USA > New York > Madison County > Our county and its people : a descriptive and biographical record of Madison County, New York > Part 28
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use by Elihu Thompson and William G. Brainard. James Jackson purchased the property about 1859 and sold it to the present proprietor, George W. Berry; the mill has been remodeled and improved as a yarn mill. A saw mill was built which took water from the same dam; this came into possession of Damond Richmond before the war. The site is now owned by Mr. Berry, the mill having been demolished.
A tannery was erected here in 1831 by Loomis, Lowd & Co., Caleb Lowd, before mentioned, being a member of the firm. In the hard times of 1835-6, when many business enterprises in this vicinity were forced to suspend, the firm failed and the tannery passed to Richard Berry, who operated it with success until his death in 1852. It was then leased to H. & G. Berry and in 1855 was sold to Henry Berry, from whom it was transferred to George W. and Frank O. Berry. The building is now in use for cold storage purposes.
A machine shop was established here in 1830 by Enos Wood; but in the general business decline of 1835 he removed it to Pierceville. A milk station is conducted here by the Empire State Dairy Company, with H. J. Spencer, local manager. Only a small quantity of milk is shipped, but large quantities of butter and cheese are made. About 8,000 pounds of milk are taken daily.
A hotel was built in the village in 1832 by Samuel Pool, who kept it until his removal to Ohio a year or two later. A second hotel was built in 1879-80 by F. H. Kinney which was burned and the present Everett House was erected in 1884-85 by Dr. C. D. Green, who prac- ticed here a few years and until his death. The house is now owned by his widow. The so called Railroad Hotel was built in 1868 by An- drew Forbes and for a time served also as a depot. William Dietz bought the property in 1870, and in the same year sold it to G. B. Cleveland. It was afterwards kept by A. M. Sly and was burned April 27, 1898.
There has always been a small mercantile business at Poolville. George E. Nash has had a store about forty years and is the present postmaster, an office which he has held many years. Cook & Dunham succeeded J. M. Jennings, who succeeded D. W. Hyland; the latter es- tablished his store in 1865. E. D. Keith is a dealer in coal.
A Methodist class was formed at Poolville probably before 1830 and meetings were held in the school house. The membership finally de- creased to three or four who joined the Earlville church. About twen- ty-five years later another class was formed and built a meeting house,
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which was repaired in 1869 and again in recent years. The church is on the same charge with East Hamilton and the same pastor serves both.
A Universalist society was formed from the Hubbardsville church and built a house of worship in 1816. The membership is not numer- ous.
The hamlet of Hubbardsville, in the northeast part of the town, took its name from Calvin Hubbard, a prominent settler of 1813 in that sec- tion. He resided in a dwelling subsequently owned by Nathan Brow- nell, who married Mr. Hubbard's granddaughter. Mr. Hubbard was an enterprising and energetic man and soon engaged in business. He established an early tannery and a distillery, both of which he operated many years, accumulating a competency. His daughter, and his only child who lived to maturity, was Emily, who married Elias K. Hart.
Ephraim Chamberlain was an early settler here and opened the first store about 1820. His store was situated on the site of the one in which D. D. Livermore has carried on business more than twenty years. Sherebiah S. Hunt and Elias K. Hart built in 1835 the store in which they traded as the firm of Hunt & Hart until 1837. Charles Green was in business there from 1838 to 1841 when he sold to Gideon Manchester; he leased the store to Nathan Peck, who was in business until 1848. In the spring of 1849 Clark R. Nash and William T. Manchester took the business and a year and a half later Manchester sold to Dr. Julius Nye, who a few years later sold to his partner. In 1864 Francis C. Shepardson bought an interest in the store and C. R. Nash & Co. con- tinued until 1867 when Shepardson retired. Mr. Nash continued alone (excepting from 1871 to 1875) until he was succeeded by his son and D. D. Livermore, whom Nash bought out in 1875.
In the other store Nathan Brownell succeeded Chamberlain and dur- ing several years did an extensive business. In 1853 Theron Nye suc- ceeded Brownell, after the store had been unoccupied several years. After two years in business Nye sold to Clark R. Nash. The next mer- chant there was Nicanor Brownell, son of Nathan, who was in business from about 1860 to 1862, when he was succeeded by John O. Wallace, who came from Brookfield. The store burned in the fall of 1865 and Wallace built another store. Wilmer Rhodes is a present merchant of the place, and H. J. Kinney has a meat market.
