USA > New York > Tompkins County > Landmarks of Tompkins County, New York : including a history of Cornell University > Part 33
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The Groton Bridge and Manufacturing Company is the direct out- growth of a business established by Charles and Lyman Perrigo as early as the year 1849. The Perrigos were proprietors of a foundry and ma- chine shop, and as time passed they enlarged their works and added to their products until they had built up a large and extensive trade. One of the many graduates of their works was Oliver Avery, jr., who eventually became one of the firm, as also did Ellery Colby. In 1877 the then existing firm of Charles Perrigo & Co. began the manufacture of iron bridges. Soon afterward the Groton Iron Bridge Company was formed and incorporated, of which Mr. Perrigo was president; Mr. Colby, vice-president; William Williams, secretary; and Mr. Avery, treasurer and general business manager. This concern did business
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until 1884, and was then merged into the Groton Bridge and Manufac- turing Company.
About the year 1847 Daniel Spencer began the manufacture of grain separators at a location on Spring Brook, but soon moved his works to the village. Here Wm. Perrigo became interested with Mr. Spencer and the son of the latter in making the separators, while the firm of Chas. Perrigo & Co. built the "powers." Finally the whole concern merged into the business of Perrigo & Avery, and from them passed to the present company.
The Groton Bridge and Manufacturing Company was incorporated in 1887, with an original capital of $100,000 (afterward increased to $120,000), for the manufacture of iron bridges, steam engines, separ- ators, spoke machines and agricultural implements. The first president was Ellery Colby; vice-president, Frank Conger; secretary and treas- urer, Chester Barney, who died before the company fairly began oper- ations, whereupon Barnum R. Williams was made secretary, and Oliver Avery treasurer. In 1888 William H. Fitch became treasurer, and in 1890 was elected president. Corydon W. Conger was then elected treasurer. This is by far the most important and valuable industry ever established in Groton, and under its present management the greatest success has been attained. The annual business amounts to nearly $500,000, and the works employ about 150 men.
The Crandall Typewriter Company was incorporated and did busi- ness at Cortland and Syracuse before locating at Groton. On January 1, 1881, the removal was made, and in that year the large and well equipped building on Main street was occupied. The capital stock of the company is $35,000. The officers are: D. H. Marsh, president ; Everett Smiley, vice-president; Frank Conger, secretary; Frank J. Tanner, treasurer; F. L. Twiss, superintendent.
The other manufacturing industries of the village are the planing and lumber mills of Begent & Crittenden, and the Groton Flouring Mill, the latter the property of J. G. Beach.
The First National Bank of Groton was organized in 1865, through the efforts of Charles Perrigo and Dexter H. Marsh, having a capital stock of $100,000. This institution has always done a legitimate and safe business, and is to-day regarded as one of the sound st banking houses in the county. Mr. Perrigo was the original president, while Mr. Marsh was the cashier. These positions were respectively held until January 14, 1890, when Mr. Marsh was elected president, and
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Hiram G. Moe was elected cashier. During the period of its existence this bank has paid an annual dividend of eight per cent., and has paid cash dividends aggregating $237,000. The present surplus and undi- vided profit account stands at $54,000. The directors are: D. H. Marsh, president; C. P. Atwood, vice-president; H. G. Moe, cashier; and WV. M. Marsh, Nelson Harris, Jay Conger and Arad S. Marsh.
THE GROTON PRESS .- On January 31, 1839, H. P. Eels & Co. began the publication of a weekly paper called the Groton Balance. Thirty- nine numbers were issued when the paper passed to the hands of E. S. Keeney, who changed its name to Groton Democrat, and issued thirty- five numbers. Publication was then discontinued.
The Groton Journal was founded November 9, 1866, by Hiram Clark Marsh, and during the five years of his ownership the paper was an active and aggressive Republican publication. He sold the paper to J. P. Pennoyer and A. M. Lyon, who were in turn succeeded by L. M. Chapin. The next proprietors were Wm. H. Allen and Henry L. Wright, who, in 1879, established a Lansing department, under the direction of Lewis J. Townley. On October 16 of that year the name of the paper was changed to Groton and Lansing Journal. On the 17th of November, 1883, Mr. Townley bought the paper and sold a half interest to Mr. Wright, but on the 3d of December, 1885, Mr. Townley became and has since continued its sole proprietor.
