Landmarks of Tompkins County, New York : including a history of Cornell University, Part 21

Author: Hewett, Waterman Thomas, 1846-1921; Selkreg, John H
Publication date: 1894
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason
Number of Pages: 1194

USA > New York > Tompkins County > Landmarks of Tompkins County, New York : including a history of Cornell University > Part 21

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).

Ithaca Council R. & S. M., No. 68, was first organized under dispen- sation granted October 1, 1874. Charter granted to Jacob M. Kimball,* Ralph C. Christiance, John C. Van Kirk, Eron C. Van Kirk, Sidney S. Smith, C. B. Brown, C. Fred Mcwhorter, Samuel A. Holmes, Lute Welch .* The order has flourished ever since its first organization and has gradually increased its membership until now it has a membership of 120. Present officers: T. I11. M., C. C. Garrett; Dep. M., F. H. Romer; P. C. of W., G. W. Melotte; Treas., C. A. Hart; Recorder, A. W. Force; C. of G., Henry L. Peters; Cond. of Council, Steward, -; Organist, C. E. Whitlock; Sentinel, L. Mastin.

Ithaca Lodge, No. 71, I. O. O. F. Early in 1840 five of Ithaca's foremost men went to Rochester, N. Y., were initiated into and received the degrees of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. On the after- noon of July 23, 1842, D. D. G. M., W. H. Perkins, of Rochester, in a room in the Clinton House, instituted Ithaca Lodge, No. 71, I. O. O. F., with William R. Humphrey, Charles V. Stuart, Moscs R. Wright, W. H. Hall and Robert Gosman as charter members. Its first officers were Charles V. Stuart, N.G .; Moses R. Wright, V.G .; William R. Humphrey, Secy .; W. H. Hall, Treas. On the evening of institution Messrs. S. B. Cushing, W. P. Pew, Henry Sayles, William U. Gregory, R. H. Hall and P. J. Partenheimer were initiated and received the de- grees. The lodge held its meetings for some time in the Exchange Hotel, now occupied by Joseph La Point on West State street; then moved into rooms fitted up for the lodge over the Culver store, now

* Deceased.

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CITY OF ITHACA.

occupied by The Bool Company; in 1847, while Mr. Hibbard was erect- ing the building on the northwest corner of State and Cayuga streets, the lodge leased the third floor and one room on the second floor for a term of ten years, and moved into them in the spring of 1848, where they remained until November 1, 1893, when they moved into the elegant West Brothers' block and rooms Nos. 36 and 38 East State street. Since the institution there have been over 200 members initiated, and has paid for relief about $24,000. Of the charter mem- bers there is but one living, P. G. William R. Humphrey, who is in good standing and occasionally visits the lodge. The present officers are E. N. Corbin, N. G .; T. L. Kittle, V. G .; P. A. Campbell, Rec. Secy .; L. A. Barnard, Per. Secy .; R. Wolf, Treas .; H. L. Haskin, J. E. Vanghn, J. F. Hawkins, Trust Com. The funds of the lodge amount to about $5,000.

Cascadilla Lodge, No. 89, Knights of Pythias, was organized Janu- ary 23, 1873, with the following charter members: Thomas P. St. John, Philip J. Partenheimer, Dr. M. M. Brown, E. O. Godfrey, E. P. Davenport, John Stoddard, Ai G. Seaman, Charles S. Seaman, Thad. S. Thompson, O. D. Terry. Instituted by W. W. Ware, D. D. G. C., of Elmira, No. 81. This has been a flourishing and successful order ever since its organization. It now has 160 members. It has cash on hand, invested at interest, $1,364.75, and has $500 of paraphernalia, making a total value of personal property of $1,864.75. The lodge re- ceived since its organization $8, 924.26, and paid for relief $1, 149.95, and general purposes $6,409.56. The lodge boasts of having onc Past Grand Chancellor and Past Supreme Representative, both embodied in the person of James L. Baker. The lodge has always met in Odd Fellows' Hall, now with them in their new rooms in West Brothers' block, second and fourth Wednesdays in the month.

