USA > New York > Cortland County > Pioneer history; or, Cortland County and the border wars of New York, from the earliest period to the present time > Part 12
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John M. Frank settled with his family on lot 43, which had been granted him for services in the Ameri- can Revolution, in November, 1795.
In 1796, John Gee, from Wyoming, Pa., moved on to lot 21, having the previous year erected his dwelling, and made some other preparations for the more conven- ient reception of his family. He was a soldier of the Revolution, and was well worthy of the heroic title. His house was composed of logs 12 by 16. His family con- sisted of himself, wife, father, mother, and six children. Some of Mr. Gee's descendants still occupy the original premises.
Johe E. Roe moved in from Ulster county during the winter of 1797-8. The ground was covered with a heavy body of snow, just then dissolving beneath the warm rays of the sun. The journey from the old hearth- stone was made in a sleigh, which contained a few of the more costly effects for the new house. Among these were a few fancy, or flag-bottomed chairs, which, unfor-
* This road was sixty miles in length.
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tunately, were greatly lessened in value as well as for service, on account of the bottoms holding out a strong temptation to the horses, which were tied to the sleigh, without food, while the family were resting for the night at Mr. Chaplin's, then within a few miles of their destined place of abode. The temptation was too strong, and consequently the chairs were freed of their flags, though a rather poor substitute for hay.
A bridge had not yet been erected, consequently the few that crossed the river were in the habit of using a small canoe belonging to Mr. Chaplin. The high water, which had suddenly risen from the effects of the dis- solving snow, to their great surprise had carried away their little water craft. The horses could swim the stream, but as for Mrs. Roe, her case was one of doubt- ful result. But the pioneers were full of expedients. They were men of enterprise ; and when they formed a plan, or resolved upon a measure, they usually had the will and the power to carry those plans into practical operation. The residence of Mr. Chaplin was on the opposite side of the river, and they must either secure shelter as best they could, where they were, for it was near sunset, or manage some way to get over the swol- len stream. As a final resort, a hog-trough belonging to Mr. Chaplin was floated over, and Mrs. Roe, with the courage of an experienced tar-a true son of the ocean, -seated herself in the frail craft, and passed over with entire safety. Mr. Roe and his team next made an effort at crossing, and though it was hard swimming, the horses succeeded in reaching the opposite shore without injury. A three year old heifer, the only cow they possessed, and which had followed the sleigh from
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Ulster, was still behind. But she had no notion of being left, and after making a few flourishes with her head, leaped into the water, and after a powerful effort, stood on terra firma, on the other side of the river.
The next morning they set out for their intended home ; the weather was unpleasant, and the snow still quite deep ; and besides this, there was no track to fol- low, and in truth, we might as well say, no road. It was a long and tedious day, for the sun was just disap- pearing behind the ancient hills as they drew near their uninviting house, the body of which had been put up by Mr. Roe the previous spring. He had hewed and put down a plank floor, and prepared bark for the roof, which, according to an arrangement, was to have been put on by an individual who resided in Homer. But, contrary to his expectation, Mr. Roe found his house in the precise state of completion in which he had left it. He had triumphed over every other obstacle, and was not now to be disheartened, though greatly disappoint- ed. The snow was full two feet deep in the house ; this, however, was soon shoveled out, or at least a por- tion of it. A fire was built against the logs, and thus commenced their first unpropitious attempts at house- keeping in their long looked for, and at length inauspi- cious achievement, in their forest home.
The next year, (1798,) there were a number of addi- tional families who came in and settled in different parts of the town. Among these were James Bright, James Knapp, Bailey, John and James Glenny, and Wait Ball.
In 1799, Enos Bouton, Dana Miles, John Lucas, Henry Wells, Jared Thorn, and Primus Gault came in and se- lected locations.
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During the year 1800, James Wright, John Calvert, James Sherwood, Peter Jones, Seth Larabee, John Ellis, Oren Jones, Moses Rice, Abial Brown, Jason Crawford and Moses Stevens were added to the new settlements.
In 1801, Daniel Edwards, Nathaniel Bouton, Prince Freeman and James Clark came in and settled in vari- ous parts of the town.
In 1802 the settlement was increased by Jonathan Edwards, Samuel Carson, Alexander Hunter, George Wright, Abner and Ezra Bruce, William Lincoln, and Peter Gray ; and in 1803, Moses Olmstead, Peter Pow- ers, John I. Gee, Andrew Van Buskirk and Dorastus De Wolf.
