USA > New York > Onondaga County > Past and present of Syracuse and Onondaga County, New York : from prehistoric times to the beginning of 1908 > Part 27
USA > New York > Onondaga County > Syracuse > Past and present of Syracuse and Onondaga County, New York : from prehistoric times to the beginning of 1908 > Part 27
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72
216
PAST AND PRESENT OF ONONDAGA COUNTY
April, one thousand seven hundred and ninety: entitled "an act to carry into effect the conenrrent resolutions and acts of the legislature, for grant- ing certain lands, promised to be given as bounty lands, for the purpose there- in mentioned." We have Given, granted and Confirmed, and by these Presents, Do Give, Grant and Confirm unto Abraham Tompkins, All that certain tract or lot of land, situate, lying and being in the County of Montgomery and in the Township of Marcellus known and distinguished on a map of the said Township (filed by our Surveyor-General in our Secretary's Office, agreeable to law), by Lot number Twenty-four, containing six hundred aeres; Together with all and singular the rights, hereditaments and appurtenances to the same belonging or in any wise appertaining; excepting and reserving to our selves all gold and silver mines, and also five acres of every hundred of said tract or lot of land for highways; To Have and to Hold the above described and granted premises, unto the said Abraham Tompkins, his heirs and assigns, as a good and undefeasable estate of inheritance forever. On Condition nevertheless that within the term of seven years, to be computed from the first day of January next ensuing the date hereof, there shall be one actual settlement made on the said traet or lot of land hereby granted, otherwise these our Letters Patent and the estate hereby granted shall cease determine and become void. In testimony whereof we have caused these our Letters to be made Patent, and the Great Seal of our said State, to be hereunto af- fixed. Witness our trusty and well beloved George Clinton, Esquire, Governor of our said State, General and Commander-in-Chief of all the militia and Admiral of the navy of the same, at our city of New York, this eighth day of July, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety and in the fifteenth of our independence. Approved of by the Commissioners of the Land Office. and passed the Secretary's office the 20th day of November, 1790.
ROBT. HARTNER, D. See'y. GEO. CLINTON.
January 1, 1791, the drawing commenced ninety-four persons getting lots in each township, six lots being reserved. Three more townships were laid ont later. Litigation followed from conflicting claims and frands, for there were frands even in the good old days. Commissioners were employed from 1797 to 1802 inelusive in settling these claims.
Before this eame the organization of Onondaga county. New York ineluded twelve counties in 1683, of which Albany was then the northern- most. In 1772 Tryou county was set off from Albany, becoming Montgom- ery in 1784. In 1789 Ontario county was formed of all that part of Mont- gomery lying west of a line drawn north and south through Seneca lake.' Herkimer county was taken from Montgomery in 1791, including all the country west of Montgomery, east of Ontario, and north of Otsego and Tioga.
In 1794 Onondaga county was formed from Herkimer, embracing all the military tract. This event had a centennial celebration at Syracuse in 1894. and Pioneers' day June 6, has been a memorial of it ever since. The Military Tract ineluded Cayuga, Cortlandt, Onondaga and Seneea counties, part of
217
PAST AND PRESENT OF ONONDAGA COUNTY
Tompkins, and all of Oswego lying west of Oswego river. The townships were then divided into eleven towns, Aurelius, Homer, Lysander, Manlius. Marcellus, Milton, Ovid. Pompey, Romulus, Scipio and Ulysses.
Cayuga county was set off in 1799, Cortlandt in 1808, and Oswego in 1816. Since then no change has taken place in the county boundaries. All Onondaga was included in Whitestown in 1788. In 1791 it was in the town of Mexico, bounded on the east by the west line of Madison county as it now exists. The first town meeting in this was at Morehouse's Flats, a little east of Jamesville. One of the three days' poll for the first general election in Whitestown was held at Benjamin Morehouse's tavern.
In the old county of Onondaga courts were to be held twice a year, one being at Seipio in November, and the other at the house of Reuben Patterson at Onondaga Hollow, then in the town of Manlius, on the first Monday in May. These were Courts of Common Pleas and General Sessions, and a week was allowed for each term. Prisoners were to be held at Herkimer until a jail could be built in Onondaga county. The first court under the new rule was held in General Danforth's corn house on the first Monday in May, 1794. Seth Phelps was the presiding judge, and John Richardson, Silas Halsey and William Stevens were also there.