Forest City Council No. 47, Royal Arcanum. This council was or- ganized August 14, 1878, with the following charter members: James L. Baker, Dr. David White, Milo C. Jones, John S. Gay, Wilfred M. Jones, Thos. Culver, Thos. N. Drake, Arthur R. Hill, Chas. H. Bun- stead. The first three of these were the original founders, and the only ones of the charter members now in the council. Dr. White was the first Regent, and James L. Baker Vice-Regent.

It has been a very prosperous organization and has grown from that number to a strong council of ninety-one members. It is a beneficiary institution, and on the death of seven members $3,000 have been paid to

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LANDMARKS OF TOMPKINS COUNTY.

the widows and children of these members. This eouneil alone has paid out about $21,000.

The present Regent is Charles F. Rappleye, and the Vice-Regent, Charles Taber; Orator, R. E. Gager; Chaplain, Geo. Small; Rec. Sec., Edward Saxton; Treasurer, Thomas J. Stephens; Colleetor, Fred. Harding; Guide, Charles Scott; Past Regent, John B. Lang.

The meetings are held in the G. A. R. rooms, on E. Seneca street, the first and third Thursdays of each month.

G. A. R .- In 1866 or '67, early after the war, a G. A. R. post was established called the Barton Post No. -- , which flourished for about three or four years, and one of its early eommanders was D. W. Bur- dick, a major of artillery.

Sidney Post G. A. R. No. 41; charter granted December 22, 1876; named after Lieut. Joseph Sidney, of the U. S. Marines, who died in line of duty on board the U. S. gunboat Brooklyn. First eommander, Col. K. S. Van Voorhees, of the De Witt Guard. Charter members were John Barnard, John E. MeIntosh, Barnum R. Williams, Dr. Ziba H. Potter, Major W. P. Van Ness, L. S. Mackey, James H. Tich- enor, Geo. W. Gray, Henry Stoughton, James Gardner, Moses Sneed, P. C. Gilbert, F. E. Tibbetts.

Following Van Voorhees the commanders have been: John E. Me- Intosh, C. S. Norton, A. A. Hungerford, J. A. Northrup, N. G. White, Doctor Tarbell, F. E. Tibbetts, Reuben Gee, John B. Freneh.

The present offieers of the post are: John Barnard, Com .; W. H. Herrington, Sr. V. Com .; John Johnson, Jr. V. Com .; Charles Smith, Quartermaster; Thos. J. Stephens, Adjt .; Theo. J. Harrington, Chap- lain; R. F. Lobdell, Surgeon; J. W. Skinner, Off. of Day; E. R. Hurlburt, Off. of Guard; John A. Freer, Sergeant-major; Hermon Cummings, Quar. Ser .; G. W. L. Gardner, Sentinel. Present mem- bership, 150. The post occupies rooms in the Bates Block, on E. Sen- eea street, and meets every Tuesday evening. It has been supported by the eitizens in general and the civie authorities. H. W. Sage presented a reeord book in 1892, which has been a very valuable ac- quisition.

FOREST HOME .- This is the euphonious name of a little settlement on Fall Creek, about two miles east of Ithaea, which was known for many years as "Free Hollow." A small manufacturing interest was started there about the year 1812, by a Mr. Phenix, who built a grist mill, and one has been maintained there ever sinee. In 1819 Jaeob G.

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TOWN OF ULYSSES.

Dyckman & Company established a fulling mill there, which soon passed to the sole ownership of Mr. Dyckman, and was sold by him in 1821 to Edmond Preswick. In 1823 Samuel Seaman owned the mills and leased them to Job Gaskill. Another sale was made of the prop- crty in 1827 and then included the Phenix grist mill, a fulling mill, dye house and a new saw mill; also four dwellings, two barns, a cooper shop, a school house and 250 acres of land. In 1826 the woolen factory was conducted by Stewart & Allen and turned ont fine cloths. Subse- quently the mills were sold to Jacob Starbird, and by him to Mack, Andrus & Woodruff. The present grist mill there was built by Arnold McIntyre, father of Dwight McIntyre, about 1855-56. It is now owned by Martin V. Campbell, who purchased it in May, 1893, of F. C. Cornell. The woolen factory closed up in 1892. A saw mill is run- ning there by Richard Brown. Isaac Cradit manufactured furniture there for many years. David McKinncy had a tannery for many years. A large factory of woolen goods was conducted by D. Edwards & Son, but the property has been sold and is not now operated.

