Our county and its people : a memorial history of Tioga County, New York, Part 10

Author: Kingman, Leroy W., ed
Publication date: 1900
Publisher: Elmira, N. Y. : W. A. Fergusson and Company
Number of Pages: 932

USA > New York > Tioga County > Our county and its people : a memorial history of Tioga County, New York > Part 10

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As a curiosity we give a copy of a post-rider's advertisement of a later period, which was printed in the Gazette of December 6, 1824 :

POST-RIDER'S NOTICE.

Orrin Very, Post-Rider, informs his patrons in Newark, Berkshire, Caroline, and Candor, that his term for carrying the mail expires on the 1st of January next-All persons indebted to him for papers are therefore hereby notified, that their respective accounts must be settled by that time-Grain will be received if delivered according to contract, otherwise the money will be expected .- Nov. 30.

As soon as passable wagon roads were broken through the forests, the primitive stage made its appearance. The first regular stage to visit Owego came from Newburgh. The owner's name was Stanton, and he lived at Mount Pleasant. His stage was a three- horse lumber wagon, with hickory poles bent over to form a top, and covered with canvas. By this stage the mails from the east were carried once in each week, reaching Owego every Saturday afternoon.

About the year 1814, Teter & Huntington succeeded Mr. Stanton, and ran a through line from Owego to Newburgh. After a short time the partnership was dissolved, and Miller Horton, of Wilkes- (*) From a series of articles published in the Owego Gazette,

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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

barre, Pa., became Mr. Teter's partner. Conrad Teter came to Owego from Wyoming, Pa., where he had been running stages from Wyoming to Tioga Point (Athens), Pa. He drove the stage himself, making weekly trips from Owego to Newburgh. From Newburgh passengers went by water to New York. This stage went over the route afterward taken by the Newburgh and Ge- neva stage line.

February 14, 1816, an act was passed by the legislature of this state, which gave Mr. Teter and Oliver Phelps the sole right for six years to run stage coaches for passengers between Newburgh and Monticello, on the road leading through Montgomery and Chenango Point (Binghamton) on the mail route ; and between Chenango Point and Geneva on the road running through Owego, Ithaca, Trumansburg, and Ovid ; and between Ithaca and Auburn on the main mail route, through Ludlowville. The act provided that no other persons could run stages over this route under a penalty of $500, and prescribed that trips should be made in three days, twice each week, and oftener if the publie good should re- quire, the fare not to exceed seven cents a mile.

In 1818, a new company was formed, which put a better line of stages on the route and made tri-weekly trips. The number of proprietors in the company was afterwards increased, and in 1823 the route was extended to Geneva and daily trips were made.

Mr. Leonard established the first stage route from Owego to Bath, in 1816. It required two days to make the trip, the passengers staying over night at Elmira. This was considered a great under- taking, and Mr. Leonard was highly complimented by the news- papers for his enterprise. The following is a copy of his advertise- ment, which was published in the Gazette, and which will be read with interest at the present day :

MAIL

OWEGO AND BATH Cut of stage and horses TWICE A WEEK.

STAGE.

This line runs regularly twice a week, between the villages of Owego and Bath, - Days of starting and arrival as follows : Leave Owego on Mondays and Fridays at 6 a. m., and breakfasting at Athens, arrive at Elmira at 6 p. m. Leave Elmira on Tues- days and Saturdays, at 4 a. m., and breakfasting at Painted Post, arrive at Bath at 6 p. m.

Returning .- Leave Bath on Mondays and Fridays, at 4 a. m., and breakfasting at

PIONEERS AND PIONEER LIFE.

Painted Post, arrive at Elmira at 6 p. m. Leave Elmira on Tuesdays and Saturdays, at 4 a. m., and breakfasting at Athens, arrive at Owego at 6 p. m.

This line of stages intersects the Newburgh and Buffalo line at Owego-as also the Philadelphia,-the Wilkesbarre line at Tioga Point-and the Geneva line at Bath, -at which latter place it also intersects a line leading directly to Angelica, situate about 30 miles from Olean, one of the places of embarkation on the Allegany river, and about 18 miles from Oil Creek, the nearest place of embarkation, and which empties into the Allegany at Olean ; at which place boats of any size are always kept ready for travel- lers, for the purpose of deseending the Ohio river.

Persons travelling from New York, or from any of the Eastern States, to the S. W. States, will find this the shortest, cheapest, and most expeditious route. The distanee from New York, via Owego, Painted Post, and Bath, to Angelica, is 316 miles, which is performed in about 5 days.

