USA > New York > Madison County > Our county and its people : a descriptive and biographical record of Madison County, New York > Part 35
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The town of Sullivan has a variety in its soil not found in many of the towns in the county, as already noticed. Mixed farming has, there- fore, been followed with profit in early years, excellent crops of wheat, among other cereals, having been produced here as well as in the ad- joining town of old Lenox. Hops have also been largely produced, but not to anything like the extent of other towns. In more recent years, and especially after the beginning of cheese and butter making in factories, the dairy interest has been a very important one.
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The so-called Cowasselon swamp extends across the whole northern part of the towns of both Sullivan and Lenox. It is four or five miles wide and bordered in the town of Sullivan by the Vlaie (popularly called the Fly) or natural meadow. Into this great swamp flows the Cowasselon Creek with a sluggish current, and in its midst is joined by Canastota Creek, the enlarged stream coursing along to the lake. The waters of the stream formerly spread over a large area of the swamp, giving it the name of Canaseraga Lake, as it appears on old maps. This swampy land lies higher than Oneida Lake, but drainage to that body of water was prevented by a ridge of land about a mile in width, rendering an immense tract worthless as it then existed. But enterprising men saw a future for the great swamp and purchased large tracts. Col. Zebulon Douglass was one of the first to attempt improve- ment of the swamp lands in the early years of the century, and after an appropriation was obtained from the State proceeded to cut a new channel for the stream, straightening its course and opening it to the lake. While not as effective as had been hoped for, this improvement reclaimed many acres of the morass and improved the health of set- tlers. Across this great tract runs what was once called the Cazenovia and Oneida Lake Stone Road, which was opened and made passable by an immense amount of labor many years ago. In 1848 the road was laid with plank and became a part of the De Ruyter, Cazenovia and Oneida Lake plank road. It was subsequently macadamized. The quantity of these swamp lands in this town and Lenox has been esti- mated at as much as 15,000 acres. Large tracts of these lands have in quite recent years come into the possession of enterprising men who are now engaged in their reclamation on an extensive scale. Charles F. Pennock of Chittenango, D. C. Twogood, Milton De Lano, L. G. Colton and others of Canastota are among the foremost in this great work, the results of which are likely to revolutionize agriculture throughout the whole region.
In 1889 the so-called Commission Ditch was built to drain a portion of the muck lands. It was twenty feet wide at the top and twelve at the bottom. The commission under whom this was done were Lewis Lighthall, Hiram L. Rockwell and John M. Coe. In 1895 an appropri- ation of $30,000 was made by the State, with which to clean out and deepen the old ditch. Another commission has recently been appointed consisting of J. Wesley Goodell of Canastota, Edmond B. Adams of Chittenango, and Albert G. Stephens of Lenox, the appointment com-
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IMPROVEMENT IN TOWNS-SULLIVAN.
ing through Judge John E. Smith. A survey is now in progress for a ditch about two miles in length, extending from a point a third of a mile east of what is known as the Oniontown road westward to the State ditch. It is believed this improvement will reclaim nearly a thousand acres more of this valuable soil. Mr. Pennock has already about 300 acres of his land in tillage, has erected twenty-three dwell- ings for workmen and made other valuable improvements. It is es- timated that there are now planted in the town of Sullivan more than 200 acres of celery, with large acreage of onions and other similar crops. The Madison County Celery Company, recently organized, has a building at Chittenango Station for the prosecution of their work.
In the old town of Lenox, with headquarters at Canastota, similar operations are in progress on a still larger scale, which are described here for the better convenience of the reader. The Canastota Celery Company was incorporated in 1893, with capital of $1,000 and a reg- istered trade mark. Since that date other enterprising men have taken up the work until at the present time there are eleven different com- panies in the business at Canastota. The officers of the Canastota Celery Company are D. C. Twogood, president; F. W. Twogood, vice- president; John Duignan, treasurer; Cedric Greiner, secretary; and Milton De Lano. The other companies here are: The Jenks Celery Company, the Warner Celery Company, the Jennings Brothers Celery Company, the Celery Growers' Union, the Standard Celery Company, the Star Celery Company, the Lenox Celery Company (incorporated), the Chittenango Celery Company, the Tondeur Celery Company, and the Lansing Celery Company. In the town of Lenox there are about 400 acres planted to celery, and other crops of this nature are receiving attention.
