Onondaga's centennial. Gleanings of a century, Vol. II, Part 5

Author: Bruce, Dwight H. (Dwight Hall), 1834-1908
Publication date: 1896
Publisher: [Boston] : The Boston History Company
Number of Pages: 1094

USA > New York > Onondaga County > Onondaga's centennial. Gleanings of a century, Vol. II > Part 5

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Why the south half of the Onondaga Reservation, embracing about 6,400 acres of land, was included within the bounds of this town, as the above law clearly shows, has never been explained, but in following the lines as defined by that act it has always received such recognition by writers, historians, and mapmakers. It is known, however, that the portion of the Reservation alluded to has never been legally considered as a civil part of La Fayette, but has continually existed under the ju- risdiction of the State. The present civil town, therefore, contains about 22,200 acres of land, and is bounded on the east by Pompey, on the north by Dewitt, Onondaga, and the Reservation, on the west by Onondaga, the Reservation and Otisco, and on the south by Otisco, Tully, and Fabius. It was named in honor of the Marquis de Marie Jean Paul Roch Yves Gilbert Motier La Fayette, the distinguished general, and friend of Washington during the Revolutionary war, who visited the Onondaga country in June, 1825.

The first town meeting was held at the house of Johnson Hall in La Fayette village, on March 14, 1826, thirteen months after the passage of the foregoing act, and Charles Jackson acted as chairman.

The first officers elected were:

Charles Jackson, supervisor; Johnson Hall, town clerk; Epenetus Hoyt, George Northway, and Thomas Newell, assessors; David Campbell, Freeman Northway, and Nathaniel Sterling, commissioners of highways; Willard Farrington and Eben- ezer Coleman, overseers of the poor; Noah Hoyt, jr., Asa Farrington, and Freeman Northway, constables; Asa Farrington, collector; Ezra Dyer, Chauncey Williams, and John Spencer, commissioners of common schools; Pitt Dyer, Rial Wright, and

S. E. CLARK.

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THE TOWN OF LA FAYETTE.

George Northway, inspectors of common schools; Cornelius Vandenburg, John S. Fort, Edmund Morse, James Gould, Erastus Baker, Ebenezer Coleman, Joseph S. Cole, John P. King, Charles Jackson, 2d, Charles Johnson, Hiram Gilbert, George Northway, Harry Avery, Charles I. Davis, John Talbot, William Westcott, Anson W. Jackson, Ichabod Smith, Grandus Cuddeback, Harry Reed, Joseph Ackles, Sam- uel Hoyt, Ira Dodge, Simeon Larkin, William Dean, John Sniffen, John Whitney, Levi Mayhew, and Thomas C. Safford, overseers of highways.

These names suggest many prominent early settlers, not hitherto mentioned, while the subsequent list of supervisors contains others of equal worth and enterprise. At this meeting the town voted $300 for the support of the poor and $200 for the support of common schools, and designated Ebenezer Coleman as poundkeeper. At the next town meeting, and for several years thereafter but $150 were appropriated for school purposes.

The supervisors of La Fayette have been as follows:

Charles Jackson, 1826; Johnson Hall, 1827-31; Charles Jackson, January, 1832, to February, 1832, in place of Jackson, resigned; John B. Miller, 1832; John Spencer, 1833-35; Johnson Hall, 1836; John Spencer, 1837-38; Conradt G. Houghtailing, 1839- 40; Epenetus Hoyt, 1841; Hiram Gilbert, 1842, Jesse Fuller, 1843-46; Samuel A. Keen, 1847-48; Joel Fuller, 1849; Jesse Fuller, 1850; Valentine Baker, 1851-52; Na- than Park, 1853; Robert Park, 1854; Joel Fuller, 1855; Samuel A. Keen, 1856; Caleb B. Jackson, 1857-58; Calvin Cole, 1859-60; Elijah Park, 1861-63; Barzilla L. Cole- man, 1864; John M. Conklin, 1865-66; Charles Hiscock, 1867-72; Avery R. Palmer, 1873-74; George W. McIntyre, 1875-78; Avery R. Palmer, 1879; George W. MeIn- tyre ; 1880-81; George L. Hoyt, elected November, 1881, to fill vacancy, and re- elected in February, 1882; Homer Case, 1883; Willis Alexander, 1884; Homer Case, 1885; Frank J. Farrington, 1886-89; Nicholas Aungier, 1890: Henry L. Cole, 1891; Seneca E. Clark, 1892-95.