In 1804, Silas Lincoln, Alexander M'Nist, Obadiah Gilbert, Lemuel Barnes, Peter Tanner and Jeremiah Shevalier came in, selecting locations in different parts of the town.
In 1805, Isaac Barton, Jotham Glazier, Simeon Luce, Zophar Moore, Oliver Ball and Isaac Elwell became resident settlers ; and the next year John Hill, John Green, Zachariah Squires and others came in and lo- cated.
From this time the settlements increased more rapidly. The soil, though not of the very best quality, was not of the most inferior kind. Perseverance and a strictly economical mode of living produced wonderful results. It required active and laborious exertions to subdue the wild forest and convert the wilderness into fruitful and productive fields. Had the virgin soil yielded various valuable productions like many portions of the sunny South, without any effort on the part of the proprietors of the soil, and where indolence is most proverbial 9*
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among the people, the inhabitants of the new settle- ments would undoubtedly have exhibited less energy, less enterprise, and would, as a natural result, have been indolent and imbecile. The case was, however, quite the contrary. The pioneers of that early period, and those who warred with the old forest monarchs who had reigned from three to five and even six hundred years on the Virgil hills and valleys, were composed of materials that could brook misfortune, discouragement, and the numerous trials and hardships, the natural re- sults of the first attempts of planting new settlements in a wild and almost unbroken wilderness, swarming with voracious animals, eager, anxious to lap their tongues in the warm blood of some unfortunate victim.
The word "discouragement" did not belong to their vocabulary. What know we of the present day of the toils, privations, and sufferings, through which our fathers and mothers passed, when they thus early struck their tents in the forest, deprived of the many luxuries and conveniences which we so freely and fully enjoy ! They did not repine, though they of necessity were com- pelled to erect their houses of logs, cover them with bark, split logs for their rude floors, using paper win- dows, wooden trenchers, pine slab tables, crack their grain in a mortar, or journey forty or fifty miles to a grist-mill ; and then, perhaps, if not fortunate enough to have a span of horses, which few did, trail along with a yoke of oxen, attached to a dray, loaded with a small quantity of corn or wheat, winding by way of an Indian footpath around the sedgy marsh, fording streams, as- cending the hill-side, and again descending into the valley, camping out night after night ; or, peradventure,
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if still less fortunate, impelled by the wants of the dear ones at home, with three pecks of corn thrown over his shoulder, and a cold lunch in his pocket, he starts off on a wandering tour to a mill at Chenango Point, Lud- lowville, or Manlius Square.
When Mr. Agar came into the town and located near the little streamlet that runs gurgling through the rocky ledge, leaping the cascade, and dancing in the sunlight as it enters the Tioughnioga, he had but a cow, an axe and an auger to help himself with. Mrs. Agar was, if possible, quite as poorly provided with articles for housekeeping. Instead of marble tables, foreign sofas, rosewood chairs, Brussels carpets, etc., Mrs. Agar's furniture consisted of a hewed slab elevated on four legs for a table, square blocks for chairs, and a corn husk rug in lieu of an elegant carpet. Chips served the pur- pose of plates, and a bake kettle for an oven, dish ket- tle, water and milk-pail, as well as for soup-dish, a fry- ing-pan and a coffee-pot. And yet we are told that they enjoyed life and finally became wealthy. While reflect- ing on. the inventive power of this self-sacrificing wo- man, we cannot help comparing her genius with that of Joseph Chamberlain, who emigrated from Herkimer county in 1806, and located in Steuben. He was the owner of a dog, a cow, and an axe. He did not possess a single article generally used about the kitchen, or upon the most common table. But he had both tact and genius ; and these were speedily brought into requisi- tion. His cow must be milked, but into what kind of a vessel was a problem which he alone seemed prepared to solve. Near his cabin might have been seen the trunk of a common-sized tree. Into this he had cut a small
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notch, or basin. Morning and night he would drive his cow astride of this log and milk her into this rudely constructed vessel. Standing at a little distance, the observer might see him crumb his roasted bread into the milk, which he ate with a wooden spoon.
There are many touching incidents connected with- the early history of Virgil, which might be both inter- esting and instructive, as they exhibit most fully the noble independence and moral greatness of the early pioneers, and evince most evidently the necessity for decisive action in all great enterprises, whether moral, social, or political. We regret that our limits will not allow of extended comments.