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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
CHAPTER XVIII.
PROGRESS OF IMPROVEMENT IN TOWNS CONTINUED-DE RUYTER AND GEORGETOWN.
The once large town of De Ruyter, which included the territory of the present towns of German, Lincklaen, Otselic and Pitcher in Che- nango county, and Georgetown in Madison county, was reduced to its present area in 1815, when the last-named town was set off. There was no important change in the town other than the gradual increase in population during the first quarter of the century, the development of agricultural operations, and the growth of the village that gathered in early years about the mills on the Tioughnioga, and the store of Samuel Bowen. In early years this village gained considerable business im- portance and had so increased in population by 1833 that it was incor- porated on the 15th of April; it was reincorporated December 7, 1847, and again on February 18, 1878, under the law of April 20, 1870. We are able to give a nearly complete list of the presidents and clerks from the first incorporation to the present time, as follows:
Presidents-1833, Jeremiah Gage; 1834, Elmer D. Jenks; 1835, Ephraim Arnold; 1836, Stephen G. Sears; 1837, Samuel Gage; 1838, Abijah N. Annas; 1839, R. D. Dellay (Dillaye); 1840, Abram Hart; 1841, Zadock T. Bentley; 1842, James Nye; 1843, Charles Benjamin ; 1844, Israel Smith; 1845, Silas G. Walker; 1846, Ira Gage Barnes; 1847, Barton G. Stillman; 1848, Elmer D. Jenks; 1849, J. S. Bentley; 1850, Willard D. Wilcox; 1851, Thomas Russell;1 1852;2 1853, Allen Sutton ; 1854, C. H. Maxson; 1855, Allen Sutton ; 1856, Allen Shepherd; 1857, William J. Ayer; 1858, Allen Sutton; 1859, J. W. Merchant; 1860;3 1861-63, Barton G. Stillman; 1864, J. R. Rider; 1865-66, B. G Still- man; 1867-68, H. C. Miner; 1869, B. G. Stillman; 1870, Allen Sutton ; 1871, B. G. Stillman ; 1872, H. C. Miner; 1873-74, B. G. Stillman ; 1875, Horace Benjamin; 1876, James P. Russell; 1877-84, Byron S. Bryant;
I September 15, 1851, E. Hubbard was chosen president vice Thomas Russell, removed.
2 The records do not show who were president and clerk in 1852.
3 The records do not show who was president in 1860.
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IMPROVEMENT IN TOWNS-DE RUYTER.
1885, Henry K. Nash; 1886, Ransom F. Clark; 1887, Edwin N. Coon; 1888-89, Charles H. Maxson; 1890-92, William J. Annas; 1893-94, Wallace E. Burdick; 1895-96, Harlan D. Preston; 1897, Wallace E. Burdick; 1898, Harlan D. Preston.
Clerks-1833, Le Baron Goodwin; 1834, George Sears; 1835-36, Z. T. Bentley; 1837, Martin Spear; 1838, Charles H. Maxson; 1839-42, George Sears; 1843-46, Artemas V. Bentley; 1847, William B. Wooley ; 1848-51, Charles H. Maxson; 1853-54, J. B. Wells; 1855, Arza Coon; 1856, A. V. Bentley; 1857-58, Jacob Merritt; 1859-61, Robert P. York; 1862, Henry Russell; 1863, Thomas Fisher; 1864-65, George W. Blod- gett; 1866, Jason B. Wells; 1867, L. B. Kern; 1868-72, W. E. Burdick ; 1873, Jason B. Wells; 1874-78, W. Judson Annas;1 1879-82, W. E. Bur- dick; 1883-87, William J. Annas; 1888-92, Ory G. Hayes; 1893-95 Frank D. Simons; 1896-97, H. Julian Fellows; 1898, William H. Hill.
