USA > New York > Tompkins County > Landmarks of Tompkins County, New York : including a history of Cornell University > Part 35
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TOWN OF LANSING.
1821, closing in 1825. There was a good deal of controversy as to lo- cation of a church edifice, some wanting it in Groton and others in Lansing. At a meeting held December 17, 1822, the following resolu- tions were passed :
Resolved, That subscriptions be drawn for the purpose of erecting a meeting house on the land now in possession of John Ludlow, on lot 79, in the town of Lansing, and adjoining the east and west road from Luther Barney's to the Groton line.
The church was finished in 1823 at a cost of $2,000, and dedicated November 20, sermons being preached by Elders Benjamin and An- drews and Elder Oliver C. Comstock.
Rev. T. B. Beebe began his labors about 1825, held protracted meet- ings, and closed his labors in 1834. The first business in 1832 was the appointment of a committee to revise articles of faith and covenant. T. B. Beebe, Noah Bowker, and J. Morrison were appointed. The church in 1832 reported 108 members. Rev. B. Andrews preached one year, 1834-5. In April, 1835, Rev. Asa Caldwell received a call from the church. Rev. D. B. Purrington preached from April, 1838, to 1840. Asa Caldwell again served the church from May, 1840, to January, 1842. The following pastors came next: P. Work, 1842 to 1844; B. Gibbs supplied the pulpit during the last named year; Daniel Garth- waite came for a short time; Rev. A. Bailey, 1848; T. J. Cole, Decem- ber, 1849, to October, 1852; Rev. Edgar Smith, October, 1853, to May, 1860; this year the parsonage was rebuilt at a cost of $1,200; July 1, 1855, O. Fawcett was allowed to preach in the church at 4 o'clock P. M. ; Rev. M. Livermore, 1860 to 1863; Rev. P. Work visited the church about this time. Next G. B. Gibbs supplied the pulpit for some time. Rev. E. L. Benedict, April, 1866, one year; Rev. M. H. Perry, one year from April, 1868; this year the church was extensively repaired at an expense of $2,200, and was re-dedicated August 20, 1868. Rev. S. C. Ainsworth, October, 1869, to September, 1876; Rev. R. Corbett, one year from April, 1847; Rev. F. Purvis, from June, 1878. Rev. John E. McAllen preached from 1881 to 1886; Rev. Edward Royce came in 1886 and left in the fall of 1890; Rev. D. P. Rathbone came in the spring of 1891 and left in May, 1892. The present pastor, Rev. S. H. Haskell, came in June, 1892. A Sabbath school was organized about 1831, after an extensive revival, and is still continued. The trustees are William Metzgar, R. M. Holden, G. L. Cutter; senior deacons, John Haring, J. G. Buck, A. Tallmadge. A cemetery is connected with the church.
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A Baptist church was organized at North Lansing in 1844. The first pastor was Elder B. Ames, who was followed by Rev. William B. De- lano, William Wilkins, S. Gardner, S. S. Day, - Burdick, C. A. Smith, E. W. Benedict, E. J. Lewis, and others. In 1860 the member- ship reached sixty, but for ten years past it has been about twenty. Rev. H. S. Haskall is the pastor. The trustees are John H. Conklin, Charles A. Bower and Anson Howser. The church building was erected in 1852.
BAPTIST CHURCH AT LAKE RIDGE -- This society, first known as the " First Baptist Church of Milton," was organized October 31, 1796, with the following fourteen persons as members: Micajah Starr, Anna Starr, Benajah Strong, Abigail Strong, Charles Townley, Lydia Gillett, Lu- ther Barney, Sarah Bacon, Joel Bacon, Thankful Bacon, Pierpont Ba- con, Jerusha Bacon, William Avery, Abigail Woodruff .. Elder Micajah Starr was chosen the first pastor and served until his death in March, 1820. Early meetings were held at the houses of the members and in school houses, until November 1, 1840, when the society occupied its new church at Lake Ridge. Various pastors served the church until 1863, since which time there has been no regular service.
