USA > New York > Onondaga County > Onondaga, or, Reminiscences of earlier and later times, being a series of historical sketches relative to Onondaga, with notes on the several towns in the county, and Oswego, Vol. II > Part 17
USA > New York > Oswego County > Onondaga, or, Reminiscences of earlier and later times, being a series of historical sketches relative to Onondaga, with notes on the several towns in the county, and Oswego, Vol. II > Part 17
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Ment affectionately you A.S. Condole
TOWNS .- MANLIUS .- NICHOLAS P. RANDALL. 201
lage, in the darkness of the night, hundreds of lights in the hands of anxious expeetants, lined the walks, and were seen moving around with silent and mournful solemnity, and all fell into the procession, presenting a seene which can never be forgotten by those who witnessed its peculiar effect. On Sun- day the corpse was buried ; the procession formed amidst a drenching rain, and a covering of umbrellas was made almost without interruption, from his late dwelling house to the Epis- copal Church, where the funeral services were held, after which his remains were conveyed to the tomb, amidst the sorrows and tears of an entire community. His bright example will long live in the minds of those who knew him.
From the scenes of his useful labors, from all the tender ties of consanguinity, he has passed away. The elods of the valley eover all of him that was mortal, and his remains are the silent tenants of the tomb. Although returning springs may give fresh bloom to his memory, no earthly summer can rekindle, with genial warmth, the vital spark. A heavenly season will impart to them a living principle, and the flower which Time destroyed, shall flourish in unfading beauty through- out Eternity.
NICHOLAS P. RANDALL .- The subject of this sketch, was born at Stonington, Connecticut, July 25th, 1779.
At the age fifteen, he resolved upon securing the benefits of a thorough education. His father not being in possession of a fortune sufficient for securing so valuable a blessing to a numerous family, he was by fortuitous circumstances, thrown entirely upon his own resources. By perseverance, applica- tion and industry, he secured the means of acquiring a com- plete classical education by his personal efforts, and finally graduated with distinguished honor, at Yale College, in the class of 1803.
Directly after the completion of his classical course, he en- tered the law office of Messrs. Hotchkiss & Simons, at Clin- ton, Oneida County, where he continued until his professional studies were concluded, when he was admitted to the Bar. In 1807, he located at New Hartford, Oncida County, opened
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a law office and there continued the practice, till sometime in 1811, when he removed to Manlius village and entered into partnership with James O. Wattles, Esq., which partnership, after a short period was dissolved.
From his activity of mind, acute legal penetration, pro- found investigation and untiring devotion to the interests of his clients, he soon became distinguished as a lawyer, which drew to his office many of the most important causes which were to be tried in the courts of the county, and in the Su- preme Court, and Court of Chancery, of the State of New- York, and perhaps no one labored with more assiduity, or was more successful, in maintaining the causes in which he was retained as counsel. Endowed by nature, with mental powers of a high order, which were eminently improved by study, industry and perseverance, he abhorred all deceit and chieanery in business matters, incident to a lower order of minds, and was entirely above the low ambition of securing to himself a great number of clients, by misrepresentation or artifice. His ambition, (if we may be allowed the expres- sion,) was grounded in integrity, and in a desire to excel in his profession. Mr. Randall excelled in that most exalted of all qualities-sound, sterling common sense, which, with his acknowledged eandor and urbanity, gave him an uncommon influence with the Bench and with juries ; which few men, how- ever much they might have surpassed him in fluency of speech or oratorical arts, attained.
The character of Mr. Randall's genius, was original. He aeted and thought for himself. With a mind, independent and decisive, he copied after no man, and it is no mean proof of the strength and solidity of his judgment, that his coun- sel was so often sought, and received with so much deference, and his professional celebrity stood so high. As he had abil- ity to think, so had he also, the moral courage to follow the convictions of his own mind. But these faculties in a man actively engaged in the business of life, failed not to bring him into collision with many, who had not the judgement or discrimination to appreciate his motives, or honesty enough
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to commend his decided course. These transcendant princi- ples, however, could not fail to impart to himself, and his im- mediate friends, the highest sources of enjoyment, and he of- ten had the satisfaction of receiving the gratulations of those who from prejudice or ignorance, made erroneous estimates of his motives.