The year 1825 was otherwise eventful in the town's history from the fact that it witnessed the opening of the Erie Canal through Syracuse. That great waterway, although passing some little distance to the north, imparted a new impulse to the growth and prosperity of this section, which had now been largely divested of its heavier forests and more uninviting wilderness conditions. In the same year the Ebenezer Methodist Episcopal church of Cardiff was organized and a house of worship erected, which, in 1857, was burned. A new edifice was im- mediately built at a cost of $2,400, and dedicated in December under the pastorship of Rev. D. W. Bristol, D. D. The church is now in a prosperous condition. Another former pastor was Rev. J. P. Newman, D. D., while not a few persons prominent as missionaries, preachers, and teachers began their religious life here. Among the original or early promoters of the society were John Spencer, Usual Coleman,

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ONONDAGA'S CENTENNIAL.

Benjamin D. Sniffen, Grandus Cuddeback, Annanias Westcott, Reuben Wright, John Bottle, and the Park and Stearns families. About 1826 the Reformed Methodist church of La Fayette was constituted at Webb Hollow, two miles northwesterly from the village. For many years it had no edifice, but held services in school houses and private dwellings and quarterly meetings in barns. Among its pastors were Revs. James Bailey, Foster Bailey, W. J. Bailey, and Albert Taylor. The society became extinct about 1885, and its house of worship, nearly new, and in good order, passed under control of the Wesleyan branch of the Methodist church.

In 1836 the town contained two grist mills, sixteen saw mills, three tanneries, two fulling mills, three carding machines, three asheries, fifteen school districts, and 819 school children, while ten years later there were four grist mills, eighteen saw mills, two fulling mills, two carding machines, two tanneries, one ashery, one clover mill, five taverns, four stores, seven manufactories, sixty-six mechanics, four physicians, 392 farmers, five merchants, 204 militia, 606 voters, thirteen common schools, 737 school children, and 16,857 acres of improved land. The census of 1860 gave 18,004 acres of improved land, 481 dwellings, 473 families, 365 freeholders, twelve school districts, 783 school children, 811 horses, 2,082 cows and other cattle, 3,359 sheep, 1,382 swine, 4,862 bushels of winter wheat, 133,968 bushels spring wheat, 2,528 tons hay, 15,291 bushels potatoes, 36,368 bushels apples, 114,382 pounds butter, 6,915 pounds cheese, 606 yards domestic cloth, and real estate valued at $516,045, and personal property at $59,925.

The town now has nine school districts and about 375 school chil- dren. On April 23, 1836, the La Fayette High School was incorpo- rated for the purpose of furnishing a higher education to the youth of the locality. A brick school house was built by Asahel Smith, but after a few years the institution declined and ceased to exist under its corporate privileges, and the building became a dwelling house.

About 1838 the hamlet of Cardiff, nearly at the head of the Onondaga valley, began to assume some activity as a business center. The Syra- cuse and Tully turnpike, chartered April 16, 1827, and re-chartered in April, 1831, had given it existence, and in 1839 John F. Card erected a large grist mill, which was operated by water power. About 1862 it became the property of Edward Voigt, who added a saw mill and steam power, and in March, 1877, the establishment passed to George Der- mon, under whom it was burned in April, 1878. Since then another grist mill has been erected near the village. Mr. Card also had a store and distillery, and for many years was a leading man. When a name for the hamlet and post-office was sought some favored perpetuating his memory by such designations as Cardville, Cardbury, etc. John

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973

THE TOWN OF LA FAYETTE.