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH .- A Presbyterian society, called the "Second Church of Milton," was organized about the year 1805. Its formation was due partly to a disagreement in the First Church of the town re- specting a site for a house of worship. It was locally known as the " Teetertown Church." When the name of the town was changed to Genoa, the name of the church was correspondingly changed, and the same course was followed when the town of Lansing was organized, it being then called the " Church of Lansing." It passed under the care of the Geneva Presbytery January 28, 1806, but was transferred to the Presbytery of Cayuga when that body was organized. Rev. Jabez Chadwick organized the church, and on February 26, 1806, was in- stalled pastor. Rev. John Bascom succeeded him in 1818, and re- mained to his death in 1828. Mr. Chadwick returned and remained to 1831, but his religious views underwent change, and a division occurred in the society. Rev. Alexander M. Cowan was a supply for the church in 1834-36, and soon afterward most of the members joined the "Free Congregational Church of Genoa,' then located at Five Corners, or- ganized by Mr. Chadwick. September 25, 1805, an immense frame church was built on ground now embraced in the Lansingville ceme- tery. The church having no right to sell this property, in 1853,
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TOWN OF LANSING.
through efforts of David Crocker, who was then in the Assembly, an act was passed giving the title to the Lansingville Cemetery Associa- tion, and the building was sold at public sale to S. S. Todd, for $175, who took it down and used the timbers in other structures. The original cost of the church was $2,000. An effort was made by Dr. White to turn the structure into an institution of learning before it was sold and torn down, but it failed. This church society went to decay some fifteen years before the building was sold.
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF LUDLOWVILLE .- At a meeting held in pur- suance of regular notice in the school house at Ludlowville, September 9, 1817, Thomas Ludlow acted as moderator, and Lewis Tooker secre- tary. The following resolution was adopted :
Resolved, That this society be hereafter called and known as the " Presbyterian Society " in Ludlowville, in the town of Lansing, and that nine trustees be elected; and Ebenezer Brown, John Bowman, Julius Ackley, Oliver Phelps, Edward Walker, Abijah Miller, Thomas Ludlow, Joshua Jennings and Gideon Morehouse were chosen as such trustees.
The church was organized in December, 1817, by Rev. Dr. Wisner and Rev. Samuel Parker, of Ithaca, with eighteen members. Rev. William Adams was the first pastor, installed April 21, 1819. January 17, 1823, a committee was appointed to superintend the building of a church, which was duly finished, and the first meeting held therein January 10, 1825. Prior to that time services had been held in an addition to the school house. The society is now without a pastor, the last one having been Rev. S. H. Meade. In 1855 the membership was about eighty, but it has declined to about sixteen.
THE NORTH LANSING METHODIST CHURCH was organized in 183; by Rev. Sylvester Minier. Mr. Minier in that year organized classes called the County Line Class and East Lansing Class. The presiding elder was then Rev. H. Agard. The church was erected in 1851. In October, 1891, Lansingville was joined to this charge. The present pastor is Rev. B. Franklin.
GERMAN LUTHERAN CHURCH .- Several German families at the " Bower Settlement," north of Lansingville, organized an Evangelical Lutheran church in 1803. John Houtz was the first pastor, and also taught school in a log building; Jonathan Markle also preached for a time, services being held every four weeks. The Synod embraced churches in Waterloo, Geneva and Seneca Falls, with the Lansing
44
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LANDMARKS OF TOMPKINS COUNTY.
church. The last services were held in 1842, with John Izenlord as last pastor.
