Our county and its people; a descriptive work on Oneida county, New York;, Part 38

Author: Wager, Daniel Elbridge, 1823-1896
Publication date: 1896
Publisher: [Boston] : The Boston history co.
Number of Pages: 1612

USA > New York > Oneida County > Our county and its people; a descriptive work on Oneida county, New York; > Part 38

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Peter Abbott, from Windham. Vt., settled in the north part of the town in 1806. He was a Revolutionary veteran and a personal ac- quaintance of Major Andre. Two of his sons served in the war of 1812, and Captain John F. Abbott and Harvey Abbott, well known citizens of the town, were also sons of Peter, the pioneer.

Daniel Miller, from Granville, Mass., settled in the north part of the town in 1804, on the farm subsequently occupied by John Whiffin. His brother, Eliakim Miller, came to the town in 1814, purchased the farm and lived there until his death. Daniel lived for a time in Lee and in Taberg, and then removed to Ohio. A son of Eliakim served in the war of 1812.

Squire Fairservice was another early settler, and did not long remain ;

375

THE TOWN OF ANNSVILLE.

he located on the flats below the Jervis mill. Being a noted fisherman he enjoyed life there until the disappearance of the salmon from Fish Creek, when he removed to Wisconsin. Adam P. Campbell and Nich- olas Armstrong came in and settled on the meadow about 1806. Dan Taft settled early near the site of the later tavern of Vincent Taft, and had sons Lyman and George, who were well known citizens.

As these men and their associates labored in clearing their farms, others made use of the water power on the streams by the erection of saw mills and the manufacture of lumber in large quantities ; while others still established the necessary mercantile stores for the supply of the people, built grist mills, founded schools, opened the roads, etc. There were at one time twenty-one saw mills in the town, twelve shingle mills, four lath mills, four turning shops, two stave mills, a wool carding machine, a blast furnace, two cupola furnaces, and two tanneries, a large part of these industries being at Taberg. Only three saw mills now remain. Very many of these, particularly of the saw mills, have disap- peared with the clearing away of the forests. The village of Taberg took its name from a town in Sweden, and is situated on the east branch of Fish Creek, and has good water power. The Oneida Iron and Glass Manufacturing Company, originated in 1809, began operations here and gave the place its name. The first blast was made in 1811 and a good product was made. Hollow ware was afterwards manufactured for a time, but finally the product was confined wholly to pig iron of fine quality. The business was finally closed up.

A grist mill was built below the McConnellsville station prior to 1854 by David Pike for a man named Mills, and a small settlement gathered about it. It long ago disappeared. The tannery at Taberg was orig- inally built by Jotham Warden, and was burned several times and rebuilt, the last time by D. B. Danforth ; it finally passed to James A. Terrill & Co., of Boston. The last to operate it was Spencer Owen, and it was closed up in 1893.

In 1874 Wilson & Draper built a planing mill, a grist mill and butter tub factory at Taberg. The planing mill was last operated by John F. Draper.

Hiram Thorne built the first saw mill at Glenmore, and a custom grist mill was afterwards established, around which gathered a small

376

OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

hamlet. This mill and a saw mill and cider mill has been operated a number of years by Robert G. Jones. Many Irish settled in that vicin- ity. The post-office was opened here between 1850 and 1860, with (probably) Alfred Blenis as the first postmaster. John L. Ward ran the grist mill at Taberg last, succeeding Robert Ward, who had it several years. Thomas J. Flanigan built a new grist mill in 1895. Mr. Ward has placed a planing mill in his grist mill.

One of the first schools in the town was taught in a log building in the north part of the town, east of where Jonathan Stanford lived. This was in 1812-13, and the teacher's name was Fannie Hatch. In the same winter Rachel Hill taught a school in Taberg; in the following winter the house that had been occupied by John W. Bloomfield, who had removed to Rome, was used for school purposes, Dr. Ashley being the teacher. The first frame school houses in the north part of the town were built in 1820, one in the Miller and one in the west district. There are now in the town eighteen districts with school house in each.

What is now the Blossvale post-office, in the south part of the town, was formerly located in the edge of Vienna at what was called Pine Corners and went under that name. It was removed to Taberg station on the railroad and given the name Blossvale, from the prominent family of settlers there of that name. John Bloss was the first postmaster. A little hamlet has grown up around the station. F. and I. J. White are merchants here and the latter has built and keeps a hotel.

Aside from the sweet corn which is raised in considerable quantities for the several canning establishments, the farmers of the town are turning their attention to dairying more than in former years. There are now two cheese factories in the northern part, one at Taberg, one at Glenmore, and factories for limburger cheese at Cold Hill and on the State road.