The arduous duties of his profession, did not prevent his engaging in agricultural pursuits. In his youth, he had been inured to the labors of a farm, and in after years, from choice, entered into both the theoretical and practical operations of agriculture, with all the zeal and ardor of one depending en- tirely upon its results, for profit and support. His farm, though small, was a pattern of neatness, order and thrift, and none knew better or practiced more perfectly the principles of this science ; presenting an example in the highest degree encouraging to useful industry. His garden was stored with trees of choicest fruit, planted by his own hand, and the sweetest flowers shed their fragrant odors around his dwelling, nurtured by his care.
Mr. Randall was always among the foremost in aiding and advancing the cause of education, in all its various branches, and was active in effecting the incorporation of Manlius Aca- demy, and was one of its principal founders.
In private life, Mr. Randall was social, amiable and agree- able, and although the requirements of business occupied much of his time, there were few men who could, with more dignity and grace, contribute to the refined enjoyments of the social circle, or afford more rational and solid information, upon the varied subjects with which he was familiar. He was endowed with a vein of pleasantry, which occasionally evinced itself in the humorous, yet never detracted from his dignity. His friends always perfectly at case with him, were never known to treat him with degrading familiarity. Their regard and respect for him equally forbade it. His conversation was stately, instructive and delightful ; his deportment dignified and gentlemanly, and his character without reproach.
In his Christian character, he was remarkable for his zeal, pru-
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dence and fidelity. He took not his creed upon trust. He weighed the claims of Revelation, and the various branches of the Christian family ; and in the preference which he gave to the communion of his adoption, he acted upon the sober dictates of an enlightened judgment and an honest heart. Hence, as might have been expected, he continued without wavering, steadfast unto the end.
For many years, he filled the stations of vestryman and warden of the Protestant Episcopal Church at Manlius, the latter of which he held at the time of his death. His reli- gious experience, in view of his approaching dissolution, par- took of the same rational nature. Harrassed by no fears without, and an approving conscience within, he calmly resigned his soul to the hands of his Maker, without any anxiety as to the issue.
After a long and tedious illness, which he bore with truly Christian fortitude, he died at his residence, in Manlius Village, on the 7th of March, 1836, in the fifty-seventh year of his age. The mournful intelligence was every where received with feelings of sorrow and regret. The Bar of Onondaga County, called a meeting, and passed the following resolutions of condolence and respect :
" At a meeting of the members of the Bar of the county of Onondaga, held at the Court-House, in the village of Syra- cuse, on the 29th day of March, A. D. 1836, for the purpose of paying a tribute of respect to the memory of Nicholas P. Randall, Esq., one of the members of said Bar, recently de- ceased, the Hon. Daniel Moseley, Judge of the Seventh Cir- cuit, was called to the Chair, assisted by their Honors, John Watson, George Petit and Otis Bigelow, Judges of the Court of Common Pleas of said county, and J. G. Forbes, Esq., was appointed Secretary.
James R. Lawrence, Esq., from a Committee appointed by the Chair, consisting of Messrs. Lawrence, Watson, Birdseye and Jewett, reported the following resolutions, which were unanimously adopted :
Resolved, That the members of the Court and Bar of the
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county of Onondaga, have received, with painful emotions, in- formation of the death of Nicholas P. Randall, Esq., for many years a prominent member of the Bar of this county.
Resolved, That the high legal and scientific attainments, and the uniform fidelity and ability which Mr. Randall devo- ted to the maintenance and protection of the rights and inter- ests of his clients, and to the elucidation of law and equity, have deservedly gained for him a high standing, in a useful and honorable profession ; and while we deplore his death as a public loss, we sympathize with his family and friends, that they have been called upon to part with one long endeared to them, not only by eminent public usefulness, but by high moral qualities, and an amiable domestic character.
Resolved, That these resolutions be signed by the Chair- man and Secretary of this meeting-that by permission they be entered upon the minutes of the Court, and a copy be trans- mitted by his Honor, the Circuit Judge, to the family of the deceased, and also that they be published in the newspapers of the county. DANIEL MOSELEY, Chairman.
J. G. FORBES, Secretary."
The loss of so distinguished a man, necessarily created deep sensations in the community in which he had lived, and to whom he had become endeared.
The house of mourning was surrounded by his neighbors and numerous friends, who could scarcely credit the reality of his death. The funeral obsequies were prepared, and his remains conveyed to the tomb, amid all the solemnities that respond to the deepest sorrow, with which every heart was afflicted by this dispensation of Providence. His career has left us a splendid and animating example, which points the way to usefulness and fame, and shows how great are the ac- quirements which well directed perseverance and industry are able to achieve, and what honors and rewards are the happy results.