While De Ruyter village was developing into a business center of some importance a number of families not yet mentioned came in and settled in various parts of the town. Among these may be mentioned Pliny Sabins, who built the first frame house at Shed's Corners in early years. David Maine, who was well known as a very successful school teacher and lived at the head of the reservoir; he reared a large family, his son David becoming a surveyor and member of assembly in 1849. James Nye, father of the prominent lawyer, James W. Nye. Eleazer H. Sears, father of Stephen G., George S., and Francis Sears, who were all well known citizens. Aaron, Belden, Isaac, and Nathan Pad- dock, who came with their mother from Dutchess county. Jonathan, Luke, and Pardon Coon, who were successful farmers in the north part of the town. Col. Elmer D. Jencks, a prominent business man. Dr. Hubbard Smith, who was the first postmaster at the village. Abraham Payne, the first regular attorney, and others who will be noticed as we proceed.
There was a saw mill on the site of the later one which was probably built as early as the beginning of the century. The second one on the site was built by Joseph H. Crumb, who sold it to George Angel about 1877. The foundry, established also by Mr. Crumb, passed to Angel with the mill. The mill subsequently fell into decay and the foundry became the property of the Cazenovia Coal and Lumber Company and was used for storage. It was recently burned.
About a mile above the site of the village mills was formerly a saw 1 July 3, 1878, W. E. Burdick was appointed clerk in place of Annas.
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and a grist mill which was operated many years by Jonathan Neil, and a part of the time by Frank Antes; both are now idle and going to de- cay. The village grist mill was built about sixty years ago by Stephen Hubbard and afterwards passed through the hands of Hiram Webster, Horace Hill, Lewis Sears, William and Julius Hill, and H. E. Hill, sons of Horace, and to the present proprietors, Thompson & Church.
A soap and candle factory was started about 1850 by Alexander Campbell who took his son, George A., as partner soon afterward. The latter was the next year associated with his brother-in-law, Edward Spicer, who purchased the elder Campbell's interest. After several changes in proprietorship the business passed to Barton G. Stillman, who was also a harness maker. The industry was never an important one and is now discontinued.
The tannery established at an early day by Ephraim Arnold, was long the important industry of the village; but even that has succumbed to the inevitable business changes of recent years. Abraham Sutton and his son Lindley acquired a half interest in the tannery and later Lewis Sears and James Sutton purchased Arnold's interest, the firm becoming Sutton, Sears & Co. When subsequently Abraham and James Sutton sold to the others partners and Simeon Rider was ad- mitted, the firm name was made Sutton, Sears & Rider. The next change was the purchase of Rider's interest by Allen Sutton. After the death of Lindley Sutton, about 1845, Lewis Sears and Allen Sutton took the business, which soon afterward was all acquired by Sutton; he continued it until 1875, when it was abandoned. When Simeon Rider sold his interest in this tannery he purchased an old carding factory which had stood for many years on the north side of the stream, and converted it into a tannery, which he operated until his death. It passed to Carlos Bennett and J. Harvey Delamater. The latter was connected with the industry until it ceased operation about 1874.
Another manufacturing industry of De Ruyter was the chair factory of E. M. Pope, who came from Cincinnatus in 1878 and established it; but it was removed to Crane's Mills the next year.
