USA > New York > Madison County > Our county and its people : a descriptive and biographical record of Madison County, New York > Part 5
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Robert Randall was a pioneer of 1792, coming from Stonington with his wife and nine children to Brookfield, where descendants still live. William and Roswell Randall were his sons and carried on mercantile business in South Brookfield, removing thence to Cortland, where they became prominent and wealthy.
Ethan Babcock and David Gates left Leyden, Mass., in the latter part of April, 1793, and arrived in the Beaver Creek valley on the 25th of May, where Oliver Babcock had previously purchased the mill site in the north part of Clarkville, with two lots including the east half of the village site. Oliver Babcock was Ethan's father. They were the first to locate on the site of Clarkville and at once began clearing land. Having accumulated a quantity of ashes from the burning logs, they began making potash; it was the first made in this town In the fall
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Mr. Gates went to West Winfield, Herkimer county, and Mr. Babcock returned to his Massachusetts home, where he married. He came back the next spring bringing his wife and his brother Oliver and his wife. He now finished his uncompleted log house, which was the first one built in the Beaver Creek valley; it stood east of the academy lot. Oliver built one the same year, and there both resided until their death Ethan died April 4, 1859, and Oliver September 1, 1856. Oliver Bab- cock, sr., father of Ethan and Oliver, came in 1795 and built the first saw mill on the site of the Elijah Clark mill; the property passed to Elijah Clark in 1857, who built the grist mill. Hezekiah and Phineas Babcock, sons of Oliver sr., settled in the town, the former on the north line; descendants of these families still live in the town.
David Gates's settlement was made on fifty acres of lot 65, which was afterwards owned by his son Darius. He had eleven children, seven of whom lived to maturity and were somewhat prominent in the town.
It was about this time that John J. Morgan and Jedediah Sanger be- gan to open the lands they had purchased in 1791 in townships 18 and 20 and part of 19, to tenants on perpetual leases, a system that had a tendency to retard settlement, as it did in many other parts of this State. Mr. Morgan built a dwelling, which is still standing, in a beau- tiful spot on the west side of Beaver Creek about two and one-half miles south of Clarkville, where he passed his summers during many years. At his death, Morgan Dix became heir to these lands, which were, however, left under supervision to Gov. John A. Dix, who adopted the policy of selling them to actual settlers on easy terms. Wait Clarke, whose father, John Clarke, settled in the town in 1810, was agent for Governor Dix, in the sale of much of this property.
Among the settlers of 1794 was Zadoc Beebe, who came with his son of the same name, up the Mohawk to Herkimer and thence on foot. After selecting lands they returned to Massachusetts and in 1796 brought in their families with ox teams. The elder Beebe took up lot 27, and the son and his brother-in-law, James Beebe, took up lot 28, both lots in the 19th township. Zadoc Beebe's children were six, all of whom settled near the homestead.
Joshua Whitford also became a settler in 1794, taking up half of lot 76, near the center of the town, where his grandson, Silas Whitford subsequently lived. One of his children was Deacon William Whitford who settled on lot 71, but after his father's death he removed to the
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home farm and there died January 26, 1850, leaving four children all living in this town. Other settlers of that year were Wiot Hinckley (this family now spell the name Wait) and John York; the latter set- tled on the east side of Beaver Creek midway between Clarkville and Brookfield. He had eight children.
Samuel Gorton came to Brookfield in 1795, selected two lots and re- turned to his native place, Greenwich, R. I. In the following spring his sons, Varnum and Benjamin, came in on foot to prepare for the re- ception of the rest of the family. They made a clearing and built a cabin about three miles east of North Brookfield, at what is called Gor- ton Hill. The remainder of the family came in the fall, consisting of the parents and ten more children. In the year 1796, also, Asa Frink, Nathaniel, Joseph, and George Denison, and Thompson Burdick came in company from Stonington with ox teams and all settled in the Bea- ver Creek valley-Frink at Clarkville, Nathaniel Denison on the west side of the creek, Joseph on lot 65 in the 18th township, and George on the same lot three-fourths of a mile southeast of Clarkville. Thomp- son Burdick settled about a quarter of a mile south of Clarkville; he sold in 1809 to Eli S. Bailey.
Thomas Keith and Alexander Brewster came in on foot in 1797; the former took up 250 acres and sold forty to Brewster. They built a cabin that summer, returned to Massachusetts in the fall and came back with their families in the next spring. Brewster sold his land many years ago to John Keith, who resided there until his death. The Thomas Keith homestead was owned in recent years by his son Henry.
