USA > New York > Madison County > Our county and its people : a descriptive and biographical record of Madison County, New York > Part 27
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John Adams Smith was for a period a partner with Thomas H. Hub- bard and an early practitioner at the bar. Lorenzo Sherwood settled in Hamilton in 1839, coming from De Ruyter where he had been in
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practice a few years in company with James W. Nye. Mr. Sherwood's system developed consumption and he removed to Texas, while Mr. Nye, who had formed a partnership with him in Hamilton, continued in practice here until his election to the office of surrogate in 1844. He was elected county judge in 1847 and soon after the close of his term removed to Syracuse and later to New York city.
From 1845 to 1848 Albert N. Sheldon and James B. Eldredge were partners in law practice and Mr. Sheldon is still in the profession. He was elected district attorney in 1859. Mr. Eldredge was in the Assem- bly three terms and was elected county judge in 1833; died in 1864. Henry C. Goodwin and David J. Mitchell were a conspicuous law firm at a little later period, but both died before reaching their prime, the former in Hamilton and the latter in Syracuse.
Joseph Mason and David Gerry Wellington, formerly partners, are still in practice but in separate offices. Mr. Mason is a native of Platts- burgh and settled in Hamilton about 1842; was elected county judge in 1863, and representative in Congress in 1878. Mr. Wellington was elected to the Assembly in 1867 and again in 1874, was a member of the last Constitutional Convention, and held other offices.
Samuel D. White, born in Nelson, February 16, 1835, and Charles W. Underhill, born in Bedford, N. Y., December 27, 1841, have been in practice many years. Hosmer H. Keith, formerly in practice, re- moved to South Dakota, and William M. Hartshorn, a native of Leb- anon, after a number of years' practice, removed west to engage in real estate business. Barna J. Stimson, born in Erieville, April 24, 1837, has been in practice many years. A. Smith Sheldon is in partnership with his father, Albert N. Sheldon; James W. Welch and E. W. Cush- man (also postmaster) constitute the present bar of the village.
It was not until 1817 that Hamilton had a newspaper, nine years later than one was started in Peterboro and simultaneously with the starting of the Gazette and Madison County Advertiser, also in Peter- boro. The Hamilton Recorder was founded in 1817 by John G. Stower and Dr. Peter B. Havens. Two years later it passed to the firm of Stower & Williams and a little later was published by John P. Van Sice. In 1829 it was removed to Morrisville and consolidated with the Madi- son Observer, which had been established in Cazenovia in January, 1821, and removed the following year to Morrisville.
The Hamilton Courier was started in February, 1834, by G. R. Wald- ron; the name was soon changed to the Hamilton Courier and Madison
17
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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
County Advertiser and the paper was discontinued in 1838. In that year the Hamilton Palladium was established by John Atwood and con- tinued six years. During the single year 1839 G. R. Waldron published the Hamilton Eagle. In 1842 Mr. Waldron and Wallace W. Chubbuck started the Democratic Reflector, which they continued about six months, when Waldron acquired Chubbuck's interest and within a year took in Arthur M. Baker. Baker's interest was bought by Waldron in 1854, and in 1856 the paper was consolidated with the Madison County Journal, which was established in September, 1849, by E. F. & C. B. Gould. At different periods thereafter W. W. Chubbuck, F. B. Fisher and Thomas L. James (later postmaster of New York city) were inter- ested in the establishment. When the two papers were consolidated the name was changed to The Democratic Republican and the publi- cation was continued by Waldron & James until 1860, when the latter sold his interest to J. Hunt Smith, to whom Waldron also sold out in 1861. Smith sold to his father, Adon Smith, a few months later and about six months afterwards he transferred it to A. Lord; from him it passed to E. D. Van Slyke, formerly publisher of a paper in Cortland, in February, 1863. He was succeeded by W. E. Tooke, from whom it again passed to Mr. Van Slyke who sold to the present proprietors, Hawkins & Elliott (Herbert H. Hawkins and Fletcher M. Elliott). The Democratic Republican is now one of the leading journals of the interior of New York State.
In October, 1856, Levi S. Backus started the Democratic Union in Hamilton. In the next year it passed to possession of W. H. Baker, who continued the paper in Hamilton until 1862, when he removed it to Oneida, where it is still continued, as described in the history of that village.
