USA > New York > Onondaga County > Past and present of Syracuse and Onondaga County, New York : from prehistoric times to the beginning of 1908 > Part 54
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 54
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"The Central Congregational Society of Camillus" was formed in Ionia May 19, 1827, but had a brief existence. A Union society of Methodists,
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Presbyterians and Universalists was formed at Warner, January 18, 1831, and a church was built. The second of these withdrew about 1841, and formed "The First Congregational Society of the Town of Van Buren," May 10. 1841, but it had no aetive existence. The Methodists absorbed the Union society in 1846, and took the building, which has been recently remodeled. A class had been formed there in 1830. A Methodist Protestant church was formed at Van Buren Corners in 1842, but was soon dissolved.
St. Paul's church (P. E.) at Warner, was begun as a mission in 1901, by Rev. J. E. Ramsdell of Baldwinsville. It is not an organized parish, but has a tasteful chapel. Emmanuel Mission, Memphis, has also a neat church, and is supplied from Jordan. Both these missions have zealons congrega- tions.
The swamps were a refuge for wild beasts. In 1814 Benoni Sherman received ten dollars bounty for wolf sealps, and so did Jonathan Howe in 1815; David Cornell, William Lindsay, Benjamin Weaver, John Paddock and Hiram Nichols in 1816; and Isaae Lindsay in 1817. Abel Weaver and William Lakin had bounties in 1819 for killing wild cats. It was in 1819 that the last wolf disappeared from Cicero.
Lot 7, now a part of Baldwinsville, had several carly owners. It was granted to Benjamin Eptou in 1790, and in the same year was successively owned by Charles F. Weisevfels, William J. Vredenburgh and Samuel Merc- dith. In 1792 it was bought by John MeHarrie, and had the name of Macks- ville from him.
The canvass of 1807 showed all persons entitled to vote through owning and occupying land, and all of the thirty-eight known in Van Buren, several left deseendants there. The list is of value as showing permanent residents, and follows :
Ira Barns, Phineas Barns, John C. Briton, John Clark, Peleg Cornell. Stephen Crego, Isaac Earll, Jonathan Foster, David Haines, Eber Hart, Wil- liam Laken, Isaac Lindsay, John McHarrie, Daniel McQueen, Peter McQueen, David Parish, Jonathan, Josiah and Samuel Parish, Elijah Rice, Joseph Rob- inson, Abraham and Moses Rogers, Benoni Sherman, Benjamin and Daniel Tabor, Asher, Gabriel and Jolin Tappen, Amos, Hannel and Seth Warner, Calvin Waterman, Joseph Wilson, Reuben Woodward, John Wygent, James Young.
The names of some of these are now differently spelled, and some have descendants only in the female line. Some families have disappeared.
Memphis (then Canton) had three stores in 1836, two taverns and fifteen dwellings. In 1886 it had two general stores, three physicians, harness shop, shoe shop, carriage shop, furniture store, cigar factory, hotel, blacksmith shop and groeery.
In 1836 the south part of Baldwinsville was the village of Macksville. and had a tavern, two stores, grist mill, sawmill, and about thirty dwellings.
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PAST AND PRESENT OF ONONDAGA COUNTY
CHAPTER LIV.
THE CITY OF SYRACUSE.
Many things relating to Syracuse and its people are mentioned else- where, and some will be omitted here. We may disregard Daniel La Fort's story that the final formative couneil of the Iroquois League was held on the site of the Bastable block, for that was in the deep swamp through which Onondaga ereek from the south and Yellow Brook from the east, found their way. Webster's Landing, of 1786, is placed on the ereck near its mouth, and Le Moyne, Chaumonot, Frontenac, Joncaire, the Schuylers and Livings- tons, Chauvignerie. Bartrom, Johnson, Weiser, Zeisberger, and other notable men, trod the trails through the swamp before the Revolution. These trails ran to the lake on either side of the creek, mostly on the higher land, but all within the city limits. On the west bank of that stream were recent Indian cabins and a cemetery. Early notes of settlers in Salina properly now belong to Syracuse.
Clark mentions Mr. Butler in 1797, and Mr. Hopkins in 1799, a little west of the first bridge over the Oswego canal on James street. In 1800 Calvin Jackson built a log cabin near the junction of Montgomery and East Genesee streets. Albion Jackson was born there December 28, 1800, the first white child in the old city limits. James Geddes laid out the Walton tract of two hundred and fifty acres in 1804, giving it an irregular outline in an effort to include the mill site and exelude the swamps. This tract was purchased in June for six thousand five hundred and fifty dollars, by Abraham Walton. As this was full twenty-six dollars per acre, the advantages of loeation must have been seen even then.
