USA > New York > Wayne County > Landmarks of Wayne County, New York, Pt. 1 > Part 22
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Nothing of importance came of these proceedings, as the necessity for action did not arise.
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In the war of the Rebellion the town made a brilliant record, more than 400 of her citizens participating in the service, and over a hundred losing their lives in the long struggle. The organizations in which these volunteers went out have been noticed in an earlier chapter.
The first burials in this town were on the lake bank at Sodus Point. The brick church and the Bushnell burying grounds were opened at an early day, while the old graveyard south of the Whitney House in Sodus village was laid out soon after settlement began. Through the labors of Professor Clark this has been cleaned up and put in respectable con- dition; it contains the remains of Dr. William N. Lummis, and many other pioneers. The burial plat near the Whitbeck school house was opened about 1812, but prior to this several interments had been made on the north side of the hill, from which the remains have not all been removed.
Tradition asserts that the first school in this town was taught by Mrs. Armsbury, a sister of Daniel Arms, on the Geneva road north of Wal- lington. Another early and short lived school house was built on the northeast corner of Nathaniel Merrill's farm, and among its first teach- ers were Dr. Gibbs and Huldah Terry. Elder Seba Norton built a school house near his dwelling, and at an early date another was erected at the forks of the Lyons road, called " Merchant's." In 1812 a school house was built at Sodus Center, and on September 28 of that year it was voted to build another at Sodus village. Among carly teachers are recalled the names of Dr. Elisha Mather, Enquire Colbath, Capt. Will- iam Champlin, Otis C. Knapp, Willard Bancroft Morley, Josiah Rice, a Mr. Lovejoy, Ann Strong ( Mrs. Sanford Williams), Clarissa Snow ( Mrs. Austin Rice), Mrs. Young, Miss Stone (Mrs. Josiah Hayward), James Rogers, Zenas Horr, Bethuel Reed, and Charles Kellogg.
At the annual town meeting in 1813 it was decided to divide the town into eleven school districts, and three school commissioners-Byram Green, John Holcomb, and William Wickham-and six school inspec- tors-Thaddeus Bancroft, Enoch Morse, William Danforth, Dr. Will- iam N. Lummis, Peter Failing, and Daniel Arms-were chosen. In June following the commissioners formally laid out the eleven districts, among them being No. 1, Sodus Point; No. 4, Sodus village; No. 8, Arms Cross Roads (now Wallington); No. 9, Sodus Center; No. 10, South Sodus; the others embraced the parts of the town not named. A series of select schools were taught at Sodus village by A. M. Win- chester in 1838-39; Charles L. Curtiss in 1840-41; Jesse Andrews in
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1842-43; Rev. Hosea Kittredge in 1844-45; Rev. William Hall about 1849; and Lewis HI. Clark in 1851-52. In the winter of 1851-52 Profes- sor Clark wrote and posted a notice for a meeting to consider the ques- tion of establishing an academy at Sodus village. The meeting was held February 3, 1852, with William Tillotson as chairman; and A. M. Winchester secretary. Dr. Levi Gaylord drew resolutions providing for the formation of an academy association, which were adopted Feb- ruary 28. The first Board of Trustees comprised Michael O'Keefe, John White, Jerry C. Rogers, Dennis Lefurgey, Miles L. Landon, Lewis II. Clark, Anson Proseus, Enoch Granger, Jesse H. Green, An- drew C. Williams, William Sergeant, and Silas P. Hulett. April 30 a site was chosen, the building was erected in the summer of 1853 and the school opened October 18 of the latter year. In the fall of 1854 a library and scientific apparatus fund was raised, and on January 11, 1855, the Regents of the University of the State incorporated it as an endowment academy. In the winter of 1858-59 the sum of $800 was raised by sub- scription to extinguish the indebtedness, which left the institution un- embarrassed. The principals of the academy have been as follows:
A. B. Johnson, 1853-4.
Dexter E. Clapp, 1854-5.
B. F. Dake, 1857-8. Lewis H. Clark, 1858-64.
Elisha Harris, 1855-6.
Elisha Curtis, 1864-5 to 1891-2.
Charles D. Dann, 1856-7. Lewis H. Clark, 1892-3 to present time.
In 1858 the town had twenty-three districts, in which 1,880 children were taught. In 1894 there are the same number of districts with a school house in each, taught during the year 1892-3 by twenty-seven teachers, and attended by 1,014 scholars. The school sites and build- ings are valued at $19,890; assessed valuation of districts, $2, 286,830; money received from the State, $3, 535.42; amount raised by local tax, $4,337.21.