LUDLOWVILLE-This is the largest village in the town of Lansing, and is situated on Salmon Creek, about a mile from the lake shore. It dates back to about the beginning of the century, as we learn from the Journal of De Witt Clinton, written in 1810. He says: "Nine miles from Ithaca we pass Salmon Creek, a considerable stream, on which are a mill, built by one Ludlow ; and a mile farther we ascended a very elevated hill, from which we had a prospect of Ithaca, the lake, and a great part of Seneca county. Here are some houses and a post-office." The village now contains 300 inhabitants, and has two churches, six stores, two blacksmith shops, one drug store, kept by Fred Moore, a hardware store and tin shop by Charles E. Wood, two shoe stores by Fillman Smith and John Bailey respectively, a meat. market by Frank Lobdell, a millinery store by Margaret Van Auken, an Odd Fellows Hall and the public hall owned by Nelson E. Lyon, a flouring mill, feed mill and saw mill. The old hotel and premises are now owned and occupied by Nelson E. Lyon. The village is the principal place in the town, with enterprising merchants, and other business men. The largest general store is owned and conducted by Nelson E. Lyon, and the second largest by Charles G. Benjamin. Among the earlier prominent business men were, Oliver Phelps, who came from Fabius in 1811 and built the first store ; he also built the first steamboat on Cayuga Lake. Arad Joy came from Fabius in 1811 on horseback, with the key to Mr. Phelps's store in his pocket, and acted as clerk for Mr. Phelps. Calvin Burr began business here in 1812. Henry B. Lord, now cashier of the First National Bank in Ithaca, acquired an interest in the busi- ness of Mr. Burr in 1838. The village at one time had seven dry goods stores and other business places, and was a more important point than Ithaca. About three and a half miles above Ludlowville on Salmon Creek is a grist mill owned and operated by James Ford, which was built in 1819 by Ambrose Bull. Another mill, half a mile above this one, was owned still earlier by a Mr. McClung. The present postmas- ter of Ludlowville is Charles G. Benjamin, an old resident and mer- chant, who received his commission in November, 1893.
CAYUGA LAKE SALT COMPANY .- The business now being prosecuted by this company is undoubtedly destined to be one of the greatest im- portance to Tompkins county. It has long been known that salt existed deep down in the earth in this locality, and acting upon that knowledge,
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TOWN OF LANSING.
in March, 1891, Royal V. Lamberson, Warren W. Clute, and Arthur Oliver secured an option on lands on the east shore of Cayuga Lake, at the mouth of Salmon Creek, sank a well to the depth of 1,500 feet, and struck a stratum of solid rock salt, now known to be thirty feet in depth. The drill has not yet passed through the salt deposit. The location of this site was the result of careful study of the geology of this region, good engineering, an excellent judgment on the part of these men. They organized the company with a capital stock of $50,- 000, erected a plant and warehouses, and began operations. In the following year they increased the capital stock to $150,000, drilled another well, enlarged their buildings, and began operations on a much larger scale. In 1893 new machinery and processes were adopted, in- cluding what is known as the vacuum pan, and improved dryers, and the manufacture of high-grade salt, which commands a ready market and the highest prices, is now produced in large quantities. The daily capacity of the works is 1,000 barrels, and employment is given to about 100 persons. Their shipping facilities are, of course, excellent, as their location is directly upon the railroad. After the success of the first well, the company purchased a tract of twenty-seven acres upon which to conduct their future operations. The men whose names have been mentioned are active and energetic in the business, and all indications now point to the future great success of the industry. The officers of the company are Royal V. Lamberson, president; Archibald S. White, vice-president, with Warren W. Clute, secretary and treasurer.
LAKE RIDGE .- This hamlet is situated on high ground above the lake, in the northwest part of the town. Frederick Fenner was one of the first merchants in this place, and an early proprietor of the Lake Ridge Hotel, which was built about 1814. A Mr. Lamport had a gen- eral store here about 1840. Isaac Davis built a store building and leased it to Joseph Smith for ten years. He was followed by Freeman Perry, who met with reverses, and Henry Teeter took possession of the stock. While selling it, the store caught fire and was burned. William Davis was a prominent merchant before 1865, and his store also burned. L. D. Ives purchased and took possession of the hotel and store in 1870. At his death the store passed to his two daughters, and later the younger daughter, Mrs. Lucy J. Shank, bought her sister's interest. Her husband, B. O. Shank, now conducts the store. The postmaster is Joshua B. Davis, who received his commission in April, 1892.
