Landmarks of Tompkins County, New York : including a history of Cornell University, Part 34

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 34

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In 1794, Micajah Starr settled a little south of Lake Ridge; Deacon Gillett and Solomon Kellogg a little east of there, and Jonah Tooker a mile west of Ludlowville, where he kept the first store in Lansing. Henry Teeter, from Stroudsburg, Pa., settled in 1794 where Peter and John Hedden lived in recent years; he kept a public house a number of years; it was burned and his wife perished in the fire. John Mead came this year from Chenango county and bought the north half of Lot 93 for

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$150 of William Hardenburg. Mead was a Revolutionary soldier. His land was occupied by his sons in 1814. John M. Mead was his grand- son.

Daniel Bacon, the father of Daniel L. Bacon, of Lansing, came with with brother Joel from Connecticut and purchased 215 acres in lot 47 where they settled in 1793; half of this tract is now owned by Daniel L. Bacon.

William Goodwin settled near the site of the Asbury church in 1793. He presented the land for the burial ground. His daughter married Col. Henry Bloom. . The latter was the son of the pioneer, Ephraim Bloom, obtained his title in the War of 1812, and was wounded at Queenstown. He held the office of supervisor, sheriff and member of assembly. His brother Abram was a captain in the War of 1812.

Daniel and Albert White, brothers of Rev. Alvord White, who was a circuit preacher in 1794, settled near Lansingville or "Teetertown," about 1796.

In 1797 Jacob Shoemaker came to this town from New Jersey. His sons, Jacob and Henry, afterwards lived on the homestead, where his grandson Jacob now lives. John Ozmun came in about the same time and left many descendants in the locality. Abram Van Wagner bought a soldier's claim of 109 acres on lot 94, where his son-in-law, Dr. J. F. Burdick lived. The latter practiced in the town for many years and died here.

Samuel R. and Christopher Brown settled in Lansing about 1797; Christopher settled where James La Bar lived, and his grandson, Ben- jamin Brown, lived on a part of the old farm.

George La Bar became a settler about 1798 and was father of Ephraim La Bar, who held the office of sheriff at one period. Daniel Norton, Joseph Gibbs, Samuel Davis and Sidney Drake (father of Og- den, Samuel and Benjamin), all came to thetown in 1795-99. Davis was an carly carpenter. Other settlers before or in 1800 were Cornelius Haring (grandfather of John), John Kimple, Daniel Clark (at Ludlow- ville, where he built a carding and fulling mill and dye works), Na- thaniel Hamilton (three-quarters of a mile west of Lansingville at "White's Settlement " ), David Moore, Jonathan Colburn, John S. Hol- den (father of Hiram, of Genoa), Matthias Mount (three miles north of Ludlowville), and perhaps others.

These pioneers of the years preceding the beginning of the century were sturdy, industrious, and generally moral and God-fearing people,

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and under their patient and self-sacrificing toil the wilderness soon be- came not only habitable in a comfortable sense, but productive of most of the necessaries of happy living. Their lives were not filled with the ease and luxury that characterize those of many of their descendants, but that they were contented and hopeful is susceptible of ample proof. Many stirring incidents occurred to vary the monotomy of their daily labor, but our limited pages will admit but meager record of them. Mrs. Townley related to her friends that "one stormy day, when Mr. Townley was away and not expected home, she was in her log cabin alone with her four children. About ten o'clock in the morning she heard a noise at the door; soon it began to open slowly, and she saw a bayonet coming in followed by an Indian, who went to the fire-place and sat down on the floor, the fire being below on the ground. Not a word was said, and soon there came in three more, all Indians except one, who was a white man in Indian costume; but little was said by them for some time, and that in Indian language. Each was armed with a gun, bayonet, and tomahawk slung on his back. One of the little boys (James, who died in 1826), attracted by the wampum on their garments, jumped down from where he was sitting and went to them. Soon one of them asked who lived there and she told them Townley, and they commenced talking about one Townley at Wyoming, and told their stories of the fearful massacre. They finally asked her for some- thing to eat, and she brought out what she had, and they carried away all they did not eat. Two years afterwards an Indian was through that country selling moccasins. Mr. Townley purchased and paid him, but he put back a shilling, saying: 'Me owe your squaw loaf bread so big.' He was one of the uninvited guests on that stormy day, and probably never had met an Indian agent."