Conger's Journal, the first number of which appeared March 23, 1882, was the result of the enterprise of that progressive firm, C. W. Conger & Co., by whom it was designed as an advertising medium of their own and other Groton business interests. The Journal was dis- tributed gratuitously, and its press work was done in the office of the Groton and Lansing Journal. Mrs. Corydon W. Conger was its editor and conducted an interesting and instructive miscellaneous news de- partment.
The Bridge Builder, a monthly publication, was first issued in May, 1883, under the editorial management of Mrs. C. W. Conger, and was devoted to the interests of the local bridge company.
The Groton Rural Cemetery was incorporated June 28, 1858, and the association at once laid out a beautiful tract of land for burial purposes. It is situated on a commanding eminence about three-fourths of a mile northeast of the village. The grounds are tastefully laid out, and beautifully adorned with shrubbery and foliage trees. The arrange- ment of all departments is attractive, and much of this appearance of things is due to the efforts of George W. Davey.
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The Southern Central Railroad. - For the construction of this railroad the town of Groton people contributed the sum of $50,000, but in con- nection with the work the names of Charles and Lyman Perrigo, Hiland K. Clark, Peirson & Avery, Perrigo, Avery & Field, Robert C. Reyn- olds, Dr. E. W. Crain, Franklin Willoughby and Sylvester Larned must stand in especial prominence. The road was completed through this valley in 1869.
McLEAN .- Second in importance and size among the villages of the town is the hamlet called McLean. Amasa Cobb built the first log dwelling, also the first tavern, on the village site. John Benedict built the first saw and grist mills, while Roswell Randall opened the first store. Daniel J. Shaw was a pioneer grist miller; Dr. Richard Laning the first physician; Wm. S. Clark and Samuel H. Starr the first cloth- dressers. Among the pioners of this locality were Nicholas Rowe, Anson Hanchett, Amasa Cobb, Ezra Bangs, Elisha Bangs, Elijah West, William Harris, and the Cummings, Davis, Pettis and other families. As early as 1828 two distilleries, with the other business enterprises, even at that early day made McLean a hamlet of some note. The original name of the village was Moscow, but in 1824 a post-office was established and named in honor of Judge McLcan.
However, during its three-quarters of a century of history McLean has never advanced beyond the condition of a hamlet, and at no time has it contained more than 400 inhabitants. Its industries comprise a foundry and machine shop, a firkin and butter tub factory, creamcry, large grist mill, a number of small shops, two general stores, and one well appointed drug store. The cheese factory is one of the established industries of McLean, which was put in operation in 1864 and has been continued to the present time. The butter package factory has long been the property of V. B. Gross, and was the outgrowth of a still older business of the same kind. In 1837 John Neal built the large grist mill afterward known as the D. B. Marsh mill. It is now the property of John W. West. Solomon R. Reniff is the proprietor of the saw and cider mill. The machine shops and foundry are owned by Houghtaling Bros.
McLean has five churches, a number not equaled by any other vil- lage in the township. The Baptist Church of McLean was organized January 24, 1824, with thirty members, and with Amos Hart and Ithamar Whipple as deacons. However, Baptist preaching was heard in this locality as early as 1805. The church was built in 1828, under
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the direction of John Benedict, Samuel Noyes and Deacon Hart, and cost $1,500. It has now thirty-six members and fifty-five pupils in the Sunday school. The present pastor is Joseph E. Dodsley, successor to J. W. Barr. The deacons are T. M. Weeks and E. P. Hart; trustees, Allen Howard, John Ronk and T. N. Weeks; superintendent of Sun- day school, E. P. Hart.
The McLean Methodist Episcopal church was organized in 1830, and the church edifice built in 1832 at a cost of $1,500. It was extensively repaired in 1836. The church has nearly 100 members, and about fifty pupils in the Sunday school. The officers of the church are J. W. Terry, pastor; D. C. Johnson, Almon Trapp, Wesley Andrews, William Waters, M. M. Robbins and E. G. Galloup, trustees; superintendent Sunday school, E. G. Galloup.
The First Universalist Society of Groton was organized at McLean, April 21, 1832, with about thirty members. The church edifice was erected in about 1843, and cost, including furnishings, about $3,000. The first minister was Walter Bullard; the present minister, Herbert H. Graves. The present membership of the church is twenty-seven.
Zion Church, P. E., a mission from Homer, was founded at McLean, September 23, 1833. The church edifice was erected in 1849, and cost $1,200. For a number of years Zion parish has been without a rector, and the church has but. twenty communicants. The present wardens are William De Coudres and William Hubbard.
The Roman Catholic at McLean is the youngest of the religious societies of the locality. The church has no regular pastor and only occasional services are held.