The first Court of Oyer and Terminer was held at Asa Danforth's house, late Patterson's, July 21, 1794. Hon. Egbert Benson presided. In those days of primal innocence but one indictment was made by the grand jury. The aeensed party was promptly convicted, another early feature. The same judge presided at the next circuit court at Onondaga Valley, June 14, 1797. No indictments were made. Courts continued there till 1805, at the houses of Danforth, Patterson, John Adams and Samuel Tyler. Then the unfinished court house at Onondaga Hill was used when the weather permitted. It was not completed till 1807. The court house and jail were used till new ones were finished at Syracuse in 1830. The records were kept at Onondaga Val- ley till 1813, when a clerk's office was built at Onondaga Hill ..
Before the county organization Moses De Witt and Asa Danforth were resident justices of the peace, the former being surrogate. Comfort Tyler. Jasper Hopper and George W. Olmstead were some of the elerks after the or- ganization. Comfort Tyler and Ebenezer R. Hawley were among the early sheriffs within the present limits. Moses Carpenter and Jacob R. De Witt were early treasurers. Comfort Tyler was the great grandfather, and George W. Olmstead, grandfather of Charles Tyler Olmstead, Bishop of Central New York.
In the tenth Congress, Reuben Humphreys of Onondaga represented the thirteenth district, and William Kirkpatrick of Salina the eleventh. Hon. James Geddes was in the eleventh Congress, followed by other eminent men.
Senators from the old Onondaga county, attending sessions at Albany. 1799-1801. were Moss Kent. Jadediah Sanger and William Stewart. Com- fort Tyler was the first local member of assembly, 1798-99. Ebenezer Butler was member for 1800, followed by Asa Danforth, 1801-02.
The Onondaga Historical Association has the later records of the Board
218
PAST AND PRESENT OF ONONDAGA COUNTY
of Supervisors, whose first meeting was held at Asa Danforth's house, Onon- daga Valley, then in the town of Manlius. The members were Silas Halsey of Ovid, Benaijah Boardman of Romulus, Ezekiel Crane of Aurelius, Comfort Tyler of Manlius, John Stoyles of Scipio. Moses De Witt of Pompey; not present, Wyllys Bishop of Milton, Robert MeDowell of Ulysses, William Stev- ens of Marcellus. The towns of Homer and Lysander were not vet organized.
Clark says that "Considerable sums were yearly allowed for wolf sealps, varying from five to ten dollars per scalp; and for fox scalps at fifty cents per scalp; and an occasional panther, at ten dollars per sealp."
The board gave the following census and valuation of towns now in the county in 1797:
Pompey, 262 inhabitants.
Valuation $20,327 50
Marcellus, 133 inhabitants.
Valuation 18,392 50
Manlius, 116 inhabitants Valuation 13,203 25
Lysander not organized or ineluded.
In 1798 these figures were considerably increased.
Fabius, 82 inhabitants. . Valuation $ 5,342
Manlius, 131 inhabitants. Valuation 15,503
Onondaga, 80 inhabitants.
Valuation 9,000
Pompey, 250 inhabitants
Valuation 20,000
Marcellus, 159 inhabitants.
Valuation 11,471
Lysander, 15 inhabitants. Valuation
1,500
In 1799, Cayuga having been set off, the towns now in the county were credited with the following inhabitants :
Camillus, fifty-four ; Fabius, one hundred and seventeen ; Lysander, sixteen ; Manlius, one hundred and thirty-one; Mareellus, one hundred and fifty-two; Onondaga, one hundred, and Pompey, three hundred and nine. Total eight hundred and seventy-nine. The census of 1905 gives to Camillus two thousand five hundred and eighty-six; Cicero two thousand four hundred and fifty-one; Clay two thousand four hundred and ten; De Witt six thousand two hundred and fifty-two; Elbridge three thousand and forty-one; Fabius one thousand five hundred and forty-five; Geddes four thousand four hundred and ninety; La Fayette one thousand four hundred and eighty-nine; Lysander four thousand three hundred and seventy-nine; Manlius five thousand eight hundred and twenty-one; Marcellus two thousand seven hundred and forty-four; Onondaga five thousand three hundred and twenty-four; Otisco one thousand one hundred and thirty-one; Pompey two thousand three hundred and eighty-one; Salina three thousand eight hundred and twenty-six; Skaneateles four thousand two hundred and sixty-one; Spafford one thousand one hundred and thirty; Syracuse one hundred and seventeen thousand five hundred and three; Tully one thousand four hundred and sixty-three; Van Buren three thousand one hundred and forty-seven; Indian Reservation five hundred and twenty-five. Most country towns have lost since 1900.