Good teams and careful drivers will be kept on the route, and no pains spared to ac- commodate passengers. The stage houses are good.

S. B. LEONARD.

Mareh 30, 1819.

9" For seats in the above line, apply at E. S. Marsh's or Amos Martin's in Owego- at Saltmarsh's, Athens-at Davis's, Elmira -- and at Barnard's, Bath.

At a later period, Mr. Leonard had two four-horse coaches run- ning between Owego and Montrose. In December, 1823, he sold his lines to a stage company, which was then organized, and of which he became one of the proprietors. The route was extended to New York city, and became a strong opposition to the New- burgh and Geneva line. This company was composed of Joseph I. Roy, John Burnett, Zephania Luce, Abraham Bray, Gould Phinney, Silas Heminway, Stephen B. Leonard, Jacob Willsey, Augustus Morgan, Isaac Post, Ithimer Mott, Miller Horton, A. P. Childs, and others.

Mr. Roy was at this time a hotel keeper at Jersey City, and Mr. Luce was afterward his business partner. Mr. Bray resided at Newton, N. J. Mr. Phinney was the owner of a glass factory at Dundaff, Pa. Mr. Heminway afterward became an extensive stage proprietor at Buffalo, and had five or six lines through the state, where the New York Central railroad now runs. Jacob Willsey lived at Willseyville, in this county, of which place he was one of the earliest settlers. Major Morgan, who was also a proprietor in the Newburgh and Geneva line, was first a printer, afterward a hotel keeper, and lived in Binghamton. Mr. Post kept a tavern at Montrose, Pa. Mr. Mott also kept a tavern, one

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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

and one-half miles east of New Milford, Pa. Miller Horton lived at Wilkesbarre, Pa., and was also one of the proprietors of the Newburgh and Geneva line of stages.

The company put a new line of stage coaches on the road. The route was from New York to Owego, where it intersected the Newburgh and Geneva line for Buffalo. Stages from New York occupied two days and a half in their journey to Owego, and one day more from Owego on to Geneva. Trips were made three times a week. The route was through the villages of Newark, Morristown, and Newton, N. J., to Milford, Pa .; thence it fol- lowed the new turnpike, via Dundaff and Montrose, to Owego. The stages on this route left Patton's, 71 Cortland street, New York, every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, reaching Owego the third day at 10 a. m. This was then the most expeditious route, the distance to Owego being but 170 miles, whereas by the way of Newburgh it was 210 miles. The line was intersected at Montrose by the Philadelphia and Baltimore lines, and at Owego by the Bath and Olean line.

In the spring of 1825, the line was extended west to Geneva, by the way of Ithaca and Ovid, and coaches left New York every day, Sundays excepted. At Geneva the line intersected the daily lines to Rochester, Buffalo, Lewiston, and others. It had now become an important route, as it opened another and the most direct communication between New York and the western part of the state. At Newton, N. J., it intersected a tri-weekly line to Philadelphia ; at Montrose, the line to Wilkesbarre, Harrisburg, etc .; at Chenango Point, a line which ran north through Greene, Oxford, etc., to Utica ; and at Owego a line which ran through Tioga Point and Elmira to Bath. The latter line was afterward extended to Olean.

The stage offices were at Patton's, in New York; Joseph I. Roy's, Jersey City ; Bolles' Tavern, Newark ; the public houses at Newton and Dundaff ; Buckingham's at Montrose ; Robinson's hotel, (this hotel was kept by Dr. Tracy Robinson, the father of Gen. John C. Robinson, of Binghamton, one of the proprietors of the Newburgh and Geneva line), at Chenango Point ; Goodman's and Manning's taverns, in Owego ; the Ithaca hotel and Grant's coffee-house, at Ithaca ; and Faulkner's hotel, at Geneva.

PIONEERS AND PIONEER LIFE.

The coaches were drawn by four horses, the horses being usually changed at the end of each twelve or eighteen miles. Nine pas- sengers were carried inside each coach, and as many outside as could ride comfortably-generally from three to six.

It was at about this time that there were two rival stage lines from Owego to Ithaca. One was conducted by Stephen B. Leon- ard, and the other by Lewis Manning. Mr. Leonard's stages car- ried the mails, and the rivalry was so sharp that he charged but fifty cents each way for passengers. In some instances passen- gers were carried free of charge and a free breakfast was given them, to prevent their going by the rival line. Mr. Leonard had the contract for carrying the mails, which gave him a great ad- vantage over his competitor, who was finally compelled to with- draw from the line.

