USA > New York > Tioga County > Our county and its people : a memorial history of Tioga County, New York > Part 38
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After the wing was built, the library was added. It now con- tains 530 volumes, and is worth $600. The district includes nearly all the corporation, and extends west to the town line. In fact a branch school is maintained in the western division, between Spencer and Van Etten. Six teachers are annually employed, one of the number being in the branch school. In all 300 pupils are on the roll. The personnel of the present board of education is as fol- lows : Isaac S. Stanclift, president; Dempster N. Guinnip, secretary; and Marvin D. Fisher, Alfred S. Emmons, Charles E. Bradley and Daniel C. Brooks.
Spencer Lodge, No. 290, F. & A. M., was chartered September 13, 1853, with these members : George W. Hathaway, John Vose, Elijah Daimon, Samuel Bliven, Elihu Butts, James Van Etten,
TOWN OF SPENCER. 391
Benj. Sniffin, Milton Hugg, George K. Hall, and Ira Pew. The present members number about 55 persons. The masters, with year of election, have been as follows :
1853-George W. Hathaway. 1872-C. A. Murray. 1883-Ira M. Howell.
1855-George Fisher. 1873-Ira M. Howell. 1884-Seymour Seely.
1856-Isaac S. Stanclift.
1875-C. A. Murray. 1886-Charles Riker.
1863-Henry Mowers. 1876-Isaac S. Stanclift. 1888-Jacob S. Dresser.
1864-Isaac S Stanclift. 1879-David L. Snook. 1890-M. P. Howell.
1866-C. A. Murray.
1880-I. W. Martin. 1892-Thos. C. Washburn.
1871-John Q. Shepard. 1881-Seymour Seely. 1895-Sylvenus J. Vose.
Owasco Lodge, No. 697, I. O. O. F., was organized April 19, 1894, with sixty charter members. The past grands have been Christopher J. Evlyn, Lucius E. Emmons, Dr. M. A. Dumond, and John W. Vorhis.
The Farmers' and Merchants' Bank of Spencer was incorporated February 20, 1884, with a capital of $25,000. The originators of the enterprise were Charles P. Masterson, who is now president of the Pacific National Bank of Tacoma, Wash., and Marvin D. Fisher and Thomas Brock. The first president was Mr. Fisher, with Mr. Masterson as cashier, but at the end of a year the cashier left Spencer and was succeeded by Marvin D. Fisher, who has held that position to the present time, although the assistant cashier, Myron B. Ferris, has had charge of the business management of the bank since Mr. Masterson resigned. At the end of the first year Mr. Fisher resigned the presidency and was succeeded by Thomas Brock, who is now president. The present directors are Thomas Brock, Marvin D. Fisher, Myron B. Ferris, B. F. Lewis, and Charles E. Butts.
On the preceding pages we have mentioned the business inter- ests and other institutions of Spencer, past and present. The con- dition of things is to-day much as it was ten and even twenty years ago, but the village has shown in that time a slow and not material growth. But in the course of events it became neces- sary to incorporate, and while the measure met with opposition, a good majority pronounced in its favor. At that time (1886) the village population was 1,000, and within the corporate boundaries, as run by Loring W. Hull, were 680 acres of land.
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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
As is well known the geographical situation of Spencer is pecu- liar, and suggests to the visiting stranger the first lines in the old latin reader : "Omnes Gallia in tres partis est dividitur," with " Spenceria " substituted for " Gallia," with the interpretation " All Spencer is divided into three parts." This appears to be the case, for we have the "Corners," "Bradleytown," and "Seelyville," each an independent settlement, yet all within the same corporate bounds. The corners is the largest and first in importance and contains the mammoth store and stock of M. D. Fisher & Sons ; the large store of Alfred S. Emmons ; the stores of Isaac S. Stan- clift, Silvenes Shepard, David A. Nichols, LaGrand Shepard, and L. E. Emmons, the bank, and other mercantile interests incident to a well-settled village. Bradleytown is in the north and resi- dence portion of the village, and its largest interest is the store of Charles E. Bradley. The drug store here is kept by Charles J. Fisher. Seelyville owes its being to the work begun by John A. Nichols, and carried to successful end by S. Alfred and Seymour Seely. Taken altogether no village in this part of the state, even of three times greater population than Spencer, can boast of four such mercantile enterprises as those conducted by M. D. Fisher & Sons, Alfred S. Emmons. Charles E. Bradley and S. Alfred Seely.