The only other newspaper of Hamilton of any considerable perma- nence was the Democratic Volunteer, which was started as the Inde- pendent Volunteer in July, 1863, by George R. Waldron and J. M. Chase and was published simultaneously here and in Morrisville; after 1866 it was confined to Hamilton. Waldron acquired Chase's interest and two years later took as a partner George G. Waldron. When the Morrisville edition was stopped the name of the paper was changed to Waldron's Democratic Volunteer. Waldron & Son continued the pub- lication until 1875, when the elder partner was compelled to relinquish his labor on account of blindness from disease contracted in the army. The paper was ably conducted, had a large circulation, but was discon- tinued after the great fire.
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The village of Earlville, in this town, noticed a little further on, has supported a good newspaper for many years. The Earlville Recorder was started December 9, 1876, by Frank W. Godfred, but about two months closed its existence. The Earlville Enterprise was started April 5, 1878, by Eugene M. Lansing. The paper was at first only 16 by 22 inches in size, but it was enlarged three times within the first year of its existence and met with excellent success, for a time, but was finally dis- continued.
The Earlville Standard was established in 1886 by L. D. Blanchard, who sold out to Burch & Briggs in November, 1895. It is a successful independent weekly journal.
Succeeding the formation of the First Baptist Church in Hamilton village in 1796, which has been described, there was no other formal church organization perfected in the village until 1828, unless it was, perhaps, a Methodist class, of which records are not in existence. The Congregational Church of Hamilton Village, as the title stood, was formed in the year just named, with eight members, at the house of John Foote. Services were held a year in the brick academy, until the first church edifice was completed. That was burned in 1851, but im- mediately rebuilt, and in 1871 was remodeled and greatly improved at a cost $4,000. The first pastor was Rev. Pindar Field. A severe storm in June, 1874, damaged the building considerably, but it was at once repaired. There are now nearly a 175 members and the society is prosperous.
In a brief memoir of Gen. Nathaniel King is found a statement that the first Methodist preachers to labor in Hamilton came in 1819, at about which time there was a strong awakening of religious feeling in the county. The first class was probably formed in the village that winter, with James Higgins, leader; he was succeeded by Stephen Stocking. General King was a member and a zealous worker. The meagre history of this society can only be drawn from what is remem- bered by the older members. The society long labored against a dis- couraging environment and the membership has never been large. During many years prior to 1836 the meetings were held in a small chapel which stood about two miles northeast of the village. The pres- ent church building was erected on the corner of John and Charles streets and there remained until 1867, when it was removed to its pres- ent location. A handsome parsonage was erected in 1895-6. The church membership is about 140 and the present pastor is Rev. Mr. Reynolds.
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St. Thomas Episcopal Church was incorporated September 21, 1835, by Rev. L. A. Barrows, the pastor who had held services in the acad- emy. Alanson Munger and G. B. Stevens were elected wardens, and George Williams, John D. Blish, Peter B. Havens, Ferdinand Walker, Lewis Wickwire, William R. H. Treadway, John Atwood, and Nelson Fairchild, vestrymen. The organization of the society took place about a year before the incorporation. From 1835 to 1846 the church records are lost; it was, however, in the latter year that the church edifice was built through the persevering efforts of a few generous persons. In July, 1847, Rev. Edward De Zeng was invited to the church, and he re- mained about a year, to be succeeded by Rev. D. C. Millett. He was succeeded in 1850 by Rev. S. H. Norton, during whose rectorship the church was enlarged. The present pastor is Rev. A. H. Rogers.
St. Mary's Catholic Church was organized in October, 1869, as the Church of the Immaculate Conception, by Rev. Anthony P. Ludden, who had officiated in services in this vicinity for some time previous. A mission was founded in Hamilton about 1854 by Father McCabe, who was succeeded by Father Charles Brady, then located in Norwich; he officiated about five years from 1856. Fathers James McDermott, P. B. McNulty and Daniel O'Connell then filled the interval until 1869. Father Ludden came and a separate mission was established and the first church was built in that year. It was a frame building and was blown down on June 6, 1874. A temporary chapel was then built which was in use until the completion of the church edifice in 1880. The congregation is a large one and the church is prosperous. Father Ludden was succeeded in 1880 by Rev. W. B. Hannett, under whose pastorate the pretty church at West Eaton was built. The present pas- tor, Rev. J. V. MacDonnell, was appointed in January, 1890. The church owns the St. Joseph's cemetery, purchased in 1873, and the parochial house, which was formerly the frame church.
The present Hamilton Union School was formed by the union of the three districts formerly including the territory of the village in 1853. In each of these was then a poor school house and the better class of citizens were determined that a change should be effected. At the meeting held for the purpose a fierce strife was engendered over the matter and it was 2 o'clock a. m. before an affirmative vote was made. A Board of Education was then elected, consisting of Charles Payne, Charles Gardiner, Abram Sanford, Samuel S. Abbott, Mulford Rogers, James L. Fay, Horace B. Burchard, Alonzo Thurston, and Albert N.