MANLIUS .- The first white settler within the township of Manlius, was Mr. Benjamin Morehouse, in 1789; and accord- ing to the best information that can be obtained, the first in
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the present town of Manlius, was Mr. David Tripp, who came here with his family from Ballston, Saratoga County, in 1790. He lived in a log house, about a mile north-west from Manlius Village, not far from where Mr. Salmon Sherwood now resides. Far from the abode of any white man, it was with the great- est difficulty he could procure a sufficiency for subsistence till he could raise it from the soil by his own labor. At one time it is said, the only article of food which his family had for three months, excepting wild roots and milk, was a bushel of corn which he procured at Herkimer, and brought home on his back. The father of David Tripp died at his house in the spring of 1792, and was buried on the rising ground west of Mr. Samuel Gregory's barn. This was undoubtedly the first death of a white person within the township of Manlius.
The next settler was Mr. Conrad Lour, who located near Mr. Tripp, and erected the first frame house in town, in 1792. He brought the floor boards from Palatine, and other boards from Danforth's mill. Not having a sufficient quantity of nails, his son was sent to Oriskany, thirty-three miles, after some, and returned with forty-six pounds on his back. The house then erected, constitutes part of the dwelling now oc- cupied by Salmon Sherwood.
Mr. Caleb Pratt came to the town of Manlius in 1793, and when living remarked, that the inhabitants were so destitute of provisions and the common necessaries of life, that the lank, lean sided, long necked mice, would come peeping into the crevices of the log houses, and shed tears of sorrow at the poverty of the inmates, and retire without finding a crumb to satisfy their longing appetites.
Capt. Joseph Williams came to Manlius in 1795, from Con- necticut. He eut, cleared and feneed, five acres of land the first summer entirely alone. He bought his land at twenty shillings per aere. The next year he removed his family on a sled, with a yoke of oxen, and was eight days coming from Galway, Saratoga County, one hundred and twenty miles. He had ereeted a rude cottage beforehand. When he arrived, he had but fifty cents cash. Wheat was worth three dollars and
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a half per bushel, corn one dollar and a half, and common calico seventy-five cents per yard. But industry and frugali- ty soon increased the domestic store ; the wants of the family were not only supplied, but an abundance was raised to spare to the needy settlers as they arrived, and plenty crowned their board. Mr. Williams lived long to enjoy the fruits of his la- bor and toil.
Colonel Elijah Phillips, at an early day, occupied the farm now owned by Mr. Peter R. Reed, and held a distinguished position among the early pioneers of the county.
Mr. Wm. Ward settled on lot ninety-seven, in the spring of 1793, and he was sole owner and proprietor of that lot in 1794; and that year he was appointed a Justice of the Peace. He erected grist and saw mills on the Limestone Creek. This was the first grist mill built in the town of Manlius, as now organized. A saw mill was built earlier, at the old mills. Joseph Woodward was the master builder of Ward's mills. At an early day, before dams impeded the streams, salmon, salmon- trout and pickerel were very plentiful. The Limestone Creek was a favorite resort for them, and many instances like the following, are still related with great glee by the early settlers. To give an idea with what facility they were taken, as we have been informed, it was not unfrequent to run them into shoal water, and dispatch them with clubs. One of the Mrs. Tripps, while assisting her husband in making hay near the creek, struck her pitchfork through a very large salmon, and held him fast till her husband came to her aid and killed it with a stone. A man in the employ of Mr. Wm. Ward, on going to the creek one morning to wash, saw a large salmon flounder- ing in shoal water, and dispatched him with a club. Col. John Sprague, now of Fayetteville, then a youth, on a walk from his residence in Pompey, on an errand to Manlius Village, drove a shoal of salmon into a hastily constructed enclosure, and secured a back-load of them with his hands, and carri- ed them home in triumph.