At the first village election, held July 24, 1886, Alfred S. Em- mons was elected president ; Loring W. Hull, Seymour Seely and C. N. Day, trustees ; Myron B. Ferris, treasurer (and continued in office to this date), and Laton N. Hedges, collector.
The village presidents, in succession, have been as follows : 1886 -87, Alfred S. Emmons ; 1888, William H. Fisher ; 1889, S. Alfred Seely ; 1891, Charles E. Bradley ; 1892, Myron P. Howell, and W. R. Swartout to fill vavancy ; 1893-94, Marvin D. Fisher ; 1895-96, Dempster N. Guinnip.
The town hall in the village was built in 1885, at the expense of the town at large, and cost $1,500.
The present village fire department was established in 1890, when the trustees voted $150 to purchase a hose cart. In 1896, the sum of $500 was appropriated to purchase a chemical engine, and on the 11th of August following Spencer Chemical Company, No. 1, was incorporated.
393
TOWN OF SPENCER.
The Baptist church of Spencer dates back in its history to the year 1798, when Rev. Phineas Spaulding settled in the town and as- sembled the people in informal religious meeting. He preached the first formal sermon in 1799, but it was not until February 11, 1810. that a society was organized with fifteen constituent members. The early meetings were held at North Spencer. The second Baptist church of Spencer was formed in 1823, with a place of meeting at Baptist Corners ; whereupon the old church moved to Danby. The new organization then took the name of Baptist church of Spen- cer. In 1830 another separation took place, and the Spencer Val- ley Baptist church was organized. In 1835 a reunion was effected and the meeting house at Baptist Corners was built. In 1854 the society removed to the village and erected the large church edifice. The present members number 307. The pastors and supplies of the church in succession have been as follows : Phineas Spaulding, 1810 : Calvin Philleo, missionary : Caleb Nelson. nine years : Mark Dearborn, 1833-37 ; John Wilder. 1838-40 ; Phineas Taylor, 1840- 44 ; C. A. Fox, 1844-48 ; Elisha Kimball. 1849-50 : D. W. Littlefield, three months ; W. H. Spencer, 1854-57 ; G. W. Huntley, 1857-66 : H. R. Dakin, 1869; C. A. Votey, 1870; B. B. Gibbs. 1871-74 : J. Nichols. 1875-82 ; H. W. Barnes. 1882-86: D. B. Grant, 1886-87 : G. M. Whittemore. May. 1887, and continued to the present time. Other licentiates and supplies who filled the pulpit here were Benj. Oviat, Wm. Spaulding. James Lewis, and Abraham Cowell.
The First Presbyterian church of Spencer was organized as a Congregational society. November 23, 1515, by those earnest pio- neer missionary workers. Revs. Parker. Wisner, and Seth Willis- ton. It is believed the " plan of union" was adopted at the or- ganization, for tradition says that after a time the church became Presbyterian, then returned to Congregational form of government, but at length permanently adopted Presbyterianism. The early meetings were held frequently at North Spencer, and also in the court house in the village, and occasionally in the woods or in barns. In 1826 Rev. G. K. Clark became pastor, and in 1827 the church edifice was begun. and was dedicated in 1828. The old structure still stands, though by frequent repairs it has lost much of its original appearance. The most radical changes were made
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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
in 1882 through the generosity of friends of the church, pioneer Spencer families. The original edifice was built by Thomas Pert, and cost him all his worldly possessions. The church now has 148 communicants. The pastors have been as follows : Revs. Gardner K. Clark, 1826-30; Mr. Perry and Mr. Headly, time unknown ; Gardner K. Clark, 1838-47; M. R. Cushman, 1849 ; F. Lilly, 1850- 52 ; Milton Waldo, D. D., 1853 ; John Campbell, 1853 ; C. W. Hig- gins, 1855-58 ; Corbin Kidder, 1858-62 ; E. Scoville, 1863 ; Stephen Vorliis, 1865-76 ; R. J. Beattie, 1876-78 ; H. C. Hazen, 1878-79 ; Stephen Vorhis, 1880-83 ; James Umberger, 1883-85 ; Charles An- derson, 1885 ; Albert Livermore, 1885, the present pastor.