PERUVILLE .- In the south part of the town of Groton, and lying partly within the town of Dryden, is the present hamlet of Peruville. Half a century and more ago this was a place of considerable industry, but later years have witnessed the removal or discontinuance of those of greatest importance, and the village now contains but three stores, a flour and feed mill, cider mill, creamery, and one or two shops. The village is situated on lot 95, and here the first settlers were Asa Church, who built the first grist mill; Henry I. Brinkerhoff, Thomas Johnson, and Dr. Wright. In 1820 the village plat was regularly surveyed by Levi Bodley. Prominent among the early business men at Peruville were Reuben Darling, Joseph Smiley, William D. Mount, and Henry Teeter, the latter at one time owning much of the village site and its industries as well.
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The present merchants of the village are J. H. Mount, J. M. Mont- fort, and I. Miller & Son. The mill is the property of Filander H. Robinson.
The Methodist Episcopal church at Peruville was originally organ- ized as a society of both Dryden and Groton, and has been a station of each town. The society was organized about 1830, and the edifice was built in 1834 at a cost of $3,000. The church has about forty members, with about the same number in the Sunday school. The present pastor is Rev. Emory R. Baldwin, and the trustees are C. J. Wheeler, W. C. Lumbard and J. M. Montfort.
The Wesleyan Methodist church of Groton is located about a mile north of Peruville. The society was organized about 1845, and in 1850 the meeting house was built. The present membership is about thirty, and the society is under the pastoral charge of Rev. C. E. Curtis.
WEST GROTON .- In the northwest part of the town, and in one of the most fertile districts thereof, is the pleasant little hamlet of West Gro- ton. In an earlier portion of the present chapter the reader will find the names of the earlier settlers of this locality, therefore they need not be repeated here. Through the kindness of Perry W. Allen we are able to furnish the names of the various men at this point. The mer- chants have been James I. Brinkerhoof, Hopkins & Ludlow, B. F. Ludlow, Ferris & Gaylord, Goodyear & Seymour, John Dart, Skinner & Cady, Locke & Wright, T. F. Sherman, Atwater & Baldwin, P. W. Allen (postmaster and deputy twenty-seven years), John Boulker, B. F. Thompson, A. Stuart Stearns, C. Van Buskirk, A. B. Rogers, and Stevens & Townley.
West Groton was made a post station in 1833, and the postmasters have been Cicero Phelps, Perry W. Allen, A. B. Rogers, A. S. Stearns, and Ben Townley. The present business interests of the hamlet are the general store of Stevens & Townley, the extensive egg and honey business of E. F. Tallmadge, a blacksmith and shoe shop.
The West Groton and East Lansing Congregational church was organized in December, 1816, with five original members. The society was organized in 1832. The parsonage was built in 1861, the church repaired in 1872, the steeple erected in 1884, and the parlors and new barn provided in 1886. The church has 100 members and the Sunday school 120. The pastors of this church in succession have been as fol- lows: Marcus Harrison, 1831-33; Samuel Scott, 1836-32; John Ivison, 1837-39; Peleg R. Kinnie, 1845-55; Rev. Pomeroy, 1858-61; Calvin
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Mckinney, 1862-64; Ezra Jones, 1865-68; W. O. Baldwin, 1869-72; A. D. Stowell, and John Cunningham 1877-93. The present officers of the church are John Cunningham, pastor, and Benoni Brown (emeri- tus), Nelson Stevens, and Richard T. Ludlow, deacons.
The First Christian church of West Groton was organized in 1831, and in 1833 a frame edifice was erected a short distance south of West Groton. At one time the society had about seventy-five members, but owing to dissensions the members left and the society gradually passed out of existence.
GROTON CITY .- In the northeast corner of the town of Groton, and located principally on lot 59, is the hamlet called Groton City. During the pioneer days of the region, when saw mills were numerous on Fall Creek, this locality was known as "Slab City." At that time this was an important point, and half a century ago " Slab City." did more busi- ness than Groton village. However, like many other similar hamlets, Groton City has lost nearly all of its former prestige and much of its old time usefulness. The early settlers in this locality were Capt. Jesse Clark, Major Lemi Bradley, Jesse Bartholomew, Aaron and John Bene- dict, who built saw and grist mills, William S. Clark, who built the first dam on Fall Brook and set up a fulling mill. In 1813 Zacheus Maltby built a tavern on lot 68; Crosby and Tanner opened store in 1809. These were the first business ventures in Groton City and locality. At present there is no regular store in the village, and the only industry is the custom feed mill of L. W. Steadman & Son.