Elisha Burdick, from Westerly, R. I., came about 1796 and settled a mile north of South Brookfield. He had a numerous family, most of whom settled in that vicinity.
Augustus Saunders, of Westerly, R. I., came as early as 1800 and settled three miles north of Clarkville, on 100 acres, owned in recent years by Dr. L. N. Griswold. He died in Clarkville March 23, 1868. Elisha Johnson settled in the town as early as 1800 and Harris Chese- brough about the same time. Johnson located half a mile south of North Brookfield, where his son, Col. Eli Johnson, afterwards resided. Chesebrough settled near West Edmeston.
The following persons came into the town before and including the year 1800, locating in either what is now Brookfield, or in Columbus, which was then part of this town; most of these names appear in the records in connection with town offices :
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SETTLEMENT OF TOWNS.
1796 .- Asa Brown, Peter German, Eleazer Goodwin, Jonathan Kings- bury, John Noyes, Jabez Brown, Moses Ward, John Wilbur, Nathaniel Haskel, Josiah Rathbun, Roswell Haskin, Gurden Thompson, Peter McIntire, Eliakim Palmer, Benedict Babcock, Powell Hall, Eliab Underwood.
1797 .- Charles Welch, Edward Works, James Satterlee, Nath. Calk- ins, Peter W. Delancy, Joel Cutler, Nathan W. Brown, Thomas Giles, Denison Palmer, Jesse Palmeter, David Smith, Jesse Palmer, Richard Butler, Isaac Brown, George Palmer, Absalom Miner, jr., John Payne, Gilbert Strong, Samuel Billings, David Dickey, Ezekiel Scott, Joseph Garner, Amos Scott, Augustus Crandall, John York, Samuel Hall, Amos C. Palmer, Jared Clark, Ebenezer Kelsey, Eld. Marsh, Jonah Slocum, Simon Brown.
1798. - John Hoxsie, Capt. Samuel Berry, John Follet.
1799 .- Thomas Kenyon, Edward Green, Peleg Palmer, David Cole, Edmond Scott, Clark Maxson, Joshua Breed, David Whitford, Stephen Clark, John Whitmore, Jonathan Morgan, Weaden Witter, Jonathan Hubby, Elias Underwood, Joshua Morgan, Charles Lee Usher, Nathan Clark, Clark Barber, Nath. Mane (Maine), Benjamin Brown, James Marsh, Nath. Marsh, Samuel Mosher, Charles Babcock, Nathan Stew- ard, Luther Brown, Thomas Bowman.
1800 .- Samuel Marsh, William Davis, Thomas Mills, Roswell Brand, Nehemiah Palmer, Samuel Langworthy, Caleb Miller, Amos Wheeler, William G. Greenman, Daniel Barber, Zebulon Brown, Gad Sutleaf.
Josiah Livermore, from Brimfield, Mass., settled about 1804 on the site of North Brookfield, about where his grandson, Charles O. Liver- more, kept store in recent years, which is now conducted by Hibbard & York, and operated a tannery. He moved about 1824 to a farm about a mile east of North Brookfield. Capt. Nathan Baldwin was an- other early settler on the farm occupied in recent years by Asa B. Baldwin. He died April 13, 1807.
There was a considerable early settlement of Quakers in the western part of the town. Among them were Joseph Collins, 1st, Solomon and Hezekiah Collins, a Mr. Sheffield, Gideon and Thomas Kenyon, and James Larkin. The place formerly called " Moscow " was largely built up by the three sons of Joseph Collins-Job, Peter, and Joshua- who were harness makers; in later years the place was given its pres- ent name of De Lancy, in honor of John De Lancy. Peter Collins built a tavern, Albert Button a store, and Job and Joshua Collins had
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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
other shops usually found in a small village. The Quakers had a large society and were connected with one in Madison. They held meetings in Thomas Kenyon's house until their old church was built about 1820.
On the 1st of March, 1797, according to the records, tavern permits were granted to George Palmer, Samuel Billings, Henry B. Morgan, Rodolphus Edward, Peter German, Jonathan Brownell, and Amos C. Palmer, each paying $5.
During the progress of these settlements, made by the pioneers whose posterity have been instrumental in building up and improving the town, considerable advancement was made in the establishment of schools and churches, and various institutions of a business character.