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Sheldon. Mr. Payne was chosen president. At a later meeting a tax · was voted for the purchase of a site for a Union school building. On account of the claim that the proceedings of the meeting were invalid, many of the citizens refused to pay the tax. The matter was finally re- ferred to the Supreme Court, which decided in favor of the Board of Education, and before 1855 a new school building was erected and the old conditions passed away. Henry L. Sherrill was the first principal and the school became very popular.
The Hamilton Female Seminary, established in 1856 by Clinton C. Buell, and Madison University are properly noticed in Chapter XXIV.
The second largest village in this town is Earlville, portions of which, however, are within the bounds of Lebanon in Madison county and Sherburne and Smyrna in Chenango county. The principal part of the villageis in Hamilton. It is pleasantly situated between the two branches of the Chenango which join a short distance below the village. It is a station on the Utica, Chenango and Susquehanna Valley, the New York, Ontario and Western railroads, and the southern terminus of the Chenango Valley branch of the West Shore road. In early years the place was known as the Forks, from its situation between the branches of the river, and the village and post-office retained that name until 1834 when the construction of the Chenango Canal gave the inhabitants new hopes of future business importance and a desire for a more pre- tentious title; Earlville was chosen in honor of Canal Commissioner Earl. The village had little business importance until after the build- ing of the canal.
Settlement began early along the Chenango in this vicinity, as already noticed, the pioneers, Major Bigelow Waters and Charles Otis (1795), being soon followed by the other adventurous spirits. A little north of the business center of the place was early concentrated a little busi- ness industry, by the establishment there in 1811 of a tannery by Jared Pardee; it stood on the site of the later tannery. A tavern was built near by of which James B. Eldredge was proprietor; he was also the first postmaster. Erastus Daniels erected and operated a large dis- tillery in early years, and Mr. Pardee enlarged his tannery and took as a partner a Mr. Crain. It subsequently passed through several hands and ultimately to N. W. Torrey. The establishment as it came to him was built in 1851. It was burned in the great fire of 1886.
The post office at the village was established about 1824 with Dr. Consider H. Stacy, postmaster. The entire list of officials cannot be
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given, but C. L. Cotton was in the position from 1861 more than twenty years and his successors have been Newell Douglass, I. W. Rowe, L. R. Nash, B. B. Wilcox, and S. B. Cloyes.
Joseph Stowell was the first physician in the place and purchased a farm west of the village and extending across the river. He was fol- lowed by Dr. Stacy, and later physicians have been Drs. James Shef- field, who died in 1849; Laban Tucker and D. Ransom who practiced before 1840; A. S. Nichols, J. A. Ressegieu, Andrew S. Douglass and a few others. The present physicians are Dr. H. H. White and Dr. Earl Wilcox.
Joseph Whitmore, attorney, settled in the village in 1843 and con- tinued in practice about six years, when he removed to Michigan. Al- fred Nichols, a native of Hamilton, opened an office about 1851 and practiced to 1869, when he removed to Sherburne. Ernest C. Dart opened an office in 1879. The present attorneys are S. B. Cloyes and E. N. Cushman.
There was very little if any mercantile business done in this village before the opening of the canal; it was a mere settlement about the mills and the distillery and tannery. But with the construction of the water way a new order of affairs was inaugurated. Marvan Tanner opened a store, which he continued a number of years, and about the same time Henry Waters also engaged in mercantile trade. Orange Waite was another merchant prior to 1840 and continued in trade sev- eral years, to be succeeded by Sidney B. Webb and Thomas Kershaw in the same store in partnership. About 1847 the partnership was dis- solved and Kershaw continued the business five or six years and sold to Higgins & Hendrick; a few years later Hendrick withdrew and Higgins sold to Horace A. Campbell, who continued only a short time.
Webb & Kershaw in 1843 built a new store, which was connected with two others of wood; two others of brick stood on the northwest corner and all of these were burned October 12, 1858. William Felt built his brick block there in the next year. Mr. Campbell was suc- ceeded in trade by Henry R. Long. Spencer and Ely Willis, two farm- ers from Lebanon, carried on business before 1840 and failed in 1841. Charles G. Otis and Job Collins also were merchants of that period and went out of business before 1840. Otis B. Howe and Benjamin F. Skinner began trade in 1843; about two years later Skinner bought his partner's interest and took as partner John Blish; they continued until 1847.