Manlius was at first number seven of the Military Town- ships. At the organization of the county, in 1794, the town
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of Manlius was bounded north by the township of Cicero ; east by the Oneida Reservation ; south by Pompey, and west by Onondaga Creek, Lake and River, including all the Onon- daga and Salt Springs Reservations, north of the old Genesee road, and east of Onondaga Creek, comprehending all the present towns of Manlius, De Witt, part of Onondaga, and part of Salina. It was finally reduced to its present territo- rial limits in 1835. Let it here be observed, that the origi- nal townships were intended to contain each one hundred lots, and each lot at least six hundred acres of land. But by an error in the calculations of the Surveyor General, the town- ship of Cicero, as originally laid out, contained but ninety- nine lots, which error was not detected till the commissioners had commenced the drawing. It so happened that lot one hundred, township of Cicero, was drawn by a soldier, and lot number seven, township of Manlius, adjoining ninety-nine, Ci- cero, was drawn for the Literature Fund. In order to do the soldier justice, lot number seven, Manlius, was transferred and registered as lot one hundred, Cicero. By this maneuver, Manlius was shorn of one lot of its territory, and Literature of so much of its fund, but the soldier's land was saved to him. The first town meeting was held at the tavern of Ben- jamin Morehouse, in the town of Manlius, 1st of April, 1794. Although scattering families had located in different parts of the town during 1791-92 and '93, it was not till the following years that Manlius acquired a name abroad, and settlers look- ed towards it as a suitable and desirable place of residence. The first and earliest inhabitants of this town were mostly from New England, though many respectable families came here from the Mohawk River. A reference to the first town meeting will serve to show who most of the principal inhabi- tants of the town were at that time.
At the meeting held at Benjamin Morehouse's tavern for the first election of town officers, Cyrus Kinne, Esq., was chosen Chairman, and Levi Jerome, Secretary. It was re- solved to choose the Supervisor and Town Clerk by ballot, and the remaining officers by holding up the right hand.
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The ballots being handed in, the Chairman declared Com- fort Tyler duly elected Supervisor, and Levi Jerome Town Clerk. There were but forty-two voters present at this meet- ing. Overseers of the Poor, were David Williams and Ben- jamin Morehouse ; Commissioners of Roads, Charles Mer- riam, Elijah Phillips and Ryal Bingham ; Assessors, Reuben Patterson, Ichabod Lathrop, Isaae Van Vleek, William Ward and Timothy Teall; Constables and Collectors, Caleb Pratt and David Baker; Overseers of Roads, Libbeus Foster, Wil- liam Ward, Ichabod Lathrop, Reuben Patterson, Cyrus Kin- ne, Ryal Bingham, Jeremiah Jackson, Gershom Breed and Lemuel Hall; Fence Viewers, Aaron Wood, Elijah Phil- lips, John Danforth, Jeremiah Jackson. At this meeting, a bounty of four pounds was ordered for any person presenting to the Supervisor of the town, the sealp of a full grown wolf, and thirty shillings for the scalp of one under one year old. At this early day, with neighbors from three to five miles apart, hogs running at large were considered troublesome, and the inhabitants passed a good old New-England resolu- tion in the following words : "that no hog shall go at large without a stout ring in his nose, and a yoke about his neck, ex- tending above the depth of his neek, and half the depth below."
The first common school commissioners for the town, were chosen in 1797, and Charles Moseley, Daniel Campbell and Isaac Van Vleck, took upon them the charge of regulating common schools. A special committee was chosen to co-ope- rate with the commissioners, and were directed to proceed to a division of the town into school districts. Gershom Breed, Elijah Phillips, Jeremiah Jackson, and Caleb Pratt, were said committee. No regular proceedings of these commissioners or committeemen is to be found on record ; and the first organi- zation of school districts was very imperfeetly made in the years 1810 and 1811. They have since, in 1835, been more systematically organized.
In 1798, a vote was taken at the annual town meeting, to ascertain the propriety of having the Gospel and School lot settled. Lot seventy-four, Manlius, had been set apart by the
B 14
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Surveyor General, for Gospel and School purposes. The vote was decided affirmatively. In 1800, John Sweeting, Super- visor, and Timothy Teall, Town Clerk, were directed to take charge of the town lot. From this time till 1810, the public lot was most shamefully pillaged and plundered, and was en- tirely unproductive. Notwithstanding all that could possibly be done by the Trustees, it was found next to impossible to collect rents ; and finally the occupants began to think them- selves the real owners. At the time of its sale, some three hundred acres had been stript of its timber and left without fence, or the means and materials of which to make one, notwithstanding pine, oak and elm timber enough had been wasted to build a town. In 1811, Abijah Yelverton was cho- sen Commissioner of the public lot, who, with the Supervisor and Town Clerk, were directed to make such discretionary arrangements for its preservation and safety as they should see fit. It was leased or farmed out for three or four years, and finally was sold by the town, May, 2d, 1814, for twelve thousand one hundred and fourteen dollars forty-two cents. When De Witt was set off from Manlius, the school fund was divided, and Manlius received for its share, seven thousand seven hundred and fifty-two dollars forty-two cents. The annual income of this fund, which is five hundred and forty- two dollars and sixty-seven cents, is annually divided among the districts within the present town of Manlius.