The following Indian stories have also been preserved, which relate to this immediate region. The first incident was contributed to the Christian Union by Mrs. Mary L. Townley, granddaughter of the pio- neers, as follows:

In the year 1779 a soldier belonging to Lieutenant Dearborn's detach- ment was taken prisoner by the Indians. Having some way effected his escape, he followed on the track of his comrades, hoping to overtake them; the Indians, however, were in pursuit, and when near the head of the lake, finding that he was likely to be surrounded and captured, he took to the water and swam across to the mouth of the small gulley opening to the lake, just north of Mr. Mckinney's, on the east shore.

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He here hoped to conceal himself, but the Indians soon hunted him out, and having tied him to a tree, tortured and burned him to death.

In estimating the barbarity of this action, we should remember that the savage blood was probably provoked to retaliation by the wholesale, sweeping desolation of their trees, fields and orchards by Sullivan's army, then marching through their country.

The following incident is from the "History of Cortland County," by Hermon C. Goodwin, and relates to this territory: "A little west of the residence of Dr. J. F. Burdick, and where he had a flourishing peach- orchard, were some eighteen or twenty cabins. Here lived a tall, swarthy Indian chief, generally known among the warriors of the Six Nations as 'Long Jim,' with whom he was a great favorite. He was of Mohawk and Oneida extraction, and possessed many of the more promi- nent characteristics for which the two tribes have been justly celebrated. He was usually kind, benevolent, and just, but if insulted without proper cause, would assume the ferocity of a tiger, and act the part of a demoniac monster. He was an orator and a warrior, and possessed the art of swaying the multitude at will. He believed in witches, hob- goblins, and wizards, and often pretended to be influenced by a tutelary goddess, or guardian spirit. Shrewd and artful, dignified and gener- ous, yet at times deceptive and malevolent, he studied to acquire influ- ence and power, and in most of his marauding depredations was suc- cessful in keeping the arcanum of his heart as in a 'sealed fountain.' His unwritten history represents him as acting a conspicuous part in numerous tragical events, which were perpetrated by detached parties from Burgoyne's army.

"A venerable chief, who resides on the New York Indian Reserva- tion, informed us that, according to the tradition of his tribe, Long Jim was the main cause, instigator, and perpetrator of the bloody massacre of Miss Jane McCrea, too well known in history to be recorded in these pages. He was the leader and controlling spirit of the band who met the Winnebagoes, in whose care she was, and, unwilling to see the prize gained by the other party, he fiercely tore her from her horse and toma- hawked her on the spot, afterwards bearing her scalp triumphantly to her expectant lover."

Between 1800 and 1810 settlers came rapidly to Lansing, its beauti- ful situation beside the lake and its fertile soil proving very attractive. John Royal came soon after 1800 and settled near North Lansing, and Daniel De Camp, John Lane, and Jacob Conrad located near by about

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the same time. Reuben Colton settled at East Lansing in 1802 on lot 100. Thomas Darrity settled in 1802 on lot 75, and had for a time the earliest tannery. Samuel Brown located in that year in the south part of the town.

Joseph Wyckoff, a harnessmaker, came about 1802 and settled on lot 95, where Samuel Robinson afterwards lived. He had three sons: Jesse, Levi, and Joseph, the former living and dying on the homestead. He (Jesse) had four children, and was the grandfather of William O. Wyckoff, the well known stenographer and manufacturer of the Rem- ington typewriter.

In 1801 or 1802 John Brown settled on Salmon Creek north of Lud- lowville, and was elected to the Legislature in 1814-15, and was judge of the Common Pleas in 1816, and supervisor thirteen years. Aaron Hedden settled in 180? and left descendants in the town. Joseph Knet- tles, from Pennsylvania, father of Capt. A. W. Knettles, settled about this time, and sold goods a few years.

Joseph Miller came in 1803 and bought 100 acres on the southwest corner of lot 74 for an old Continental musket. He was the father of Marvin B. and George W. Miller. Joseph E. North, who was a cap- tain in the army of 1812, was an early settler where Benton Halladay now lives.

Jacob Markell, of New Jersey, drew military lot 51, and his son set- tled on it in 1808. Benjamin Buck came from Great Bend in 1805 with his wife and twelve children. Six of his sons and four daughters be- eame settlers and residents of the town. In 1807 or 1808 Conrad Teeter settled at what became locally known as " Teetertown," where he built the first tavern. When the first post-office was established the name of Lansingville was given to the place.