CHAPTER XIII.

TOWN OF ULYSSES.

THE town of Ulysses is situated on the west bank of Cayuga Lake and is the northwestern town in Tompkins county. Its shorc line on the lake is precipitous in many places, and the land rises gradually from the bluffs until it reaches a height of 600 feet above the lake, and then spreads into an undulating upland, constituting a beautiful and fertile farming section. The soil is a gravelly loam, admirably adapted for growing grains and grasses. The town contains 19,400 acres, by far the larger part (about 16,000) being improved. The only stream of importance is the Taghanic Creek, which flows across the town from west to cast. In the northern part is Trumansburgh Creek, and there are several smaller streams, on all of which are cascades. The celc- brated Taghanic Falls, which are on the creek of that name and about a mile from the lake, is the highest perpendicular fall in this Statc.

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LANDMARKS OF TOMPKINS COUNTY.

The stream flows through a gorge worn in the shale rock 380 feet deep, and the water drops over a harder limestone ledge 215 feet. 1

The town of Ulysses embraces the site of one or two Indian villages which existed before the foot of the white man had impressed its soil. In Greenhalgh's account of a journey westward from Albany, made in the summer of 1677, he says, "that Indian villages were sixty miles southeast of ye Onondagas on Lake Tiohero (now Cayuga)." Another early writer says that "where Taghanic Creek empties into the Tio- hero Lake the Indians had built a small town and were growing corn, beans and potatoes, and they had also apple trees on the rich flats of two and a half centuries' growth." While we may not readily agree with some of this statement, the site of the Indian village is well known, and was called by the name of the creck. Its inhabitants cscaped at- tention by Licutenant-colonel Dearborn in his raid from Sullivan's main army, on his return from the Genesee. There was also another Indian village near the site of Waterburg village.

1TRADITIONS CONCERNING THE NAME TAUGHANNOCK, OR TAGHANIC .- D. H. Hamilton, D.D., gives a tradition concerning the name of the Taghanic Creek, which is from the Delaware dialect. From this tradition it would seem that the name was derived from a battle on its banks, between a band of Delawares from their homes in Pennsylvania on a raid to avenge the insult put upon that conquered nation by an Onondaga chief, Canassetego, in a conference with the governor of Pennsylvania and the Delawares at Philadelphia. The Delawares had sold land to the Pennsyl- vania people, and the Iroquois called the governor to account for his dealings with a tributary people who had no right to alienate the soil of the conquered territory. In his speech the Onondaga chief stigmatized the Delawares as dishonest and cowards, unworthy the name of warriors, and therefore to be only known as women, and ordered them to leave the lands they had sold and remove into the Wyoming Valley, where they went.1 The tradition says that a young chief of the ancient line of Taughannock, being present at the council, was stung by the sarcastic speech of the Onondaga, and vowed revenge. He gathered together a band of 200 young braves and marched northward to wreak vengeance for the insulting demeanor of the Iro- quois in their own land, and, meeting with superior forces, was hemmed in on the banks of this stream, where the entire band perished except two, who were adopted into the Cayugas in place of relatives slain.

On their route to this region " they passed Wyoming and Owego and took the trail for Cayuga Lake, plotting to fall upon the Indian towns lying around, especially Neodakheat (Ithaca), Deowendote (Aurora), and Genogeh (Canoga). Fearing, how- ever, to attack Neodakheat, they turned to the left, and pursuing their way north- wards entered the Cayuga country, lying between Cayuga and Seneca Lakes, mean- ing to make an attack on Genogeh and then rush back and fall upon Neodakheat.

1 Doc. Hist.

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TOWN OF ULYSSES.

The first white settlement in what is now the town of Ulysses was made by Samuel Weyburn, who came with his wife and four children from " Tioga Point " and built his log cabin at what has been known as "Goodwin's Point," on the lake shore. His son, of the same name, was town clerk in 1812, but the elder Weyburn removed away in a few years.