The canning industry is large and factories are carried on, two at Taberg, one of which is by G. H. Wilson and the other just now in- volved in the Fort Stanwix bank failure ; one at Blossvale by F. & I. J. White.

The hotel in Taberg formerly owned by J. J. O'Connor was sold about a year ago to Alexander McCabe and burned in April, 1896. Peter A. Coyle bought a hotel of John Ferguson fifteen years or more

377

THE TOWN OF ANNSVILLE.

ago, which burned a few years later and was rebuilt and subsequently sold to O. L. Peck in 1893; he died within the present year (1896), and the house is conducted by his widow. Another hotel, built about two years ago by J. F. O'Connor, was sold to Charles Light, who now con- ducts it .

Of the merchants of Taberg, John J. Dooley began trade in 1884. His store was burned, when he built his present one and carries on an extensive business. Henry Silvernail has been in business several years, succeeding W. J. Lasher who was in trade many years. G. H. Wilson is in business, succeeding George Lake; he was preceded by Daniel Beekman. At the upper end of the village James H. Ferguson carries on business in the store built by him many years ago. His brother Samuel was formerly a partner with him. Dr. O. S. Kenyon, who has been in practice many years, has a drug store. W. B. Graves is in business in a building that was formerly a hotel kept by W. W. Barber, Charles Coventry, Patrick Kelly and David Barry suc- cessively. Mr. Graves was preceded by Clarence Joslyn, and he by A. J. Brewster.

A store is kept at Glenmore by R. R. Jones, and a hotel by Peter Riley.

The date of the act constituting the town of Annsville is April 12, 1823, when the territory was set off from Lee, Florence, Camden and Vienna. The first town meeting was held March 2, 1824, when the following officers were chosen :

Supervisor, Benjamin Hyde ; town clerk. John Segar; assessors, John Bloss, James Hart, Dan Taft; collector, Edminster Harrison, jr. ; overseers of the poor, Increase Bartlett, Peter Abbott, jr. ; commissioners of highways, Daniel Griswold, Zachariah Tompkins, John Paddock; constables, E. Hammond, jr., Eben S. Bartholomew, R. R. Jones; commissioners of schools, Eliakım Simons, Gilbert H. Hull, William Clover; inspectors of schools, Joseph C. Bloomfield, Benjamin Hyde, jr., Marshal F. Fairservice ; poundmasters, Barker Cobb, Asher Miller.

This list embraces many of the prominent settlers in the town during the first quarter of the present century, which is supplemented by the names of many more in the following list of those who have held the office of supervisor, as far as it is accessible, from the town organization to the present time :

1825-27, Joel Northrop; 1829-31, Israel S, Parker; 1832 to 1853, records missing ; 48

378

OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

1854, Thomas B. Allanson ; 1855-56, Alfred Blenis; 1857-62, Thomas B. Allanson ; 1863, David Beekman; 1864, Benjamin F. Secor; 1865, Thomas B. Allanson; 1866, George W. Brown; 1867-68, Benjamin F. Secor; 1869-70, David B. Danforth; 1871, William G. Cornwell: 1872, A. J. Brewster; 1873, Ambrose Bloss; 1874, Wm. H. Nelson ; 1875, Wm. C. Armstrong; 1876. George H. Wilson; 1877, Wm. H. Nelson ; 1878-79, Thomas B. Allanson : 1880, James Dounnend; 1881, G. R. Stedman; 1882- 83, I. J. White; 1884, W. H. Nelson; 1885-86-87, James H. Fergerson; 1888-89, William H. Nelson ; 1890, G. R. Stedman ; 1891, George W. White ; 1892-93-94-95-96, John J. Dooley.

Annsville has always been, and always must be, largely an agricul tural community ; as such it is now among the best of those similarly located in the county. The opening of the Midland Railroad along its southern border, with the station of Taberg (Blossvale post-office) only a few miles from Taberg village, gives the farmers reasonable access to markets with their surplus products. Among the leading farmers of the town, past and present, may be mentioned Ambrose Bloss, George W. White, William C. and David Armstrong, William Houston, Simeon Harris, William R. Armstrong, Patrick Cooney, Edward K. and G. R. Stedman, John Finn, Jacob Sauer, Horatio Evans, Chauncey White, Alvin Webb, Patrick Gubbins and Hiram Hillman.