219
PAST AND PRESENT OF ONONDAGA COUNTY
The dates of settlement have been reported as follows, but there may be slight errors.
Onondaga, 1788; De Witt, Manlius and Pompey, 1789; Camillus, Clay Cicero and Salina, 1790; LaFayette, 1791; Elbridge, Geddes, Lysander, Ska- neateles and Van Buren, 1793; Fabius, Marcellus and Spafford, 1794; Tully, 1795; Otiseo, 1801.
In 1795 the Board of Supervisors considered the inconvenience of varying modes of taxation, and recommended a uniform scheme of assessment, as follows: "Improved lands of a medium quality. 20s. per aere. Working oxen of a medium quality, $16 per yoke. Cows of a medium quality. £5 per piece. Young cattle of three years old and under, 20s. per year. Horses of a medium quality, £10 per piece. Colts, 3 years old and under, 40s. per piece. Hogs that will weigh 100 weight, 20s. per piece. Negro men, £50 per head. Negro wenches, £30 per head. Grist mills, £50 per piece. Saw mills, £30 per piece." So that a negro man was worth a grist mill, and a negro girl a saw mill.
They recommended also, that persons having ratable property, should give a written list of this to the assessor. The last recommendation concerned pioneer life :
"And further, we also recommend to the towns to adopt a uniform mode of granting a bounty on wolves, and render the reward of each man in his exertions for the destruction of these animals. Therefore, with submission, we think a reward of forty shillings, in addition to the bounty allowed by the county, to be adequate for the bounty for each wolf."
In 1801 the Legislature declared certain streams publie highways, and no obstructions were to be allowed in these. Among these were Nine Mile ereek, from its entrance into the Salt lake to the north line of the town of Mar- eellus in the county of Onondaga, and the outlet of the said Salt lake into the north line of the Onondaga Reservation : the two branches of the Chittenango ereek, known by the names of the Limestone and Buttermit ereeks, until the first falls on each of the same. Other streams were already highways.
Some leading citizens selected Onondaga IFill as a convenient county seat, on account of its central position and fine sanitary conditions, and laid it out for this in 1798-99. The courthouse was built in 1805, but not then finished. The clerk's office came later, standing just south of the stone schoolhouse. The courthouse was farther north, near or in the road running westward. Court business brought people there. and the village once had seven taverns and stores, beside shops of various kinds.
By prompt and quiet action a majority of the tax-payers of the county were induced in 1827 to petition the Legislature to establish the courthouse at Syracuse. The bill was passed March 19. The next year the Board of Super- visors held a meeting to consider the question. Many sites were proposed, but two only were considered. The Syracuse Company made advantageous offers but they were not accepted. Salina also made an offer, and a site was chosen on North Salina street, half way between the two villages. A good brick courthouse-fine for those days-was built, and Judge Earll held the first court there, May 13, 1830.
220
PAST AND PRESENT OF ONONDAGA COUNTY
Mr. Hand tells a curious story about this: "In those days it was quite common to place on courthouse domes a figure of Justice with her emblems. Some of the Building Committee thought best to omit the figure, as there had been so many complaints of extravagance, but Mr. Archie Kasson, one of the committee, said that rather than leave it off he would furnish one at his own expense. His offer was accepted and the figure was placed on the dome. A few years later, while the court was engaged in a very exciting case, which had continued to fill the house for many days with interested listeners, the jury rendered a decision contrary to what nearly every one thought to be right and just, and great surprise and dissatisfaction was the result. The most remark- able part of this affair was that the same day of the decision, the seales in the hand of the goddess fell with a crash to the courthouse roof."
The new penitentiary, not far off, was built in 1854, and a proposal to change the site of the courthouse was made in 1847. It was annually con- sidered till the old courthouse was burned February 5, 1856. Then the beauti- ful eourthonse on the north side of the canal was completed in 1857. When the present fine building was finished in 1907, people were unwilling to lose the old one, and it was purchased for city uses. Meantime, also, the county re- quired more space for records, and the cornerstone of a fine brick building for a County Clerk's office, ete., was laid with Masonie ceremonies, August 11, 1880. This also now belongs to the city, changing hands in 1907. The present fine courthouse, just completed. affords space for all departments of official work, and is a building of which the county is justly proud.
CHAPTER XXI.