The Methodist Episcopal church of Spencer was organized in the year 1809, with six original members, and for many years, indeed until within a quite recent period, it has been a part of a circuit or station in connection with another church. The early meetings were held in private dwellings, school-houses and other convenient places and it was not until 1828 that a church home was provided. The old edifice yet stands, in good condition, and is to-day an or- nament to the village. The entire church property is estimated to be worth $5,800. In this church, and the Halsey Valley charge, which is a station with it, are 200 members. Both are under the same pastorate. The greatest difficulty has attended all efforts to secure a complete succession of the pastors, and the attempt re- sulted in failure through imperfect records. However, it is known that the first pastor was Rev. Morgan Ruger, but from that time down to 1841, there is no church record whatever. Since that year, as near as can be ascertained, the pastors of the church have been as follows : 1841, A. G. Burlingame ; 1842-43, B. D. Sniffin and Asa Brooks ; 1843-44, Jno. Griffing and Seneca Howland ; 1847-48, Jasper Hewitt ; 1855, J. K. Peck ; 1856, C. W. Judd ; 1857, F. Burgess ; 1858-59, King Elwell; 1860, L. Cole; 1861, G. S. Stevens ; 1862-63, C. W. Todd ; 1864, W. P. Abbott ; 1865-66, Almus D. Alexander ; 1867, P. Krohn ; 1868, Dr. Round; 1869, W. N. Cooley and Wm. B. Kinney ; 1870-72, C. S. Alexander ; 1873, J. F. Williams and J. S. Wells ; 1874-75, James Ryder ; 1878, R. Varcoe ; 1880, D. F. Waddell ; 1883, I. N. Shipman ; 1885, D. W. Sweetland ; 1887, C. H. Basferd ; 1888, L. B. Howard ;
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TOWN OF NEWARK VALLEY.
1891, I. B. Wilson ; April, 1896, J. B. Davis, the present pastor. St. John's Mission, Protestant Episcopal church, at Spencer vil- lage, was organized in 1888, or '89. In the parish are fifteen com- municating members and regular service is held in the town hall, conducted by the rector of the church at Van Ettenville. A lot for a church edifice has been secured, and a considerable sum of money has been pledged for a church home.
CHAPTER XXIII.
THE TOWN OF NEWARK VALLEY.
M ORE than a century ago, in the year 1790, a party of sur- veyors and explorers visited the southern portion of Mont- gomery county, and directed their investigations particu- larly into the character and quality of the land then recently ceded by the state of New York to the commonwealth of Massachusetts, the tract being the same always designated in public records and documents as the Boston Purchase, and also as the Boston Ten Townships.
In this party was Elisha Wilson, of Stockbridge, Mass., but in just what capacity he came with the surveyors is not known. However, on his return to Stockbridge in the fall of that year, young Wilson went at once to proprietor Elisha Blin and pur- chased from him lot No. 184, on which in April, 1791, he made the first settlement within the limits of the present town of New- ark Valley.