Statistics of 1858: Valuation of real estate, $1,085,811 ; personal prop- erty, $116,089; there were then 2,331 male and 2,207 female inhabi- tants, 908 dwellings, 932 families, 727 freeholders, and eleven churches in the town.
In 1890 the town had a population of 5, 157, or 128 less than in 1880. In 1893 the assessed valuation of real estate was $1, 244. 14 (equalized $1,309,096); village and mill property, $484, 939 (equalized $448,481); railroads and telegraphs, $257,259 (equalized $253, 120); personal prop- erty, $246,425. Schedule of taxes, 1893: Contingent fund, $3,654.87; roads and bridges, $250; special town tax, $10,414. 83; school tax, $2, -
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065.11; county tax, $4,941; State tax, $2,722.76: State insane tax, $702.42; dog tax, $178.50. Total tax, $26,209.14; rate per cent., .01173909.
SODUS VILLAGE .- This thrifty village is situated on the R. W. & O). Railroad, a little northwest of the geographical center of the town. Most of its pioneer history has been noticed in the foregoing pages. The first settler was John Holcomb, who built here in November, 1809. In 1812 the place contained, besides Holcomb's log house, a tavern, a frame school house in front of the site of the Whitney House barn, and five or six other log dwellings. The post-office was established at an early day as " East Ridge," and its name was eventually changed to Sodus. The present postmaster is M. W. Gurnee.
E. A. Green started the first banking business in the village between 1860 and 1870 (he was born in this county in 1826). He failed in 1876 and soon afterward E. W. Gurnee & Co. opened what was called Green's Banking Office in the store now occupied by A. E. Buckler. The in- direct successor of that institution was the Bank of Sodus, of which C. K. Knapp is proprietor. This was established in 1883, and is continued in connection with Mr. Knapp's drug and notion store.
The present banking business of C. D. Gaylord was founded October 1, 1881, by S. P. Hulett and Mr. Gaylord. Mr. Hulett died in July, 1884, and since then Mr. Gaylord has been sole proprietor. The bank building was erected by E. W. Gurnee & Co., and has been occupied by the present incumbent since 1885.
Fish & Hulett's basket factory was started by Granger, Golding & Co. in 1886. In 1887 they sold to B. J. Case, who sold out to the present firm in the fall of 1891. During the summer they employ forty-five hands making fruit baskets, crates, etc., and in the winter operate a custom steam saw mill.
The Norris Fruit Evaporator was built in 1880 by Felker, Danfords & Co. In 1881 Willis C. Teall purchased the interests of Mr. Felker and the two Danfords and with Mr. Norris enlarged the establishment to a daily capacity of two tons of dried apples. In 1887 Mr. Teall sold his interst to E. B. Norris who, with W. R. Norris, organized the firm of E. B. Norris & Co., which was dissolved in August, 1894, by the admission of Byron J. Case. This is one of the largest fruit evapora- tors in Wayne county and during the busy season gives employment to twenty hands.
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The Whitney House is one of the oldest hotels in the town and is so called from a long time landlord of that name. The present proprie- tor is E. N. Snider.
Sodus village now contains two private banks, a newspaper, three churches, an academy, a graded school, five general stores, two hard- ware stores, two drug stores, two jewelry stores, three milliners, a clothing store, a variety store, three meat markets, two hotels, two har- ness shops, a bakery, three physicians, two dentists, four lawyers, two undertakers, one foundry, a grist mill, a box factory, a lumber yard, three coal yards, two produce dealers, an evaporator, two carriage re- positories, two wagon and four blacksmith shops, two warehouses, a hay rack factory, one machine shop, a marble works, and 1,028 inhab- itants.
SODUS POINT .- The early history of the present town as well as that of Wayne county largely centers at this interesting village. It was here that Captain Charles Williamson, with a small force of laborers, commenced improvements in 1794. Situated on the lake shore and on the west side of Great Sodus Bay, and possessing one of the best har- bors along the American shore of Lake Ontario, he predicted for it a future importance scarcely conceivable in the light of modern deveiop- ments. In his vivid imagination he planned a city, even to a prelimi- nary survey, to extend " between Salmon Creek and Great Sodus Bay, and a spacious street with a large square in the center." At a very early date it bore the name of Troupville, from Robert Troup, of New York. Williamson's expectations were never realized; instead, the place, after a lethargie growth, assumed the position of a small country village combined with that of a pleasant summer resort.