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After the failure of himself and brother, Spencer Willis formed a partnership with Amos Bigsby and Charles Billings and began the sale of the Willis stock of goods; the business closed in a few months. Will- iam Willis and his brother traded a few months in 1858 up to the date of the fire. Wolcott Leavenworth opened a store about 1847 and was in trade until about 1858. Nicanor Brownell and E. Volney Chapin, na- tives of Hamilton, opened a store in 1862 or 1863, the business being sold to Chapin two years later, who soon sold to O. W. Leavenworth & Brother ; they continued about a year, A little later O. W. Leavenworth formed a partnership with William O. Bancroft under the style of Ban- croft & Leavenworth, who continued a few years and failed. Leaven- worth then resumed business alone and continued until 1879. A few other merchants sold goods in the past, but mostly for only short periods.
George King began as a hat and cap dealer in 1869; I. W. Rowe be- gan jewelry trade in 1872; N. L. Douglass, druggist, began in 1873, and is still in trade; Le Roy Nash, grocer, commenced in 1877, and Gorham, Cushman & Co., in 1878. Chaphe & Morgan opened hardware trade in 1879, a business now followed by F. D. Morgan. W. H. Williamson opened a grocery, and Ambrose W. Rice a jewelry store in 1879.
Other present merchants of the village are C. W. Smith, R. P. Hall, R. H. Williamson, Casety & Miller, and Cushman & Brainerd, general merchants, L. W. Farr and F. C. Buell (former partners) in hardware, succeeding Tillotson Brothers, J. L. Rowe, Jennings & Taylor, L. L. Sawdy, groceries, confectionery, tobacco, etc .; George E. Bergen, jew- elry; A. M. Hoadley, clothing, etc .; Eugene Pierce, harness dealer; Todd & Gurney, lumber and builders' supplies; C. F. Foster, furniture and undertaking. S. B. Cloyes and Parker Newton are engaged in in- surance business.
The Earlville grist and saw mills were built in the summer of 1839 by William Felt, who operated them twenty-seven years and at his death in June, 1866, bequeathed them to William Babcock, whose father, Thomas Babcock, had been Mr. Felt's miller during the whole period. The mill building is now occupied by the Parsons Low-Down Wagon Works.
In comparatively recent years considerable miscellaneous manufac- turing has come into existence in the village. The Earlville Furniture Works were established by S. Bentley in 1886, and were managed by E. C. and G. D. Bentley, who were from New Berlin. The firm pur- chased property on East Main street and employed about twenty men.
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The building was struck by lightning in 1892 and burned and the firm rebuilt the same year on the same site. The firm failed in 1816.
The Arnold Furniture Company removed hither from Fayetteville in 1890 and built their present factory for the manufacture of desks, etc. About thirty men are employed. The officers of the company are L. S. Arnold, president; H. C. Allen, vice-president; L. W. Arnold, secre- tary and treasurer.
The C. L. Cotton Perfumery and Extract Company was the successor of a small extract business established in 1878 by C. L. Cotton, the druggist. The present stock company was incorporated in 1893 with nominal capital of $50,000. Five traveling salesmen are employed and the goods of the company are widely known. The officers of the com- pany are C. L. Cotton, president; Henry G. Green, vice-president ; F. E. Williams, secretary and treasurer; F. C. Devolant and H. C. Allen are additional directors.
The M. C. Dermott-Bergen Dairy Company operate a milk station at N. Y. O. station, taking about 7,000 pounds of milk daily.
J. N. Holmes began the manufacture of wagons in 1870 on East Hill, and subsequently moved into the village where he continues. J. D. Washburn also has a carriage and blacksmith business.
The Parsons Low-Down Wagon Company was incorporated in 1891 with a capital of $50,000. The business was established in 1887 by J. R. Parsons. In January 1, 1898, the establishment became a private industry and the title was changed to the Parsons Low-Down Wagon Works. A wagon of low construction is largely manufactured, about fifty hands being employed.
The First National Bank of Earlville was incorporated December 15, 1890, with the following officers: H. G. Greene, president; George B. Whitmore, vice-president; Guy H. Clark, cashier. The capital stock was $50,000. The first board of directors consisted of the above named officers and N. L. Douglass, C. L. Cotton, George E. Nash, A. K. Dixon, H. C. Allen, John Dow, H. H. White, H. Clay Ackley, Charles G. Brooks and I. Newton Niles. The only change in the officers of the bank has been the substitution of George E. Nash for George B. Whit- more as secretary ; Abel Comstock for A. K. Dixon; H. A. Truesdell for I. N. Niles; C. W. Smith for George B. Whitmore, and W. O. Clark for H. Clay Ackley.