Spencer, of great influence, and a former citizen of England, suggested Cardiff, from a thriving city in Wales, which was adopted. Here in early days were Isaac Garfield, sr., tavernkeeper; Arnold Woodard, merchant; John Spencer, tanner and shoemaker; Volney Houghton, wagonmaker; and now Henry W. McIntyre and George Bennett, mer- chants, and Sabra Park, widow of Robert Park, a soldier in the Rebel- lion, postmaster. Onondaga Creek was long the scene of great activ- ity, as far as grist and saw mills, a tannery, and the distillery were con- cerned. It was on the farm of "Stubb" Newell, about one mile south- west of Cardiff, that the celebrated "Cardiff Giant" was unearthed in 1869. For many weeks the whole country was agitated over that great uncouth statue, which was cut from gypsum in Fort Dodge, Iowa, shipped here and buried, "discovered" while digging a well that New- ell had ordered, and foisted upon the public as a petrifaction centuries old. Thousands of dollars were paid by the people to see the mon- strous fraud.

Many early settlers have been named in the preceding pages, but the names of other pioneers and residents of La Fayette may be briefly noticed at this point :

In the east part of the town there also lived before 1840 Frederick Gilbert and his father, Samuel Kean, John Davis, Enoch and Jeremiah Everingham, George and Clinton Whitman, Samuel Sherwood, Cornelius and Andrew Vandenburg (Andrew being a Universalist preacher), Edmund Morse, Leander Hine and others of thename, Charles and Stephen Drake, John Dox, Joel Canfield, Bethuel Shepard (son of Samuel), Joel Morton, James Clute, Amos and Nathaniel Gage, Albert Becker (father of James), Eldert Vandenburg, Lewis O. Hill, Charles Hoyt (son of Isaac), Valen- tine Baker (father of Daniel and George), Charles I. Davis, Daniel Share (father of Jere_ miah, William, and Andrew), Calvin and Luther Cole (in Collingwood), Joseph and Henry R. Cole, and the families of Gould, Bush, Hotaling, Miller, Sherman, Rounds, Hoyt and others.

In the west part there were Augustinus Shue and his three sons, Peter, Matthew, and John, who came from Esopus, Ulster county, in 1808, and settled on lot 88. They brought two colored servants, Jack and Phoebe. On the marriage of the youngest daughter Phoebe was added to the wedding gifts, while Jack was given to the youngest son John, with whom the old people also lived. Phoebe died about 1850, but Jack lived until 1880, and on the fine granite family monument in the Cardiff cemetery is this inscription: "Jack, 27 years a slave in the State of New York." The Shnes brought with them several implements of husbandry and books that were manufac- tured in Germany and Holland. The illustrated Bible of Mrs. Shue, with maps and notes, is now the property of a grandson, Avery P. Shue, of Garfield avenue, in Syra- cuse. There were also Dwelly Spaulding and Jacob S. Hollenbeck, William Savery and Henry Pierce, millers; Joseph Hill, L. L. Benjamin and Arby A. Payne, blacksmiths; and Ebenezer Coleman (father of Barzilla), Russell Green (father of Clark), Joel and

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ONONDAGA'S CENTENNIAL.

Jesse Fuller, Asel King, Bennett Wooster, Peter Abbott (father of James and John), Ezra Knapp, Charles Jackson (a justice of the peace and father of Caleb and Charles jr.), Turpin Green, and the Ackles, Garfield, Stearns, Seeley, Woodmansec, Northway, Winchell, Baker (Seth, Erastus, Suydenham, Thomas, Lewis, Chester, Quartus, Morris, Luther, Charles A., Rodney, Porter, Dwight, Lyman, and King), Samuel, Hall, and Danforth families.

In the village of La Fayette were such settlers as Dorus Porter, (cabinetmaker), Mr. Smith (tailor), Nathaniel Sterling (who built the Presbyterian church), Asahel King (tanner and shoemaker), and Reuben and John King (sons of 'Squire King). Johnson Hall was member of assembly in 1829 and 1830, sheriff in 1832, and assistant judge of the county in 1838. George W. Melntyre was for two terms county superintendent of the poor.

Hiram Gilbert was the first or one of the first justices of the peace, and Abiel Davidson was elected to that office in 1831. Epenetus Iloyt was the father of Harrison Hoyt, the well-known criminal lawyer of Syracuse. Ebenezer Coleman was also justice of sessions. Albert Becker, born in Half Moon, Saratoga county, in 1797, came here in 1828. His son Daniel became a prominent jeweler in Syracuse, and another son, James, is one of the leading citizens of this town. Jacob C. Wilcox was born here in 1814 and died in 1893.