The first regularly organized church society in this town was doubt- less the Baptist, in Taberg, which was formed February 17, 1831, with twenty members, and Rev. Samuel Bloss, pastor. During the next ten years the membership increased, but after that date it declined and in March, 1846, the society disbanded. A reorganization was effected January 23, 1847, and in 1848 the membership was fifty-six, with Rev. P. P. Brown, pastor. The first frame church stood on the site of the later parsonage and was built soon after the formation of the society. The present church was erected about 1864.

Methodist services were held early in the town, but the organization of the society at Taberg was not effected until 1838, when nine mem- bers joined for that purpose. A frame church, afterwards sold to the Cath- olics, was built in 1839. The present brick church was erected in 1875-7 at a cost of $8,000. Methodist services were held in the school house at Glenmore for twenty years before the society at that place was organized. Preaching was often heard from the ministers settled at Taberg. A society was finally organized (1876) and a frame church built which was dedicated in February, 1877.

379

THE TOWN OF AUGUSTA.

The large number of Irish who have come into this town in compar- atively late years, taking the places of early settlers, led to the holding of Catholic religious services, which were conducted a number of years in a small frame church north of Glenmore and a mile from the present church. Rev. Father John Ludden, from Florence, was the first pastor. The new church was erected in 1875-6. The Catholic society of Ta- berg began holding regular meetings in 1876, and soon had a resident pastor in Rev. P. McNulty, under whom the old Methodist church was purchased, as before stated. These societies are both prosperous.

A branch of the Congregational church of Camden was formed in Annsville in 1820, and meetings were held in the two school houses in the north part of the town. After some years of usefulness the society ceased its existence. A Presbyterian society also had an existence for some time in Taberg and built a church. It ultimately passed out of existence.

The table printed on page 202 gives the population of the town in various years when a census was taken.

CHAPTER XXVII.

THE TOWN OF AUGUSTA.

This town lies on the southwestern border of Oneida county, contains an area of 16,763 acres, and was formed from the old town of Whites- town March 15, 1798, coincident with the formation of Oneida county, when it was enacted :

That all that part of the town of Whitestown, bounded westerly and southerly by the county of Chenango, easterly by Brothertown, and the town of Paris, and north- erly by the southernmost great Genesee road shall be and hereby is erected into a separate town by the name of Augusta. And that the first town meeting shall be holden at the dwelling house of Timothy Pond, jr., in said town.

The town was named after Gen. Augustus Van Horn, who promised to give Thomas Cassety a new military hat if it was so named.

Augusta was the eleventh of the towns in the county in date of

380

OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

organization. The town includes a part of the Peter Smith tract of 60,000 acres, described in Chapter X, and the reservation of the Stock - bridge Indians. The southeast corner of the Smith tract was the south- east corner of the town. The territory of the town lies on both sides of Skanandoa Creek, the highlands rising on each side of the valley and known as East Hill and West Hill. Oriskany Creek flows through the extreme southeast corner. The soil is clayey and sandy loam and is fertile.

As soon as Peter Smith obtained his tract of land he began leasing subdivisions for twenty-one years, and by the year 1797 most of the lands of the town were leased. In 1795 and 1797 these leases were confirmed by the Legislature, the lessees becoming patentees.

The first settler in this town was a man named Gunn, who in 1793 built a log house near where Peter Stebbins afterward lived. The sec- ond house was built by Benjamin Warren where he lived many years. His son, William F., died in the spring of 1895; Lyman Warren, his brother, lives near Newell's Corners, is eighty-four years of age, and has been a prominent citizen for forty years. Others settlers of that year were David Morton, John Alden, Ichabod Stafford, Joseph and Abra- ham Forbes, and their families, twenty-three persons in all.

In 1794 a considerable number of pioneers came in, among them Isaac and Benjamin Allen, Amos Parker, James Cassety (or Casety), Francis O'Toole, Ozias Hart, Abel Prior, Thomas Spafford, Ezra Sax- ton, and Abiel Linsley. Parker was a Revolutionary soldier, and is said to have been the tallest man in the army, and stood on the right of the line at the surrender of Cornwallis. His descendants live in the county. Thomas Cassety was a son of James, who was a captain in the British army in the 1756 war ; he refused to take up arms against the colonies in the Revolution. After the peace of 1760, James went to Detroit as an Indian trader and there Thomas was born. For firing at an officer of the crown sent to arrest his father, Thomas was in danger and fled from Detroit and took refuge among the Western Indians, where he was adopted into a tribe and took an Indian wife. After the close of the Revolution he returned to civilization and settled at Oriskany Falls in 1794. The place was early called "Cassety Hollow." There he built the first saw mill in 1794-5 and a grist mill in 1796, the latter

381

THE TOWN OF AUGUSTA.

in company with Peter Smith. He afterwards bought Smith's interest giving back a mortgage. Reverses overtook him, the mortgage was foreclosed and Mr. Cassety was reduced to poverty. His death took place August 14, 1831, from taking accidentally a dose of sulphuric acid. Capt. James Cassety, his father, died in Augusta May 23, 1822, aged eighty-four years.