With the completion of the canal, further hotel accommodations were needed in the village, and what became known as Brown's Hotel was
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built in 1836 by Orange H. Waite. Nicanor Brown purchased the property in 1868 and kept it until 1878, when his sons, Lyman and Frank, succeeded. They were the last proprietors. The house was burned in the great fire, but was rebuilt and during the last eleven years has been kept by Fay Sawdy as the Sawdy House.
The Earlville House was built in 1833 by Gardiner Waters. In 1868 it was bought by William H. Jones, who kept it until his tragic death on July 5, 1876. His widow succeeded and sold to Hoyt Kinney, who kept the house about five years and sold to Edward D. Avery, the pres- ent proprietor, who changed the name to the Avery House.
The West End Hotel was erected in 1887 by N. Brown. Albert Bennett is the present proprietor. The East End Hotel was built in 1897 and is conducted by A. M. Sly.
The great fire, as it is known, which destroyed much of the business part of Earlville, took place on August 21, 1886. Many dwellings were also burned and the loss was very heavy. But the inhabitants showed commendable energy under the discouragement and rebuilt the place better than it was before. A second destructive fire occurred four years later and although the loss was not as heavy as in the first one, it was grievously felt. Many of the new structures which had been erected fell in the flames. The Avery Hotel escaped in both conflagrations. To-day Earlville is a handsome village and has an appearance of new- ness not frequently seen. There had been the usual inadequate fire extinguishing facilities in the village from about the time of the build- ing impulse before described, but the destructive fires mentioned caused an adoption of a better policy, and now there is an excellent fire depart- ment composed of about 125 men, in three companies-Douglass Hose, Cotton Hose, and a hook and ladder company. Engines are not needed, as in 1894 a complete system of water works was constructed, which gives a pressure of 100 pounds in the mains and supplies pure water to the inhabitants. The Parsons Low Down Electric Light Company has supplied illumination for the village since 1894. Earlville was incorpo- rated in 1887.
The First Baptist Church of Sherburne, as its title reads, is situated in Earlville and was organized June 24, 1802, at the house of John Ben- ton, with about fifteen members. During that and probably a number of succeeding years, meetings were held in houses. The first meeting house was built in 1818 on the hill to the east of the village. The pres- ent church in the village was erected in 1835; it has been extensively
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repaired since that time. It was sold in recent years and removed to the south side of Main street and remodeled into an opera house, and was burned in the second large fire. The present Baptist church build- ing was erected in 1887-88. This society supplied thirty members for the formation of the churches at South Hamilton and Sherburne. The list of pastors is incomplete and is a very long one, and will not be fol- lowed here.
The first Methodist Class in Earlville was formed in 1802 at the house of Joseph Crandall and consisted of seven or eight members. Rev. Charles Giles was the first pastor, and the first organization of the soci- ety took place on January 9, 1815. The trustees then chosen were Elam Felt, Noah Hall, and Asa Felt. Money was at once raised and the first meeting house was built in 1816. This was used until 1838 when a new structure was erected. After being extensively repaired in 1871 it was burned in the first fire and soon afterwards the present handsome edifice was built.
The Episcopal Church was organized in 1877 and the house of worship was erected in the same year. It was a mission station and the mem- bership is small in number.
The settlement about 1810 of Abijah Pool and his sons, Abijah and Isaac, on the east branch of the Chenango and a little southwest of the center of the town, formed a nucleus around which ultimately gathered the hamlet and village of Poolville. The actual settlement of the Pool family was made about midway between Earlville and Poolville, where the son Isaac established a wool-carding and cloth-dressing busi- ness. A few years after this settlement was made, Gideon Randall Pool, a cousin of Isaac, came from near Plainfield, Mass., the former home of all this family, and took an interest in the business with Isaac. About 1825 they removed it to Poolville, where a few families had gathered. In 1830 the post-office was established. After the death of Gideon R. Pool, in 1827 the business was carried on by Amos and Isaac Pool, who were also cousins, under the firm name of A. & I. Pool. They established also an extensive shoe manufactory, and a few years later Caleb Lowd succeeded to both industries which he continued until 1835 under the name of Thaxter Pool, when they were discontinued. Nathan Eaton revived the carding mill, opened a store, and established an ashery and during a few years did an extensive business; but he failed about 1850. The building of the woolen mill was originally a grist mill and soon after Eaton's failure it was converted to its former
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