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 14
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NOTE .-- Since the main portion of our history was placed in the hands of the publisher, the recently organized town of Cuyler has been formed from the east half of Truxton.
214
SETTLEMENT AND ORGANIZATION.
gard the wool exchange business as one of great prac- tical importance to the wool-growers of Cortland county, for while they get their cloth at a reduced price, they receive an advance profit on their wool, making the ex- change a profitable investment.
SCOTT .- The town of Scott was erected from the west part of Preble, April 14, 1815.
The first permanent settlement was made in this town in 1799. There had, however, been a rude hunter within its boundaries as early as 1795. He erected a bark shanty, and lived by hunting, -a kind of employment for which he seemed peculiarly fitted, and to which he was greatly attached. He spent about one year and a half in the deep solitude of that unbroken wilderness, when he was joined by a half-breed Indian, originally from Three River Point, Canada ; and in a few months after, they gathered up their peltry and furs, and made their way to a French trading post, then established near Whitestown, where they made a profitable disposition of their effects, and then sought, if possible, a still more gloomy retreat in the wilds of the far West. He was an eccentric and original genius, constitutionally fitted for the rude life he lived. His birth-place is not known, though it is evident from certain excentricities of character that he was of French extraction. An In- dian of the Leni tribe, from whom we gather these facts, and who occasionally visits the Oneidas, relates many characteristic anecdotes touching this singularly strange, yet interesting original. Years after, he was seen standing upon the bank of the great Father of Waters,-the majestic Mississippi. There was heard a.
-
215
SETTLEMENT AND ORGANIZATION.
shriek, a plunge,-the waves closed over the lone hunter, and all that was mortal had disappeared forever. And when the horror-stricken Indian, who had watched his movements, called for the white man of the woods, the evil genius that had wrecked his hopes in early life and made him a wanderer, answered :-
" Where the dark tide runs strongest, The cliff rises steep ; Where the wild waters eddy, I have rocked him to sleep.
" His sleep is so strong, That the rush of the stream,
When the wild winds are abroad, Cannot waken his dream."
During the year 1799, several settlements were made. Peleg Babcock, accompanied by his brothers Solomon and Asa Howard, came in from Leyden, Massachusetts, and selected locations. Peleg settled on the south part of lot 82. Solomon located on the north-west part of the same lot, while Howard stuck his post a little to the east of Solomon. About the same time George Dennison, from Vermont, pitched his tent on the west part of the lot, making the fourth settler on No. 82. Cornish Messenger and Daniel Jakeway came in from De Ruyter in 1800, and settled on lot 92. In 1801
Maxon Babcock came in from Leyden, and located on the north-east corner of lot 82. Ghershon Richardson, and his two sons-in-law by the name of Clark, came from Pompey, Onondaga co., and located on lot 71. In 1802, Henry Burdick, a native of Rhode Island, mi- grated from Colerain, Massachusetts, and located on lot 72. He purchased originally, in company with John Babcock, 109 acres. He was an active and prominent
-
216
SETTLEMENT AND ORGANIZATION.
pioneer in his locality, and now, at the venerable age of 78 years, lives retired from the toil and bustle of life. His youngest son, A. B. Burdick, of New York, is the enterprising publisher of this work.
Jared Babcock came in during the year 1804, and spent some three or four years. In 1809 he was enlisted in the mercantile trade in Spafford, being the first mer- chant in that place. He subsequently moved to Ho- mer, where he still resides.
John Gillet, from Norfolk, Connecticut, located during the same year (1805), but did not purchase until 1807 or '8, when he selected 100 acres on lot 84. The farm has been increased at different periods, and at the pres- ent time embraces nearly 300 acres. He has already passed through a long, busy and prosperous life-a life of activity, of public employment, and of private enter- prise. He filled the office of Justice of the Peace for a period of twenty years ; that of supervisor and other town offices, at various times ; was associate judge of the county court for fifteen successive years, and also member of the legislature, and presidential elector.
Jacob Smith, from Delphi, located in 1806, on lot 84. His original purchase was 50 acres : he, however, made subsequent additions until he had secured 105 acres, which he has but recently disposed of with a view of locating at Little York.
In 1806 Daniel Doubleday migrated from Lebanon, Connecticut, and located in the town of Homer. In 1809 he removed to Scott, and settled on lot 85. He has reared a respectable family, accumulated a good property, and now, at the advanced age of seventy-two, rejoices in having spent a long life in an honored and productive employment. Mr. Doubleday is in the
217
SETTLEMENT AND ORGANIZATION.
enjoyment of remarkable health, and in the full posses- sion of his mental and physical faculties.
During 1805, Elisha Sabins and John Babcock cut and cleared a road from Scott Corners (then called Bab- cock's Corners, ) to Spafford Corners. They transported their goods to their new home on sleds, and found it a rather difficult task. The next year, Isaac Hall, of the latter place, passed over the road with a wagon, and after purchasing a load of lumber at Babcock's settle- ment, placed it on his wagon and conveyed it to his home in Spafford.