Other early settlers were John Shaw (grandfather of George), Mr. Webb (in Webb Hollow, grandfather of Emery Webb), John Morse, Eli Cook (proprietor of a saw mill about one mile cast of La Fayette), Joseph Thomas (born in 1797, came here in 1817, and died in 1865, brother of Harrison and Albert), and Avery F. Palmer, who was born in Stonington, Conn., in 1795, came to this section with his father, Rowland, in 1815, married Sarah, daughter of Capt. Richard Bailey, in 1819, and died in 1873. His son, Dr. Stewart B. Palmer, is one of the oldest and leading dentists in Syracuse, while another son, Rev. Avery R. Palmer, of Collingwood, is the oldest Baptist pastor in the county. The latter was at one time superintendent of the penitentiary and has filled various offices of trust.

In La Fayette village there have been such physicians as Drs. Elijah Park, Squires, Rial Wright, Ward Bassett, Elijah Park (son of Silas W. and nephew of Elijah), and Lyman Rose. Dr. Silas W. Park practiced his profession here till his death, as did also his son Elijah, who died about 1872. Dr. Rose died here in 1867. Among the merchants may be mentioned Dr. Williams and son Chauncey, whose residence and store were combined; Dunning & Yelverton, just south

973

THE TOWN OF LA FAYETTE

of the present hotel: Andrews & Hall (George W. Hall), of whom Mr. Hall died in Michigan in 1896 ; and Philander Trowbridge. Milton S. Price, later the merchant prince of Syracuse, began his mercantile career in this village, occupying the old store of Andrews & Hall, which forms part of the present hotel. He was followed by his brother. Edwin Price, Charles G. Robinson, George W. Melutvre, and James ). Conan. The first drug store was started by Dr. Charles A. Gillett The third store was kept in what is now the Odd Fellows Hall In Asahel Palmer. Still another was opened by Willis ( Newell, now kept by James and Michael Crow. The post-office was kept in the Andrews & Hall store for many years. Later postmasters were Chester Baker, George W. Meintyre, John Cary, Asahel Palmer, James J. Conan, and James Crowe. Stephen Weller was long a wagonmaker in the Thomas district, so-called from Joseph Thomas, who owned a large farm there. After, Harvey Robinson had a wagon shop and also made grain cradles. Among the blacksmiths were Morris Clapp, Arthur Westcott, John Matthews, and Jacob Eckert. The school house here was burned October 29, 1894.

In 1864 the Syracuse and Binghamton Railroad was opened through the town, with a station known as La Fayette, afterward Onatavia. about one-half mile east of La Fayette village, and the stage business of former years practically ceased. The railroad, while bringing agri- cultural interests into closer touch with distant markets, drew much of the trade from the villages of La Fayette and Cardiff, yet these centers continued to maintain quite a thrifty activity even if they failed to in crease in size. Around Onatavia a small and scattered settlement sprang up.

The Union armies during the war of the Rebellion from 1801 to 1805 contained many brave and patriotic soldiers from La Navette, which promptly responded to the several calls with both money and men. The record made by the town in that memorable struggle shines in his tory with imperishable splendor.

By this period the hamlet of Collingwood had sprung into active ex- istence, mainly through the operation of the Collingwood grist, flouring and saw mills, which were established by Calvin Cole about 1838 They passed in 1862 to A. R. Palmer and in 18;6 to J. D. Palmer, the present proprietor, who is also postmaster. Gilbert Vandenburg also has a store here and A. W. Cole a carriage factory.

Among the various industries of the town is the old Webb saw and

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ONONDAGA'S CENTENNIAL.

grist mill in Webb Hollow, owned by Ira West; the saw mill of Ira French, south of Cardiff; the grist mill on Conklin's Brook, operated by Milton Conklin; the saw mill of Daniel Woodford, in the same locality; and the Tully Valley mills, conducted successively by Roswell P. Loomis, Franklin Loomis, and Gideon Seeley.

For several years the Roman Catholics of the town held services in a hall in La Fayette village, and in 1888 St. Joseph's church was erected there under the pastoral charge of Father Michael O'Reilley. It is now used by a large congregation under Father J. V. Simmons, of Pompey.

