USA > New York > Tioga County > Owego > Owego. Some account of the early settlement of the village in Tioga County, N.Y., called Ah-wa-ga by the Indians, which name was corrupted by gradual evolution into Owago, Owego, Owegy and finally Owego > Part 21
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This was doubtless the Fitch mill.
The Pixley mill stood on the west bank of the Owego creek, ncar the Indian spring, and about forty rods above the present Main street bridge. It was built of logs. To get to it from the village it was necessary to ford the creek. The old mill stood
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close under the bank, and the tail race ran close at the base of Vesper cliff. The entire course of the creek has been changed by the floods of many years, and in some places where the old stream ran are now stones, grass, and weeds. Until a few years ago remains of the flume could- be seen, some of the timbers sticking out of the bank, showing where they had been cut and joined together. The old flume was just east of the Indian spring.
This spring was a peculiar one, and was one which was resorted to by the Indians. The water never freezes and preserves the same temperature all the year round. It still contains water, but is in a neglected condi- tion, used only for the watering of cattle. Before the springs were made dry by the clearing away of the woods, the water from this spring used to flow down to the south side of the old dam into the creek, or what was known as the old race. The water in the spring is very cold.
On the high ground south of the spring have been found many arrow heads, hatchets, etc., from which it is inferred that the Indians were accus- tomed to camp there. From the mill the road extended west up a slight rise of ground to Col. Pixley's house, known for many years as the Pixley tavern, which house still stands there -the only one of the old houses now remaining in the town of Tioga.
This house was built by Col. Pixley in 1791. The course of the old road from the mill to the house may still be seen. It has been for many years only a cow path. The bed of an old creek runs along the road on the north
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side. This creek has been dry for many years. It rises from springs in the woods north of Glenmary on the old Ephraim Leach property. The Pixley mill was washed away by high water in 1824 or 1825.
There was another grist mill at an early day further down the Owego creek. In September, 1801, when Thomas Matson, Jr., purchased of various owners a large amount of land on both sides of the creek north and south of where Main street now ex- tends, a saw mill and grist mill are mentioned in two of the deeds from Col. Pixley and Ashbel Wells to Mat- son as being on the east side of the creek and "standing in the meadow, near the mouth of the Owego creck, formerly held in joint ownership with James McMaster."
Thomas Matson, Jr., came to Owego from Simsbury, Conn. He had three sons, William, George, and Reuben Matson. A daughter, Rachel Matson, married Daniel Goodale and lived in East Hartford, Conn. Another daugh- ter, Ruth Matson, married James Buck, of the town of Chatham, Middle- sex county, Conn. Still another daugh- ter, Fanny Matson, died at Owego May 4, 1811.
Thomas Matson, Jr., built a grist mill in Canawana. It stood about half way between the Owego creek and the present hydraulic canal, or race, which supplies the electric light works with water power. It stood on the south side of the street now known as Main street, but then known as "the lake road."
Col. Win. Ransom, of Tioga Centre, once informed the writer that the Mat- son mill was built when he was five or
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six years of age. As Col. Ransom was born in 1801, the date must have been 1806 or 1807. The mill was built of hewed logs and had but one run of stone. It was one story high and open to the roof, with no loft. An iron screen was suspended above the hop- per and the miller went up on a lad- der and poured wheat in, to screen it.
Traces of the old race which sup- plied the mill with water can still be seen, although almost obliterated by the floods of many years, and where it crossed the street the highway was filled in and raised several years ago. After the property was sold to Charles Frederick and Robert Charles John- son, in the spring of 1833, the mill was converted into a plaster mill and it was burned in March, 1838. The plaster mill was afterward rebuilt.
When the Matsons came here they bought about 400 acres of land on the west side of the Owego creek and lived thereon in log houses. As they accumulated money they tore down these houses and built better ones. framed from sawed lumber. George Matson lived west of the Owego creek where the Meadowbank farm house stands, which house was for many years the residence of Charles Frede- rick Johnson. Reuben Matson lived on the north side of the road. His house stood near the highway and was just west of the present gate to the en- trance of the "Vesper Cliff" grounds. The house was afterward moved back and was made a part of the large house built on the place by Robert Charles Johnson. Wm. Matson lived west of his brother, Reuben's, house, in the farm house which still stands there.