Mr. Walton at once laid out part of the tract in village lots, selling Henry Bogardus half an aere, provided he would erect and keep a tavern there. Walton also built the first mill in 1805, partly on the old High School site. The log dam was about where West Genesee street erosses the creek. The mill was known as the red mill. The first dam was swept away after about a year's use, and the second was replaced by a stone one in 1824. He also built a saw mill in 1805, and a little later Rufus Parsons had a linseed oil mill. A tannery was farther south.
At that time the village site was called South Salina, and North Salina street was Cooper street, from that great industry. Then came the title of Bogardus's Corners in 1806, from the Bogardus tavern. When Sterling Cossitt kept this in 1815, it became Cossitt's Corners. About 1809 it was Milan for a time, and then went back to South Salina. In 1817 it received the name of Corinth, retaining this as one name for several years. Between 1818 and 1824 it became Syracuse, and Simeon De Witt cannot be blamed for either name. It was proposed by John Wilkinson. Judge Forman favored Corinth, but there was a post office of that name in New York in 1819, and a new name was necessary. Part of M. C. Hand's account of the choice follows, as he had it from Mr. Wilkinson himself.
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In a friend's library "He took up an English publication which contained a lengthy poem on the subject, 'Syracuse ;' his eyes had not glanced over more than a dozen lines before he became deeply interested. It was a prize poem by Edward Stanley, and had won the chancellor's prize at the University of Oxford. The poem commenced with a description of the island of Ortygia long before the foundations of the ancient city of Syracuse were laid. then gave the myth of the beautiful nymph Arethusa, who while bathing in the river was seen by the hunter Alpheus, who became enamored with her, but the nymph not responding to his ardent love fled to the island of Ortygia
at Syracuse. When about to be overtaken by Alpheus, the nymph prayed to the goddess Diana for protection, who changed her into a fountain which ever after was called Arethusa. Being deeply interested in the poem Mr. Wilkinson began to study the history of Syracuse, and the geography of its surroundings. He found a wonderful similarity between the celebrated foun- tain and our lake; more careful study revealed the eloser resemblance be- tween the two, they were nearly the same size, on the margin of both were springs of salt and fresh water mingling together. It was believed by many that there was an underground passage from some distant deposit which sup- plied our salt spring. In like manner there was said to be an underground passage that led to the fountain at ancient Syracuse. Mr. Wilkinson said to complete the similarity between the two places, there was a town on the north of the Sicilian Syracuse, named Salina."
Mr. Bogardus built the first Syracuse tavern on the site of the Empire House in 1806, and Mr. Merrell erected a small frame house east of this. Wil- liam Lee and Aaron Cole had opened a blacksmith shop in 1805, and in 1807 Mr. Blake made a small elearing half way between the corners and Salina, part of Salina street being laid out that year. The place was not healthy, and made little progress till the opening of the canal. The celebrations of that have been mentioned.
In 1811 Rufus Stauton opened a tavern on the east side of North Salina street, and south of the Oswego Canal bridge, while Sidney Dole and Milan C. Taylor had the first store in 1814, at the site of the Wieting bloek.
Judge Forman at first tried to have the Erie canal touch Onondaga Valley. but the people did not respond, and his efforts to interest Salina were fruit- less. So he went to Syracuse and had more success, securing the present route. He came there in 1819, acting as land agent for Daniel Kellogg and William H. Sabine, then owners of the Walton tract. His brother Owen and John Wilkinson laid out the track in village and farm lots that year. and many sales were made.
Mr. Wilkinson became first postmaster February 24, 1820, in Amos P. Granger's store, on the site of the Syracuse Savings Bank. When he wanted to move in 1824, he carried everything in one load on his shoulder. After- ward the office was kept in the Syracuse Honse. In 1819 Oliver Teall eame to Lodi, once a village near the tunnel in Syracuse, bought land, and built mills operated by surplus canal water. In 1829 he furnished the first water supply for Syracuse. About two hundred and fifty people lived there then,
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or tried to live, for fatal fevers often prevailed. In consequence of this mcas- ures were taken to lower Onondaga lake in 1822, a great benefit to Syracuse in giving better drainage and diminishing malaria.
In 1820 the first schoolhouse seems to have been built, in which Hiram Deming taught in 1821. That year the First Baptist Society was organized. and in 1824 its first church was built, west of the old Court House on West Genesee street. A stone bridge arched the Erie canal in 1823, followed by a wooden. and then an iron bridge. The Syracuse Hotel was built of brick, 1820-22, and rebuilt in 1827 as the Syracuse House, a grand structure for those days.