The first town meeting after Virgil was organized (1804), was held at the house of James Knapp, on the 2d of April, 1805, when the following officers were duly elected :
Supervisor,-Moses Rice.
Town Clerk,-Gideon Messenger.
Assessors,-Abner Bruce, John Gee, Joseph Chap- lin.
Commissioners of Highways-John Glenny, George Wigant, John I. Gee.
Poor Masters, -- Jonathan Edwards, Peter Powers.
Constable and Collector, -- Shubel S. Marsh.
Fence Viewers,-Moses Olmstead, Abial Brown.
The first Justice of the Peace was James Glenny. He was appointed in 1802 by the Commissioners of appoint- ment at Albany.
The first post-office was established in 1808, and Zophar Moore appointed post-master.
The first school-house was erected in 1799, near the
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present residence of J. C. Hutchings. Charles Joyce was the first teacher.
The first merchant was Daniel Shelden. When the news of the arrival of his goods spread through the set- tlement, it was received with great interest, and consid- ered as an important event in the annals of Virgil.
The first saw-mill was built by Daniel Edwards, in 1801.
The first grist-mill was erected in 1805, by Peter Vanderlyn and Nathaniel Knapp. The erection of this mill was regarded as a work of valuable importance. The inhabitants had previously been compelled to pro- cure the grinding of their grain at Chenango Point, (now Binghamton,) or Ludlowville, near the east shore of the Cayuga lake. We have heard of numerous in- stances of individuals carrying the grain upon their backs to the latter place, a distance of twenty-four miles.
The first carding machine was put in operation by a Mr. Baker, in the latter part of the year 1814.
The first public burying ground was deeded to the town in 1806, by George Wigant. The first tombstone was erected in 1823, to the memory of an esteemed and worthy citizen, James Roe.
The first cider was made by Enos Bouton in 1819. It commanded four dollars per barrel. The apples were bruised by a pestle hung to a "spring sweep ;" and the juice was extracted by means of a very simple lever press.
The inhabitants seem to have taken considerable in- terest in elevating the standard of education. There were gentlemen with warm hearts and active minds
1
-
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SETTLEMENT AND ORGANIZATION.
laboring to advance the interests of the school-room. A grammar school was first taught in 1819, by Henry J. Hall.
In 1837 the " Literary Institute" was organized. It continued until 1845, having been successfully taught by N. Bouton and William E. Gee. Various other schools flourished from time to time.
The " Virgil Library" was established in 1807, and another, with a capital of two hundred dollars, was or- ganized under the name of the "Virgil Union Library," in 1814.
The first Sabbath school was organized in 1822.
The first religious meeting was held in 1802.
The Congregational organization was completed Feb. 28, 1805. There were then eight members. Rev. Seth Williston presided.
The Baptist Church was organized in 1807. .
The Free or Open Communion Baptist in the south- east part of the town, was constituted in 1820 ; and that of the Free Baptist Church in the west part, was or- ganized in 1822.
The Methodist organization took place in 1826 or 1827. Their church was built in 1831.
The Universalists organized into an Association in 1831.
The Christian Church was formed in 1828.
The first physician was Elijah Hartson.
The first child born in town was a son of Mr. Chaplin.
The first death was that of a stranger, Charles Huff- man, who died in April, 1798, in the woods, while at- tempting to travel from Ebenezer Brown's, in Lansing, (then Milton, ) to Mr. Chaplin's.
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The first death of a resident settler was that of Mrs. Derosel Gee, in March, 1802. She was the wife of one of the heroic soldiers of the French Revolution of 1754-63. He was a man of iron frame and active mind, and could repeat tales of the tented field, of blood and carnage, that would never fail to send the blood curdling to the heart.
The first marriage occurred in 1800. The parties were Ruluff Whitney, of Dryden, and Susan Glenny, of Virgil. The event was regarded with more than usual interest, and formed an era, or starting point, from which future events were to be dated. And it is worthy of remark, that when we were collecting our historical materials, we frequently met with individuals, who, when interrogated with reference to certain points, would immediately refer to the marriage of Miss Glenny in 1800, and then figure backward or forward, as the case might be, and thus arrive at what they concluded to be positive periods of time, or certain points of fact.