The story of the journey of Elisha Wilson and his companions from old Stockbridge to this region is an oft told tale, yet is never without interest. The party of adventurous pioneers comprised Elisha Wilson, as guide as well as prospective settler, Isaac and
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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
Abraham Brown, Daniel Ball, John Carpenter, and two others named Dean and Norton, both of whom left the party at Choco- nut and there made a settlement. All left Stockbridge February 23, 1791, and after a journey covering a period of just thirty-seven days, reached their destination on April 1, 1791, and on that day founded what was for many years known in local annals as Brown's Settlement, but in later years as old town of Berkshire, and still later the towns of Berkshire, Newark Valley, and Rich- ford. In the course of their journey the party was compelled to leave a part of their goods at Oquaga, and after they had arrived at and established the settlement all the pioneers except young Wilson returned to Oquaga for the needed supplies. In their ab- sence Mr. Wilson tapped the maples and made 150 pounds of sugar.
Of these original settlers and pioneers Elisha Wilson, Abraham Brown and John Carpenter were residents in the territory after- ward a part of this town, and are therefore entitled to first men- tion in this chapter.
Elisha Wilson was the eldest of the children of Elijah and Mary (Curtis) Wilson, and was born at Stockbridge, Aug. 13, 1767, hence at the time he made the first improvement here he was less than 24 years old. His log cabin was thatched with bark and stood on lot 184 near the bank of the creek. While his companions cleared land for wheat Wilson prepared his ground for corn and vegetables, for whatever he did in the way of clearing was done without help from the others. However, in the course of time the farm was well cleared and was known as one of the best in the settlement. Mr. Wilson married with Electa Slosson, by whom he had four children : Elijah, Mary, Susan Maria, and Charles Frederick Wil- son, all natives of Tioga county. Mr. Wilson died Nov. 11, 1857, aged a little more than 90 years.
Abraham Brown, one of the original pioneers, was also a mem- ber of the surveying and exploring party of 1790, hence had some knowledge of the country hereabouts previous to his settlement in 1791. He was the son of Capt. Abraham and Beulah Brown, and the nephew of Samuel Brown, the head of the proprietary of the Boston purchase. Abraham's beginning was made on lot 257,
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TOWN OF NEWARK VALLEY.
which was his mother's land, and was in the north part of the town, the old pioneer Congregational church standing on a part of the tract. Later on his mother came to the town after which Abra- ham lived with her for he had no family. He died September 19, 1828.
John Carpenter, of the pioneer party, came in the capacity of employee of the Browns and assisted them in making their im- provements. He returned to Stockbridge every winter, and there about the first of January, 1797, he married. A few weeks later he started for the settlement, where he arrived in good season and was living with Ezbon Slosson's family. April 10, Isaac Brown died, upon which Carpenter at once proposed to take and work the Brown farm, but three days later Carpenter himself died and was buried in the settlement graveyard by the side of Mr. Brown. His death, April 13, 1797, was the first in Newark Valley and the second in the settlement.
Ezbon Slosson, whose name has been connected with many early events of history in this town by reason of the fact that his purchase included at least a part of the village tract, came to the settlement in the early spring of 1792, with the pioneers of the previous year who had returned to Stockbridge for the winter. Mr. Slosson made an improvement on lot 138, then went back home for the winter, and came again in 1793, this time bringing his wife and daughter and also his parents to the settlement. Ezbon Slosson's first house was nearly carried away by high water in the fall of 1795, whereupon he built another on the site of the old lecture room of the Congregational church. In 1806 he built the first framed house in Newark Valley, and in later years he kept a public house and a store, and also had a distillery. Mr. Slosson died June 2, 1838, and his wife died Feb. 12, 1853. Their children were Caroline, Sarah, William, Franklin and Semantha Slosson.
Enoch Slosson and family came with his son, Ezbon, to the set- tlement in March, 1793, but the neighbors at that time were far apart, for Enoch's wife and daughter saw no other female until September following, when Dr. Tinkham's wife came up from Owego and visited them. On the roll of members of the Newark Valley Congregational church the name of Mrs. Enoch Slosson
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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
stands first among the admissions. She died March 10, 1819, and he died Feb. 21, 1827, in his 94th year. Their nine children were Mabel, Lucinda, Sarah, Electa, Ezbon, Electa (the first so named having died), Jerusha, Ruth and Enos Slosson.