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West of the Matson grist mill was a pond known as Matson's pond, which extended nearly to the creek. It was crossed by a wooden bridge, sixty or seventy feet long. This pond was sub- sequently filled with earth by the Johnsons.
When the hill west of the creek was cut through to extend Main street west up the hill into the town of Tioga, to make the ascent easier, a large quantity of human bones was dug up. This part of an Indian bury- dug np. This was part of an Indian burying ground. Of this ground Judge Avery says:
"An Indian burying ground extended along the brow of the cliff, on the westerly bank of the Owego creek upon the homestead premises of Messrs. J. Platt and C. F. Johnson. It was a favorite burial place. Mr. Whitaker narrates that upon the death of
Ka-nau-kwis he was brought to this place. Where he died she does not state, but Mrs. Williams recollects to have heard her father [Amos Draper] say that he received his death wound at Tioga Point. His remains must therefore have been transported from that place to this favorite spot of interment, a distance of twenty-one miles. Although many Indian graves have been found upon the site of Owego, no indications have been there exhibited of an appropria- tion so exclusive for Indian burial in its ordinary mode, as the extended brow of this cliff."
Thomas Matson, Jr., died March 12, 1818, aged 73 years. His wife, Abiah Matson, died Dec. 26, 1820, aged 72 years. Their bodies were buried in the Tioga cemetery.
After Thomas Matson's death the property all passed into the hands of the three sons, George, Reuben, and William Matson. In May, 1833, they
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sold all their property on both sides of the Owego creek to Charles Frede- rick Johnson and his cousin, Robert Charles Johnson, and removed to Con- neaut, Ohio.
Robert Charles Johnson was born at Stratford, Conn., and came to Owego Feb. 27, 1830. He was a lawyer and became the law partner of Thomas Farrington. Charles Frederick John- son also came from Stratford. In May, 1833, they purchased of the Mat- son brothers the land between the Owego creek and the present mill race of the electric light company's work on both sides of Main street, and much land on both sides of the same street on the west side of the creek. The Matson mill was afterward con- verted into a plaster mill and con- ducted by Charles Frederick Johnson. The cousins built a larger grist mill on the ground where the electric light company's power house now stands and in the summer of 1833 built the hydraulic canal, seven-eighths of a mile long, to supply it with water power.
The year previous to the building of this canal had been a cold season and the corn crop was killed. Everybody was in a semi-starving condition, and the building of the canal was a God- send to many of the farmers. Two or three hundred of them were employed in digging the ditch and building the dam and mill. Money was paid for the work on the spot. Shauties were erected along the work, in which the men slept, and in some of them their wives cooked their meals. Stables were also erected to house the teams employed on the work.
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Corn was selling at $1.25 a bushel, and the price advanced to about $2. Wheat sold at $2 a bushel. Rice could be bought for 8 and 9 cents a pound and was used largely by the people. on account of the scarcity and high price of grain. Silver change was also scarce, and Robert Charles Johnson and the Trumans issued "shinplaster" currency, which was circulated in making change.
The Johnson cousins built in addi- tion to the grist mill a large sawmill at the foot of the race, near the Sus- quehanna river. This sawmill had four upright saws and three circu- lar saws and was considered then one of the best ones in the state, but it would be looked upon at the present day as a rather old fogy affair. The machinery for the mill was made in New York city and transported to Binghamton by canal, and thence by teams to Owego. This mill was burned.
In the days of the Matsons the country was covered with woods. Every available place along the creeks was selected as a site for a saw mill. No lath was made at that time and the slabs were thrown into the creek, where they floated ashore further down the stream and were gathered by people living there and used for firewood.
The Johnsons contemplated the building up of a manufacturing centre in Canawana, and to that end estab- lished various manufacturing inter- ests there. On the west bank of the canal was a sheepskin tannery con- ducted by Arba Campbell and Thomas 1. Chatfield. This tannery was burned in December, 1860. Another tannery
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was built on the same site. and it was also burned in December. 1879.
On the west bank of the canal. sev- eral rods north of Main street, was an axe factory. There were also a pail and tub factory, which was afterward converted into a wooden match box factory: a shoemaker's last factory. conducted by John Camp and Ezekiel Noble: a clock factory, Tinkham & Blanchard's soap factory, Daniel Ruggs's match factory, John G. Crane's wool and carding mill; Warren Kim- ball's carpet weaving looms, and other industries.