The Newburgh and Geneva line was owned by R. Manning, C. Pratt, D. Dunning, Lewis Manning, Augustus Morgan, E. Hath- away, and others. This route was originally from Owego to Bing- hamton, from Binghamton to Great Bend, Great Bend to Sweet's tavern, Sweet's to Mount Pleasant, Mount Pleasant to Luken's farm, Luken's to Bloomingburg, Bloomingburg to Newburgh, and thence by boat to New York. The stages left Owego three times each week, at three o'clock in the afternoon, and were two days and two nights in making the journey.

The proprietors, in September, 1828, established another line from the head of Seneca Lake to Owego, in connection with the steaniboat Seneca Chief. Trips over this line were made three times a week and intersected the Newburgh line at Owego. The trip front New York to Geneva was made in three days. The first 40 and the last 65 miles were by water.

Previous to about the year 1830, the stages on the various lines running from and through Owego were usually two-horse affairs. After making a distance of about fifteen miles the drivers and horses were changed, and sometimes the stages. The stages were usually run about thirty miles each day. After 1830 heavy Troy coaches were put on the road, which were drawn by four horses each, with about the same changes. These coaches weighed from 1,800 to 2,000 pounds each and carried nine passengers inside and

OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

two outside, although more were crowded on the top when it was necessary. These stages were like the modern omnibus, as they would always hold one more passenger. The fare from Owego to Newburgh was $7.25, and to Jersey City over the Montrose route, $8.

The old stage companies had the contracts for carrying the mails, and were consequently able to drive off any opposition that might be started. In October, 1840, N. Randall & Co. started a line between Owego and Morristown, N. J., running by the way of Montrose, Dundaff, Carbondale, Clark's Corners, Canaan, Honesdale, and Milford. At Morristown passengers for New York and Philadelphia were transferred to the cars.

Nathan Randall, previous to establishing his stage line (from 1828 to 1837), was the publisher of the Ithaca Journal and Advertiser, at Ithaca. His Owego office was at L. Manning & Son's hotel, and his agent was J. C. Bogardus. Bogardus was from Rhinebeck. He died a few years afterward, a victim to intemperance. The New York agency was at 73 Courtlandt street. The agent, Jona- than Hill, was a bachelor, and had been a stage driver. (Wm. G. Thompson, of Owego, was agent at 73 Courtlandt street for the old lines about the year 1846. Two years afterward he went on the line to look after the passengers.) At the time of his death Hill had not a relative living, and left all his property to John Patton, Jr., a nephew of James Patton, who was agent for the old stage line at Courtlandt street, and himself a stage agent. John Patton, Jr., was afterward engaged in the ocean steamship busi- ness, and became very wealthy. At the time of his death, a few years ago, he was the owner of the Pacific hotel, in Greenwich street.

Mr. Randall was finally driven off the road by the old com- panies, to whom he sold his coaches and stock ; and in every instance where opposition lines were afterward started, they were compelled to leave the road and sell out to the old proprietors. The office of the old lines in Owego was at Manning & Son's Owego hotel, while the opposition established their agencies at the Franklin house and Tioga house. The duty of these agents was simply to receipt fare for the company.

Another of the opposition was the " Eagle Line," of Field, Cox

PIONEERS AND PIONEER LIFE.

& Co., which was established in October, 1843, after the New York and Erie railroad was completed to Middletown. The headquarters of the proprietors were at Binghamton. Coaches were run daily from Middletown by the way of Narrowsburg, Honesdale, Mount Pleasant, New Milford, Great Bend, and Binghamton to Owego. At this time the offices of both the regular and opposition lines were at the old Owego hotel. Charles Cox was from Carbondale, Pa. He afterward kept a hotel four miles west of Honesdale. He died at Scranton. Mr. Field was a brother of Major Almerin Field, deceased, of Waverly. The brothers kept a hotel at Nar- rowsburg and were both engaged in stage coaching.

As the New York and Erie railroad was gradually constructed, the stages running east from Owego changed their routes and ran in connection with its last western terminus. The road was ex- tended to Goshen in September, 1841; to Middletown, in June, 1843 ; to Port Jervis, in January, 1848; to Binghamton, in Decem- ber of the same year ; and to Owego, October 1, 1849. When the road reached Elmira the days of the old stage lines were at an end so far as this part of the state was concerned.