In the summer of '99, Solomon Babcock tells us that he was in the habit of making frequent visits to his brother's cornfield, accompanied by a small dog, for the purpose of frightening away the bears, they being very trouble- some and destructive to the corn crop. It was a com- mon occurrence to find a half dozen in at a time, and to him it was rather amusing to see how they would hurry away at the mere sight or bark of the little fellow.
Early in the month of March, he went into the woods for the purpose of obtaining a birch broom-stick. The snow was some three feet deep, and the crust suffi- ciently strong to bear up a man. A strong, active, fierce and well-trained dog, belonging to his brother Peleg, bore him company, and before the trunk of the little sapling was secured he had actually killed seven deer.
The first ordained preacher was Elder Town. The first persons baptized were Mr. and Mrs. Solomon Bab- cock-the former in Homer, and the latter in Scott. The first merchant was Nathan Babcock. The first inn-
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SETTLEMENT AND ORGANIZATION.
keeper was James Babcock. The first post-master, John Gillett. The first marriage, Solomon Babcock to Amy Morgan. This occurred in the Fall of 1802. There being no authorized person at hand to marry, the parties came to Homer on horseback, and after attending church, went to Squire Bishop's on East Hill, where they were appropriately married. The first child born in town was Harriet Babcock. The first death was an infant daughter of Peleg Babcock.
Public religious worship commenced about the year 1806 or '7.
The Close Communion Baptists, the Seventh Day Bap- tists, the Presbyterians, and the Methodists, have each a convenient house for religious worship.
The first post-master of East Scott was Alvin Kellogg. It was with this gentleman that Ex-President Fillmore learned his trade,-that of clothier.
The town of Scott, though containing much broken
ยท land, is favored with many most excellent farms. It is not, however, a grain growing town. The land being generally better adapted to grazing, the agriculturists are found adopting the more reasonable and productive pursuit of increasing their means in the dairy business.
In. 1820 the population of Scott was
775
1825
66
1,006
1830
66
1,452
1835
66
1,504
1840
66
66
1,332
1845
1,368
1850
1,290
1855
66
1,293
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SETTLEMENT AND ORGANIZATION.
FREETOWN was organized April 21st, 1818. It com- prises the north-western quarter of the old military township of Cincinnatus, and lot No. 20 from the eastern part of Virgil. The soil is a clay loam, better adapted to grazing than grain growing ; but more recently has produced good crops of corn, oats, barley, flax, and po- tatoes ; wheat not being grown here to any consider- able extent. Freetown is situated on a ridge between the Tioughnioga and Otselic rivers, and was settled prin- cipally by emigrants from the north and eastern por- tions of the State. The inhabitants are an honest, in- dustrious, hardy race of men. The early settlement of this town was attended with deprivations, hardships and discouragements that required the energies and fortitude of a class which none but pioneers in a new country are capable of exercising and enduring.
The early pioneers, in preference to going to Ludlow- ville or Chenango Forks, to mill, usually went to Onon- daga Hollow, or Manlius Square, a distance of forty miles, fording creeks and rivers, exposing themselves to cold and storms by night and day, being obliged to camp out two or three nights during their journey to and from the mill, through an almost entire wilderness, filled with wolves, panthers, and other ravenous beasts of prey. As there were then no roads, they traveled by marked trees, whiling away the dull hours of time by whistling or singing some merry tune, or in telling some legendary tale which may have been preserved for centuries by Indian tradition. At night, tired and hungry, the jaded horses were tied to a tree, and, by the roots of some enormous oak or hemlock, the pioneers would find a resting-place, with the bags for pillows
220
SETTLEMENT AND ORGANIZATION.
and an Indian blanket for a covering ; and there, in the deep forest, surrounded with gaunt, howling wolves, and poisonous reptiles, with the "deep blue sky above," all radiant with night's diadems, or perchance o'erspread with tartarean blackness, while the harsh, hoarse thun- ders rolled and reverberated through the wide expanse ; now startled by a vivid flash of forked lightning as it leaps athwart the darkened sky, or shatters a proud old relic of the ancient wilderness into a thousand pieces, would await the return of day to resume their journey. And thus they endured these attendant privations until 1798, when a mill was erected at Homer,-or a year later, when Mr. Hubbard, of Cortlandville, built the old Red Mill, now owned by Mr. Mudge.
Robert Smith, a Revolutionary soldier, was the first settler. He drew lot No. 2, and moved on to it with his family in 1800, having only previously prepared a mere cabin of logs for their reception. He was originally from one of the New England States. He made a small improvement on his lot, and after struggling through many severe hardships, and enduring the privations incident to most new settlements, sold to Samuel G. Hatheway. Some of Mr. Smith's descendants are now living in Marathon.