Asa Bement, one of the sixty proprietors of the Boston pur- chase, first came to the settlement in the summer of 1792, with the Slosson families, but returned east in the fall. The next spring he came again, worked during the summer, went east in the fall, and the next spring (1794) returned with his family. His first im- provement was made on lot 177, which was drawn by him in the "grand division," as history has recorded it. Pioneer Bement was a blacksmith as well as farmer, and was a very useful man in the settlement ; and his old home farm, although he died many years ago, has always been regarded as one of the pleasantest places in the town. Asa Bement died April 21, 1847. He was twice mar- ried and had nine children, viz: Parthenia, Betsey, Frances, Abigail, William B., Emily, Mary, Frederick B., and Jane Bement, the latter by his second marriage.
Peter Wilson, brother to Elisha Wilson, the pioneer, came to the settlement in the spring of 1793 and located on lot 217, west of the creek. He died April 28, 1845. His children were Phebe, Eliza A. (died in infancy), Eliza A., Laura, William, and Mary Elizabeth Wilson.
Abraham W. Johnson, who was a laborer when he first came to the settlement, in 1794, married with Mabel Slosson, daughter of Enoch Slosson. He is well remembered among the early settlers.
Levi Bailey, who was a hatter by trade, and as well a farmer, came in 1795, and brought his family in the next year. He lived in various places on the village site, but about 1814 or '15 removed to Ohio.
Beulah Brown was the widow of Captain Abraham Brown, an officer of the revolution, who died of small pox January 8, 1777. The widow Brown was one of the proprietors of the Boston pur- chase, and came to the settlement in February, 1796, with her sons John, Joseph, and Lemuel, and took up her home on lot 257. Her children were John and Isaac, both of whom settled in Berk-
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TOWN OF NEWARK VALLEY.
shire ; Abraham and Joseph, who lived in this town, and Lemuel, who in later years became identified with the history of Owego village.
William S. Lawrence came from Canaan, Conn., in 1796, but met an accidental death in the summer of 1797, his team running away and he being thrown violently against a pile of logs. His widow afterward remarried and moved to Canada. She drowned herself, and three of her children were also suicides.
Abel Lawrence, brother of William S., also came from Canaan, Conn., in 1796, and settled on lot 58 where he was a farmer. He was twice married and had a large family of fourteen children, three by his first and eleven by his second marriage. Mr. Law- rence died July 26, 1835.
Solomon Williams was another of the settlers of 1796, and was related to a number of the prominent families of still earlier settle- ment in the town. For a time he lived with his brother-in-law, Ezbon Slosson, but later in a house in Whig street, where both he and his wife died. In this family were nine children : Elisha, George, James, Nancy, Sabrina, William H., Robert, Sarah, and Mary Elizabeth Williams.
Joseph Hosford was an old soldier of the revolution, and was an- other addition to the settlement in 1796 ; and he too was related to the old families of the region, the Williamses, the Slossons, and the Browns. Hosford street was named in allusion to this pioneer. In later years Mr. Hosford removed to Livingston county, and died there in 1843. Joseph Hosford, who lived several years in Newark Valley and died there in May, 1806, was the father of Joseph Hosford, first mentioned.
Michael, Laban, and Elisha Jenks were brothers, and were also early settlers in the northwest part of the town, where they built up and founded the little hamlet called Jenksville. However, the settlement there was named directly for Michael Jenks, who in the early history of the locality was a prominent person. All came from Massachusetts in or about the year 1797. Michael built a saw mill at Jenksville and carried on an extensive lumber business until on one occasion he rafted a quantity of lumber to market, sold it and received pay, then suddenly disappeared and was never heard from
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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
afterward. He left two sons, Otis and Michael Jenks. The Jenks saw mill was built in 1803, and the grist mill in 1814.