The stage proprietors in the later days of stage coaching were as follows : C. L. Grant & Co., Ithaca; I. Ringe, Geneva ; L. Man- ning & Son, Owego ; T. J. Magee, Bath ; Lorenzo Seymour, Corn- ing; Cooley & Maxwell, Elmira; Stephen B. Leonard, Owego ; Augustus Morgan, Binghamton ; Ithimer Mott, New Milford ; Wm. Riley, Rileyville, Pa .; Hamilton & Son, Monticello ; O. Sweet, Bloomingburg ; S. Hathaway, Newburgh ; Leonard Searle and Bro., Montrose ; Wm. Bronson, Carbondale ; Major McClary, Honesdale ; Sam. Dimmock, Milford ; the Cassidy Brothers, Port Jervis ; Charles Beach, Catskill ; H. Curtis, Greene ; and Miller Horton, Wilkesbarre.

The stage proprietors whom we have named were all combined in one large stock company and owned all the large routes run- ning through southern New York. Each one put into the com- pany as many coaches and as much live stock as was necessary for the number of miles he ran over, and each drew mileage in proportion to the number of miles run by his stages. Settlements were made once every three months at meetings of the proprie-

OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

tors, which were held at various points, previously designated. Owego was a central point, and the meetings were frequently held here.

As the New York and Erie railroad extended its track westward many of the stage drivers became brakemen on the road, were rapidly pushed forward, and became conductors. The old coaches disappeared, most of them being removed to parts of the country not yet occupied by the railroads. The last of the old coaches in Owego was lying for several years in the old lane, which ran about where Central avenue now extends, and through which the old Owego and Ithaca horse-railroad had run down into the village. The coach was minus its wheels, and everything else that could be carried away. One night, on a 3d of July, the boys made a great bonfire in the street at the north end of the park. The old coach was dragged out into the street and surrounded by wooden boxes and other inflammable stuff. A light was applied, and the whole was soon a heap of ashes.

Stage coaching was not unattended by accidents. The roads were sometimes rough, the hills precipitous, the nights dark, and there was danger in times of ice and flood. The only accident worthy of any mention which ever happened in Owego occurred March 26, 1846. There was a great flood in Owego creek, and all the low land between the two bridges in Canawana was over- flowed. At four o'clock in the morning, the mail coach from El- mira containing five passengers was coming into Owego. It passed over the creek bridge and entered the swift current, which was flowing over the highway. The water at once swept away both coaches and horses. Four of the occupants and one horse were drowned. The lost men were Thomas Bowen, the driver. of Mount Upton, Chenango county ; Truman F. Rose, of Exeter, Otsego county ; a Mr. Conklin, of Ulster Pa., and Isaac Williams, a colored man, of Elmira. All were young men under twenty- five years of age.

"Thus the first fifty years of this century was a period in which were made three marked advances in the mail service : first, from the irregular and chance service to one at intervals of two weeks ; second, a mail twice each week, and improving to a daily deliv-

PIONEERS AND PIONEER LIFE.

ery ; third, the present service by railroad, beginning in 1849." (Warner).

War of 1812-15 .- Returning briefly to the early years of the present century, the fact may be noted that during the first de- cade this region acquired its greatest comparative growth in pop- ulation, and with this came power to sustain its people during peril. Hence when the first murmurings of another war with Great Britain were heard, this part of the state was well prepared to endure it's hardships and its taxation. And while the part borne by Tioga county in that conflict is worthy of special men- tion, the entire absence of reliable data precludes the possibility of a record of the county's contribution of troops for the service.

In one respect at least the people of this locality were favored during the course of the war of 1812-15. It was that they had not to defend their homes against the hostile Indians, and in the war-like preparations which were made in Tioga county, no force was required to protect the rapidly increasing settlements.

During the five years immediately preceding the war of 1812, the whole country was in a state of nominal peace, but still there was gathering in the political horizon a dark cloud which in- creased until it boded another foreign war. During the revolu- tion America contended for independence and won that precious boon ; in 1812 she fought to maintain that independence, on which British aggression had insolently trespassed.

The United States had always honorably observed the provisions of the treaty made with Great Britain at the close of the revolu- tion. There had been maintained, too, a strict neutrality during the progress of the Napoleonic war, when every consideration of gratitude should have induced an alliance against the mother country. For several years the aggressive acts of the British had been a subject of anxiety and regret to all Americans, and indeed had created bitter indignation. The embargo laid by congress upon our shipping (as a means of safety) was found so injurious to commercial interests that it was repealed, and the non-inter- course act was passed in its stead. In April, 1809, the British ambassador in Washington opened negotiations for the adjust- ment of existing difficulties, and consented to a withdrawal of the

OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

obnoxious "orders in council," so far as they affected the United States, on condition that the non-intercourse act be repealed. This was agreed upon, and the president issued a proclamation an- nouncing that on the 10th of June, trade with Great Britain might be resumed. The British government, however, refused to ratify the proceedings, whereupon the president revoked his proclama- tion, and the non-intercourse act again went into effect. The most odious of all the British aggressions was the claim made of "right to search," in pursuance of which British cruisers stopped Ameri- can vessels on the ocean and seized such of their crews as were suspected to be subjects of the king, and pressed them into their own service. This claim led to outrages to which no American could submit, and the only choice left to the nation was war or disgraceful humiliation.