Francis O'Toole served the English cause three years, came to this country and lived two years with the family of Col. Thomas Seymour in Hartford, Conn. He was long supposed to be an ordinary specimen of untutored Irishman, but when he replied sharply in Latin to his em- ployer's son, who was home from Yale and was making his knowledge of that language conspicuous, he appeared in an entirely new light. He and his family were much respected, but the name is not now repre sented in the town.

In 1796 Abraham and Alexander Holmes settled on the east hill, while Oliver Bartholomew, Deacon Philip Pond, William Martin, Stephen Crosby, Archibald and John Manchester, Robert Wordes, and John Goodhue settled in other parts of the town in that year. Some of them had already done work on their places. There was no road worthy of mention down to this date except the one from Clinton to Madison, which passed through Augusta. In the fall of this year the grist mill was so nearly complete that it could be used ; it was, of course, a great convenience and relieved the settlers of their previous long jour- neys to Clinton or Madison to get their grinding done. There are a very few descendants of the pioneers thus far named living in the vicin- ity. A daughter of Alexander Holmes married Rowland Clark, now living near Augusta Center. J. Reynolds settled probably in 1795 and became a respected citizen ; he has descendants now in business at Oriskany Falls.

Five families came to the town together in the spring of 1797 from Washington, Litchfield county, Conn., and settled on what has been known as Washington street. Among them were Robert Durkee, New- ton Smith, Joseph Hurd, and Sheldon Parmalee. Benjamin and Joseph Durkee, and David Curtis, from the same place, came in during this year, and settled on "Washington " street, which runs south from the Center. There are descendants of some of the Durkee families still

382

OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

living in the town Joseph Durkee was town clerk for twenty-four years after the organization of the town.

An effort was made in the Legislature in 1797 to organize the town, but it failed from the fact that there were not enough freeholders to fill the various offices, as required by law, the settlers being still lessees under Peter Smith. The organization as effected in the next year, as already stated, and at the first town meeting, held the first Tuesday in April, 1798, at the house of Timothy Pond, jr., the following officers were elected :

Supervisor, Col. Thomas Cassety; town clerk, Joseph Durkee (who held the office until 1822); assessors, Ezra Sexton, David Brewer, Simeon Williams, Joel Hull; commissioners of highways, Michael Hinman, Ichabod Stafford, Philip Pond; con- stable and collector, Frederick Putnam; overseers of the poor, James Cassety, Abiel Linsley ; inspectors of schools, Francis O'Toole, John Smile, Sheldon Parmalee; fence viewers, Justus Markham, William Martin, Charles Putnam, Oliver Barthol omew.

These officers started the simple machinery of the town government and aided in the establishment of schools and churches. At the time of the organization of the town the statutes required that the oaths of town officers should be taken before a justice of the peace, or other proper officer, without fee or reward. Colonel Cassety was a justice for Herkimer county and was probably the only one at that time in the town. He administered the oath of office as supervisor to himself, and certified that the oath was taken before himself, as shown in the records. The first justice of the peace elected for Augusta at town meeting, was Nathan Kimball, chosen in 1830; prior to April 17, 1826, they were appointed ; by an act passed in 1826 they were elected at the general elections ; May 4, 1829, they were made elective at town meetings. Mr. Kimball settled in the town in 1804 and was subsequently judge. The town meeting of 1801 adjourned to meet the following year at the house of Seth Holmes, who lived on the west side of the road ascending the hill from the south from Vernon Center; but the erection of the town of Vernon in February, 1802, took Mr. Holmes's house into the new town and no town meeting was held that year, the officers being appointed by three justices of the peace. A town house was built at the Center in 1805, and after two removals was finally left in its original situation.

383

THE TOWN OF AUGUSTA.

