents have been:

Hamilton E. Root, 1878-79; Pitt M. Newton, 1880; Albert E. Sherman, 1881; George C. Kaulback, 1882 ; J. Lyman Bulkley, 1883; Oren R. Earl, 1884; George N. Salisbury, 1885; O. R. Earl, 1886-87; John R. Allen, 1888-90 ; Newton Cook, dis- qualified, and Samuel J. Crockett appointed and resigned, and John R. Allen appointed, 1891; Eugene F. Nye, 1892-93 ; F. Dudley Corse, 1894.

The village officers for 1894-95 were :

F. Dudley Corse, president ; Gilbert W. Hollis, Hugh Birdslow, and Alvin C. Skinkle, trustees; William L. Hadley, treasurer ; Minott A. Pruyn, collector ; Clarence E. Peck, street commissioner ; Azariah Wart, police justice, succeeded January 1, 1895, by Will- iam T. Baker:

The fire department consists of Ainsworth Hose Co. No. I, M. J. Salisbury, foreman; and Alert Hose Co. No. 2, Hugh Birdslow, fore- man. The department was organized in October, 1885, and at that

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LANDMARKS OF OSWEGO COUNTY.

time comprised one engine and one hose company, but since the com- pletion of the water works, hose attached to the hydrants has been used. The chief of the department is Joseph E. Wright and the assistant C. W. Colony.

The system of water works was constructed by the village corpora- tion in 1891 and cost about $17,000, the village being bonded for $16,- 000 for the purpose. Water is taken from the Hamer springs on the David Hamer farm, now owned by Zabin Moore, about two miles east, and conducted in pipes into a reservoir just outside the corporation limits, the site for which as well as the riparian rights were donated by Mr. Hamer. The water commissioners, are M. J. Salisbury, Albert E. Sherman and Hamilton E. Root.

The village of Sandy Creek has a population of 723, or 228 less than in 1880 and 300 more than in 1860. It maintains a high standard for thrift and as a business and social center.

Lacona has grown from a sparsely settled farming community into an incorporated village since the completion of the railroad in 1851. It enjoys the advantage of being the only railroad station in town and owes its prosperity mainly to that fact. Situated on the banks of Sandy Creek, which flows westerly through its center, it possesses a good water-power, and lying immediately adjacent to the eastern boundary of the village of Sandy Creek it enjoys and aids in supporting the same excellent schools, churches, and other institutions. The grist mill was originally built at Hadley's Glen by Dea. Reuben Salisbury, who moved it to Lacona and was succeeded by Salisbury & Boomer. He was also associated with A. N. Harding and later with Parley H. Powers. Upon the deaths of Salisbury and Powers the mill passed to Harding & Hollis and five years afterward, or in 1886, to Gilbert N. Harding, the present proprietor. It was rebuilt in 1881-82. The first store was started by Truman C. Harding, father of Gilbert N., who continued business a few years and died in 1857, being succeeded by his partner, Ansel N. Harding. The stock was finally sold to William W. Alton, who conducted trade for a time under the firm name of Alton & Tobey. About 1860 Julius S. Robbins established a store and con- tinued it until 1866, when G. N. Harding became his partner ; they closed out in January, 1874, and the store was reopened by Pruyn &

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THE TOWN OF SANDY CREEK.

Hedden, who were succeeded by William T. Tifft. The first drug store was opened by Dr. Woodruff & Mann, from Camden, who were fol- lowed by D. L. Mann, whose successor was J. L. Archampaugh. The latter sold out in 1877 to W. B. Fuller, now of Syracuse, and during his ownership the store was burned. The present druggist is Dr. Fred Austen. Other merchants have been Hydorn & Tilton, Nathan Davis, C. R. Grant, Albert Powers, G. L. Hydorn & Son, and C. D. Rounds. The present Central House, long known as the Union Center House, was built about 1852 by Henry Daily, who kept it for several years. Among his successors were Dingman & Tripp, A. N. Harding, John S. Rogers, George H. and William Brooks, Henry Wright (in March, 1865), Clark & Smith (with Josiah Clark as owner, who bought the property in 1874), Fred W. Clark (son of Josiah), and others. The present landlord is Charles M. Myers. Upon the death of Josiah Clark L. D. Mott purchased the property and it is now owned by his mother. The Lacona House was originally a dwelling built by Nathan Davis. It was converted into a hotel by Reuben W. Scripture, who was suc- ceeded in July, 1893, by Frank C. Plummer. Besides these the village contains the machine shop of S. H. Barlow and a tannery built in 1876, owned at one time by B. F. Pond, and now conducted by Mr. Blodgett.

The village has been visited by several severe conflagrations, notably April 14, 1879, when the Tifft block was burned, and in May, 1885, when ten buildings were destroyed entailing a loss of about $13,000.

The post-office was established in 1865 with Julius S. Robbins as postmaster, who served until 1874, when Parley H. Powers was ap- pointed. His successors have been William T. Baker, Gilbert N. Hard- ing (appointed January 1, 1887), Luther Tilton (appointed March I, 1890), and G. N. Harding again (October 1, 1893), incumbent. Mr. Harding was the prime mover in establishing the office and soon after had it made a money order office.