June 12, 1812, President Madison sent a confidential message to congress, in which he recapitulated the long list of British aggres- sions and declared it the duty of congress to consider whether the American people should longer passively submit ; but at the same time he cautioned the house to avoid entanglements with other powers that were hostile to Great Britain.

The result of the message and the deliberation of congress was a formal declaration of war on June 19, 1812, but the measure was not unanimously sustained in all parts of the Middle and New England States. The opponents held that the country was not prepared for war, and asked for further negotiations. They also met the denunciations of the ruling party against the British with bitter attacks upon Napoleon, whom they accused the majority with favoring. The war party was led by Henry Clay and the opposition by John Randolph, both men of ability, and in fact the two giants of congress at the time. In Tioga each party had strong representatives, with the so-called "screaming war-hawks" in the majority, while the "peace party " comprised an influential minority of the people.

A detail of the events of the war is not needed in these pages. The results of the struggle are written in the conflicts of Lake Erie, the repulse of the invaders on the Delaware, the painful and humiliating scenes of the Chesapeake, the invasion of New York,

THIE GREAT CIVIL WAR.

and the attempt to control the Hudson river and Lake Champlain. The story is further told in the brilliant victory at Plattsburg, the capture of Niagara and Oswego, the battles at Black Rock, Lundy's Lane, and Sackett's Harbor, closing with the glorious defence at New Orleans. Above all were the masterly exploits of our navy, whose victories over the British cruisers gave the enemy the most serious and convincing view of American prowess. Peace, how- ever, came at last and the treaty was ratified February 15, 1815.

The outbreak of the war of 1812 awoke a strong impulse of pa- triotic sentiment throughout this county, for many of the settlers had seen service in the revolution, and their sons were now en- rolled in the militia. The same martial spirit which came with the pioneers was manifested in later years, on the grand old days of "general training," when the farmer, the mechanic, and the merchant abandoned toil and hied away to the muster for a season of jollification as well as for military discipline.

In February, 1812, in view of approaching war, congress passed a law to organize an army of 25,000 men, and soon afterward Daniel D. Tompkins, governor of this state, addressed the legis- lature advising full preparation for the contest. In April following 100,000 of the nation's enrolled militia were called upon to organ ize for service, the quota of New York being 13,500 men, who were organized in two divisions and eight brigades. The services of the militia from this locality were important in character, though not necessarily severe, chiefly guarding the frontier, not only against invasion, but as well to prevent smuggling, a practice which often impaired our national revenue.

CHAPTER X.

TIOGA COUNTY IN THE WAR OF 1861-65.

W HEN on that eventful morning in April, 1861, Moultrie's gun's proclaimed "civil war," the sons of Tioga county, breathing a spirit of patriotism as pure as the air of the grand hills around them, rushed to the nation's capital to uphold the

OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

honor of the flag and preserve intact the republic. It was not with them a question what battles were to be fought, what graves filled, or what altars shivered ; but, donning the blue, they vowed, no matter what the cost, that the spirit of secession should find an eternal grave and gasp its last amid shrieking shell and hissing bullet. Loyal men only knew that they were needed, and they hastened to respond ; they exchanged the rippling music of the mountain stream for the thunder of the deep-mouthed cannon and the deafening musketry volley ; they went out from the roof- tree of home to camp on southern soil, to stand guard in the piti- less night beneath the sorrowing stars ; they went out to be shot to death, if need be ; to be fired at by a concealed foe ; to struggle in delirium in hospital, or starve or shiver in loathsome pens with stones for pillows and vermin for companions, that the flag might be preserved unsullied.

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Our county and its people : a memorial history of Tioga County, New York, Part 10

Author: Kingman, Leroy W., ed Publication date: 1900 Publisher: Elmira, N. Y. : W. A. Fergusson and Company Number of Pages: 932

Author: Kingman, Leroy W., ed
Publication date: 1900
Publisher: Elmira, N. Y. : W. A. Fergusson and Company
Number of Pages: 932