The early inhabitants of Augusta gave earnest attention to religious matters, and it is recorded that a Methodist minister preached a sermon in the town as early as 1794, which was the first public religious service in the town, unless some of the missionaries visited the locality at an earlier date. The Presbyterian church at Augusta Center was organ- ized with nine members on the 7th of September, 1797, in the log school house built in that year, where many early gatherings for various pur . poses were held. This church was organized in the Congregational faith, with the following members: Isaiah Gilbert, Experience Gilbert, Benjamin Durkee, Thomas Stafford, Lucy Stafford, Ezra Saxton, Abiel Linsley, and Anna Linsley. The first deacons were Abiel Linsley, and Isaiah Gilbert, and the first settled pastor was Rev. John Spencer, who began his services in 1804. He had been a Revolutionary soldier and removed from Augusta to Chautauqua county in 1807 and died there. This church held its meetings for several years in private dwell- ings and in the school house, and from 1805 to 1816 in the town hall. In 1816 a substantial frame church was erected, which was extensively repaired in 1844. The church has always enjoyed a good degree of prosperity and is still in existence.

The Methodist church which formerly existed at the Center was or . ganized as early as 1802, at which time there were two classes in the town, one of which was on the east hill, where Riley Shepard built the old chapel in 1819. The chapel was occupied until 1840, when a new one was built at the Center. The society ultimately closed its ex- istence.

The Baptists formed a society very early on the east hill, but it en- dured for only a short time.

The first school, as far as known, was taught in the log school house just mentioned as built in 1797. It stood on the west side of the road leading north from where William Bridge lived. A school house was built at the Center as early, or earlier, than 1805, in which year the town meeting is recorded as held in it. Other schools were provided as the settlement increased and various neighborhoods demanded until 1834, when steps were taken to found an academy. About $2, 100 were raised for the purpose and a commodious building was erected at the Center and the school commenced. It was a successful and benefi-

384

OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

cent institution for many years. In 1840 about $400 were raised and expended for a library and apparatus and the academy was incorpo- rated. The building was of stone and is still standing, but is not used for school purposes. The schools of the town have always been care- fully fostered by the people. The town is now divided into eleven school districts, which include union schools at Oriskany Falls, organ- ized in December, 1892, and at Knoxboro, organized in 1876.

Meanwhile the more material interests of the town were steadily ad- vancing. The nucleus of a village gathered at the Center, where a Mr. Adams began selling goods in a small way in 1798, in the dwell- ing of Ichabod Stafford. He began building a store on lot 17, but failed before it was finished. Abiel Linsley was an early merchant at the Center and for a time was associated with Samuel Chandler. The company failed and W. H. Chandler in 1806 formed a partnership with his brother under the style of Samuel Chandler & Co. Although thus interested in the store, W. H. Chandler did not settle there until 1808. The brothers continued in business until 1818, when W. H. Chandler became sole proprietor and so continued until February 25, 1835, when his store was burned. Elisha Carrington had a small store in early years at " Bartlett's" afterwards Newell's Corners At Augusta Center, where is located the oldest post-office in the town, a tavern was kept in the first years of the century by Jared Moss, which was burned down about 1820. Another was erected on the site and occupied for a time as a public house and later as a dwelling. Other small taverns were established at different times and one is now conducted. Winthrop H. Chandler was one of the first merchants at this place and held the office of postmaster for many years, the office being in his store. Henry M. Hawley was a later merchant and postmaster. Wayne C. Russell is the incumbent of the office and the only merchant in the village.

The picturesque site of the village of Oriskany Falls, with its valua- ble water power, also attracted early settlers and business men. The building of the early mills at this point by Colonel Cassety has been noticed. Another early settler near the Falls was Andrew McMillan, who located at Newell's Corners in 1798, and afterwards lived many years on the hill west of Deansville. He was father of the late Andrew McMillan, former superintendent of the public schools of Utica, who

385

THE TOWN OF AUGUSTA.

died in 1892 ; there are no descendants of this family now in this town. Elisha Fowler, son of Elisha, was born in the town of Paris in 1793, re- moved to Augusta in 1816, and settled at the Falls in 1821, was promi- nent in the dry goods and grocery business and operated a distillery on the site of the brewery. The old Cassety grist mill stood about on the site of the later foundry and machine shop and was carried away in a heavy freshet about the year 1807. A tannery was established at the Falls by Aaron Burley as early as 1816, who some years later changed it to a custom grist mill and distillery, which was burned. The post- office was established in 1828, with David Murray, postmaster.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Our county and its people; a descriptive work on Oneida county, New York;, Part 38

Author: Wager, Daniel Elbridge, 1823-1896 Publication date: 1896 Publisher: [Boston] : The Boston history co. Number of Pages: 1612

Author: Wager, Daniel Elbridge, 1823-1896
Publication date: 1896
Publisher: [Boston] : The Boston history co.
Number of Pages: 1612