At the corner of Main and Division streets Robert Charles Johnson built a store in the fall of 1838. This store was kept at various times by Frede- rick E. Platt. E. W. Warner, and others. It was afterward converted into a tavern and was burned in 1868. East of this was another store known as the "Indian Spring grocery," which was also burned. Between this store and the canal were two houses occu- pied by the millers and their families, which houses are still standing.
The failure of the manufacturing project was largely owing to the gradual decrease in the water supply, owing to the country being cleared of its woods.
Charles Frederick Johnson lived in the house on his farm in the town of Tioga, known as Meadowbank farn. which house still stands there and is owned by Lewis H. Leonard, who pur- chased the farm of the Johnson heirs in June, 1900.
Charles Frederick Johnson was the seventh in descent from Robert John- son, who was born in Rutlandshire. England, in 1599. He was one of the
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founders of New Haven, Conn., and died there in 1661.
His son, William Johnson, died at Guilford, Conn., in 1702. William's son, Samuel, also died there in 1727.
Samuel's son, also named Samuel, was born at Guilford in 1696 and died at Stratford, Conn., in 1772. He was graduated from Yale college and was afterward president of Kings college in New York city. He was the first Episcopal clergyman ordained in Con- necticut.
Sammel's son, William Samuel John- son, was born at Stratford in 1727 and died there in 1819. He was graduated from Yale college and became a law- ver. He was a member of the Stamp- Act congress of 1765, a member of the Federal convention in 1787 which framed the constitution of the United States. He was United States senator from Connecticut and president of Columbia college in New York city.
His son, Samuel William Johnson, who was the father of Charles Frede- rick Johnson, was born at Stratford Oct. 23, 1761, and died there Oct. 25, 1806. He also was graduated from Yale college and became a lawyer. He was judge of probate, member of the Connecticut legislature, and mem- ber of the governor's council. He married Nov. 27, 1791, Susan, daugh- ter of Pierrepont Edwards.
Charles Frederick Johnson was born at Stratford in 1804. His parents both died when he was an infant and hic was brought up by his grandfather, William Samuel Johnson. After his graduation from Union college he spent three years studying in France. In 1835 he married Sarah Dwight Woolsey,youngest daughter of William
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Walton Woolsey, an old-time merchant of New York city, some account of whom is given in the second volume of "The Old Merchants of New York." by Walter Barrett. Mr. Woolsey was a descendant of Thomas Woolsey, a near relative of the Thomas Woolsey who was better known in history as cardinal Woolsey. She was born . in New York city in 1805 and died in Paris, France, Feb. 24, 1870. Her brother was president Thomas Wool- sey of Yale college. Mrs. Johnson was on a tour through Europe at the time of her death and died of pneumonia.
Mr. Johnson lived at his Tioga home until 1876 when he removed to the home of his daughter, Mrs. Will- iam Bellamy, at Dorchester, Mass .. where he died July 6, 1882. The fathers of both Mr. and Mrs. Johnson owned much land in Tioga county, which was the reason for their con- ing here.
Mr. and Mrs. Johnson were people of refinement and fine culture, and were highly educated. Mr. Johnson remained a student during his entire life, giving most of his attention to - the Latin language and literature. In 1874 he published a metrical transla- tion of the great poem of Lucretius, "De Rerum Natura," which was re- ceived with favor in both America and England. He also possessed marked inventive powers, although he lacked the practical sagacity neces- sary to render new ideas pecuniarily remunerative. He was the inventor of what is known as the atmospheric dock for raising vessels, now in use in every seaport in the world, and of the circular tumbler combination lock. which may be seen on most American
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safes, and of several other inventions, which came into general use after he had abandoned them.
The children of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Frederick Johnson were Charles Fred- erick Johnson, Jr., who has been for several years professor of English lit- erature in Trinity college; William Woolsey Johnson, who is professor of draughting in the United States naval academy at Annapolis, Md .; Anna M. Johnson, who married William Bel- lamy and lives at Dorchester, Mass., and Katharine Bayard Johnson, who died in Paris, France, in February, 1906.