The mills of Hubbardsville were long known as the Dunbar Mills and were built in 1850 by Charles Blanchard and James H. Dunbar, on
CALVIN HUBBARD.
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IMPROVEMENT IN TOWNS-HAMILTON.
the site of the old mill, which was one of the earliest in this section. The mills had many proprietors and were operated from 1871 to 1880 or later by A. G. Ingalls. W. M. Jennings is the present proprietor.
The post-office at this point was removed hither in 1849 from East Hamilton and retained that name until about 1856 when it was changed to Hubbard's Corners, and subsequently to Hubbardsville. William T. Manchester was the first postmaster and held the office until 1851, when C. R. Nash was appointed and held it more than thirty years with brief intermission. James Clark is the present postmaster.
Hubbardsville is the home of Charles Greene, who is well known as one of the largest hop dealers and a foremost farmer of Madison county.
East Hamilton, a hamlet situated a mile south of Hubbardsville, was formerly known as Colchester Settlement. In early years considerable business centered here and it was one of the points that was urged as the proper place for the public buildings in case a half-shire should be created in the county. The first physician in this section located there in the person of Dr. Noah B. Foot, who came from Connecticut in 1800 and continued in practice until his death in 1845. His son, David Y. Foot, succeeded him and was followed by Dr. Franklin Foot, who came from Vermont. Dr. George Palmer was a later comer. Dr. Silas Graham, formerly a blacksmith, became a botanic physician at Hub- bardsville about 1830 and continued about fifteen years. Dr. Julius Nye began practice there about 1845. Dr. Adelbert E. Crowell was a later physician there. At East Hamilton the business interests are not now important. Chauncey Munson is proprietor of a general store, and Elliott Fitch and Stephen Underdown carry on blacksmithing. A hotel is kept by Frank Kinney.
There is a post office with the name South Hamilton in the southeast part of the town, where there is a small cluster of dwellings, a grist and saw mill which have been long in existence and now operated by Adel- bert Sutherland; a general store by E. J. Wiley, who is also postmaster, and a blacksmith shop by L. Washburn.
What was known as Hamilton Center was chosen, as the settlers had seen done so many times in their former homes in the east, as the site for the meeting house of the first Congregational Church of Hamilton, which was built in 1800; there they worshiped many years. The society was incorporated September 24, 1798, and Jonathan Stephens, Richard Butler, Lucius Scott, Reuben Foot, Isaac Skinner, and Jared T. Hooker were chosen trustees. This church closed its existence in early years
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and in 1842 the building was removed to Poolville, where it was used for a time fortown meetings and finally for dwellings.
The First Universalist Society of Hamilton was organized at the house of David Dunbar in Hubbardsville in 1808, by Rev. Nathaniel Stacy; their meeting house was built in 1834. The society has never been very strong, but has retained its existence to the present time.
The meeting house of the Second Baptist Church of Hamilton is sit- uated about half way between Poolville and South Hamilton. The society organized with thirty members February 1, 1819, and Robert Powell, a licentiate, was called to the pastorate. Up to 1834 meetings were mostly held in school houses; the church was built in 1835 and in the winter of 1869 was remodeled and refurnished. The pulpit has fre- quently been vacant for considerable periods, and during a large portion of the time has been supplied from Hamilton College.
CHAPTER XVI.
PROGRESS OF IMPROVEMENT IN TOWNS CONTINUED-LENOX.
The most important features of the early settlement and improve- ment in the old town of Lenox the reader has found described in Chap- ter IX, coming down to about the date of the county organization in 1806. At that time Quality Hill in the southwestern part of the town was the business center, where there were at one period two good stores, one kept by Capt. William Jennings and later by Maj. Joseph Bruce, and another by the firm of Walton, Beebe & Hall. There were also two taverns which had a large patronage, mainly from the extensive travel along the Seneca Turnpike. It is related that at times in the winter season when teaming east and west was at its height, a person standing on Quality Hill and looking eastward towards Federal Hill, could see as many as forty teams transporting freight along the great thoroughfare. And there were the numerous and popular old stage coaches, laden with passengers and making daily trips, which swelled the tide of travel and the patronage of taverns along the way at all points. Besides the two taverns at the Hill, there were several others along the turnpike in this town early in the century, as there were on
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all important roads. Quality Hill had in early years a Ma onic Lodge, several shops, a post-office, and a church as early as 1810, which is noticed further on. The headquarters of the old 75th Regiment were there and the annual trainings were events of great popularity.