The First Seventh Day Baptist Church of Brookfield was organized as the result of a meeting held in July, 1797, by the many persons of this faith who had settled in the town from Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Petersburg, Rensselaer Co., N. Y. A committee was appointed to prepare articles of faith and covenant, and on October 3, 1797, there met according to arrangement ministers, deacons, and brethren from the church of Hopkinton, R. I., and Petersburg, and after consultation they organized under the title, First Sabbatarian Baptist Church of Christ in Brookfield, the following persons: Henry Clarke, William Davis, Luke Saunders, Joshua Maxson, Paul Maxson, James Crandall, Benjamin Davis, Samuel Greenman, Elisha Burdick, Clark Maxson, John Davis, James Wamsly, Weden Witter, Anna Davis, Elizabeth Burdick, Hannah Maxson, Judith Maxson, Hannah Maxson (wife of Paul), Nancy Maxson, and Caty Clarke, Henry Clarke was chosen pastor and William Davis, deacon. This was the first church in this town, and the third one in the county. The records show that there were sixty-eight members in 1803, and the growth of the society was continuous, about 100 being baptized in 1821, at which time it is be- lieved there were nearly 400 members. In January, 1823, the north- west settlement was set off in a separate church, and later in the same year the southwest settlement was also set off. The first pastor served twenty-four years and was succeeded by William B. Maxson, who served ten years.
Almost coincident with the formation of this church, another was or- ganized at Clarkville by a number of persons who met June 28, 1798, and agreed on July 7 as the date when they would enter into covenant and sign articles of faith. The name of the society, adopted January 26, 1799, was the First First-Day Baptist Church in Brookfield. There were
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many of this faith in that vicinity. Following is a list of the persons who signed the covenant: Simeon Brown, John Button, jr., Thomas Dye, Thomas Griffin, Thomas York, Simeon Brown, jr., Jerusha Grif- fin, Tabitha Burdick, Theda Frink, Polly Griffin, Ruth Brown, Thank- ful Rogers, Lucretia Breed, Amy Breed, Amy Brown, all of whom were from the Second Baptist church of Stonington, Conn .; Denison Palmer and Delight Palmer, from the Second Baptist church of Col- chester; Eleazer Brown from the Sidney and Guilford church; Edith Brown from the First Baptist church of Stonington; Lois Rogers from Richmondtown church; and Lucy Dey from the First Baptist church of Westerly. On June 7, 1800, Simeon Brown was called to the ministry and he was ordained October 15, 1800, serving until his death about 1826. For several years meetings were held in the house of Elder Brown, until a meeting house was built, which was occupied until 1837. A new church was then erected in connection with the Seventh Day Baptists at Clarkville, which is still occupied by the two societies. In 1817 twenty five members were dismissed from this church to form the Plainfield society.1
The first Methodist Episcopal Church in Brookfield, at Clarkville, was organized early in the present century, but there are no records to give the exact year. The town was visited as early as 1800 by Rev. William Vredenburg, one of the preachers in the Chenango Circuit which was formed in 1798. A quarterly meeting was held in the town
1 The Second Brookfield Seventh Day Baptist church was organized January 23, 1823, by per- sons who withdrew from the First church above described. Rev. William B. Maxwell was chosen moderator of the council and John Davis, clerk. The number of members was seventy. Eli S. Bailey was the first pastor and served to 1840.
The First Sabbatarian Baptist Church and Society in Brookfield was organized February 8, 1802. The first trustees were Joshua Maxson and Ethan Clarke, for three years; Joshua Coon and Clark Maxson, for two years; Joshua Whitford and Abel Burdick, for one year. A meeting house was soon erected 36 by 46 feet, with a gallery. The trustees purchased of Nathan and Isaac Brown one acre of land for $72.50, which was a lot on the southwest corner of the original four corners at Leonardsville. The first edifice was occupied forty-seven years when it was burned, on the anniversary of the day the frame was raised, October 7, 1849. A new church was built the next year on the same site.
The Second Baptist Church in Brookfield is situated at North Brookfield and was organized June 4, 1800, at the house of Thomas Leech, with the following members: Absalom Miner, Ruth Miner, Joy and Polly Handy, Jason and Sarah Miller, Zadock and Lucy Beebe, and James and Anna Leech. Absalom Miner was subsequently educated for the ministry and preached his first sermon in this church. He afterwards settled in Wisconsin. The records of the society down to 1806 are not in existence. At a meeting held June 3 of that year, Elder Joy Handy was the pas- tor. On January 14, 1809, the Second and Third churches met and agreed to unite into one body. In the spring of that year Elder Nathaniel Marsh was appointed to the pastorate. The church was incorporated December 12, 1816, under the name, The Second First-Day Baptist Church and Society. The first meeting house was built in 1815. The frame of this building was used in the construction of the second edifice, which was erected in 1848, and still stands.