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SOUTH LANSING .- This place was formerly called "Libertyville," and the local name of " The Harbor " has also attached to it. It is a mere hamlet in the central part of the town, and now contains a large. brick hotel, owned and kept by William Miller; a grocery by Charles Egbert, and a blacksmith shop by C. F. Crance. Charles M. Egbert is postmaster and was commissioned in May, 1892.
LANSINGVILLE .- This is a hamlet formerly known as " Teetertown," and is situated on the ridge west of Salmon Creek, in the north part of the town. It contains a general store kept by Main & Townsend; a hotel by Mr. De Camp; a blacksmith shop by Wilmer Stout; and a church. Mr. Stout is postmaster.
NORTH LANSING .- This little place has also the name of " Beardsley's Corners," from the residents of that name. It is in the northern part of the town, and has a general store kept by Roswell Beardsley; a hotel by Oscar Teeter; a blacksmith shop by Anson Howser; two churches and a post-office. Roswell Beardsley is postmaster and en- joys the unique distinction of having occupied that office longer than any other person in the United States has acted as postmaster. He received his commission in 1829.
EAST LANSING .- A post-office by this name is located in the eastern part of the town, where there is a small collection of dwellings and a blacksmith shop and Baptist church. The postmaster is Chauncey Haring, who was commissioned in February, 1890.
Besides the foregoing there are four other post-offices in this town, but at points where there are no business interests of account. One of , these is called Hedden's, which is a station on the Lehigh Valley Rail- road, and J. W. Brown is postmaster; he was appointed in June, 1888. He is a native of Lansing, son of Reuben Brown. His father died in 1869, and his mother in 1864. He obtained his education in the com- mon schools and a private school in Ithaca, and at twenty-one years of age he learned telegraphy in Ludlowville; from there he went to Hedden's.
Asbury is a post-office under Mrs. Mary Head, who was commis- sioned in 1893, succeeding her son, Horace A. Head.
Midway is the name of a post-office located about midway between North and South Lansing. Wm. A. J. Ozmun is postmaster and was appointed in 1875.
At the Ludlowville station is a post-office called Myers, which is in charge of Peter D. Drake, who was appointed November, 1891. He is a native of Sheldrake, Seneca county, and son of Lewis B. and Martha Drake.
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TOWN OF ENFIELD.
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CHAPTER XX.
TOWN OF ENFIELD.
THIS town lies upon the western border of Tompkins county, south of Ulysses and north of Newfield. The surface rises to a mean eleva- tion of from 500 to 700 feet above the lake and is diversified by rolling slopes and level tracts. The soil is principally a gravelly loam adapted to grain and grass growing. The town contains 23,086 acres, of which nearly or quite 20,000 acres are improved. The principal stream is Five Mile Creek, which has its rise in the northwest part of the town and flows southeasterly, receiving the waters of several smaller streams, and in the southeast part enters a deep gorge over a precipice, form- ing one of the many beautiful cascades in this region, called Enfield Falls. Above the falls the ravine presents many scenes of great natu- ral beauty, and its wild and picturesque scenery has commanded the admiration of the many who have visited it.
The first settlement of Enfield was about the beginning of the pres- sent century, several years after white pioneers had begun the making of their rude homes within the limits of the other towns of Tompkins county. Ithaca, Trumansburg, Jacksonville and Goodwin's Point in this immediate vicinity had each been settled before a pioneer pene- trated into what finally was taken from Ulysses to form the town of Enfield.