Soon after Mr. Smith located on his lot, Caleb Sheop- ard and David H. Monrose moved from the eastern part of the State, and settled with their families on lot 22. Mr. Sheopard, several years since, removed to Michigan. Mr. Monrose remained on his farm until his death, which occurred in 1837. His son Daniel occupies the old homestead.
William Smith, a native of Vermont, migrated from
221
SETTLEMENT AND ORGANIZATION.
Great Bend, Pa., to Freetown in 1802, and located on lot 25. He made various small purchases of land until his farm numbered some one hundred and sixty-five acres. In 1835 he disposed of his property and settled in the town of Cortlandville, where he now resides. His step-mother, Eunice Smith, lives with him, at the advanced age of 95. Mr. Smith has held most of the town offices, besides several military positions. Of his nine children eight are living.
In 1804 Gideon Chapin located on lot 42, and erected soon after the first saw-mill in the town. There is at present one of a larger size covering the same ground.
In 1805 Gen. Samuel G. Hatheway, originally from Freetown, Mass., removed from Chenango county and located on lot 2, having purchased the Robert Smith farm, which consisted of about three hundred acres. The General was a man of energy and enterprise, as was evidenced in the rapid improvement of his farm. He can now relate many interesting anecdotes touching his early life. Soon after he came into Freetown, he desired to make some addition to his stock of cattle, and hearing that Caleb Sheopard, near the Salt Road, about five miles distant, had a calf to sell, made ar- rangements to procure it. He started from home near evening, having previously completed his day's work, for Mr. Sheopard's, with a rope halter in his hand with which he intended to lead his calf, if successful in a purchase ; and thus equipped, without coat or stock- ings, he plodded his course through the woods, by way of marked trees, there being no road. He succeeded in obtaining the calf, and started for home ; but night coming on, and it being much darker than he antici-
222
SETTLEMENT AND ORGANIZATION.
pated, and carelessly hurrying along with his treasure by his side, he soon found himself unable to distinguish the glazed trees, but still persevered, hoping to come out right. It was not long, however, before he found he was out of the right course, and concluding that for the present he was lost, very calmly set about camping out for the night. He fastened the calf to a tree, and, reposing by its side, was delighted through the long and darksome night by the hooting of owls, howling of wolves, screaming of panthers, and other music of a like interesting character. At length morning dawned, and, as Aurora flung her gorgeous rays over the dense forest, revealed to his eager gaze his position on the Pine Ridge, one or two miles out of his way. His calf was hastily detached from the tree, and he again set out for home, which he reached at an early hour, having a sharp appetite for his breakfast, and much to the grati- fication of his anxiously awaiting mother.
Eleazer Fuller came from Northampton, Mass., in 1806, and settled on lot 12. He purchased one hundred acres. He reared a family of four children ; a daughter, with whom he lives, is the wife of William Mantanye. His son, Austin Fuller, is Auditor of Indiana, residing at Springfield. Mr. Fuller is seventy-five years old, and is, at the time of writing, greatly afflicted with a can- cerous ulcer, which must eventually terminate his life.
In 1808, Rockwell Wildman and Isaac Robertson came in and selected locations. The former migrated from the north, and settled on lot 15. He died in 1855. His children occupy the original premises. The latter came from Connecticut, but was not permitted to enjoy for more than a few brief seasons the fruits of his labor ;
223
SETTLEMENT AND ORGANIZATION.
he died in 1811 ; his wife in 1815. He left eleven chil- dren-three are now living.
In 1809, John Aker, father of Abram, came from Al- bany county and selected a location.
Henry Gardner, from Plainfield, N. Y., came in dur- ing the same year and settled on lot 32. He purchased one hundred acres ; died in Illinois in 1858 ; age eighty years ; left seven children-all now living. Mrs. Gard- ner died in 1852.
At about this time, or perhaps a little subsequent, Charles and Curtiss Richardson, William Tuthill, Jacob Hicks, Isaac Doty, John Backus and Aruna Eaton came in and selected various locations. Curtiss Richardson lives with his son William, in Canandaigua.
John Conger migrated from Granville, Washington county, in 1812, and located on lot 12. He purchased one hundred and five acres. Fifty acres have been added to the farm, which is now owned by Hugh M'Kevitt.
Mr. Conger was an enterprising, public-spirited man, and creditably discharged the duties of several town offices. He died in 1836, aged 55. Mrs. Conger, at the advanced age of seventy-five, is remarkably healthy and active. Mr. Conger was the father of five sons and four daughters-Joseph, Samuel, Harmon S., Bemon S., and Damon. Malina married David Gardner, of Harvors, Illinois ; Mary is now widow Crosby; Esther is the wife of Ransford Palmer, of Cortland ; and Rhoda is Mrs. J. M. Barclay, of La Cross, Minesota.