In the autumn of 1853 a Town Agricultural Society was organized, and held its first annual Fair in 1854. The result was commensurate with its importance. In 1857 it was reorganized, according to the act of 1855, passed to facilitate and encourage the formation of Agricultural Societies. During that year a beautiful piece of ground was obtained on a lease, and a fence, enclosing upwards of four acres in a square form, was erected ; as also, a building for the exhibition of dairy products, home manufactures, and needle-work. The building has since been enlarged and improved. A spirit of enterprise has been awakened in the town, and its example has been followed by some surrounding
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towns and localities, in the formation of similar societies.
In 1846 Virgil was divided into three towns ; the north half constituted one, and retained the original name. The south half was formed into two ; the west received the name of Harford, and the east that of Lapeer. Since that time a part of Virgil has been set to Cortlandville, and another part, consisting of lot No. 20, has been attached to Freetown .*
In 1810, six years after its organization, the popula- tion numbered 913. There were seventy-seven Senato- rial electors, and the whole amount of taxable property was $84,351.
In 1798 the population of Vigil was
30
1810
906
1814
1,437
1820
66
2,411
1825
66
3.317
1830
66
3,912
1835
66
66-
4,291
1840
66
4,502
1845
66
66
4,541
1850
66
2,410
1855
2,231
CINCINNATUS was one of the original townships (No. 25,) of the Military Tract ; located by act of Legisla- ture of New York, in 1786, to which reference was made in a previous chapter. It originally contained 100 lots, or 64,000 acres of land. It was organized April
* See Festive Gathering of Early Settlers, by Hon. Nathan Bouton, the able and popular pioneer annalist of Virgil-page 31.
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8th, 1804, and retained its original limits until April 21st, 1818, when it was reduced by the erection of Free- town, Willet and Marathon. Freetown was taken from the north-west quarter, Willet from the south-east, and Marathon from the western portion of the township.
The settlement of Cincinnatus commenced in 1795. The inducements were not of that flattering character which were calculated to attract the earlier attention of intelligent and enterprising pioneers. The lands were not regarded as being of the most productive character. In this respect, however, great changes have resulted from the labors of industrious agricultur- ists. And although the general quality of the soil does not equal the rich flats washed by the glassy waters of the Tioughnioga, or surpass the more elevated lands of Homer, Preble, or Scott ; yet it is quite certain that great improvements have been made, and that farmers are reaping the rich rewards that spring from the indus- trious pursuits of life. Much of the surface of this town is hilly, though- by no means mountainous. The soil is of various qualities, generally better adapted to grass than grain, a fact which appears to be well un- derstood by the dairymen, for we have the most positive authority for asserting that some of the very best speci- mens of butter, which find their way into Washington Market, New-York, are made in Cincinnatus.
Previous to 1798, when a grist-mill was erected at Homer, the citizens of Cincinnatus were in the habit of going to Chenango Forks, Ludlowville, or Manlius Square, with drays loaded with wheat and corn, drawn by oxen, to get their grinding done. If the reader desires to understand how these drays were con-
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structed, it will only be necessary for us to state that they were made from the crotches of trees, having a few boards or cross pieces attached to them by means of pins. They were usually from six to eight feet in length, and, as we are informed, from eight to ten bushels made a very respectable load. In more modern times, the drags, and even stone-boats, were similarly constructed.