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January 7, 1804. The present church edifice was built in 1850, but there was a meeting house certainly as early as 1827.1 The society is still prosperous under the pastorate of Rev. I. J. Nourse.
The first mill built in this town in 1795 by Oliver Babcock has been mentioned a little further back. Others soon came into existence to meet the needs of the pioneers in different parts of the town, in some instances forming the nucleus of the later hamlets and villages. Joseph Crumb and Stephen Clark built a grist mill in 1801 or 1802 about a mile above the site of the present one in Leonardsville; but the dam caused the water to set back and interfere with operating the mill at Unadilla Forks, and it was removed the same year to the site of the present mill. This mill was rebuilt about 1829 by Samuel Brand and in 1858 by Thomas W. Stearns, the second having burned in 1856; it has had various proprietors since. Mr. Stearns also built in 1856 the saw mill adjacent to the grist mill, which he sold in 1869 to Hamilton J. Whitford, Myron Anthony and Charles H. Williamson. It is now operated by Albert Whitford. The first mill in the vicinity of North Brookfield was built about 1807 by a Mr. Balcom; it stood a few rods directly west of the latter one on the opposite side of the road. The first mill on the site of the present one was built in 1845 and was burned in the fall preceding the erection of the present one. Later manu- factures are noticed further on.
The first merchant in Leonardsville and in this town was Reuben Leonard, from which family the village took its name; he began trad- ing in 1801 and long conducted a large business for the time. He also kept a tavern in early years, managed a distillery, a tannery and a large ashery ; he was also the first postmaster. He failed about 1820. Ethan Burdick was a merchant a little later than Mr. Leonard, and failed a little earlier and was succeeded by David and Charles O. Munson in the same store, continuing until the death of Charles O. in July, 1831. David then sold to Otis Eddy and he three or four years later to James Van Valen. He sold about 1846 to William H. Brand and two years later N. V. Brand came into the business, buying out his brother six years later. Dennis Hardin began trading there about 1820 and con-
1 The Second Methodist Episcopal Church of Brookfield, at Leonardsville, was organized in March, 1875, under ministerial direction of Rev. Samuel Salsbury, who was then stationed at Clarkville; he continued his labor with this church until April, 1877. The church was incorpo- rated March 23, 1876, and Luke Hoxie, E. A. Green, F. W. McIntyre, William R. Gardner, and William S. Risley were elected trustees. The meeting at which the legal organization was ef- fected was held in Palmer's Hall, where the meetings had previously been held and where they were continued until the church edifice was erected in 1876.
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tinued many years, associated at different periods with his brother Dan- iel. Charles R. Maxson was a successful merchant for a time and James H. Brand and Edwin Clark carried on the clothing business in a store built by them about 1853, and afterwards occupied by F. P. King; it was burned about 1862. Samuel Collins, William H. Brown, A. M. Griffin, and H. W. North successively traded in a building erected by the former.
Samuel Marsh opened a store about a mile and a half southeast of the village of North Brookfield in 1804 on a road which was abandoned many years ago; he failed after about five years and was imprisoned for debt and died in jail at Whitestown. Samuel Livermore was the first merchant in the village, his store being on the site of Park's hotel. He traded there several years from about 1809. Laban Olby, a colored man, kept a grocery from 1815 to about 1844, on the site of Livermore's store. He was also a blacksmith, aided in building the Park's hotel in 1844 and kept it five or six years. He had previously entertained guests as well as he could in an old log building. He removed to Nor- wich in 1863 or 1864. After Mr. Livermore left a Mr. Mills kept a store about five years, after which there was no store in the place for a period. Isaac Marsh traded there from about 1834 to 1860, his part- ners at different times having been Solomon Gorton, Albert Beebe, David Fisk, and Daniel Bennett 2d. Asahel P. Treat opened a store about 1855 in the building afterwards occupied by S. A. Fitch, which he built. J. V. R. Livermore began business about 1850 in company with Lucius E. Beebe, and ten years later bought his partner's interest, and was later associated with D. S. Bennett, and his own son, D. D. Livermore. About five years later another son, Charles O. Livermore, joined him and eventually purchased the business.