Captain Williamson erected a hotel where David Rogers's house now stands; he also built several dwellings, and on Salmon Creek, two miles west, he put up a saw mill and grist mill-all in 1794. The grist mill remained in operation until about 1807. The saw mill, which also went down about the same time, stood near the pond south of Preston's mills on the east side of the creek. Timothy Axtell built a saw mill for Judge Nichols about 1795. Among the carly industries at the Point were those of John Wafer, blacksmith; David McNutt, shoemaker; Captain William Wickham, the first merchant; James Kane, John Mc- Allister, John Gibson, Thomas Wickham, and a Mr. Sage, merchants. The first lighthouse was built about 1820, and piers were erected from 1828 to 1834 by William Barekley and E. W. Sentell, government con-
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tractors. Subsequently the lighthouse was rebuilt and another one erected, the piers have been rebuilt and extended, breakwaters have been constructed, and several appropriations have been expended in deepening and clearing the channel leading into the bay. The place has long been a port of entry. The post-office here was the first in town, and was established under the name of Sodus, which was eventually changed to Sodus Point; the present postmaster is Matthew M. Farrell. Occasionally early letters, it is said, came directed to " Arms Roads."
In July, 1872, the Sodus Bay division of the present Northern Central Railroad was completed and opened with its northern terminus at this place. It is principally due to the construction of this railway that So- dus Point owes prominence as a summer resort. A number of pretty cottages and several neat hotels grace the beautiful site and attract each summer crowds of visitors seeking rest and recreation.
WALLINGTON .- This hamlet is situated southeast of Sodus village, at the junction of the Sodus Point and Southern, and the Rome, Water- town and Ogdensburgh Railroads, and for many years was a sort of ren- dezvous for county political conventions. The site was first owned by Daniel Arms, at whose house several of the earlier town meetings were held. The next owner was John W. Messenger, the stepfather of his successor, Charles D. Lent. The place owes its existence to the rail- roads, and was named from an old stone tavern near by. Mr. Lent was the first station agent here of the Sodus Point Railroad, a position he held thirteen years. The first depot, north of the junction, has been occupied as a dwelling for some time; in it Mr. Lent opened the first store and kept the first post-office, holding the latter position nine years. He also opened the first village hotel, of which he still continues as the landlord. When the stations of the two railroads were merged into one he was appointed agent. He was born in England and settled in Sodus in 1836. The original station here on the Sodus Point Railroad was known as " Calciana," the latinized expression for lime. Wallington now contains two stores, two hotels, post-office (with John Marenus, postmaster), and about fifteen dwellings. It was formerly an impor- tant transfer point for coal, etc., but since the R. W. & O. was leased to the New York Central Railroad most of the business has gone else- where.
SODUS CENTER. - This is a station on the Sodus Point and Southern Railroad, a little southeast of the center of the town. The first build- ing here was the saw mill and perhaps a dwelling erected by Hawk and
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Taylor as early af 1808. About the same time Silas F. Andrews built a grist mill on the site of the Reynolds mill; in 1810 it was owned by Elijah Lemanon, and afterwards in turn by Barley & Andrews, the Van Wiekles, and Case & Roberts. The Mather grist mill was erected later. At one time a carding mill and foundry were operated here. The place now contains a post-office, a district school, churches and the com- mercial industries, etc., usually found in a small, thriving rural vil- lage. The present postmaster is Sheldon Sours, who succeeded Alden W. Brower.
Sourn Sonus .- This is a postal hamlet in the southeast corner of the town. The original settlers here were Silas F. Andrews and William Young about 1808. Mr. Andrews erected a saw mill during the war of 1812; he died in 1820. The place contains a store, hotel, church, dis- triet school, blacksmith and wagon shop, and a number of houses. The postmaster is Erastus Bloomer, who succeeded Maurice E. Chittenden.
ALTON is a postal village and station situated a little north of the R. W. & O. Railroad in the cast part of the town. Its name was suggested by Mr. Gates in memory of his native place in Connecticut. The first clearing was made and the first house was built by a Mr. Barnard in 1812; a few years afterward a saw mill was erected and placed in opera- tion. In March, 1889, fire burned the warehouse and lumber yard of E. J. Gatchell, causing a loss of $10,000. The village has maintained a position of local importance, and contains several churches, a good school, hotel, and a number of commercial and other interests. The present postmaster, Eugene Philo, succeeded Charles Emery in that' position.