About 1888 the Syracuse Water Company projected the construction of a reservoir for supplying the city with water by building a dam 120 feet in height across the narrows at Indian Hill, north of Cardiff. The valley above was surveyed and extensive borings were made in the west hill with a view to ascertaining its formation and safety for the anchorage of a dam. This investigation showed the hill to be com- posed wholly of "drift " material, while the east side was solid shale. Eight feet beneath the surface of the earth, on a line across the nar- rows, a perfectly flat bed of rock in place was found. These discov- eries were of geological interest, since they contributed valuable in - formation respecting the theory that the Susquehanna River at one time flowed through the Onondaga Valley, before the Tully hills were formed. The project of a reservoir was, however, abandoned when municipal ownership of the Syracuse water works became an estab- lished fact.

The population of La Fayette has been of follows:

In 1825, about 2,400; in 1830, 2,560; 1835, 2,592; 1840, 2,600; 1845, 2,527; 1850, 2,532; 1855, 2,340; 1860, 2,537; 1865, 2,397; 1870, 2,233; 1875, 2,192; 1880, 2,160; 1890, 1,874; 1892, 1.702.

977

THE TOWN OF SKANEATELES.

CHAPTER XLV.

THE TOWN OF SKANEATELES.

Around the northern end of the beautiful lake that makes conspicu- ous and adorns the southwestern part of Onondaga county, there cliis- ters a mass of interesting history, its beginning antedating even the era of white settlement. During its aboriginal occupancy this region ivas a favorite resort of the Indians, a hunting and fishing place often sought by the Onondagas from the east and the Cayugas and Senecas from the west. Its picturesque scenery and geographical advantages, together with the convenience of its situation on the famous Indian trail over which the great Seneca turnpike was afterwards constructed, made it a much traversed locality by the nearby Iroquois. These same attractions also called hither a most desirable class of white pio- neers during the closing years of the eighteenth century.

The territory of Skaneateles was embraced in military township No. 9 (Marcellus), and in the civil town of the same name when Onondaga county was organized in 1794. It includes what were military lots Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 27, 28, 29, 30, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 44, 45, 50, 51, 52, 57, 58, 59, 60, 65, 66, 67, 72, 73, 84, 85, 86, and 87. These lots were drawn by the following persons for service in the war of the Revolution :

1, Stephen Baker; 2, John Shepard; 3, Edward Bear; 4, John Moore; 5, William Yarrington ; 10, Benjamin Herring (ensign); 11, William Lodder; 12, John Gilbert; 13, John Gross; 18, Jerome Hogelandt; 19, reserved for gospels, schools, etc .; 20, Volkert Dow; 21, Thomas Moore; 22, reserved for gospel, schools, etc .; 27, Henry Burrance; 28, Samuel Higby; 29, Samuel Parsons; 30, Thomas Jones; 35, Kenneth Campbell; 36, John Simonds; 37, Capt. John Doughty; 38, Lieut. George Dennis- ton; 39, William Gillaspee; 44, John Shultz; 45, Ephraim Blowers; 50 and 51, re- served for gospel, schools, etc .; 53, Lieut. Hiel Peck; 57, Benjamin Beebe (or Boan- erges); 58, Peter I. Vosburgh (captain); 59, Capt. Jacob Reed; 66, Henry Luke ; 65, Joseph Halstead; 66, David Pembroke; 67, Jacob Weeks; 72, Peter Sherman; 73, John Brown; 84, John Martin; 85, Robert Casey; 86, Dennis McPeck; 87, Lieut. Henry Dessendorph.

In common with those who drew lots in other towns of this county,

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ONONDAGA'S CENTENNIAL.