Calvin Burr began business at Ludlowville in 1812, and his descend- ants were long associated with business interests in the town. Oliver Phelps moved into the town in 1811 and built the first store at Ludlow- ville; his clerk was Arad Joy. Mr. Phelps built the first steamboat on the lake, about 1825. Benjamin Joy was an early and long resident, and was very prominent as a temperance worker. He was foremost in organizing the Lansing Temperance Society in 1828, which is still in existence, holding annual meetings on the 30th of December. James A. Burr, of Ithaca, is the present president of the society. Silas K. New- ton came in 1813 from Ulysses and worked at shoemaking. David Crocker eame from Lee, Mass., in 1817, and settled where his son David after-

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wards lived, on the farm now owned by Edwin Davis. Casper Fenner was a settler of 1817, purchasing military lot 42. Henry B. Lord, the long time bank cashier of Ithaca, came into Ludlowville in 1838, and was connected with the Burrs in business. Joseph Ives, Abram Miller, Benjamin Grover and John Kelly were the other settlers of this period.

The modest career of the venerable Roswell Beardsley, of " Beards- ley's Corners " (North Lansing) is most remarkable in some respects. He came to that place in 1827-8, and was made deputy postmaster in June, 1828. He was appointed postmaster by John Quincy Adams, and has ever since, through a period of about sixty-five years. It gives him the present distinction of being the postmaster longest in contin- ual incumbency in the United States.

Benjamin Joy, many years a resident of Tompkins county, was de- scended from Thomas Joy, who came to America from Hingan, Norfolk county, England, in the year 1630 in company with John Winthrop, first governor of the Colony of Massachusetts, and eight hundred others. The Joy family had its full share of patriots and soldiers both in the French and the Revolutionary Wars, among whom was David Joy and his brother Abel, who, after the battle of Bunker Hill, joined an army of patriots at Cambridge and served throughout the war. In the year 1800 David disposed of his somewhat sterile farm near Gilford, Vt., and removed with his family to Fabius, Onondaga county, N. Y. On the 23d day of June, 1800, Benjamin was born. His father died when he was but thirteen years of age, and the following year he re- moved with his brother to Ludlowville, his home for fifty years there- after. At an early age he entered his brother's store as clerk and re- mained in this capacity until manhood.

In the year 1822 he commenced business for himself, and in the fol- lowing year was married to her who became his greatest comfort and blessing throughout life.

In the year 1827 Mr. Joy entered upon his life work, his attention having been aroused by a series of sermons from the pen of Lyman Beecher. It soon became his practice to address large meetings in his own and adjoining counties, and at their close to present the pledge of total abstinence. Mr. Joy's labors extended through more than a quarter of a century.

While he was one of the best known and honored men of his day, loved and revered alike by friends and foes, yet he battled to uproot

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and destroy, and often called down upon himself bitter denunciation and malignant opposition.

In 1854 Mr. Joy was chosen as a Prohibition representative of the Legislature of his county, where he speedily became a leader. In the year 1864 he removed to Penn Yan, where he died February 18, 1869. In his new home, as in his old, his labors were incessant in the church and in the great causes of reform.

It is impracticable to further follow the records of these men and their later descendants who have labored to bring the town of Lansing to its present prosperous condition; but notice of others in the present com- munity will be found in Part III of this work. In its educational and religious institutions the town has kept well to the front, the first school having been established before the beginning of the century in a log house across the street from where Jonah Tooker opened the first store at Ludlowville, in 1795; and a church society was instituted and a log church erected a mile west of Ludlowville before 1800. There are now twenty-three districts in the town, with neat school houses in most of them.

Some first occurrences in the town may here be properly placed on record. The first primitive grist mill of Henry and Thomas Ludlow, built in 1795, has already been mentioned; previous to that time grain for grinding was carried across the lake to Goodwin's Point and thence to Abner Treman's mill at Trumansburgh.

John Guthrie sold the first goods from a boat load brought by him from Schenectady to the mouth of Salmon Creek. Jonah Tooker opened the first regular store in 1795, and the first tannery was built of logs by Thomas Ludlow a little west of Ludlowville; a few years later he built another on the site, where a public house has been kept since. Thomas Darrity built the first tannery. Henry Bloom and Catherine Goodwin were united in the first marriage in the town.

The town of Lansing is chiefly an agricultural district, and while there are several small villages and hamlets, there is none of impor- tance, and the trade interests are only sufficient for the needs of the several sections. There has never been extensive manufacturing in the town. Grain growing, fruit production, and stock raising have been the principal occupations of the farmers, with a tendency in recent years towards dairying and the raising of hay and fruit growing. The peace and prosperity of the town has been undisturbed except by the war of 1861-65, during which the people of the town evinced the same

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ardent patriotism shown by other towns in the county. The town furnished 143 men to the Union armies, several of whom became officers of high rank, and many sleep in soldiers' graves.