Joy .-- The first house in this place was erected by Gaius Granger, the father of Gen. Gordon Granger, before mentioned.' It is situated in the southeast part of the town, and takes its name from Benjamin Joy, of London, England, who was the original owner of this township (13), the land office for which was distinct from that of the Pultney estate at Geneva; David Hudson was an early agent of this tract. A saw mill was built here about 1812, and subsequently a shingle mill was oper- ated. Joy is a pleasant rural hamlet, surrounded by good farms, and contains a church, store, post-office, district school, and a small cluster of houses. Harry Messenger, the present postmaster, succeeded Asa F. Andrews in that position.
Sprong's Bluff is a small summer resort on Charles Sprong's farm on the lake shore, north of Sodus village.
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Maxwell's, the location of Preston's mill, was so named by Dr. William N. Lummis in honor of the family name of his wife. It is situated on Salmon Creek, two miles west from Sodus Point, and is the western extremity of Captain Williamson's visionary "city." During the war of 1812 Dr. Lummis moved hither from Sodus Point; he built the old Preston grist mill, a saw mill, an iron forge, and several houses. This · was the second grist mill in town, and for a time was run by Isaac Davison. The place has never attained distinction more important than a mill site.
Methodist Episcopal Churches .- Probably the first Methodist preacher in Sodus was Elder Gerum, who settled on the Pitcher farm as early as 1806. Elijah Warren, the oldest son of Samuel, came to South Sodus with the family in 1808. Being then a licentiate he held meetings in that neighborhood; he subsequently joined the annual conference and was appointed to the circuit. Rev. Mr. Goodenough came here in 1810, and held meetings at his house and elsewhere. In 1807 or 1808 prayer and class meetings were held at the dwelling of John Reed, and from 1810 to about 1822 circuit preaching was had at Rev. Mr. Goodenough's residence. In 1822 the meeting place was changed to the house of Thomas Boyd. The first class at South Sodus was formed in 1824. The first recorded quarterly conference for the Sodus circuit met at the Baptist meeting house, September 27, 1828. December 1, 1832, it was decided to build a church at South Sodus. The edifice, a stone struc- ture, was erected in 1834-35 at a cost of about $2,500, and was dedi- cated July 4, 1836. Mr. Gridley donated the site. A new building was erected in 1871, and dedicated September 22, of that year. With the parsonage it cost $12,000. The Sunday school has a membership of one hundred, with Rev. R. E. Huntley, the pastor, as superintendent. The church has about thirty-five members.
With the conversion of Samuel Morse about 1827, Methodist meet- ings commenced on Morse Hill. Rev. Joseph Gates settled north of the stone school house in June, 1830, but died in the following September. In those few months, however, the fires of Methodism were kindled in the neighborhood. A class was formed, and February 25, 1840, a society was organized at the house of Ellathan Baker, the first trustees being Charles Hanby, Ellathan Baker, and Robert Howcroft. A lot was bought and the old Centenary church was erected that year. In time the old edifice was removed a little west and converted into a Good Templars' lodge room, and on the original site the present Centenary
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church was built. The locality is three miles northwest of Sodus vil- lage and is locally known as " New England."
Methodists living in the south and central parts of the town early began plans for their spiritual welfare, and a project was inaugurated to build at Johnson's Corners. A subscription was raised and a build- ing committee appointed ; but the location was happily changed to Sodus village. The society was formed by the union of classes at Johnson's Corners and Sentell's Mills. A vacant store was utilized as a place of worship. Septemher 3, 1840, a stone church was begun, but a year later only the basement had been finished. In it, however, the first meeting was held on Christmas eve, of that year, and in 1846 it was finished and dedicated. The society was formally organized June 8, 1838, when Milton N. Barclay (afterwards a Methodist minister), Edward W. Sentell, Stephen White, John Warner, and Michael Tinkle- paugh were chosen trustees. In 1887 the old stone church was torn down, and on its site the present handsomo brick edifice was built at a cost of $15,000. It was dedicated by Bishop Andrews of New York, January 25, 1889. The present trustees are: W. H. Ward, Henry Richardson, B. W. Case, Cornelius Whitbeck, and M. P. Boyd. The pastor is Rev. John G. Foote, who also has charge of the Centenary church. The society owns a frame parsonage and has over 250 mem- bers and a Sunday school of 240 pupils.