only one or two of the grantees became settlers on their lands; nearly all sold their claims for trifling returns. To the few grantees who ever saw the region in its wilderness condition it probably presented few attractions of a practical nature; while it might have been beautiful to the lover of nature, the soldier fresh from the wars or the home-seeker in quest of a place where he could quickly secure a living could not have been very favorably impressed with the prospect. The region was covered with a heavy growth of pine and hemlock forest, which in the lowlands was intermingled with thick underbrush, demanding long and arduous toil to clear and fit it for cultivation. The soil was good, consisting largely of rich sandy and clayey loam, but its character was not well understood by the early comers. They settled mostly on the hills, believing the lowlands would prove to be unhealthy, and that the making of roads there would be difficult. The surface of the town is moderately hilly, rising from the lake shore to a height of from 200 to 500 feet. According to recent surveys the lake itself lies at an altitude of 860 feet above tide water, while Giles Hill rises 1,265 feet, Hoxie Hill 1,198 feet, and Seeley Hill 1,109 feet above sea level. Geograph- ically Skaneateles is the southern town on the west line of the county. It takes its name from that of the lake, an Indian name, Skeh-ne-a-iles, which signifies "very long lake," but which by some authorities is said to mean " beautiful squaw," and is supposed to have been derived from the family of a powerful chief who, in legend, lived on the site of Man- dana village with his six wives, several sons, and an only daughter. On very old French maps this lake is recorded as " Lac Scaneateatdle." The town was erected from Marcellus on the 26th of February, 1830, and on March 18, 1840, a small part of Spafford was annexed, making the present area 23,600 acres. The town records were burned in 1835, which fact precludes the possibility of quoting from them any items of interest respecting the earlier years of the town's history.

John Thompson, a Scotchman, has always received the credit of making the first permanent white settlement within the present limits of this town, but painstaking research has developed the fact that that honor probably belongs to Abraham A. Cuddeback, who arrived here with his wife and eight children from Minisink, N. Y., on July 14, 1794, after a journey of forty-three days. Clark and others state that Thompson came in with his family in 1793 and located on lot 18, on the Colonel Lamb farm, near the Cayuga county line, receiving his land as compensation for his services while employed in establishing the

Edmund Norman Sestie

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THE TOWN OF SKANEATELES.

boundaries between New York and Pennsylvania and three successive simmers spent in surveying on the Military Tract under Moses De Witt. He also paid five shillings sterling, and his deed is recorded in the county clerk's office in 1794, his tract comprising fifty acres. He was the owner of military lands in adjoining towns, as shown by the records, for several years following this date, and in all his deeds resi- dence is given as being in Stillwater, Saratoga county. On October 12, 1801, he purchased a part of lot 88 in Camillus, which he sold on Octo- ber 2, 1806. In 1810 is recorded: "John Thompson and Charlora Adams of Marcellus, administrators of the goods and chattles, rights and credits, of David Groom of Marcellus." June 15, 1819, "John Thompson, of the township of Stillwater," sold a tract of land to Nathan Thompson, of Galway. January 12, 1821, he entered his name for the first time as being "of the town of Marcellus," and sold to Joseph Foster, for $2,090, about 105 acres of lots 18 and 35, in what is now Skaneateles. This same tract was sold by Foster on March 2, 1825, to Joseph Porter and Samuel Jacacks for $2,300, and on April 7, 1836, Mr. Jacacks disposed of the land for $5,000 to David Hall, of Skaneateles. In all these deeds the wife of Thompson is not mentioned, a fact which indicates that he was then unmarried, and it is reasonably certain that he did not become an actual resident of this town until after 1800.

E. N. Leslie, who has gathered a mass of valuable local history, states that Abraham A. Cuddeback first leased lands of Major De Witt on the west shore of the lake, finally purchased his original improvement, and to his grandchildren early said that his nearest neighbor lived at Onon- daga Hill. Settlements, however, were made this same year (1794) in Marcellus and also in this town. Mr. Cuddeback brought with him three yoke of oxen, a two-year old colt, and twelve cows, and settled on the premises now occupied by the summer residence of Dr. Hurd. At that time there were five wigwams occupied by Indians where the John M. Nye house subsequently stood. Mr. Cuddeback built the first frame building in town, and the first wheat he raised he carried to Albany, exchanging a part of it for nails, bushel for pound. He was of Huguenot descent, and died October 22, 1831, aged seventy-three years.

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Onondaga's centennial. Gleanings of a century, Vol. II, Part 5

Author: Bruce, Dwight H. (Dwight Hall), 1834-1908 Publication date: 1896 Publisher: [Boston] : The Boston History Company Number of Pages: 1094

Author: Bruce, Dwight H. (Dwight Hall), 1834-1908
Publication date: 1896
Publisher: [Boston] : The Boston History Company
Number of Pages: 1094