There is almost no manufacturing in this town at the present time aside from that connected with the dairying interest. With the changes that recent years have wrought in agricultural methods in this vicinity, grain and stock raising and mixed farming that once predominated have been superseded by the manufacture of butter and cheese and the sale of milk. In 1880 there were five creameries and cheese factories
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IMPROVEMENT IN TOWNS-DE RUYTER.
in the town, which were taking the milk from 1,900 cows; these were the Case factory, named for its former owner, Milton L. Case, who pur- chased it from De Grand Benjamin, by whom it was converted in 1870 from a grist mill, the mill becoming useless through the construction of the reservoir which destroyed the water power; this factory was burned in 1894 and rebuilt. The reservoir factory was built in 1865 by a stock company about four miles north of the village; it is now owned by De Lloyd Burdick. The Shed's Corners factory was built about the close of the Civil war by A. B. White and passed to his children ; it is now owned by Buckingham & McCoy. The Quaker Basin factory was converted from a Quaker meeting house by a Mr. Mack in 1869 and was subsequently burned. A new creamery is now operated here by Frank Harris, and owned by a stock company. The Crumb Hill factory was built about 1875 by L. D. Nichols, who operated it a num- ber of years; it is now idle.
Within quite recent years the raising of potatoes for distant markets has become an important industry with the famers, and large quantities have been shipped. Hay, also, is produced in large quantities and has been shipped largely to Pennsylvania. Paul Billings & Co., have large hay storage facilities near the village. Hard wood lumber is still sold to a limited extent to the Byrant Furniture Company, who operate a steam saw mill near the station and have a factory in Truxton.
The first merchant at De Ruyter was Samuel Bowen, who came soon after 1800 and opened a store in a small building which stood a little north of the site of the Taber House. A man named Gray was in trade in 1805 and built the first frame store. Nathan B. Wilbur, a native of Brookfield, opened a store about 1818 and was in business several years. James Benjamin was another early merchant, and Eli Spear kept a store on the southwest corner in 1809 and afterwards kept a public house in the same building.
Col. Elmer D. Jencks cameinto Smyrna with his parents in 1791, and in 1909 settled in De Ruyter where he established an early distillery a mile north of the village. In 1814 he located in the village and opened a store where he was in trade until about 1860. Sylvester Tylesworth was an early merchant who removed to Utica about 1824. Israel Smith was clerk for Mr. Jencks and from about 1831 for nearly fifteen years was in business for himself. Stephen G. and George Sears, merchants from about 1830 to 1837, failed in the latter year. John Elmore, from Connecticut was an early merchant, and kept a tavern in the same
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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
building on the site of the Taber House; he moved to Oberlin, Ohio. Martin Spear was a business contemporary of Elmore and for some years kept the tavern of which the latter was proprietor; he removed to Cazenovia where he was a merchant and tavern keeper, and died there in 1877. Crandall & Alvord built a brick store in 1835 which was burned in 1878. After about four years together in trade Alvord removed to Cazenovia and Crandall subsequently took his nephew, Silas C. Walker, as partner. The latter continued alone after about five years until 1857 when he failed. John L. Elmore, son of John, be- gan trade about 1837 and soon took as partners Abijah N. Annas and William J. Ayer; they in 1839 built the finest brick and stone business block in the village; it was burned in 1858. After ten or twelve years together, Elmore retired and went to Elmira and Annas & Ayer con- tinued a few years when Annas retired and his partner continued alone until the building was burned.
H. A. & F. C. Dillaye began trade about 1838 and continued to 1844 when Henry A. removed to Syracuse where he became a prominent business man. His brother continued a few years and sold to Benja- min Birdsall and Bradley Merchant. Their partnership was dissolved in 1849, Birdsall going to Michigan, and Mr. Merchant took his son, J. Warren, as partner. The senior withdrew in 1860 and the son con- tinued to the close of the war when he sold to his brother, M. R. Mer- chant. He continued in successful trade more than fifteen years and finally failed.
In 1833 John R. Rider bought the former harness business of Joshua Curtis and was connected with the business nearly half a century, About 1853 he took the stock of his brother, Nathan G., who had traded in Hamilton about two years, and brought it to De Ruyter. In 1865 he took as partner his son-in-law, George D. Blye, and the firm continued many years longer but ultimately failed.