The first physician in Clarkville, if not in the town, was Dr. Eli S. Bailey, who was born in West Greenwich, R. I., September 23, 1783. In the fall of 1809 he removed to Beaver Creek valley with his brothers- in-law and a little later to Clarkville. As before stated, he was called to the ministry of the First Seventh Day Baptist church. He retired from practice in 1841. Dr. Farrell was practicing in Brookfield about the beginning of the century. In 1806 he built the house occupied in recent .years by Russell Maxson. Welcome Clark was an early practitioner and continued until about 1826, when he was succeeded by his brother, Ray. Pliny Roberts succeeded the later. The first physician at North Brookfield was Rufus Holton, who settled there about 1806, a half mile
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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
south of the village. Dr. John Antes settled about 1838 and Dr. Elam Root was an early practitioner. There was no lawyer in this town until long after the erection of the county.
While these settlements and other evidences of advancement were in progress in the southeast part of the county, similar conditions were developing in the opposite northwest part, in the town of Sullivan, which was set off from Cazenovia on February 22, 1803, three years before the county was formed, and received its name in honor of Gen. John Sullivan, the distinguished Revolutionary officer. The town was reduced in area more than one-half on March 3, 1809, by the erection of Lenox from the eastern part. It is the northwest corner town of the county and is bordered on the north by Oneida Lake. It is level in the northern part, hilly in the south, and includes across its north side the great Cowasselon swamp ; this is bordered on the southern side by the so-called Vlaie, or natural meadow, which is covered with a thick deposit of muck, underlaid with marl, and supporting a heavy growth of vegetation, without trees. The remains of stumps indicate that this swamp has been covered with two growths of forest in past years. The channel in the Cowasselon and Canaseraga Creeks is now an artificial ditch, the cutting of which diverted those streams from their natural course and reclaimed several thousand acres of land. The value of the mineral products of this town has had an important bear- ing upon its settlement and growth. Marl and peat abound in the swampy regions and gypsum was discovered about the beginning of the present century by Jacob Patrick, on the farm owned in recent years by John Lillie, about three-fourths of a mile east of Chittenango, and was brought into commercial importance during the war of 1812 and the embargo preceding it, when Nova Scotia plaster was excluded from the markets of the country. A plaster bed was opened here, probably as early as 1810. Thousands of tons of gypsum were quarried here, most extensively on the farm of Capt. Timothy Brown, at Can- aseraga. The discovery of water lime in this town is said to have been accidental, and it was probably the first discovered in the State, though there is a claim that Onondaga county preceded it in this respect. Both date from the construction of the Erie Canal, the masonry on which was contracted to be laid with common lime, on account of the cost of hydraulic cement. Mason Harris and Thomas Livingston, of this town, were to supply a quantity of lime for the middle section of the canal, and it was then discovered that the product of these quarries
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SETTLEMENT OF TOWNS.
would not slack when burned. Examinations and tests were made by men of scientific attainments, resulting in the discovery that it was equal to the best cements from other sources. The first discovery of the limestone was on what was known as the old Moyer farm, now owned by Charles Button and Franklin Walrath, about a mile south- west of Chittenango.
Large quantities of quick and water limestone were subsequently quarried in that vicinity, but in recent years little has been done chiefly on account of the easier accessibility of the Manlius quarries.
The White Sulphur Springs, noticed on an earlier page, are in this town ; they are situated about four miles south of Chittenango Station and two miles south of Chittenango village.
The settlement of the town of Sullivan at the time it took place and by the persons who made it was due chiefly to the Revolutionary event that occurred within its limits, described in Chapter II of this volume. It will be remembered that at that time (the fall of 1780) Captain Vrooman and fifty men were surprised and captured by Butler's Rang- ers and those of the prisoners who survived were taken to Canada and held two years. Those captives had seen the fertile lands in northern Sullivan and in 1.790 ten of their number with their families squatted on the Canaseraga flats on adjoining tracts of land. They were ejected in the following year as trespassers on the lands of the Oneidas, who complained to Governor Clinton. The dwellings of the squatters, after having been emptied of their contents, were burned. Settlement in this town, although it began early, was not as rapid as in other parts of the county on account of the Indian title to the lands, which was not wholly extinguished until 1830. As a consequence much of the town was an unbroken wilderness until long after a considerable part was fully settled and improved. The names of the ten squatters mentioned were James and Joseph Pickard, Jacob, David and Hon Yost Schuyler, Jacob Seeber, Garrett and George Van Slycke, John Palsley and John Freemyer, most of whom became early and permament settlers. The Pickards settled in the east part of the town. Jacob Schuyler settled about a mile above the site of Chittenango where he remained until his death. He kept the first tavern in the town excepting one presided over by an Indian named John Denny, at Canaseraga, and there built also the first frame house in 1800. He had sons, John J., David, Philip, James and Barney. Jacob Seeber, who was a captain and later a gen- eral in the militia, removed to Clockville. Garrett Van Slycke lived
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