The Methodist Society of Sodus Point was organized as a branch of the Sodus village church, February 14, 1871, with John N. Wood, E. W. Sentell, John Preston, Deforest McNett, and William Buys, trustees. In 1871 they were constituted a separate society, and the same year a church costing $4,000 was built; it was dedicated July 12, 1872. Rev. R. E. Huntley is pastor, and also of the church at South Sodus. The society owns a parsonage at the Point. The church has about eighty members, and the Sunday school an average attendance of fifty-six; E. H. Sentell is superintendent.
Baptist Churches .- Among the records of this denomination is the following : , "Sodus, March 11, 1800, a conference held; Elder Norton, moderator, and adjourned to. April 1. Met at the house of Joshua Palmer according to adjournment." This led to church organization in the southern part of the district of Sodus. In 1820 covenant meetings were authorized in the southern part of the present town and the north part of Lyons, and on March 3, 1821, a society was formed, but its cer- tificate of incorporation was not filed until 1825. In this year Elder
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Seba Norton, with characteristic energy, began the erection of the brick church at "Rossiter's Corners," now Sodus Center, on land given by the Pultney estate to the First Baptist Society of Sodus for "a glebe, a chapel, and a burial place." The edifice was finished in 1826, and the first covenant meeting was held in it July 15. March 10, 1834, fifty members were dismissed to organize the West Baptist church mentioned below; in June James Walling and Lawrence Vosburg were chosen deacons. This church led in the pioneer labors of fostering Christianity in the town and is now one of the oldest landmarks in the county, widely known as " the old brick meeting house." The society has about thirty-three members and a Sunday school with an average attendance of forty-five pupils and officers. Charles D. Lent is superintendent.
On March 5, 1834, the West Baptist Church of Sodus was organized in the Episcopal church of Sodus village with fifty-two members; the first clerk was Moses Parke. John M. Granger and Reuben Graham were the first deacons. The first communion was celebrated April 20, 1834. On April 10, 1840, the society formally disbanded, and a re- organization was effected February 14, 1841, at the house of Deacon Granger, and the church was again reorganized by council, July 15, following. Their regular place of meeting was at the Granger school house. The last recorded covenant meeting was in March, 1858. Soon afterward the society ceased to exist.
Presbyterian Churches .- The formation of this denomination in town is largely due to the settlement of Byram, Joseph, and Samuel Green, three brothers, in 1811. A society called the First Presbyterian Church of Sodus was organized October 23, 1812, by Rev. David Tullar and Oliver Ayres, with twelve members. Immediatly after the organization Flavel Kingsley, Mrs. Harriet Higgins, and Mrs. Elizabeth Clark offered themselves and were admitted to membership. The first deacons were Matthew Clark and Phineas Hayward, and the first clerk, Byram Green. August 11, 1819, the church formally voted to adopt the Presbyterian form of government. Prior to this it had been sub- stantially Congregational, notwithstanding the fact that its legal certi- ficate styles the body The First Union Presbyterian Society of Sodus. It is presumed that the term Union was used because of the Presby- terians and the Congregationalists being united in the same organization. Meetings were held in various places until 1827, when a church was erected in Sodus village. Levi Gurnee and Judge Green, with their ox teams drew the timber from Flavel Kingsley's farm, and the frame was
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aised June 28. In 1863 it was superseded by the present structure, which was dedicated in June of that year. The old edifice was sold to Rufus A. Moses, the contractor for the new building, and finally became a planing mill in the eastern part of the village. The society now has about 200 members under the pastoral care of Rev. A. D. McIntosh. The Sunday school has about 140 scholars, with A. J. Barber, super- intendent. The parsonage was built in 1824-25.
The Presbyterian Church of Joy was organized March 18, 1845, under the name of The Church of Wayne, though it is better known by the title first given. Eleven members were from the church at Sodus, and five from the church at Newark. The ground for a church and cemetery was given by Samuel White, and the following were the first trustees: Henry I. Pulver, Martin Fredenburgh, Adam Tinklepaugh, Samuel White, Nelson Lapham, Henry R. Leggett. Meetings were held in the school house several years, but no house of worship was erected, and services were finally suspended. A new movement and partial reorgani- zation occurred October 18, 1852, and the house was built in the sum- mer of 1853, and dedicated December 23, by Rev. Charles Hawley. During the early organization the elders were Martin Fredenburgh, Henry Pulver, and Stephen G. Weaver. April 16, 1854, Enoch Granger, Anthony Pulver, and David Leighton were elected elders. The church has maintained public worship very steadily since that time. There are about fifty members, and a Sunday school of sixty scholars; M. D. White, superintendent.
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