Noah T. Coleman opened a general store in 1835 with Israel Smith. They separated at the end of year dividing the stock, Smith continuing in trade a few years, and selling to Norman Otis. Mr. Coleman about 1840 took his brother Horatio as partner, but the firm dissolved a few years later and Noah T. continued about forty years and retired from business. He built the store he long occupied, which is now a dwel- ling. Joseph H. Crumb settled in the village about 1847, began manu- facturing furniture and was for many years and to near his death engaged in various undertakings. Henry S. Walker began as a hard-
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IMPROVEMENT IN TOWNS-DE RUYTER.
ware dealer about 1868 and still continues. Haight & Burdick began dealing in drugs and groceries, purchasing a former stock, and con- tinued together for a period, when Burdick removed from the place; Haight continued until his tragic death, which is elsewhere noticed. The firm of Burdick & Stillman also dealt in drugs and groceries, Mr. Stillman finally retired and Burdick continued until his death. Erastus H. Lee, now a general merchant, began business in 1874. Henry Howes carried on a book and stationery store some years, beginning in 1876, and is now a live stock dealer. Robert P. York began as a dry goods and clothing dealer in 1876; he is deceased. Rouse & Howes, boot and shoe dealers, began as successors to a business established in 1877 but subsequently went out of trade. H. C. Blanchard, clothing, began in 1895 with W. P. Campbell, who retired in 1897. C. E. Max- son, in jewelry trade, began in 1893. M. R. Smith opened a clothing business in 1881 which he recently sold and removed to Pennsylvania. Stanton & Nichols, milliners, began in 1898. J. D. Allen conducts a plumbing business and O. M. Blanchard is a wagon maker and black- smith, beginning in 1883.
Other present business interests of the village, with data regarding establishment, are as follows: F. S. Mitchell, drugs and medicines, established in 1882; F. M. Russell, groceries and hardware, began in 1887; A. W. Francis, flour and feed, 1885, recently sold to E. M. Stan- ton; Ira E. Smith, furniture and undertaking, succeeding J. H. Crumb, 1886; H. P. Mitchell, insurance, 1881; E. D. Benjamin, pho- tographer, 1883; W. G. Weed, baker, 1870; H. B. Griffiths, 1883; Hardie & Orvis, dry goods, 1894, succeeded by W. H. Hardie in 1899; E. M. Stanton, general store, 1895; S. W. Fiske, grocer, succeeded by B. E. Craw; M. E. Tallett, coal, produce, etc .; W. W. Rainey, harness, 1893; E. S. Newitt, hardware and groceries; C. A. Rainbow, meats, 1898; R. F. Clark, groceries, 1898.
After the failure of the old bank, noticed later on, the De Ruyter Banking Company was organized in 1889, with a capital of $10,000, and a successful banking business has been carried on since. The first and present officers are as follows: B. S. Bryant, president; M. E. Tallett, vice-president; F. S. Mitchell, treasurer and cashier.
During the past twenty years De Ruyter has had a good newspaper which has been liberally supported by the inhabitants. The first paper published in the village was the De Ruyter Herald, which was pub- lished in 1835 by C. W. Mason; in the next year the Protestant Senti.
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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
nel was issued and continued under other titles for several years. In October, 1847, the National Banner was started by A. C. Hill and lived two years. From 1848 to 1851 the Central New Yorker was published by E. F. & C. B. Gould. The Banner of the Times was published a few years closing with 1855 by Walker & Hill. The De Ruyter Weekly News was established in 1862 by J. E. N. Backus, and was discontin- ued in 1864 The De Ruyter New Era was started September 29, 1870, by John R. Beden, and had a fairly successful career for many years. On September 18, 1878, Warren W. Ames started the Weekly Gleaner, which absorbed the New Era in 1884. The Gleaner is still published as a progressive Republican newspaper by Mr. Ames, and is the only paper in the village. The De Ruyter American was started December 24, 1896, by N. E. Bugbee, and was discontinued in Novem- ber, 1897.