Lacona village was incorporated in 1880 and the first officers were elected on March 31 of that year, as follows :

Gilbert N. Harding, president; George T. Smith, David Salisbury, and Reuben W. Davis, trustees; Luther Tilton, treasurer; Albert Powers, collector; Henry Wright, street commissioner ; Jay Mareness, Nathan Davis, and William McConnell, police con- stables. William B. Fuller was appointed the first town clerk.

The presidents have been :

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LANDMARKS OF OSWEGO COUNTY.

Gilbert N. Harding, 1880-81; Luther Tilton, 1882-83 ; Edward M. Knollin, 1884-85; William J. Stevens, 1886; Ephraim P. Potter, 1887; Smith H. Barlow, 1888-91 ; E. P. Potter, 1892; Luther Tilton, 1893 ; William J. Stevens, 1894.

The village officers for 1894-5 were :

W. J. Stevens, president ; William H. Philbrick, Gilbert N. Harding, and Charles E. Lownsbury, trustees; Peter G. Hydorn, treasurer; Albert Powers, collector; Delos E. Wilds, police justice ; Charles M. Myers and Porter M. Corse, police constables ; Tad W. Harding, clerk. The trustees act as assessors. The ordinances and by-laws were adopted in April, 1880.

The Lacona fire department was organized in November, 1885, with nineteen members, and with William J. Stevens as chief. It consists of one engine company, of which George W. Wimple is foreman, and a hose company with Joseph H. Rounds as foreman. The chief is George H. Ackerman; assistant chief, Charles B. Jones ; treasurer, C. S. Gay- ton ; secretary, B. E. Randall.

Lacona is an enterprising village of 333 inhabitants, or forty five less than it contained in 1880.

Churches .- A class of the M. E. church was organized in town as early as 1811, but the First Methodist Episcopal church of Sandy Creek was not legally incorporated until 1830. In 1831. under the pastorate of Rev. Elisha Wheeler. a church edifice was erected and dedicated in the village. It served its purpose for many years-nearly half a century,-when a handsome new brick structure was built at a cost of $15,000. The society also owns a parsonage valued at $1,600. They have about 250 members under the pastoral care of Rev. M. G. Seymour, and connected is a flourishing Sunday school having an average attendance of 140 scholars.

The First Congregational church of Sandy Creek was the first regular religious society formed in town and dates its organization from July 23, 1817. It was constituted as a Presbyterian church by a council of three ministers with the following members : Thomas and Mary Baker, George Harding, Vada and Phoebe Rogers, Allen McLean, Polly Baker, and Nathaniel and Sally Baker. The ruling elders were George Harding and Thomas Baker, and during the first five years Rev. John Dunlap, Oliver Leavitt, Jonas Coburn, and others supplied the pulpit. Sixteen additional members were received. The first settled pastor, Rev. Oliver Ayer, was installed in March, 1822, and in that year the

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THE TOWN OF SANDY CREEK.

society was organized for secular purposes, the first trustees being Solomon Harding, Simeon Duncan, Nathaniel Wilder, and Smith Dun- lap. Rev. Caleb Burge succeeded Rev. Mr. Ayer as pastor and in 1831 conducted a powerful revival in David Bennett's barn, in a barn in the village, and in the school house, making between thirty and forty con- verts. In 1832 an edifice was erected in Sandy Creek, and subsequently down to 1844 Revs. Samuel Leonard, Charles B. Pond, and William B. Stow officiated as pastors. In December, 1842, during the pastorate of Rev. Mr. Stow, the church adopted the Congregational form of gov- ernment, but still remained in the Presbytery on the " accommodation plan." Other pastors were Revs. Frederick Graves, H. H. Waite, R. A. Wheelock, and Richard Osburn, under whom eighty-five new mem- bers were added and the edifice was rebuilt. Subsequent pastors were Revs. J. R. Bradnach, N. B. Knapp, H. H. Waite again, J. N. Hicks, J. H. Munsell, and others. Under the latter the church and society were placed in full connection with the Congregationalists and the edi- fice was rebuilt and rededicated. The present pastor is Rev. T. T. Davis, and the superintendent of the Sunday school is Amos E. Wood.

The First Baptist church of Sandy Creek was constituted in 1820, and among the earliest members was Mrs. Mary Salisbury, who is still living. One of the first pastors was Rev. Philo Forbes. The first church edifice was built by subscription about 1840, or soon afterward, and Elder McFarland delivered the dedicatory sermon. Subsequent pastors were Revs. John C. Ward and W. W. Hukey. Henry Soule was long the church clerk, the present one being J. P. Ford. Rev. E. F. Maine was pastor of this society from November 1, 1884, to Novem- ber 1, 1892, and under him the edifice was rebuilt at a cost of over $3,000, and rededicated on November 14, 1889, the dedicatory sermon being preached by Elder McFarland Rev. Mr. Maine, now a pastor in Mexico, has just completed a half century of continuous ministry. The society owns a parsonage, and their entire property is valued at $7,000. They have about 190 members, under the pastorship of Rev. D. E. Post, who succeeded Rev. Jabez Sanford in January, 1895. The officers are H. A. Hall and George Cole, deacons ; H. A. Hall, Jerome Curtis, George T. Smith, John Reynolds, Simon J. Hadley, John Young and E. W. Stevens, trustees. The Sunday school has about 140 officers and scholars, with W. F. Corse as superintendent.