For the past twenty years the town of Lansing has been a temperance town, the majority of the votes cast being in favor of temperance and no license.

The officers of this town for 1894 are as follows: John H. Conklin, supervisor : Charles E. Wood, town clerk; Barnard M. Hagin, justice of peace; James G. Buck, assessor; Milo Howell, commissioner of highway; Delos C. Haring, overseer of the poor; Charles R. Bower, collector; William H. Myers, Almon M. Tarbell, Bradford Austin, Albert Van Auken, constables; Samuel Hudson, John W. Pratt, Har- rison W. Bower, inspectors of election District No. 1; Dana Singer, excise commissioner; Frank Haring, Charles H. Bacon, Henry Karn, inspectors of election District No. 2; Fred A. Townley, George Lanter- man, Michael Egen, inspectors of election District No. 3.

Following is a list of the supervisors of this town as far as we have been able to obtain them :

1829. Josiah Hedden. 1867. William Mead. 1830-31. Calvin Burr. 1868. J. B. Bogardus.

1832-33. Josiah Hedden. 1834. Luther Hedden.

1869-76. James M. Woodbury.

1877-86. David Crocker.

1835-36. John Griswold.

1887-89. Horatio Brown.

1837-40. Daniel D. Minier. 1862-66. H. B. Lord.

1890-95. John H. Conklin.

CHURCHES .- In 1795-6 Rev. A. Owen and Alward White were ap- pointed to Seneca Circuit and formed the First Methodist Episcopal Society at Jonah Tooker's house, a mile west of Ludlowville, and at Robert Alexander's, south of Lake Ridge. A log house was built in 1801 half a mile west of Lansingville, which was burned in 1802. A frame structure took its place, which was the first frame church build- ing in Genesee Conference. From an old record we learn that "there were no roads at that time. Indian paths and flayed trees were the only guides. In the fall of 1796, as the Alexander family were sitting around the fire in the evening, they were startled by a strange cry which seemed to come from a distance, and rushed to the door to dis- cover the cause. It was evident that it proceeded from the adjacent forest, between them and Cayuga Lake, but whether from a panther or human being they could not tell. Mr. Alexander decided that it was a

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call for help, and hallooed in reply. Soon after the sound appeared to be nearer, and by repeated calls the lost traveler was guided to their cabin, when, to their astonishment, they beheld A. Owen, with whom they had been acquainted in Pennsylvania. This was his first round on his circuit, and losing the Indian path on the lake shore in the dark- ness, he had taken that course to find a friend." A quarterly meeting was held in a barn near the site of the Asbury meeting house in 1797, and a class was formed with Reuben Brown leader; the other classes were formed as above noted. Three of these classes united, and a log church was built in 1292, which was burned in 1801 or 1802. A frame structure took its place, which was 34 by 36 feet in size and was used until 1833, when a brick edifice was built at Lansingville. This was burned February 26, 1863, and in the following year the present frame church was erected. The present pastor is Benjamin Franklin, who resides at North Lansing.

Since the above was written, a valued contributor has sent in the following account of Methodism in and near this town, which merits a place herein, even at the risk of minor repetitions:

There are traces of Methodist preachers in Lansing in the year 1793; in this year William Colbert, jr., preacher on Northumberland Circuit, Penn., was sent on a tour of exploration through the then "Western Wilds of New York." He started from Wilkesbarre, Penn., went as far as Niagara, Canada; on his return he came through Lansing and stumbled on to a Methodist, a new settler, by the name of Conklin. Colbert, who was a full fledged Methodist preacher, was dressed in knee buckskin trousers, kept bright by occasional applications of yellow ochre (what changes a century has wrought in preachers' costumes!) While Colbert was "staying for a rest " at the cabin of Conklin (who, by the way, lived six miles north of the present site of Ithaca, which must be within the precincts of this Asbury church), they heard of a preacher that had newly moved into the settlement of Ithaca, then a town of three families. The preacher was a Baptist minister, known as "Elder Starr," who in a few days announced that he would preach to the settlers on the following Sabbath. Conklin and Colbert heard of the appointment and resolved to attend the meeting. The Sabbath was a fine one in June, 1793, and the few inhabitants gathered for the first time to hear the gospel in their new home. Settlers from the ad- jacent country heard of the appointment and a few came in to hear the new preacher. In the congregation were two who knelt during prayer ;