In the fall of 1792 Abner Treman and his brother-in-law, John Mc- Lallen, came to Ulysses. Mr. Treman had served in the Revolution- ary war, and drew for his services lot No. ? (640 acres), which tract embraced the site of Trumansburgh. He arranged with his brother Philip to come into the wilderness and clear a part of his land. Philip and his son Benjamin walked here from thirty miles north of Albany, carrying their axes, provisions, etc. They built a little hut, cleared off about eight acres, and then returned to their eastern home. In the fall of the same year Abner came on, as before stated, burned the

They encountered, however, an unexpected resistance from some smaller settlements of Indians situated in the region where Trumansburgh, Perry, Mecklenburgh, Tan- nerville and Lodi have since been located. These Indians were both Cayugas and Senecas, the chief settlement of the former being between Perry and Mecklenburgh, while that of the Senecas was between Pratt's and Tannerville. The two tribes were, however, much intermingled, and assumed a name indicative of their origin, calling themselves Ganungueuguch, that is Senecayugas. This union was brought about, for the most part, by an aspiring and talented young chief whose father was a Seneca and whose mother was a Cayuga. The name of the chief of the com- munity-for they never rose to the full dignity of a tribe-was derived from Ganun- desaga (Seneca Lake), and Guenguch (Cayuga Lake). Ganunguenguch was the Indian name of the chief, the settlements, the people, the stream, and of the falls." William H. Bogart, esq., of Aurora, says, "In the Algonquin, the word tahnun means wood; olamehuknum, high; patihaakun, thunder. In the Miami tongue, forest is tawwonawkewe; in Delaware it is taikunah. Tahxxan, in Delaware, means wood. In the Dacotah dialect, tehanwauken means very high. Schoolcraft states that the tribes generally dwelt on the banks of the rivers, which were denoted by an inflection to the root form of its name, as annah-annock-any, as heard in Susqueh- annah, Rappahannock, and Allegh-any. The termination of -atun or -atan or -ton denotes a rapid stream or channel. In Iroquois, the particle on denotes a hill; ock denotes a forest. I find in a dictionary of the Onondaga language, prepared by Jean Murinchau, a French Jesuit, the word dehennah. or dehennach, meaning, I believe, a fall. In the Algonquin is the word taakhan, which is interpreted as woods, and in the Mohawk, tungkah, the explanation of which is great. All these, brought to- gether, are easily, in the changes of language and varieties of pronunciation, ren- dered as Taghannic, or The Great Fall in the Woods! which is the easy, and natural, and probable appellation given to it by the quiet, simple, unimaginative men who once ruled and possessed all this land."

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LANDMARKS OF TOMPKINS COUNTY.

brush, piled the logs, sowed the land to wheat, and returned home. Originally from Columbia county, Mr. Treman had lived about a year in Chenango county, and in February, 1793, started from there with his wife and three children, and John McLallen, his wife's brother, and reached his settlement in March. They built their first log house near the creek. In the winter of 1793-4 he drove his oxen to the flats where Ithaca is situated to feed them on the marsh grass. Returning he stopped over night at Nathaniel Davenport's tavern on the West Hill. A heavy fall of snow came on with intense cold, and he started on foot about nine o'clock the next morning. The journey was a terrible one, and he reached Weyburn's, at Goodwin's Point, about midnight, but too near dead to enter the house. His cries were heard, however, and he was carried in. His feet were so badly frozen that one of them had to be amputated. In 1794 he built a small grist mill on the creek, and soon afterward erected a larger log house. In 1806 he built a frame house. Mr. Treman was a man of great force of character and left his mark upon the community which he founded. He died August 13, 1823, and his descendants are still living and occupying important places in the county, as elsewhere stated.

John MeLallen's settlement is described in the later history of Tru- mansburgh village.

Jesse Harriman settled at Trumansburgh in 1793, where he con- tracted with Mr. Treman for 100 acres of land in the west part of the village site for a year's labor in clearing land. He came from Barton, whither he returned, and his father gave him a yoke of oxen. With these and his brother Moses he returned to Trumansburgh, and on the way traded the oxen for 640 acres of land, where Northville now is. His father heard of the trade, came on here, and, as Jesse was not of age, broke up the deal. Jesse Harriman built a frame house and reared a family of children. About 1816 he moved to Enfield and later to Newfield, where he lived with his son Lyman until his death March 16, 1866.