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LANDMARKS OF OSWEGO COUNTY.

The Goodenough and Center Methodist Episcopal churches .- At a very early day a number of Methodists and " Reform Methodists " re- sided in the west part of the town. The latter at one time had a class of eighteen members there, and for nearly fifty years enjoyed the sermons of Jacob Hadley, Josiah Chapin and Ashbel Frazier, while the former were supplied by Rev. Mr. Stevens. All lived in the vicinity and preached in school houses, etc., along the lake shore. In 1859 McHendrick Paddock, a shoemaker and a member of no church, began preaching and obtained a large number of eonverts, whom he advised to join some society. He and most of his followers affiliated with the Methodists, and himself became a Methodist minister. This revival re- sulted in the formation of a circuit consisting of a class at the mouth of Sandy Creek, another in the Goodenough neighborhood, and a third at Port Ontario, with Rev. Mr. Paddock as the first pastor ; among his successors were Revs. Frazier, Bowen, W. C. Smith, William Empey, A. S. Nickerson, Lucius Whitney, Hubbell, J. Jenkins, J. G. Benson, and others. A church edifice was erected on the county line between Sandy Creek and Ellisburg, and in 1872 another was built on the State road in the west part of this town. These two churches now constitute a charge under the name first given, have property valued at $3,000, and a combined membership of about 100, with two Sunday schools having some sixty-five scholars and teachers.

A Society of Christian Workers was organized in the village of Lacona in September, 1885, to foster and sustain religious worship. This movement resulted in the formation of the parish of Emanuel church (Protestant Episcopal) in 1892, at which time Rev. Daniel Daly was ministering to the spiritual wants of the community. A neat frame edifice was built at a cost of $2,000 and opened for services in June of that year. The building committee consisted of Gilbert N. and A. N. Harding, William J. Stevens, George W. Robinson and E. P. Potter, and the first rector was Rev. Mr. Daly, who still officiates in that capacity.

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THE TOWN OF SCHROEPPEL.

CHAPTER XXXIV.

THE TOWN OF SCHROEPPEL.

The town of Schroeppel was set off from Volney by an act of the Legislature passed April 4, 1832, and contains an area of 26,778 acres. Its boundaries have remained unchanged. It is located in the southern central part of the county, in the angle formed by the junction of the Oneida and Oswego Rivers, and is bounded on the north by Palermo, on the east by Hastings and Clay, on the south by Clay and Lysander in Onondaga county, and on the west by Lysander, Volney, and a corner of Granby. Its name is de- rived from that of George Casper Schroeppel, a business partner of George Scriba, and the purchaser from him of nearly the whole terri- tory under consideration. It includes fifty-one lots of survey town- ship 16, named "Georgia" by the original proprietor, and forty-eight lots of township 24, or "Erlang." It also includes three tracts, or " locations," aggregating 2,550 acres, which had been granted by the State before the purchase by the Roosevelts in 1791, and which were excluded from the land patented to Scriba in 1794, as will be seen by a reference to his patent at pages 10 and II of this volume. These " locations " are: I. 350 acres of land, granted to Steven Lush, and known as " Lush's Location," lying on the river just below the village of Phoenix ; 2. 1,200 acres of land granted to Ezra L'Hommedieu, by whom it was sold to Alexander Phoenix, from whom it has since been known as the " Phoenix Patent;" it includes the site of the village of Phoenix ; 3. 1,000 acres of land granted to Ezra L'Hommedieu, and known as " L'Hommedieu's Location ;" it occupies the angle at Three River Point formed by the junction of the Oneida and Oswego Rivers.

The surface of the town is level or gently rolling. The soil consists of a rich sandy loam, and clay, susceptible of high and easy cultiva- tion, and is fertile and productive. The underlying rock belongs to the

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Clinton group, but nowhere crops out. Adequate drainage is afforded by Six-Mile, Fish, and Bell Creeks, Sandy Brook, and other minor streams, which have supplied numerous mill privileges and contributed materially to the development and prosperity of the town. The Oneida River, which flows along the southeast border of the town and, uniting with the Seneca River at Three River Point, forms the Oswego River, also had a marked influence upon its settlement and growth. The valuable water power of the Oswego River along the southwest boundary of Schroeppel has from an early day helped to maintain many extensive industries. Dating from a period long before actual settlers arrived and continuing down to the completion of the Oswego Canal in 1828, and afterward to a limited extent, these rivers were the scene of great activity. After the canal was opened. traffic, except on the Oneida River, was transferred to that channel. Boat- building soon became an important pursuit in the town.

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Landmarks of Oswego County, New York, Part 73

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