But one of the sweeping changes characteristic of many localities through which passed the Erie Canal and the early railroads, was ap- proaching, and the course of travel from east and west was soon to seek another avenue, drawing away from the old turnpike the merchants and shopkeepers who had found their profits largely dependent upon it and upon the farmers settling along its course.
While the pioneers were locating in the western and southern parts of the town, as before described, progress was being made in the east- ern part at Oneida Castle, where the old chief, Skenandoah, kept a public house before the period of white settlement. There also the In- dian church and school house were built under missionary influence. Governor Clinton in 1810 passed through the town and stopped at Sken- andoah's house. The old chieftain was then 101 years old and was pathetically described in Clinton's journal. The governor also noted the residence there of Abram Hatfield and his wife, who had been sent on by the Quaker sect, mainly to educate the Indians in agriculture, for which they were to receive $200 a year. Clinton saw a few white settlers at the Oneida Reservation. A mission was established at the Castle in 1816 by Bishop Hobart and placed in charge of Rev. Eleazer Williams. With the influx of white settlers a village of considerable importance was built up.
In the mean time the dry and fertile lands along the southern border of Oneida Lake were quite rapidly filled with settlers after about 1808, though Colonel Cadwell was a pioneer in that section in 1807. He cleared a piece of land in the forest and laid out and improved some of the early roads, inducing other settlers to come in. A little hamlet gathered at Oneida Valley, a Presbyterian church was organized, a store opened and shops established.
One of the early important industries of the town, which drew around it a number of early settlers, was the Lenox Furnace, which was estab- lished by the Lenox Iron Company, organized in 1815 with a capital of $20,000. The furnace was erected about a mile and a half south of Wampsville and the manufacture of hollow ware of all kinds, and later stoves, plow castings, etc., was made from ore brought from the vicinity of Clinton. Among the early stockholders from Madison county were
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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
Conradt Moot and James S. Sennet, Col. Stephen Chapman, and Will- iam Cobb, all of the town of Lenox. Most or all of the others were from Oneida county. Lewis J. Dauby, of Whitestown, was the first agent, but was soon succeeded by William Cobb, of Lenox, who con- tinued until 1827, when he was succeeded by J. N. Avery. The first iron was made in 1816 and the business was closed up in 1847, mainly on account of the scarcity of timber in the vicinity for fuel. A board- ing house, a number of dwellings, a blacksmith shop, carpenter shop, and a store were opened there and Lenox Furnace Village became a well known business point. George B. Cady established a woolen fac- tory here in 1860, and fine cloths were manufactured. He put in new and improved machinery in 1867 and from that time to the close of 1879 employed about twenty hands.
In the south part of the town in the vicinity of the present Merrills- ville and Bennett's Corners (formerly called Pine Bush) small hamlets came into existence in the first quarter of the century. The latter place took its name from John Bennett, who was an early settler. The first store was kept by P. McDowel who began business in 1832; he was also postmaster about half a century and built one of the two taverns that were kept there, John Bennett having built the other. W. & H. Eddy are present merchants and Winfield Eddy is postmaster. At Merrillsville a woolen factory was established, among the first in the county, and an old saw mill is still in existence. A Methodist church was organized in 1851, and one of the Indian missions was in this charge.
The Erie Canal through Madison county was opened for traffic in 1820, when in July George Perry, a resident of the town of Sullivan, began running the boat Oneida Chief three times a week between Utica and Montezuma. The great impetus given to business, the impor- tant changes in location of trade centers, and the rapid purchase and settlement of lands along the line of the new waterway have been described in earlier chapters of this volume. Previous to that time the villages of Canastota and Oneida, as well as many others, were un- known; but shrewd men of foresight were able even thus early to de- termine where to purchase land, erect buildings and otherwise expend their money and energies.
The site of Canastota 1 was not an ideal region in which to build up a
1 The word, Canastota, is believed to have been derived from the Indian word, "Kniste," signifying "cluster of pines," and "stota," meaning "still, silent." Mrs. Hammond locates a cluster of three large pine trees near the point where the railroad bridge crosses the creek in the village, and believed they were the ones referred to in the name of the place.