MANLIUS VILLAGE .- Without doubt, Mr. John A. Shaef- fer was the first settler in Manlius Village. He commenc- ed his residence here in 1792, built a log house, very near where the Episcopal church now stands. He, like many other of the carly settlers of this county, soon after opened a tavern and sold a few goods, to satisfy the very limited wants of the scattered inhabitants. In the year 1794, a son was born to Mrs. Shaeffer, which was undoubtedly the first birth in the village. He was named Baron Steuben, in honor of the famous General of that name, who about this time, spent a night at the house of Mr. Shaeffer, on his way out to Salt Point, with Gen. Stephen Van Rensselaer and Gen. Win.
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North. The circumstances of this visit have been related to the author as follows :
On the return of the party from Salt Point, whither they had been to select a site for a block house; they spent the night at the house of John A. Shaeffer, Esq., "inn keeper," at Manlius. The guests were considerably fatigued with their journey, and the labors of their important trust, and retired early to rest. During the night, there seemed to be an unu- sual stir about the house, and as the hour of midnight ap- proached, it still increased, and before morning, transpired one of those unpostponable events incident to all prosperous and increasing families. The Baron was greatly annoyed du- ring the night, so that he scarcely slept a wink. The fre- quent shutting of doors, continual tramping of busy feet, and hushed sounds of female voices, which were greatly magnified by the Baron's nervousness and the importance of progress- ing events, kept his mind in a continual tumult.
The house was built of logs, only one story high, with two rooms below ; the chamber being the whole size of the house, with only loose boards for a floor, and accessible by no other means than a ladder. This chamber was occupied by the dis- tinguished guests of Mr. Shaeffer. The companions of the hero of this tale slept soundly, but not so the Baron. He often turned himself on his bed of straw, seeking rest and finding none, continually wondering what on carth could ex- cite such wonderful commotion, and he finally worked him- self into an almost uncontrollable passion, which could scarce- ly be restrained till morning. On the earliest approach of light, the Baron rose, still in his rage, vowing vengeance on all below. He approached the redoubtable landlord in not the most agreeable humor, saying, "your house is full of gos- sips and goblins, sir ; I hav'nt slept a wink all the blessed night; you have a pack of dogs about you noisy enough to deafen one. Sir, I repeat ; your house is full of gossips and goblins. Sir, your house isn't fit to stable swine. Give us breakfast, let us be off, and we'll not trouble you again." The Baron's rage was at its height. Mine host was perfectly
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dumb-founded before his enraged and angry guest, and dared not lift his head, or hint the cause of the disturbance during the night. But soon, to give relief to his troubled mind, a woman approached the angry Baron, who was still breathing forth threatenings and storm, bearing in her arms an infant, who had not yet witnessed the setting of a single sun, saying, " here, Sir Baron, is the cause of all the trouble and noise last night." The gallant old soldier instantly felt the impro- priety of his conduct, his habitual good humor was instantly restored, his accustomed gallantry prompted him at once handsomely to apologize, at the same time begging ten thou- sand pardons of those around him. He tendered his most hearty congratulations to Mr. Shaeffer and his wife, and offered to bestow his own name on the new visitant, which offer was accepted, and forthwith the Baron drew a deed of gift for two hundred and fifty acres of land, from his domain in Oneida, and after breakfast, with his friends, went on his way rejoicing.
Mr. Charles Mulholland, was probably the next settler after Mr. Shaeffer. He lived first in a log house very near Mr. Ewer's present residence. Mr. Mulholland owned a consid- erable share of lot ninety-eight, and a Mr. Leonard came in possession of the greater part of lot eighty-seven, which was occupied by Aaron Wood, Esq. The south-east corner of lot eighty-six was occupied by Mr. Cunningham, who lived a lit- tle east of the late Sumner Whitney's residence. William Ward, owned the whole of lot ninety-seven, and resided near Perry's mill. These four lots, be it observed, corner in the village of Manlius, in the house now occupied by Mrs. Perry, opposite and south of Charles Smith's store. Afterwards, Mr. Jabez Cobb, came in posession of one hundred and fifty acres of land in the south-west corner of lot eighty-seven, and kept the tavern after Mr. Shaeffer for a number of years. Charles Mosely came to Manlius, in 1796, purchased of Mr. Cobb,.in 1802 or 1803, and sold a great part of the village lots on Pleasant and Seneca streets, east of the line of the original lot. The first permanent store opened in Manlius Village, was kept by a Mr. Dickout, in 1795, in the first frame
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