EARLY TRAVELERS AFTER THE REVOLUTION
George Washington did not quite reach the present limits of Onondaga county, but eame near enough to appreciate some natural advantages. He was interested in internal navigation, and in a letter to the Marquis of Chastellux in 1782, said :
"I have lately made a tour through the lakes George and Champlain as far as Crown Point :- then returning to Schenectady, 1 proceeded up the Mo- hawk river to fort Sehuyler. (now Rome, N. Y.) crossed over to Wood ereek which empties into the Oneida lake, and affords the water communication with Ontario. I then traversed the country to the head of the eastern branch of the Susquehanna, and viewed the lake Otswego, and the portage between that lake and the Mohawk river at Canajoharie. Prompted by these actual observations. I could not help taking a more contemplative and extensive view of the vast inland navigation of these United States, and could not but be struck with the inimense diffusion and importance of it; and with the goodness of that Provi- denee which has dealt his favours to us with so profuse a hand. Would to God we may have wisdom enough to improve them. I shall not rest contented until I have explored the western country."
221
PAST AND PRESENT OF ONONDAGA COUNTY
Notable among the early journals of pioneer days are those of Elkanah Watson, who went through here in 1791 with Messrs. Van Rensselaer, Van Cortlandt and Bayard, all interested in canal projeets. They traveled in two bateaux. and reached Fort Brewerton September 14, where they found two families improving the land. In Oneida, then Onondaga river, they observed the rifts, the piles of stones made by some fish to protect the spawn, and the stone fish weirs of the Indians, which he described. "In the evening we pitched our tent at Mr. Moses De Witt's camp at the Three River Point, who is locating the military lands, destined for the troops of the New York line. . . . Two or three white families are settled there. The situation is high and healthy, fronting the communication with Canada, and a eentral point from east, west and north. In my view a large city will arise at this spot during the coming eentury," but it did not rise.
"Sept. 15 .- This morning we were visited by old Kiadote, king of the Onondaga Indians, with several warriors and the queen, who brought us some excellent fresh salmon and eels in a basket slung to her baek, for which we gave them in exchange rum and biscuits. Kiadote possesses a sensible, sedate face; the queen appeared modest and humble. The name of Kiadote means a tree with thorns, and fruit upon it. The queen is called Kanastoretar, meaning a good housekeeper."
Above Three River Point they came to an Indian camp and eel weir, and then entered Onondaga lake. "This lake opened most pleasantly before us, six miles in length, N. W. and S. E. . . With a light breeze we hoisted our sails, and contemplated a country pleasantly situated on each side of us as we sailed along. We steered by our map and compass, and with some difficulty found the ereek on which the salt works are now erected half a mile from its mouth at the foot of a hill. These works are in a rude unfinished state, but are capable of making about eight thousand bushels of salt per annum."
That night they had a hard time on the beach in the wind and rain. Next morning "we ascended the Onondaga Creek, discharging from the south into the Salt Lake. We landed at an old Indian camp crossed over a neck of land to a hard beach, which I presume is an entire bed of salt at no great depth, as, by making little holes with our canes in the hard sur- face, salt water immediately oozed in, as strongly impregnated as at the springs.
"Here the Indians were making salt, of which they use but little. From hence we coasted north, on the west side of the lake, with a strong gale ahead. We passed several birch canoes with Onondaga Indians, strong gale ahead. We passed several birch canoes with Onondaga Indians. returning from fishing, accompanied by all their families, children, dogs. cats, fowls, ete. These birch canoes are extremely light-they sail like ducks upon the water, and some of them are whimsically painted. In one of these eanoes the king and queen were paddling and their son steering. We hove to, and were some time talking by signs, and trafficing biscuit and rum for smoked eels and salmon."
222
PAST AND PRESENT OF ONONDAGA COUNTY
The morning of September 17 found them in Cross lake, and they "landed on a high piece of ground at the cast entrance of the lake, where we saw a multitude of names ent upon large beech trees." We leave them at the county line.
Some quotations have already been made from Vanderkemp in 1792, but a few will be given here. Leaving Frenchman's island and the French family he said: "We arrived at Fort Brewerton about noon, sitnated at the North- western corner of the Lake. Here is a location of about four hundred acres, obtained by Mr. Staats during the late Brittish war. It was inhabited by two families, viz. that of our Capt. Bingham and our Mr. Simonds, the latter from Cagnawagha. They had rented it at €20 a year, and desired to make a purchase of it, but Mr. Staats, acquainted with its value had constantly de- clined their offers. I was highly gratified with excellent bread and butter, feasted on milk for my beverage. and purchased two pints of it, which we carried to our Bateau." He seems to have mistaken Simonds for Stevens, the earliest settler there, but Gould also called him Simmons.