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IMPROVEMENT IN TOWNS-LENOX.
village. It was mainly a low, swampy forest during the first decade of the century, with a small clearing at the west side and along the Cowas- selon Creek, and was a part of the Canastota Tract, from which it was reserved when the sale of the tract was made by the Oneidas to the State. It was also included in the Canastota Reservation, which was a part of the Canastota Tract. The sale just mentioned included land extending from Oneida Lake to within half a mile of the Seneca Turn- pike and contained ninety-one lots. The Reservation contained 32912 acres. Capt. Reuben Perkins, who had settled in the west part of the town, obtained from the Indians the land on which the village was built, for which he obtained a State patent in 1810. At this time a few Indian families were living there in log houses; a blockhouse also had been built, which was repaired and an addition erected and Captain Perkins there made his temporary home. He afterwards built a frame house on the same site, which later years was moved across the street by its owner, Dr. Jarvis.
At the time of Captain Perkins's purchase there was no road leading northward from the turnpike through his land; an Indian trail crossed the swamp towards Oneida Valley. In 1814 Captain Perkins sold 100 acres of his purchase, including the eastern part of the village site, to Ephraim Sherman. This tract was subsequently owned successively by Jason W. Powers, Samuel Halliday Barnard Nellis, and Joshua A. Spencer, after which it was subdivided into village lots and sold. In 1821 Thomas Hitchcock and Thomas N. Jarvis came from Dutchess county and bargained with Captain Perkins for the remaining two- thirds of the Canastota reservation, for $8,000. In 1824 the Jarvis farm, which was part of this tract, was conveyed to Milton Barlow (a brother of Mrs. Lydia Jarvis), who subsequently conveyed it to Lance- lot Jarvis, father of Thomas N. Jarvis. On the death of the father it passed to his heirs and was ultimately divided into village lots.
When the canal was opened there were only three or four houses at this point, one of which was occupied by Thomas Menzie, son-in-law of Captain Perkins. Another was occupied by James Graham, who turned it into a tavern for the accommodation of the workmen attracted hither by the canal. He also opened a small grocery on the canal bank in 1817. At about the time of opening the canal, about 1817, Reuben Hawley opened a store on the west side of Peterboro street, south of the canal, at what was then called the canal basin, and was for many years a leading business man and citizen of the place. He was suc-
18
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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
ceeded by J. & D. Crouse, who carried on business in the Hawley store about three years, removing to another location where they continued until 1834. At that time they went back into the Hawley store where they remained until they built the brick Crouse block. The firm was dissolved in 1853, John Crouse removing to Syracuse to become a mill- ionaire wholesale grocer, and Daniel, after continuing at Canastota un- til 1863, removing to Utica, where he was a wholesale grocer.
Other early buildings in the village were a hotel erected by Captain Perkins on the northeast corner of Main street and the canal, and a brick store built by him on the site of the later malt house. The brick were made in a yard a little south of the site of the building. Samuel Halliday built a tavern near the corner of Peterboro and Center streets, and about 1821 Capt. Daniel Lewis built a dwelling on the west side of South Main street. Thomas Menzie's house, on the corner of Center and Main streets, stood until comparatively recent years.
A saw mill was built at an early day on the site of the later Reeder's grist mill; another saw mill of a later date was erected, but both long ago ceased operations. In 1831 the village had a population of 406 and contained a number of fine buildings, prominent among them being the residence of Dr. Thomas Spencer on Peterboro street. In the year just named Samuel Hitchcock built a brick structure on Main street for use as an academy, in the upper story of which the Methodists held meetings. A large part of the village site was difficult of improvement for building, on account of its swampy character. Center street was a number of feet lower than at present, and deep with mud in spring and fall. Some of the early buildings were elevated on posts, before the land was filled in. In 1831 there were three public houses, the Graham House, by J. C. Spencer, the Canastota House, kept by John B. Youngs, and the one kept by Eliab Joslin at the west end of the canal basin. Besides the stores of the Crouse brothers, and Mr. Haw- ley, there was one kept by Samuel Hitchcock, and groceries were sold by Nahum Fay, Elias Palmer, Capt. Robert Bishop, and a Mrs. Tuttle. J. C. Spencer had previously been in trade, but had closed his store. A. D. Van Hooser had a hat shop. Reuben Hawley was a merchant whose reputation for integrity and enterprise extended throughout central New York. He ultimately removed to Chittenango and entered into business, but died soon afterward. He was father of Gen. J. Dean Hawley, now employed in the Syracuse post-office.