The unsold part of the Walton tract was bought for thirty thousand dol- lars, by the Syracuse Company in 1824, and the sale of lots was pushed. A new feature appeared. The Onondaga Gazette was issued in April, 1823. and had then but one mercantile advertisement. In fact Syracuse had little business, and Ezra Town. when he opened a grocery south of the canal in 1825, was told that he would fail, but he did not. At the beginning of that year Syracuse had about fifteen stores of all kinds, with mills and various industries, but the prospect was good, and the village was incorporated April 13, 1825, with Joshua Forman as president. Four tavern keepers and thir- teen grocers were licensed. In those days grocers might be licensed to sell liquor. Various streets were laid out, Sunday rules were made, and hogs eould no longer run at large. li was also ordered that care should be taken of the four street lamps used. These were to be lighted only on dark nights. The burial ground was to have a decent painted fenee and a gate. "A decent pall and bier" were to be provided. This cemetery was at the corner of Franklin and West Water streets, and Mrs. Eliza Spencer, who died April 2. 1824, was the first one interred there.
Marquis de La Fayette passed through Onondaga county in 1825, making brief stops at Skaneateles. Marcellus, Onondaga Hill and Valley. and Syra- cuse. going thence to Utica on the packet boat Rochester. He was escorted from the Valley to the Mansion House in Syracuse, where he responded to an address by Judge Forman. Mr. Forman also made an address that year when the first boat came through from Buffalo.
The enterprising village that year bought a fire engine, the Albany In- surance Company lending one thousand dollars for this. Housekeepers were ordered, a little later. to provide themselves with leather fire buckets, and some of these are preserved by the Historical Association. An engine house was also built on the southeast corner of the Bastable block site, and in 1827 a hook and ladder company was formed, with seven members. There were twenty-one in the engine company.
The Syraeuse Advertiser. a Jackson paper, was the second journal, started in 1825. The First Presbyterian church was formed December 14, 1824, and St. Paul's (P. E.) May 2, 1826. Dr. Bassett succeeded Dr. Ziba Swan. and had an enormous business during the building of the canal. Then came Dr. Colvin, and Dr. Jonathan Day, who died of cholera in 1832. A little earlier, in 1827, James street was known as the Foot road. There were no blocks in
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the present Fourth Ward, none west of West street on the north side, none south of Fayette street, nor east of State street. Robber's Row did a lively eanal business. but, except part of James street, Salina street was the only one which was worked north of the canal. The Mansion House stood on the Empire House corner, and was removed 1844-45. The old Greyhound Tavern was occupied by Gilbert Fitch. Between North Salina and Warren streets, on the north side of Church street, was "the cirens house," a large wooden structure used for shows.
On the south side there were no houses between Fayette Park and Crouse Avenue. Near the Lodi locks Capt. Oliver Teall had a grist and two sinall . saw mills. The roads were the Genesee Turnpike, Jamesville road and Beech street. Yellow Brook followed Water street from Lodi to Forman street, then crossed Genesee street east of Almond alnost to Harrison street. and erossed Jefferson street about midway between Salina and Warren. From a point on South Salina street, about three hundred feet south of Fayette. it ran southwesterly to Onondaga creek. There were no buildings south of this brook on the west side of Salina street, nor on the east side south of Jefferson. The part now traversed by West Onondaga street was a cedar swamp, where .blackberries and game might he had. In the east wing of the Syracuse House was Colonel Elijah Phillips' stage office, and by this the law office of Harry Baldwin and Schuyler Strong.
In 1830 sidewalks were ordered, and these were of brick. Fayette Park was then called Center Square. One item of that year may be quoted. James Pease came from Lysander before this, and sold boots and shoes. He cut timber on his father's farm, drew it to Baldwinsville and had it sawed and framed, and in 1820 brought it on a scow through the lake and river, and thenee to Syraeuse for his store. It occupied part of the Wieting block site.
On the map of 1819 Salina street appears as now; East and West Genesee streets are simply the Turnpike; the canal is the Grand Canal: Mechanie is Fenner street : Water street is Canal street, and Robber's Row is Doek street. Willow, Washington, Fayette. Franklin, Clinton, Warren, Montgomery and James appear without names, and the mill pond occupies a large space in the southwest corner of the tract.