Robert Charles Johnson's father was also named Robert Charles Johnson, and was a brother of Samuel William Johnson, whose father was William Samuel Johnson, president of Colum- bia college. The brothers, Samuel C. and Robert C. Johnson became great speculators in the wild lands of south- ern central New York and in other states, even as far south as North Carolina. One or both of the brothers were in the Watkins and Flint syndi- cate which bought of the state the great track of land, then wholly in Tioga county, called the Watkins and Flint Purchase. This tract was thirty- five miles in length east and west and about eight miles in width.
in the division of the property of the younger Robert Charles Johnson and his cousin, Charles Frederick Johnson, the property of about sixteen acres known as "Vesper Cliff" in the town of Tioga became the home of Robert Charles Johnson, and the next year he became owner of the mill property. He moved the Reuben Mat- son house back on the grounds and
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built the large mansion, which still stands there. The place was known as "Tioga Terrace."
Mr. Johnson sold the property in 1841 to Horace Frizelle, of Horace- town, Pa., for $11,500. Frizelle also bought of R. C. Johnson property on the east side of the creek at the cor- ner of Main and Division streets, 22 feet front by 100 feet deep. on which stood the store.
In November, 1842. Frizelle sold the Tioga property for $5.000 to Jonathan Platt, who, following the example of the poet, N. P. Willis, who had named his home "Glenmary" in honor of his wife, changed the name of his new purchase to "Glenbetsy," in honor of his wife, her name being Betsy.
In March, 1854, Mr. Platt sold the property for $6,500 to Rev. Samuel Hansen Cox, a noted Presbyterian clergyman. who in his old age had come to Owego as pastor of the Pres- byterian church. Mr. Cox changed the name of his new home to "Vesper Cliff," which it has ever since re- tained.
In April, 1859, after Dr. Cox had re- moved to LeRoy, Genesee county, he sold the property for $7,000 to Capt. John B. Sardy, of Brooklyn, who had become wealthy in the business of importing guano from South America. Capt. Sardy and his family occupied the property as their summer home eight years. In Nov., 1867, he sold the property for $12,000 to Thomas C. Platt, who in April, 1869, sold it for the same amount to Samuel S. Wat- son, of Newark Valley. Mr. Watson subsequently failed in business and in February, 1883, the property passed into the possession of John Hardman,
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he purchasing it at referee's sale for $4,000.
While Mr. Watson owned the prop- erty the cliff was practically ruined and the vahie of the property perma- nently impaired by the cutting of a road along the side of the cliff, for the purpose of obtaining easy access to a sand bank.
Robert Charles Johnson was born at Stratford, Conn., June 6, 1806. He married Mary Eliza Pumpelly, daugh- ter of James Pumpelly. He removed in 1851 to Westfield, Chautauqua county, N. Y., where he purchased a farm at Long Point on Chautauqua lake, on which he built a magnificent resi- dence, commanding a beautiful view of the lake, which residence was the pride of the town for years. The house was elegantly furnished and the Johnsons were lavish in enter- taining their friends. Johnson's friends, however, were convivial spirits and he gradually become dis- sipated, and to such an extent that his wife left him and obtained a di- vorce from him, afterward becoming the wife of William H. Platt.
In the division of the family prop- erty, following the divorce, Johnson came into possession of the Long Point residence. Here, freed from the restraints of marriage, he gave himself up to a life of revelling. His fortune rapidly dwindled, and after a time he was thrown on his own re- sources. He went to Washington, where he obtained an appointment as inspector of timber for the Norfolk navy yard. He was afterward trans- ferred to the treasury department, where he remained until 1881, when
.
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he returned to Jamestown, N. Y., where he lived quietly on an annunity furnished by a nephew, who was in Paris. In December, 1885, when he was so years of age, he was injured by a fall down stairs, from the effects of which he died June 10, 1886.
Thomas M. Nichols purchased the sawmill at the foot of the race in 1839 and the grist mill two or three years afterward. In company with Francis A. Bliss he conducted the mills from 1848 to his death in May, 187S. In January, 1885, William E. Dorwin pur- chased the property and afterward, in company with George L. Rich and James T. Stone, supplied the mill with new machinery at a cost of about $25,000. The mill was burned March 19, 1889, and was not rebuilt.
On the north side of Main strect, extending from William street to the mill race is a row of sycamore and elm trees. These trees were set out by direction of James Pumpelly in 1827 and were placed sixteen feet apart, on which to build a fence. The sycamores have nearly all died, but the elms are still standing, which shows that the elm is the best tree to plant for permanence as a shade tree in a village.