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a smothered whisper went around the cabin "they are Methodists." After the conclusion of Elder Starr's sermon Conklin arose and intro- duced his companion as a Methodist, and asked the privilege for him to preach. Elder Starr arose and said: "The Methodists are a new sect, holding strange doctrines, and the people do not care to hear them." During the year 1797 a Methodist class was formed at Asbury. The names of the members of Asbury class are as follows: Reuben Brown and wife, James Egbert and wife, Walter Egbert and wife, Abram Minier and wife, William Gibbs and wife. Reuben Brown was ap- pointed class reader by the pastor, Anning Owen. Brown lived one mile east of West Dryden Corners, and often started on foot, accom- panied by his wife, and carrying a babe in their arms, over the then corduroy road, to attend church and lead his class at Asbury Chapel, a distance of six miles. This same year two log "meeting houses " were built, one at Teetertown and the other at Asbury. The one at Asbury stood at the east end of the present Asbury Cemetery and was used for district school purposes on week days and divine service on Sunday. The church and school house have gone hand in hand from the begin- ning of American Methodism. This same year, 1797, Asbury and Teetertown were attached as appointed to Seneca circuit. A. Owen was the first regularly appointed pastor of Lansing Methodism. His remains, with those of his wife, now lie in the Kline Cemetery under a monument erected by the Wyoming Conference. The first quarterly conference of Lansing Methodism was held in a barn near the spot where the present Asbury church now stands. In 1811 the log meet- ing houses became too strait to hold the inquirers after Zion and was discarded. A brick house was built and the famous red meeting house at Asbury. Shortly after the completion of the red meeting house Bishop Asbury, first bishop of the Methodist Episcopal church, passed through Lansing and preached in the new meeting house, and in honor of him it was named Asbury Chapel. The preachers during the decade 1801 to 1811 were Jonathan Newman, Jacob Grubber, Smith Weeks, John Billings, Miller Hill, Thomas Dunn, John Husselkuss, James Polemus, Thomas Ellis, John P. Weaver, Parley Parker, Joseph Scull, Benoni Harris, Elijah Batchlor, George W. Densmore. This last is the minister who organized the Foxtown, or more properly, the West Dryden Society, which from its organization to the present time has been connected with the Asbury. The ministers from 1812 to 1822 are first the venerable James Kelsey, who has at this writing a daughter living

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in Freeville, N. Y., and who, when a small girl, sat on Bishop Asbury's knee. She is a member of the West Dryden M. E. church. Her name is Mrs. Samantha George. Mr. Kelsey had for his colleague S. L. Hanley. They were followed by such veterans as Dan Barnes, Palmer Roberts, William Cameron, Jonathan Heustis, Loring Grant and John Kimberlin, whose dust lies in Asbury Cemetery underneath where the pulpit stood in which he so often preached. He was buried there ac- cording to his own request. In 1844 a disaster befell the Asbury Society. On January 1 the famous red meeting house was no more; it was burned to ashes, but after the fire had burned out, a copy of the Scriptures was taken from the corner-stone where it had lain for thirty- three years. During this year (1844) the present house was built, and some who hewed the timbers and helped to raise the frame are with us to-day. This sketch covers a period of 101 years-from 1793 to 1894. The present pastor's name is Rev. W. Owen Shepherd. The present membership is fifty.

Ludlowville and Lansingville, which had formed one charge for many years, were divided in 1891, and Lansingville became the head of a new charge, Lansingville and North Lansing; and Asbury, which for ninety-seven years had been associated with West Dryden, was at- tached to Ludlowville. The present pastor of the M. E. Church at Ludlowville is Rev. W. Owen Shepherd, with approximate membership of seventy.

BAPTIST CHURCH OF EAST LANSING. - This society was organized March 27, 1804, and was first known as the "Second Baptist church of Milton." The early records are not in existence, but the first pastor was. a Rev. M. Tuttle, in 1805. Reuben Colton and wife, Noah Bow- ker, Phœbe Buck and Mr. Stebbins were among the first members. Meetings were held at first in a log school house on the corner west of the present church site; afterwards in Philmore Barney's barn a mile north of that corner, until Benjamin Buck built a large barn about one- fourth of a mile south of where the church stands. The membership was much scattered, some living five miles from the place of meeting. Rev. P. P. Root. one of the early ministers, was a missionary in Central New York. Another was Elder Stillwell, a blind man, who preached occasionally in various places. Elder Weekly, another early minister, lived at Lake Ridge, and preached once in two weeks. This was about 1814. Then came Rev. William Powers (1818), followed by Elders Harmon and Starr. Rev. E. W. Martin was the first settled pastor, in

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Landmarks of Tompkins County, New York : including a history of Cornell University, Part 34

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