The map of 1834 shows a large number of unnamed streets laid out, with an increase of those named. Those named on the north side are Apple, now West, Chestnut now Butternut, Church now West Willow; Genesee, Hickory. Laurel, Lock. Foot now James, Salina, West, Willow. First. Second and Third North streets. just north of the canal. On the south side were Almond. Beech, Cherry. Chestnut now South Crouse, Clinton, Fayette. Genesee, Grape. Irving. Jefferson, Lemon now Forman, Maple, Montgomery, Mulberry now State, Onondaga, Orange, Pine, Salina. Spruce now Comstock, Walnut, War- ren, Washington, Water, First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth and Sixth South streets. The mill pond reached from near the canal to Gifford street.
It was in 1829 that Colonel William L. Stone made his often quoted trip. Under date of September 22, he said : "Arrived in Syracuse at half past ten
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o'clock and had the unexpected pleasure of being greeted at the landing by my old and intelligent friend, Seth Hunt, Esq., a gentleman of extensive travel and general information. I looked about as I stepped on shore, with still more astonishment than at Utica. 'Another enchanted city!' I exelainied, as I glanced upward and around upon splendid hotels and rows of majestic buildings, streets crowded with people, all full of life and activity. Nine years before I had passed a day here, among some five or six scattered tene- ments, one of which had just been erected, and was then occupied by Joshua Forman, the village being surrounded by a desolate. poverty-stricken, woody country, enough to make an owl weep to fly over it.
" 'Never mind,' said Forman, 'You will live to see this place a eity vet.' And truly the prediction is already realized. As the county buildings now erecting upon an extensive seale have been located midway between Salina and Syraense, the two towns will soon be united as Greenwich now is to New York. Within twenty years therefore, Syracuse will be equal to the present size of Albany. The village of Salina has grown prodigiously siner 1820. It now contains many large and well-built stores, flouring mills, hand- some streets and dwellings, and there are four beautiful churches, including a great edifice belonging to the Roman Catholics.
"Wednesday, September 23. At one o'eloek we left the village in a carriage with L. H. Redfield, editor of the Syracuse Gazette. and his lady. As we wished to strike the mail stage road at Onondaga Hollow, to take the stage that evening. Mr. Redfield thus handsomely facilitated our objeet. We passed the marsh where the great battle between the French and the Six Nations was fought in the old French war. A field piece used on that occa- sion, was recently dug out of the marsh."
The last paragraph not only treats of some interesting people, but alludes to a curious circumstance. Two traditions exist of a battle near the creek- a great one-between the French and Indians, or between Sullivan and the Indians, both without foundation. The finding of a peculiar cannon, how- ever, is true. How it came there is a mystery. With Mickles' furnace near, and with the Pompey Stone and Cardiff Giant in mind, not to mention things less successful. some suspicion of the origin of the gun may be pardoned.
Hon. Amos P. Granger eame to Syracuse in 1820 or 1821, and was one of the first board of trustees. He was all his life here a prominent man.
Moses D. Burnet was also on this board, and eame in 1823.
Thomas Spencer came in 1819, and was one of the first trustees.
John Durnford published the first paper in 1823, and was the first village treasurer. Henry W. Durnford eame at the same time, and was one of the first village eonstables, and an early grocer. In 1827 he received twenty-five dollars for poliee duties, and Charles Cook the same.
John Wilkinson came in 1819 as a law student, and was the first village elerk. His office was long on the Globe Hotel corner, and his house a little south.
Daniel Gilbert was the first village justice of the peace.
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Ambrose Kasson was an early grocer, and Archy Kasson built a two story house in 1824, on the corner occupied by the Western Union Telegraph. At that time Kasson & Ileermans had a hardware store on the Wieting Block corner.
. James Mann kept tavern in 1825, his being the Syracuse House; and at the same time O. H. Williston kept the Mansion House, on the Empire House corner.
Pascal N. Thurber was a groeer in 1825, and afterward noted as a con- fectioner ..
James Sackett was an early eomer, and an eccentrie resident and land- holder.
Elias W. Leavenworth eame in 1827, and was long one of the most eon- spieuous men in Syracuse, holding many public offices. He was president of the village. 1838-40, and in 1854 laid out part of the salt lands, which now include Leavenworth Park and Avenue.
Elisha F. Wallace. father of Judge William J. Wallace, came to Syracuse as a lawyer in 1825, but became a large salt manufacturer, dying August 15, 1870. He was consul to Cuba 1861-69.
Dr. John W. Hanchett came in 1826, having been two years at Onondaga Valley. He kept a drug store, and died October 17, 1844.
Captain Joel Cody. of packet boat fame, came in 1820, and was long a resident.