A few rods west of the corners stands the Groton City Free church, which was built by subscriptions contributed by the people of the neigh- borhood without regard to denomination. However, this has always been a Methodist church, and until quite recently belonged to the con- ference. It is now an independent church, and its pulpit is supplied by young ministers from Cortland.
LA FAVETTE .- This is the name which has always been applied to the four corner settlement in the east part of the town, where once stood a saw and grist mill. When built the latter was christened by pioneer George Fish, and as the christening took place on the same day that General La Fayette was at Auburn, Mr. Fish appropriately designated this as the La Fayette Mill.
GROTTO .- This is the name of a post-office established in the west part of the town July 1, 1892, through the efforts of Edwin W. Van Marter, who is its postmaster and also a merchant at that point.
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UMBRIA .- This is the name of a post-office established in the fall of 1893, having its location on Fall Creek, about half a mile south of La- Fayette.
CHAPTER XIX.
TOWN OF LANSING.
THE town of Lansing lies in the north part of Tompkins county, west of Groton and on the east side of Cayuga Lakc. The surface rises in a rolling upland to about 500 feet above the lake, with abrupt ledges in some places. The soil is chiefly a gravelly loam, well adapted to grain growing. Salmon Creek is the principal stream, rising in Cayuga county and flowing southerly through this town near its center. Its valley is narrow, and from its east side the land rises in a gradual slope and ex- tends eastward with a comparativcly level surface, which is divided into beautiful and fertile farms. To the westward from the creek valley the surface rises into what is known as the "Ridge." Salmon Creek has small tributaries in Gulf, Townley, Hedden, and Upper Hedden Creeks. On Townley Creek are the three Indian Falls, forty to sixty feet in height, and noted for their natural beauty. On Hedden Creek are the Buttermilk Falls, also noted for their natural picturesque attrac- tions. There are other cascades on the small streams of this town which contribute to the many romantic beauties of the locality.
One of the old military townships of Cayuga county was named " Mil- ton," and was erected January 27, 1789. On the 20th of February, 1802, the town of Locke was set off from Milton. On the 6th of April, 1808, the name was changed to Genoa, from the south part of which the town of Lansing was set off on the 7th of April, 1812, under the act that created Tompkins county. It retains its original limits and con- tains 38,808 acres, of which about 32,000 are improved. Settlements were made in what is now Lansing, of course, long before it became a civil organization. In March, 1791, Silas Ludlow, his brother Henry, and Thomas, son of the latter, with their families came in o the town from Ithaca, drawing their little store of goods on a handsled on the ice of the lake. Reaching the mouth of Salmon Creek they followed up its ravine to the falls on the site of Ludlowville and there located. The
42
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water power there was attractive to them and they bought military lot No. 76 for sixty dollars. Henry built his first log house where Charles G. Benjamin now lives. These men became prominent in founding the little community, and their descendants were active in public affairs. Several of the latter removed from the town. Jehiel Ludlow was mem- ber of assembly, sheriff, and justice of the pcace.
Samuel Baker and his brother-in-law, Solomon Hyatt, passed through this town on their way to Canada in 1788 or '89, inspected lot No. 54, and Baker afterwards bought it, probably in 1191. In the spring of 1792 he hired a man to aid in chopping, and they came in and built a log house on the site of Lansingville. October 13, 1792, Baker ex- changed his lot for the one adjoining, and started in the spring of 1793 from Peekskill, on the Hudson, on a sloop with his family on his journey towards his wilderness home. Arriving at Lunenburg, on the Hud- son, he learned that his title was worthless. He was a good blacksmith and went undauntedly at work at his trade, saved up a hundred pounds sterling, with which he purchased 100 acres of the first lot he had bought of the owner in Albany, and came on by the usual route up the Mohawk in a bateau, through Oneida Lake, Seneca River, and Cayuga Lake to Himrod's Point, where Mr. Himrod had made a settlement in 1793. Ebenezer Haskin had located in the same year a mile east of the lake on the site of Lake Ridge, and with his oxen helped Baker to move his goods to his lot. There Baker built a blacksmith shop, and between that time and 1801 purchased the remainder of the military lot. He at one time owned about 1,200 acres. He was the first supervisor of the town of Milton, and his children and grandchildren have been conspic- nous in the town. He was a magistrate many years, a preacher of some note, and built the first canal boat that ran from Cayuga Lake.