The settlement of Cincinnatus commenced in 1795, under the auspices of John Kingman, Thadeus Rock- well, Zurial Raymond, Dr. John McWhorter, Ezra Rock- well, and Samuel Vining. Mr. Kingman was a native of Massachusetts, born in Wethersfield, October 5, 1770. With an ordinary education, he left home at the age of sixteen, and learned the shoemaker's trade with Mr. McGee, an Irishman, who carried on the business in Sheffield. At the age of twenty-five he came to Cincin- natus, and located where he now lives, on lot 19. He had never worked at farming, and consequently pur- chased originally only fifteen acres. He possessed a strong physical frame, and was an active and energetic man. He busied himself in clearing his land in the day- time, and in making shoes and boots during the early portion of the night; in this way he paid for much of his hired help. He subsequently made different pur- chases, until he had secured 150 acres-which is now owned by his sons Charles, George, and John. In a military capacity, he rose from 2nd Corporal in a compa- ny of infantry to Colonel. He was supervisor of Cincin- natus for eleven successive years ; and held numerous other town offices. He has reared a very intelligent family of children : Leroy W. resides in Owego, Tioga
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county ; Lyman, in Groton, Tompkins county ; and Oliver, Charles, and George I., at Cincinnatus. All have been merchants ; and it is worthy of remark, that neither of them ever failed in business, and are there- fore enjoying the well-earned fruits of their own indus- try. Oliver, John and George have been members of the Legislature ; the former was an associate Judge from 1828 to 1846. Leroy, at the time of writing, is the popu- lar county clerk of Tioga county. The Rockwells were from Lenox, Massachusetts. Ezra first located in Solon, now Taylor, in 1793, but in '95 removed to Cincinnatus and settled on lot 19-purchased 100 acres. Thadeus settled on lot 9. Mr. Raymond was from Williamstown, Massachusetts. He located on lot 29, on a revolution- ary claim, which he had the fortune to secure through his wife, Widow Young. Dr. McWhorter came in from Oxford, Chenango county. He married the step-daugh- ter of Mr. Raymond, a very interesting and accom- plished lady. This was the first wedding that occurred in Cincinnatus. Thomas Rockwell told us that at the time referred to, there was no person there authorized to marry, and consequently a clergyman was employed to come from Oxford and officiate. This done, another difficulty arose, but was easily overcome. The clergy- man had no authority to marry out of the county of Che- nango ; and hence the company, pioneered by Thos. Rockwell, marched out and as they supposed crossed over the border line into Chenango, but, in reality, had not reached the then limits of Onondaga.' They had, however, approached a romantic spot, such as the mar- vellous would presume to be the retreat of sylphs and nymphs ; and there, beneath the pavilioned sky, in the
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midst of the unbroken forest, on a beautiful moss-cov- ered heath, the happy couple were duly and appropri- ately married. Dr. McWhorter was a man of more than ordinary ability ; was an active and prominent politi- cian, and was at different periods elevated to responsible positions. From 1804 to November 8, 1808, he was a member of the New York Assembly. He also held, by appointment, the office of surrogate. He reared a large family of children ; three are now living. One is the wife of Burton Wakeman, son of Judge Wakeman, of Pitcher,-a gentleman of respectability and fortune. Another daughter resides on the Genesee Flats, and a son, Zurial Mc Whorter, near Buffalo.
Phineas Sergeant, from Oxford, in 1796 came to Cin- cinnatus, and was employed as a kind of general job ber.
Charles De Belle was from Berkshire, Massachusetts. He located in 1797, on lot 9. He died in 1854. Mrs. De Belle is still living, and is remarkably active and healthy. She is eighty-three years old, yet frequently walks upwards of a mile-not of necessity, but from preference-to visit her brother, Thomas Rockwell, of Taylor. Mr. De Belle left five children, all in good cir- cumstances. Their names are Truman, Polly, Sophro- nia, Francis, and John.
Jesse Locke, from Oxford, settled about 1800, on lot 19. Of his family or fortune in life, we have no partic- ulars.
The Wyoming Indians occasionally visited the valley, (Otselic, ) during the few first years after the settlement commenced. The Onondagas and Oneidas, also, made. periodical visits. . In 1796, forty of the Oneidas camped
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SETTLEMENT AND ORGANIZATION.
on the ground occupied by the Brick store ; and during the fall and winter they killed forty-two bears. The oil they preserved in some of the larger intestines, and used it in cooking their meats. Soon after Col. King- man began to improve his land they erected their cab- ins farther down the river. He informed us that they were very peaceable, and well disposed towards their white neighbors.
The inhabitants exhibited considerable public spirit in their efforts to establish and render beneficial the common schools, which claimed their early attention. Public religious worship did not commence at as early a period as in many of the sister towns. This, however, was not owing to any lack of moral culture or religious belief on the part of the people, but should be ascribed to circumstances beyond their control.
The Union Congregational Society of Cincinnatus and Solon was organized November 18th, 1822. The trus- tees were John L. Boyd, Barak Niles, John Covert. Clerk, Barak Niles. Presiding officers, Oliver Kingman, Barak Niles.
The first sermon ever preached within the original limits of Cincinnatus, was pronounced by Dr. Williston, of the Congregational order. It was delivered in a log barn, from the text, " Hear ye."
James Tanner was the first merchant. The first mil- ler, Benjamin Wilson. The first store was erected by Col. John Kingman, on ground now covered by the Brick store. The first school-house was built by Mr. Kingman, and stood a short distance south of his house. The first frame house was erected for Dr. John M'Whor- ter, about 1802. The first school was taught by Miss Hepsy Beebe.
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