Joseph Sloeum, merchant and father of Mrs. Russell Sage, was an early resident on West Genesee street.
B. Davis Noxon, eminent among lawyers, eame in 1829.
Henry Gifford, an early settler, salt maker and real estate holder, built a house on the corner of Genesee and Franklin streets in 1824. He held import- ant positions, and died June 20, 1872.
Harvey Baldwin, first mayor of the city of Syraeuse. erected a two story briek building before 1827. on the site of Franceis Hendriek's bloek.
Colonel Elijah Phillips lived on the Vanderbilt House corner in 1827, and was long an influential eitizen.
William Malcolm had a storehouse and hardware store in 1824.
Harmon W. Van Buren came in 1825, having then a tannery on Water street, near Grape. He kept a leather store also till his death in 1887, and held important offices.
Henry Raynor eame to Syraeuse in 1826, and built a bloek of dwelling houses in West Water street in 1832. He was long in business with his brother and died in 1866.
William B. Kirk, a wagon maker, eame from La Fayette, and bought Garrison's tavern. corner of Fayette and Salina streets, to save a debt. and became a successful landlord. He built the first Kirk block in 1869, his son building the present one.
George T. M. Davis, who married Judge Forman's daughter in 1828, built the first house on the Cinder road in 1829, on the corner of Onondaga street and South Avenue. The Cinder road then ended at South Salina street. The
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FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
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Yellow Brook was partly filled in 1827, and Washington street was extended eastward. In 1838 the brook was all filled.
In 1830 Samuel Larned announced that "The Boat Vendor, or Floating Store, owned by Mr. John Converse of the city of Troy, is now lying at the village of Syraense, opposite Brockway's Mansion House." A list of groceries followed, with a notice that "all liquors are warranted of the purest quality;" as though any were not. In the end Mr. Larned became wealthy, and his name is perpetuated in the Larned block.
Jason C. Woodruff. the veteran stage driver. was then in the livery busi- ness, and was always a man of note. He was noted for his skill with big teams.
Christopher C. Bradley came in 1822, and was long at the head of the principal foundry at Syracuse. An active business man, he died July 3, 1872.
William Winton, who came about 1826. was landlord of the Exchange Hotel, northeast corner of South Salina and Washington streets, and later of the Globe Hotel. He was elected mayor in 1866, and died March 18, 1871.
E. B. Wieks came in 1828, in the hat and fur business, and afterward in the leather business and banking. He was village treasurer 1837-39.
William Il. Alexander settled here in 1828, and was a pioneer in the foundry business. He held public offiees, and died August 20, 1863.
Cornelius T. Longstreet came from Onondaga Hill, first to Geddes, and in 1830 to Syracuse. where, with Henry Agnew, he led the merchant tailoring business. From 1846 to 1852 he was in a successful trade in New York city. fle died July 4, 1881.
Captain Hiram Putnam came in 1829, and held public offiees. He was with T. B. Fitch in the drug business, and interested in banks, dying November 8, 1874.
Jacob S. Smith was a successful business man, who came in 1825. Between 1830 and 1840 he was in the dry goods business with Levi Chapman, and later in the leather trade with H. W. Van Buren. He died January 20, 1881.
Henry Shattuck came from Pompey in 1826, owning much real estate. He held some offices, and died April 20, 1881.
Dudley P. Phelps was in Dr. Jonathan Day's office in 1829, afterward studied law, was railroad ticket agent, and then treasurer of the Onondaga County Savings Bank. and Trust and Deposit Company. He was county treasurer 1864-66.
T. B. Fitch came in 1830, and conducted the "Green Drug Store" with Captain Putnam. He was interested in banking. and died August 27, 1879.
Richard Savage, born in Syracuse in 1817. was a large lumber dealer, and built the St. Charles Hotel-afterward the Remington block. He died April 11, 1885.
Iliram Judson eame in 1824; Timothy C. Cheney and Samuel Hurst, in the same year; Jaber Hawley and Pliny Dickinson in 1825. John Durston, born in 1817, learned boat building of Thomas Spencer, and in 1843 bought his property.
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Andrew N. Van Patten was an early settler of prominence, and built "The Old Line House," of brick in 1836, on the west line of Salina street, near Onondaga.
Dr. William Kirkpatrick eame to Salina as Superintendent of the Salt Springs in 1805, holding the office twenty-two years. He died September 2, 1832, leaving two sons. Donald, who died September 19, 1889, and William. whose bequest established the Onondaga County Historical Association in its present home. He died May 18, 1900.
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