Capt. Benaja Strong and his son Salmon came in 1791 and purchased 2,000 acres on both sides of Salmon Creek, and began a clearing a mile and a quarter east of Lansingville on lot No. 63, where Albert Slocum now lives He gave his sons each a farm and they settled in the town. Two of his daughters married Zoel and Daniel Bacon, and settled near the site of North Lansing, in the northeast part of the town, in 1793. Captain Strong was a noted pionecr and lived to ninety-six years, and had been in the Revolutionary War; his son, of the same name, was in the War of 1812 as a soldier.
John Bowker came in 1791 from Ulster county, by way of Owego and Ithaca, and settled near North Lansing, where his son James after-
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wards lived. He was a justice of the peace, constable, and supervisor in the town of Milton. His brothers, Joseph and Noah, came in 1792. John Bowker had twelve children, all of whom reared families, and at the time of his death, in 1855, was father, grandfather and great-grand- father to 130 children.
Andrew Myers with his wife and two children came down the lake in 1792, and settled at what has been known as " Myers Point." His son Andrew built a large grist mill there about 1832.
Moses and Nicholas Depeu settled at the mouth of Salmon Creek in 1792.
Ephraim Bloom was of German descent, and came from Pennsylvania in 1791 and took up lot 91, building his cabin where Lewis Bloom lived in recent years. Two Indians spent the succeeding winter with him, and in the spring of 1792 he brought in his family, two sons and five daughters. He died in 1828, a few days more than 104 years old. His wife lived to a few days more than 100 years.
Richard and Charles Townley, brothers, originally from New Jersey, reached this town in December, 1192, coming by way of Ithaca, and built a log cabin which they occupied first on Christmas day. Once settled in their cabin, Charles left his brother and family and returned to the Susquehanna, not far from Wilkesbarre, where they had lived four years after leaving New Jersey. Richard Townley was a man of superior native talents, and though not well cducated, was an intelli- gent reader, closely observant, and became remarkably well informed. He learned surveying and practiced it throughout the county, was super- visor of Milton in 1802; justice of the peace in 1804; associate judge of Cayuga county ; member of assembly ten years from 1804. As school commissioner he divided the town into districts and sold the public school lots. He was a presidential elector in 1816, and delegate to the State Constitutional Convention in 1821. He left a family of ten chil- dren at his death, which occurred in 1840. His descendants have been prominent in the town.
Abram Minier, son of George, of Northampton county, Pa., eame with his brother Daniel into the lake country in 1787 or 1788. Daniel went on to the Genesee country, but a deed shows that Abram pur- chased 600 acres of Captain Van Rensselaer, of Albany, in 1792. He brought his family and took possession in 1793. His land was on the site of South Lansing or "Libertyville." He rearcd a family of four sons and five daughters, one of the latter became the wife of Robert
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Tennant Shaw, who was named after the celebrated Presbyterian min- ister of New Jersey.
William Boice settled at South Lansing in 1793, and built and kept a log tavern. In the same year Barney Collins came to that locality from Pennsylvania.
George Rhodes, from Cherryville, came in 1793, with Frederick Storms, of the same place, purchased 240 acres of land, which they di- vided, and the two farms are now occupied by John Conklin, and Fred- erick Storms, a grandson of the pioneers. The first Rhodes built and operated a distilery.
Zenas Tichenor settled on military lands in Lansing in 1789-90, and was the first school teacher of the town. He was one of twelve broth- ers, all of whom were soldiers of the Revolution; one of his sons was in the War of 1812, and three of his grandsons were soldiers in the war of the Rebellion: Col. Isaac S. Tichenor, of the 105th N. Y. V. ; Maj. James H. Tichenor, of the 32d N. Y. V. ; and Capt. A. W. Knettles, of the 143d Regiment.
Tilman Bower was a settler in 1794 from Pennsylvania, and three years later, his five sons, Honteter, John (who located near their father), Samuel, Adam and George (who settled at or near North Lansing), came into the town.
John Holden came from Great Bend, in 1793, and settled on Lot 47, a mile west from Beardsley's Corners, where his son William now lives. In the same year John Beardsley, of Stratford, Conn., came with his wife and five children, and settled on one-half of Lots 48 and 49, near the Baptist church site. He was justice of the peace and judge of the county.
In 1794 Robert Alexander settled with his family on what has been known as the Allen farm. His title was proved worthless, several years later, and he removed to Newfield Weston Allen purchased the farm of Mr. Chapman, the successful litigant, moved upon it, and it is now occupied by his grandson, Nicholas.
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