Jonas Muzzy, Thomas Baird, and Captain Scott were also among the first settlers in the northwest part of the town, and came there probably with the Jenkses about or in the year 1797. Muzzy lived for a time with Michael Jenks, but soon went over to the settle- ment and worked for Elisha Wilson as farm hand and also as miller. He married in the town and had a large family of eleven children. Mr. Muzzy died Dec. 17, 1864. The stream called Muzzy Brook was named for him.
Uriah Simons, Thomas Thayer, John Freeman, Barney Freeman (son of John), and a Mr. Fellows settled in the town, some of them in Brown's settlement and others outside its limits as regarded by the pioneers, in the year 1797, as near as can be determined from early records. Mr. Freeman was one of the early town officers and undoubtedly a man of influence. He removed to Tompkins county soon after 1800. He had four children. Mr. Simons wasa substantial farmer and had a family of nine children. Mr. Thayer lived in the settlenient but a short time. He was a millwright and helped to build the grist mill in the town.
David S. Farrand and Benjamin Sparrow are believed to have settled in the town as early as 1798, and to have comprised the contingent of settlers of that year. Both were good men in the settlement, but neither was specially active in public affairs. It was at the house of Benjamin Sparrow that Dr. Tinkham died, as is narrated in the medical chapter.
In 1798 Abraham Brown was patlımaster for the sixteenth road district of the town of Union, which district included all of the present towns of Berkshire and Newark Valley ; and in the per- formance of his duties it was necessary for him to keep an accur- ate list of the inhabitants of his district who were liable to assess- ment for highway work. This list has been brought to light through the research of the late Dr. D. Williams Patterson, of this town, and is reproduced here by reason of its historic interest and value, as every taxable inhabitant of the towns for the year 1798 is believed to be mentioned therein.
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TOWN OF NEWARK VALLEY.
Ball, Daniel
Farrand, David S.
Lawrence, Abel
Ball, Josiah
Gleazen, Daniel
Olney, Benj.
Ball, Stephen
Gleazen, Jesse
Olney, Zelotes
Ball, William
Gleazen, Caleb
Seeley, Josiah
Brown, Abraham
Gleazen, Joseph, Jr.
Sparrow, Benj.
Bement, Asa
Howe, Josiah
Simons, Urialı
Brown, John
Ilovey, Azel
Slosson, Ezbon
Bailey, Levi
Harris, Josiah
Slosson, Enoch
Cook, Ephraim
Hosford, Joseph
Thayer, Thomas
Cook, Ebenezer
Johnson, Abraham
Wilson, Elisha
Campbell, Jeremiah
Jenks, Michael
Wilson, Peter
Freeman, John
Leonard, Asa
Williams, Solomon
Freeman, Barney
Lawrence, Consider
From the list it will be seen that thirty-eight heads of families were settled in the towns now Berkshire and Newark Valley in the year 1798. This number probably represented about one-third of the voting population of the territory, and, as the families averaged, about one-eighth of the entire population. Indeed these New Englanders were energetic in the work of settling the region, for the valley of Owego creek was far more fertile and productive, and more easily tilled, than the rugged hill lands of the east. Therefore when settlement was once fairly begun it increased rap- idly ; one led to another, and in the early years of the century the tide of travel from the east to the Boston purchase was indeed wonderful, and seriously reduced the population of Massachusetts and Connecticut, whence came the major portion of the first set- tlers in this county. But, to return to the record, we may further recall individual settlement, though but briefly, as after 1800 set- tlement soon became lost in the rapid growth of the town.
Henry Moore settled on lot 178, in 1799, and in the same year his daughter Thersey taught school in Asa Bement's barn. Timothy Williams was the advance settler of his father's family, and came to the region in 1800, taking up lodgings with Ezbon Slosson. He married in the town, later on removed to Ontario county, thence to Michigan, where he died. Lyman Rawson came in 1800 and lived on the farm known for many years as the Deacon Curtis place. Rawson had a distillery, and his product was much more sought, and was far better in quality, than are such wares at this time in this town. Lemuel Blackman was a member of the Raw-
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