About the year 1794 Richard and Benjamin Goodwin settled what has since been known as Goodwin's Point. Benjamin built an early grist mill on the north side of the Taghanic, where Daniel Norton was miller. He had a son Richard who was father of Rev. William H. Good- win. The first Richard Goodwin had a son George who was a resident of Jacksonville.

1. P. Hand

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TOWN OF ULYSSES.

James F. Curry came in 1798 and settled a mile south of Jacksonville. In the same year David Atwater built a saw mill on Taghanic Creek, near the Goodwin Mill. Thomas Cooper came in 1799 and brought his grandson Jeremiah with him; the latter was then eight years of age. Their journey from Connecticut with an old ox team consumed four weeks. They made a small clearing, and in the next year Jeremiah's father eame on with the family.

Jared Treman, brother of Abner, became a settler in 1796, and in that year or the year before, Henry and Robert MeLallen settled on farms west of Trumansburgh. Elisha Trowbridge came into the town in 1798 from Cooperstown, and settled about a mile west of Waterburg. He died January 9, 1860. Captain Jonathan Owen moved in about 1800. He had a military lot of a square mile on which he located, and he built the saw mill and grist mill in Waterburg, and gave his son Jonathan a farm near Waterburg, where he lived to near his death.

Other settlers on the site of Trumansburgh or in its immediate vicin- ity prior to 1800 were Jacob Chambers, Job Rogers, Dr. Peter Rosc, and perhaps a few others. Benjamin Lanning came in 1801 and loeated near Jacksonville; his son Gideon beeame somewhat noted as an early Methodist preaeher.

Robert Henshaw was one of the pioneers and the first merchant in Trumansburgh. He had a few goods for sale in 1802-3, but diseon- tinued in 1805, to be succeeded by the Camps, as explained further on.

Jonathan Owen, from Orange county, settled in 1804 west of Water- burg, where the widow of John Vanderbilt now lives. He was the father of L. H. Owen.

Albert Crandall was an carly landlord and kept a tavern for many years after 1806, where the Barto Bank stands, and was suceeeded by his son, Minor Crandall.

Jeptha Lec, a Revolutionary soldier who drew lot No. 14, but se cured only 150 acres of it, eame here in 1802 and settled on the home- stead now oeeupied by Sarah Johnson. Wilson Stout also eame in that year and has descendants living in the town. Nathaniel and John Maek were the pioneers not much after 1800 in what has been known as "Maek Settlement."

Alexander Bower, a Scoteh immigrant, came to this town in 1804 and spent most of his life near Waterburg. Several of his sons arc resident in the town. 27

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LANDMARKS OF TOMPKINS COUNTY.

Richard Ayres, from New Jersey, came in 1805 with his wife and seven children; the family and its descendants became prominent in the town.

The "Updike Settlement," a little south of Trumansburgh, took its name from Jacob Updike, who came from New Jersey in 1800. He was the father of Abram G. Updike, who reared a large family.

Nicoll Halsey, whose name is familiar throughout the county, settled in Ulysses in 1808, coming from Ovid, where he had located in 1793. He rcared a large family, several of whom became conspicuous in the county. He held the offices of supervisor, sheriff, member of assem- bly, county judge, and member of congress, and was a leading man in the community. (See history of Ithaca village).

Allen Boardman settled in Covert in 1799, and was a man of much prominence. He was father of Hon. Douglass Boardman, Henry Boardman and Truman Boardman. (See biography of Douglass Board- man in later pages).

Azariah Letts, from New Jersey, settled in the town in 1801 and left a record of mighty deeds as a hunter. Henry Taylor, a tanner, who carried on his business many years, came in from Connecticut in 1809.

Mathias De Mund, from New Jersey, settled here in 1803. He was father of Deacon Edward De Mund. Frederick Burluew settled south of Waterburg in 1807, and his descendants were long residents. John Creque came in 1811 and became a leading man in business and public affairs, as further explained in the later history of Trumansburgh.