In 1798 Jabez Hanmer settled on the south line of the town of Ulys- ses, but it was not till 1804 that John Giltner pushed on farther into the forest and located on lot 45 on what has been known as the John Horton farm. He removed elsewhere a few years later.
Judah Baker became in 1804 the first permanent settler of the town. He came from Coxsackie, Dutchess county, N. Y., with his wife and seven children, three horses and wagon, and traveled westward by the usual route until he reached Fall Creek near Ithaca. Leaving his fam- ily there he pushed ahead to find the site of his wilderness home. Proceeding some distance up the Inlet he turned westward and chopped a wagon-way three miles to his destination. There he made a
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little clearing, built a hut, and then returned for his family. They all arrived in June, 1804, their whole fortune as far as money was con- cerned consisting of $11. His first dwelling was on the site first occu- pied by J. M. Baker, his grandson. Enfield Center is situated chiefly on the large tract at one time owned by Mr. Baker. Judah Baker lived in the town until his death in 1851, at the age of eighty-eight years.
While the building of a large log cabin was in progress in 1806, a young man named Cooper was killed by a falling log; this was without doubt the first death in the town. It was in this old log barn, which was standing in recent years, that Elder Ezra Chase preached for many years before the existence of meeting houses.
In 1806 while Mr. Baker was in quest of a stray cow he heard the sound of an ax-a sure indication that there was a white man at one end of the helve. Following the sound he came to a clearing where he found Ashbel Lovell and his family, who had lived there about a year. Mr. Lovell had settled on the farm occupied in recent years by David Johnson, now owned by Wm. Wallenbeck .. He was a good citizen and his descendants still live in the town.
" Applegate's Corners, " so called, was settled in 1805 by John Apple- gate, John White, and Peter Banfield. John Applegate opened the first tavern at the Corners in 1807; the first school house was built in 1809. A post-office was established under the name of Applegate, and Joseph Tibb is postmaster and conducts a store.
Jonathan Rolfe came in from South Amboy, N. J., in 1806, with his wife and four children and settled on the farm afterwards occupied by his youngest son, Jonathan; this place is now owned by Squire B. Rolfe. In the same year Gilbert Longstreet settled in the west part of the town; his daughter married Lewis H. Van Kirk, father of Leroy H. Van Kirk, now county clerk.
The Van Kirk family has long been a prominent one in the town. Joseph Van Kirk was the pioneer and settled here very early. He had a son, Lewis H., who was a cattle dealer and drover, and was sheriff of the county 1852-1855. His widow is still living in Ithaca with her son, Leroy H. (See persoual sketch in later pages of this volume. )
In 1805 Daniel Konkle and Joseph Rogers became settlers, the latter in the southeast part where Thomas Kelsey lived in recent years.
John and Isaac Beach came in about the year 1804; they settled on lot 62, where David Purdy located in 1827. This, lot like many others
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TOWN OF ENFIELD.
of the military lots, was the subject of litigation, and the title was finally given to David Purdy and his heirs. Isaac Beach moved after a few years to the farm where Silas Harvey lived, and John removed to Ohio.
Samuel Rolfe came to the town in 1807, locating at Applegate's Cor- ners; he was justice of the peace many years.
James Bailey and James Rumsey, the former from what is now Rom- ulus, came in 1806 to the south part of the town. Mr. Bailey had served in the war of 1812 and settled where his son, Daniel, afterwards lived, now occupied by his son Edwin. Mr. Rumsey had lived in Scipio a year, going there from Orange county, and in the fall of 1805 came to Enfield with his sons, John and James, cleared a piece of ground, sowed wheat, and returned to Scipio. In the spring of 1806 he came back with his family and built a log house where his son George now lives.
The early milling for the people of this town was done at Ithaca and for a number of years the need of a grist mill was severely felt. In 1812 Benjamin Ferris built a saw mill above Oliver Rumsey's house, which was the first saw mill in town. In 1817 Isaac Rumsey, a brother of James, came in and built a grist mill at the falls on the site of the pres- ent mill.