The young elm trees were taken from the island in the Owego creek. There was an insufficient number of elms,and when the supply of elms was exhausted sycamores were used. The trees were planted by Deacon Perry, a blacksmith, who lived in a house in Main street where the convent of St .- Patrick's church now stands. His shop was also in Main street and oc- cupied the spot on which the second house east of the Baptist church now
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stands. Eldridge Forsyth, who was then a boy of fifteen years of age and worked for Mr. Pumpelly, assisted Deacon Perry in the work of obtaining and planting the trees.
The Indian Trails at Owego, Which Were Used as Public Roads by the First White Settlers and until High- ways Were Regularly Laid Out- The Streets as Established by the Village Trustees.
When the soldiers of Clinton's and Sullivan's armies passed down the Susquehanna through where the vil- lage of Owego is now the land was all covered with pine, hemlock, and other trees. It was all woods except a natural clearing on the flat east of the Owego creek. There were no roads whatever; nothing but Indian trails. When the first white settlers came here in 1785 from Montgomery county the Indian trail was the only feasible path for the whole distance. Judge Avery says:
"It generally ran along the bank, near the river, but from the Round IIill at Nanticoke, it left the river and did not strike it again until near the farm of the late Col. Camp at Camp- ville. Below the narrows' it also diverged and came upon the bank again near the homestead of Mr. Leonard [Stephen B. Leonard, now the property of James A. Archibald], a little more than a mile above Owe- go. From that point it followed the river bank to Owego.
"Upon the other side of the river, the trail was uniformly directly upon the bank, except where, to avoid curves, the distance was shortened by following a more direct line. Both trails are described as having been wide enough for the passage of horses,
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with packs, cattle, etc., and in many places interposing no obstacles to wheeled vehicles."
The Indian trail on the north side of the river extended along the river bank down to the Owego creek at its mouth, crossing the creek and follow- ing the river bank down through the town of Tioga to the "narrows" at Tioga Centre." The mouth of the Owego creek is now about three times as wide as it was then, and it was easily forded.
This Indian trail was the first road used by the earliest settlers at Owego; who built their houses on the north side of the trail, with woods in the rear of their dwellings. The houses fronted on the river and the Indian trail was between them and the stream. After Front street had been laid out as a road west of where the river bridge is now the Indian trail remained and was for several years a beautiful walk.
Along this trail on the river flat in the town of Tioga farm houses were built and the places where they stood are indicated by the shallow wells which supplied the families with water and which still remain.
Another Indian trail was the "Cay- uga lake trail." It entered the north part of the present village of Owego and extended direct to the river. It was nearly identical in its course with the street now known as McMaster street. The two trails met each other on the bank of the river, near where Mrs. Eliza J. Pride's residence is now. It is in this vicinity that the skeletons of many of the aborigines have been disinterred at various times.
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As the country became settled this trail was gradually used as a public highway and it was known as the Lake road, and the name was also applied later to that part of Main street as it extended from McMaster street west across the Owego creek on its way to Athens, Pa. As late as 1833 in deeds of property along this road in the town of Tioga it is men- tioned as "the lake road."
The highway up McMaster street was later called the Cayuga road, and it was also known as Cayuga street as late as 1837. It was originally opened to accommodate lumbermen, who reached the river at its foot. Gen. Anson Camp owned at an carly day an ark yard at the foot of this street, where vast quantities of lu'n- ber were shipped down the river.
The Cayuga road was regularly laid out as a highway by Lemuel Brown and Abijah Foster, commissioners of highways, in 1806. That portion be- tween Main and Front streets was subsequently known as Chapel street, (so called because the old Methodist church, then known as "the chapel," stood on the southeast corner of it and Main street. After the academy was built in this street, in 1883, the name was changed to Academy street.
McMaster street received its name in honor of James McMaster, the orig- inal owner of all the land on which the village is situated, who lived on the south side of Front street, near the lower end of Academy street.
The old village plot comprised the greater portion of lot number twenty- three in James McMaster's "half township." It was surveyed by Amaziah Hutchinson, in 1788 and
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1789, and the survey was completed by David Pixley, Jr., in 1789 and 1790. The western limits of the village ex- tended but a short distance west of the present village park; its eastern limits were a little east of Paige street. The northern tier of lots was south of where Temple street now is.
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