Dr. O. C. Comstock was in town before 1810, was a prominent early physician, the first postmaster of the village of Trumansburgh, member of congress, etc. His son, O. C. Comstock, jr., married a daughter of Nicoll Halsey.

Albert G. Stone came to Trumansburgh in 1824 as clerk for his uncle, Hermon Camp. When he was twenty-one he was taken as partner by his uncle and continued in mercantile business until 1870. For more than fifty years he was a conspicuous figure in the community. He was postmaster of the village ten years; a member of the Presbyterian church, and a leader in public affairs. He died in 1877. His sons werc James L., Richard H., Hermon C., and George F.

William Jarvis Stone came here in 1839, first as a clerk and afterward as a store keeper. Died here in 1874.

Samuel Vann came to Ulysses in 1812 and settled where his de- scendants long lived. He was father of Thomas and Samuel Vann and was one of the early masons of the town.

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TOWN OF ULYSSES.

Lyman Strobridge, a more extended aecount of whom is given in the history of Trumansburgh, was a soldier of the War of 1812, and settled in the town in 1818. He was for many years a leading man in the eom- munity.

Henry Barto came to Ulysses from Virgil in 1814, and opened a law offiee, one of the first in this vieinity. He aeeumulated a large for- tune.

We quote the following from a historical sketeh written by Dr. J. M. Farrington in 1876, the memoranda for which he gathered largely from Hermon Camp during his life, and is a deseription of Trumans- burgh in 1805-6. As far as possible we have brought its statements down to the present time:

The snow was about six inches in depth, and night overtook him before he reached the " Pine Woods," which at that time extended to the Halseyville Creek. There was no real road, the smaller trees only were cut, and the road was very crooked or zigzag to avoid the larger trees. He was very weary and cold by the time he reached McLallen's tavern. As you come from Jacksonville on the hill east of Halseyville Creek, where the barns of Frank Pearsall now stand, was a small frame house, occu- pied by Michael Snell, who afterwards became justice of the peace. A log bridge crossed the Halseyville Creek, above where the dam now is. The road there wound through what at that time were extensive pine woods, towards Trumansburgh-next house on the road being a log one, near where A. J. Howland now resides, and was occupied by a Mr. Havens. Another log house was located where J. D. Gould's barn now stands, and was owned by Robert McLallen. There was about an acre of clear- ing surrounding each of these dwellings. The next house was the one built by the first settler, Abner Treman.

Going westward, the grist mill of Mr. Treman was the first structure, which stood on the site of the present stone mill of Clock & Smith. Both the mill and dam were built of logs. The hill-side slope leading to the mill was covered with large hemlock trees, girdled and dead. In the mill pond black ash trees were standing, but dead. A small frame house stood near where the book store now is [now a grocery]. Beth- niel Bond had once kept a few goods there. A log potashery was standing where Samuel Williams's shop is, bordering on the mill pond. A Mr. Cheesman owned the establishment, and got water from the mill pond for its use. Cheesman was there, and made a little potash after Mr. Camp came; but Esquire Bond was at that time living in Covert with his family on the place now owned by Stephen Horton [now occupied by - Curtis]. Bond still owned the little building before alluded to, but kept no goods after Mr. Camp came. Bond was accustomed to take two or three barrels of potash to Utica with a horse and wagon to buy goods. Mr. Treman had then cleared on our present South street as far as where Linas Waring now lives, and John Trembly, a tailor, grandfather of the landlord of the " Treinbry House," lived there. The south road was opened as far as Deacon Hand's place, and there David Atwater lived. Mr. Atwater first settled where W. B. Dumont now lives, near the Taghanic depot. The Updyke Settlement had occurred previously, and probably

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Landmarks of Tompkins County, New York : including a history of Cornell University, Part 21

Author: Hewett, Waterman Thomas, 1846-1921; Selkreg, John H Publication date: 1894 Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason Number of Pages: 1194

Author: Hewett, Waterman Thomas, 1846-1921; Selkreg, John H
Publication date: 1894
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason
Number of Pages: 1194