Succeeding the tavern of Eli Page, which was in existence previous to 1809 and continued with many changes for more than half a century, the hotel of Eli Spear was purchased by Thomas C. Nye, was remod- eled and enlarged and was kept under the name of the Mansion House. Mr. Nye ran stages to neighboring points and his house was popular with travelers. In later years the Page hotel, before mentioned, was rebuilt by Abijah Annas, and kept as the Annas House about two years from 1849. He leased it to Guest & Harris who kept it about two years; they were succeeded by Gilson & Warfield about three years, and they by Henry Marsh for a like period, when it was sold in 1859 to J. W. Clark, who transferred it in 1864 to Gilbert Taber. He kept it until 1879, when he leased it to I. M. Judd. After a few other changes it passed to the present proprietor, John Coye.
The Central Hotel was built soon after the opening of the railroad by Charles Jones and his son, C. L. H. Jones, and occupied as a saloon. It was converted into a hotel in 1878 by Martin Blanchard, who was succeeded by Charles Perry, and he by C. E. Beekman, who improved the house and changed its name to the Park Hotel; it is now kept by W. W. Owens. The De Ruyter Hotel was built for a residence by M. R. Merchant. At his failure it passed to Isaac Sampson, who sold it to W. M. Baldwin; it was converted to hotel uses in 1893, and is now owned by George C. Satterlee.
De Ruyter village became a post station about 1810 and Dr. Hubbard Smith was the first postmaster. The number of inhabitants was then very small and the little collection of dwellings were mainly built of
.
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IMPROVEMENT IN TOWNS-DE RUYTER.
logs. The census of 1810 gave the town a population of 1,503, but it then included the territory of Georgetown. The construction of the turnpike from Cooperstown through to Homer gave considerable im- petus to settlements along its route, a share of which was located in this village. The first school house in the village was built in 1812 and continued to be the only one for many years. There were a few log school houses at that date in different parts of the town. The growth of the village was slow during the first quarter of the century. Col. Elmer D. Jencks was appointed the second postmaster in 1818, and he held the office until about 1833. Between that date and 1861 the post- masters were Noah T. Coleman, George Sears, Stephen G. Sears, Will- iam P. Guest, Benjamin Birdsall and Stephen G. Sears again. The latter was succeeded in 1861 by A. V. Bentley, who held the office more than twenty years. His successors have been W. E. Burdick, F. Schel- linger, W. G. Weed and H. P. Mitchell.
The most prosperous period of De Ruyter village was perhaps from 1830 to 1840, or thereabouts. There were lively expectations that the proposed railroad from Chittenango to Cazenovia would be extended to the village, to the great advantage of the place. The first railroad meeting ever held throughout a wide extent of territory surrounding De Ruyter was held in the winter of 1832-3 at T. C. Nye's public house, and was attended by many of the prominent men of Madison county of that day, as well as many from adjoining counties. There were Judge Yates, Col. Elmer D. Jencks, Gen. J. D. Ledyard, Hon William K. Fuller, then member of congress, John Fairchild, editor of the Cazenovia Monitor; James Nye, Elias P. Benjamin, Benjamin Enos, Z. T. Bentley, Bradley Merchant, Stephen G. Sears, and others, all of whom took a deep interest in the project. As is well known it was abandoned for a time. It was at the beginning of this period of pros- perity that the village was incorporated, as before noticed.
The first physician in De Ruyter was Dr. Hubbard Smith, who came from Rensselaer county at an early day; he joined the Madison County Medical Society in 1808, soon after its formation, and practiced here until about 1836, when he removed to near Jamesville and there died. Dr. Ephraim Otis was contemporary with Dr. Smith and practiced until his death prior to 1850. Dr. Nathan Collins came from Brook- field to New Woodstock in 1826 and studied with his brother, Dr. Ste- phen Collins. He began practice in De Ruyter in the early part of 1829 and continued to about 1832, when he removed to Illinois and
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