It was early known in the century that salt water existed in the
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IMPROVEMENT IN TOWNS-LENOX.
neighborhood of Canastota, and much time and money has been spent in past years in efforts to develop a profitable salt making industry. Between 1820 and 1830 salt was made in small quantities from the water of a deep spring excavated in the marsh on land owned by Capt. Oliver Clark, about three-quarters of a mile west of the village. A company was ultimately formed and a well sunk in this marsh to'a depth of about 400 feet, but the drilling apparatus was broken and the work was abandoned. The strength of the brine increased consider- ably with increased depth of boring. In 1863 another company was formed, in which Daniel Crouse, D. H. Rasbach, and James H. Wood- ford were prominent, and work was again begun. The company was reorganized in May, 1867, with a capital stock of $100,000, and a con- tract was made with Daniel Lewis for fifty acres of land along the canal west of the village. Operations were begun on a quite extensive scale, but without the hoped for success, and after the expenditure of a large sum of money, the work was abandoned.
The post office at Canastota was established in 1829, with Ichabod S. Spencer, postmaster. The successors in the office have been as follows: Israel S. Spencer, who succeeded the first incumbent six years after the office was opened and held the place until 1840. There were sev- eral incumbents before his administration and 1860, whose names can- not be defininitely given. Noyes P. Chapman was appointed in 1860 and held the office until the administration of Andrew Johnson began, when Albert R. Barlow was appointed; but he failed of confirmation and Mr. Chapman was reappointed. He was succeeded in 1882 by Jud- son Field for four years. Eugene M. Barlow was then appointed, to be succeeded by Mr. Field in 1890. In 1894 Mr. Barlow was again ap- pointed, and was succeeded by Mr. Field in January, 1899.
While mercantile business at Canastota increased in ratio with the population and to meet the demands of the multiplying settlements along the canal, there was little manufacturing of importance until comparatively recent years. If there were legal matters that needed attention, there was Ichabod S. Spencer, the postmaster, and George Ager, both of whom were in the town very early. Curtis C. Baldwin, Thomas Barlow, whose death took place in September, 1896, Israel S. Spencer, Hiram Bennett, William H. Kinney, and I. Newton Messin- ger, were other early and prominent attorneys, who with many others, are elsewhere noticed in these pages.
Dr. Thomas Spencer the youngest of four Spencer brothers, was the
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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
first physician in the village and was a very prominent and successful practitioner. A little later came Drs. Joel Corson, Jarvis, George Loomis, Almon Lull, V. W. Mason, and others.
With the growth and encouraging prospects of the village, the in- habitants took steps in early years to obtain an act of incorporation, which was accomplished as a special charter under date of April 28,1835. There was a subsequent reincorporation under the general act of April 12, 1870.
The first village election was held at the house of Joseph C. Spencer on the first Tuesday in May, 1835. The utter destruction of the old village records, the files of newspapers and other important papers in the great fire of 1873 renders it impossible to give any details of early proceedings of the village government, and the names of those who held the local offices.
The officers for 1899 are: Norman Stafford, president; John W. W. Souter, E. J. Clark, W. W. Barott, J. T. Sherwood, trustees; Frank G. Bennett, clerk; F. F. Hubbard, president board of water commission- ers, E. M. Harrison, jr., and Herman Casler, members; William H. Patterson, (president), D. C. Twogood, S. K. Bemiss, Cleon Tondeur, police and fire commissioners; William R. Groat (president), George Turnbull, C. N. Rose, E. A. Cooper, board of health; Dr. H. G. Ger- mer, health officer.
Not long after the village incorporation a new and powerful impetus was given to its growth by the coming of the railroad, that herculean agent in the upbuilding of many communities. Utica had been con- nected with eastern markets by rail since 1835; Syracuse with Auburn since 1836. These lines were connected by the Syracuse and Utica road which was opened in 1839, ushering in a new era of prosperity and lead- ing to the development of important industries. The population of the village in 1840, the year after the opening of the railroad, was 800. It contained four taverns, eight stores, three churches, a machine shop, and about 120 dwellings. Some of the merchants who succeeded those already mentioned were James M. Parker, Hiram Brown, Charles O. Chesley, Irving B. Roberts, dry goods and groceries; W. T. North- rup, groceries and stationery; John and Charles Cronk, Groat & Av- ery, John W. Wilson, Wallace Suits, and others yet to be mentioned. Charles Spencer had been manufacturing optical instruments in a small way, his skillful work eliciting high praise from scientific men. In 1846 he built a shop and formed a partnership with Hamilton Spencer. Sub-
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