In the fall of 1809 two brothers, Timothy B. and Squire J. Noble, came from Pennsylvania to look at some Enfield land which had been purchased by their father. In the following spring they and their father (John) and mother came in and settled on a tract of 400 acres on the south side of what has been known as "Noble street." The tract was divided equally among the four.
Pioneer work was begun along the southern border of the town in 1809 by Amos and Gilbert J. Ogden, John Cooper and Reuben D. Lyon. Isaac Chase was a settler at Enfield Center as early as 1809, living there in a log house; as was also James Newman. Nathaniel, son of the latter, kept a tavern there before 1812. David Thatcher settled at " Kennedy's Corners" before 1812, and John Townsend located early on the site of " Bostwick's Corners." Andrew Bostwick had lived at Port Byron and bought Townsend's farm at sheriff's sale in 1820. His son Orson came to live upon it, Andrew following some years later. Andrew began mercantile trade with Oliver Williams. William L. and Herman V. Bostwick of Ithaca are sons of Orson. (See history of Ithaca and biographical sketches. )
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LANDMARKS OF TOMPKINS COUNTY.
F. J. Porter came from New Hartford, Oneida county, in 1814, and settled where he still lives, and in the same year John Sheffield settled where he remained the rest of his long life. Samuel Harvey came from New Jersey and kept a tavern in the town for many years. He was father of Joseph and Silas Harvey, to whom he gave 240 acres of land. They have descendants in the town.
Jesse Harriman, who is described in the history of Trumansburgh as a very early settler there (1793), came into Enfield in 1819-20, located first near the Center and built a saw mill. He afterwards moved to Five Mile Creek where H. T. Havens now lives, and lived there with his son Lyman. He died in 1866 at the great age of ninety-five years.
Walter Payne, the first supervisor of the town, lived in 1819 where John Hetherington lived in later years, now occupied by his son Frank, and in the same year John Summerton came in and settled where he passed most of his long life. Charles Woodward came to the town in 1822.
In 1825 T. S. and J. B. Williams came from Middletown, Conn., and the former opened a store at Applegate's Corners, the latter acting as clerk. In 1826 T. S. Williams purchased what was known as the Beek- man lot and there built a saw mill which was operated by ox-power. In 1827 they removed to Ithaca, and in the history of that town will be found proper mention of their later lives and their descendants.
Jervis Langdon the late wealthy business man of Elmira, was a clerk at Enfield Center about 1831-32, first in Ira Carpenter's store and af- terwards a merchant in the firm of Langdon & Marsh. He then re- moved to Ithaca where he was in trade for a time before his removal to Elmira.
Among the more prominent citizens of the town in later years was Col. Henry Brewer, who came in from Ulysses, where he had located in 1839. He was an enthusiast in agricultural matters and instrumen- tal in the introduction of more extensive clover-growing in the town. He was father of William H. and Edgar Brewer, and is deceased. Ed- gar Brewer occupies the homestead. Col. Henry Brewer was a member of assembly in 1850.
Many other persons and families who have contributed to the growth and prosperity of the town are properly noticed in Part III of this work.
We cannot consistently follow the settlements of this town further, nor hope to name all who have been conspicuous in transforming the primitive wilderness into the present prosperous agricultural district.
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TOWN OF ENFIELD.
The memory of their labors for their posterity lives after them and to their great honor. Personal sketches of many prominent families of the town will be found in a later part of this work. The town is essen- tially an agricultural community, manufacturing operations never having been important and mercantile interests only such as would suf- fice for the people. The course of events has continued upon a quiet and even way until the war of 1861-65 which drew from the inhabitants many of the young and old who went forward to the aid of the govern- ment. The town sent out 107 volunteers and their self-sacrificing deeds were honorable to themselves and productive of good to the cause for which they fought.
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