"Next day about three in the afternoon we reached three-River Point, eighteen miles from fort Brewerton. Here join the Onondago and Seneca River. that of Oswego, flowing to Lake Ontario in a southwesterly (?) direc- tion. One Barker lived at the east side of this point, whose chief employ- ment was to eondnet the Bateaux over the falls in Oswego River. He might have been independent, had he possessed virtue and strength of mind sufti- cient to take advantage of his situation. Every Bateau bound to or coming from the Genesees-Onondago-Oswego-Cataraqui and Niagara stops here, and their crews would often deem it a happiness, eould they there be supplied with refreshments of bread, butter and milk-of rum and gin. He knew searce the first so seldom did he see these artieles, and the latter he wanted for himself exclusively."
They came to the sight of Phoenix. "Here were the Onondagos collected in large numbers-some fishing-some smoaking in their huts-others from time to time arriving and passing us in their bark eanoes, with much art eon- structed-so light and easily manageable that a squaw with her little daughter gained on us, and left us soon behind by her velocity."
When they returned he said: "We arrived at three river point about seven, discharged Mr. Barker, and pitched our tent in the vicinity of his house, crowded with travellers from several bateaux and canoes, which tarried there since yesterday." They made good speed up Oneida river. "Fort Brewerton, which we reached at four in the afternoon, was to us a delightful sight. Capt. Bingham was from home on the Salmon-fishery, and Simonds with the women on a visit to the Island. His eldest daughter. nevertheless! a smart young girl, prepared us a good supper-a baas of two pound-a dish with stewed eel, with fresh bread and butter."
James Cockburn also passed through here in 1792, and the following ex- traets are from his journal as a surveyor : "Fort Brewington is now in ruins, It was a square without bastions, mounting four guns. and commanded the river .... There are two islands in the lake, the one about thirty, the other
223
PAST AND PRESENT OF ONONDAGA COUNTY
about twenty acres. On the westernmost lives a Frenchman and his family .. .. About eight miles from Fort Brewington is a fine spring, which is very un- common in this country .. ... There is one rapid in this (river) which is called Kequanderaga; the passage is not difficult. About four miles from Three Rivers is a ereek ealled Peter Gaats .. . .. At Three River Point Barker lives on the Military Traet .... . Three miles below this is a rapid ealled Three River Rift and very dangerous for bateaux in low water. The passage thenee to Oswego or Onondaga Falls is pretty good ..... The British had a saw-mill here, and a fort to protect the portage."
The Duke de Rochefoucauld-Liancourt was in America for three years, beginning in 1795. In that year he came to Lake Ontario from Pennsylvania, and on the lake found the British naval eutter Onondaga, of eighty tons. piereed for twelve six-pounders, but carrying only six in time of peace. He went to the British fort at Oswego in July, where they despised the Yankees. and then ascended Oswego river with Mr. Van Allen. It was hard work. Mr. Van Verberg had a house below the falls. Wm. Shorten was at that plaee. His inn had but one room for all lodgers and it was full. le fed guests on salt pork and rum. Above the falls the whole party, with the family, slept in a twelve foot room. This was Penier's house. There were traces of a French (English) fort on the right bank.
Between there and Three River Point not a tree had been cut. Three Rivers was an interesting place. "The time cannot be distant when this spot. where at present stands no building but an inn. will become the site of an inportant town. As yet it is one of the most unhealthy spots in a country by no means remarkable for salubrity."
The inn was Squire Bingham's. "Every one in the house was ill. The landlord, another 'Squire, was just recovering from the ague, but his wife was still indisposed with it, and in bed. His children and the servants were in the same condition." The duke was persuaded to give some medicine to a young woman who was very ill, though he knew little about it, but his suceess was greater than the doctor's. "The spot on which the inn stands. belongs to Squire Bingham, who also possesses a few acres contiguous to the building, and a considerable quantity of land at some distance from it." The land was good but marshy. air bad, water abominable.
They ascended the Oneida. "We stopped at Fort Brompton, at the en- trance to the lake. This structure also is surrounded with palisades ereeted last year; it stands at the foot of an aneient entreneliment, constructed by the English during the American war, on an advantageous ground command- ing the entrance to the lake. The work was thrown up in a zigzag figure. but from the remains no distinet idea ean be formed how the eannon could be pointed to advantage." All military remains he said were of 1756 or 1776. Faney, therefore, must wait for a later day before it could indulge in romantic flights.
The owners of the house had gone to Rotterdam (Constantia) three days before. A girl of fourteen cared for the house and her little siek brother. "We should have been obliged to content ourselves with a few small potatoes,
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.