In 1813, Austin Waters removed from Saybrook, Conn., and located on the same lot. He purchased one hundred and five acres, which was entirely covered with a heavy growth of timber. Having but limited
224
SETTLEMENT AND ORGANIZATION.
means, and indeed nothing but his ambitious desire to achieve something in the way of human progress, he perserved in his toilsome efforts, and kept from yield- ing to the numerous discouragements with which he was surrounded. He resolved to succeed, and he tri- umphed over all difficulties ; and he lives, at the vener- able age of eighty years, to see Freetown one of the most productive dairy towns in the county.
Walton Swetland, a native of Conn., migrated from Granville in 1814, and settled on the Trip farm, on lot 22. He. made several purchases, until he had secured a farm of one hundred and thirty acres. He attended to the clearing and cultivating his land until 1838, when he disposed of it with a view of entering into another branch of business. In 1846 he engaged in the mercan- tile trade, and up to the present time has continued the business with general success. He has filled various town offices, among which are those of School Inspec- tor, Superintendent, and Justice of the Peace. The latter office he has held for twenty-eight years, and still continues to officiate in that position. He was appointed an Associate Judge in 1844, and held the office for a number of years. From a corporal in a company of infantry, he rose to the rank of major.
Judge Swetland resides at Freetown Corners ; is about sixty-five years old ; and is still an active, useful and prominent citizen.
Geo. I. Wavle, from Montgomery county, N. Y., located in 1814 on lot 4, where his son James now resides. He purchased four hundred and fifty acres. He was an industrious and honorable citizen. He died in 1825, leaving a respectable family of children.
225
SETTLEMENT AND ORGANIZATION.
During the early period of settlement, Freetown was regarded as being rather cold and sterile, and frequently the prospects of the settler were blasted by early frosts, which cut down the crops before they came to maturity; but more recently, frosts have not been as frequent, and for several years past, as good crops of corn have been raised as in most other towns of the county. But the attention of agriculturists is being more generally turned to dairying, in which they succeed much better than in their laborious efforts to grow grain, the soil being better adapted to this department of productive employment than to any other branch of industry.
The first clergyman who statedly preached in Free- town, was Elder Sheopard ; he was of the Baptist order, and resided in the town of Lisle, Broome county. Elder Benjamin W. Capron was the first preacher who made a permanent residence in this town. Don A. Robertson was the first school teacher ; his father came into town soon after General Hatheway, and reared a large family of sons. Peter McVean was the first merchant. He located at what is now called Freetown Corners, con- tinued in the business a short time, and was succeeded by John M. and Sylvester M. Roe from the town of Virgil.
In 1820 the population of Freetown was
663
1825
877
1830
1,051
1835
962
1840
950
1845
925
1850
66
1,035
1855
955
11
226
SETTLEMENT AND ORGANIZATION.
Perhaps no town in the county was settled under more discouraging circumstances than Freetown. It was decidedly "a hard town," the citizens were gene- rally poor, and were necessarily subjected to more hard- ships and privations than under other circumstances would have been endured. Settlers came in slowly, and at no time made very rapid progress ; even as late as 1828, when Reuben Northrop came in from Washing- ton county and located on lot 20, what now constitutes his valuable farm was an. entire wilderness. But the industrious and persevering habits of the citizens have wrought a most favorable change ; and Freetown has become prosperous and influential. The inhabitants are intelligent, affable, and courteous.
MARATHON .- The territory embraced within the bound- aries of Marathon,* was set off from the south-west quarter of Cincinnatus, April 21, 1818, and organized into a town under the name of Harrison, in honor of Gen. Harrison, of the late war, but was subsequently changed to Marathon, on account of there being another town of the same name in the State. The first actual settlers of this town were Dr. Japheth Hunt and wife, both aged people, two sons, James and William, and three daughters, Betsey, Nancy, and Hannah. The ad- vanced age of the parents disqualified them as pioneers of a new country, and unfitted them to encounter the hardships and privations incident to such an enterprise. Their children, however, were of mature age, of robust constitutions, and possessed energy of character, which
* Communicated by Dr. S. M. Hunt.
227
SETTLEMENT AND ORGANIZATION.
enabled them to accomplish the laborious duties which now devolved upon them. They entered the valley of the Tioughnioga from the south, in canoes, in the year 1794, and located on a piece of land on the east side of the river, about a mile south of the present vil- lage of Marathon, since known as the Comstock farm and now owned by Edward Moore. Their log house was erected a few miles north of Mr. Moore's barn, on a knoll, or rolling piece of ground, immediately west, and near the present highway. Upon this rising ground were discovered a great number of excavations or de- pressions, of a circular form, in close proximity, render- ing the surface of the ground uneven. Each of these depressions, upon examination, was found to contain human bones, which had, apparently, been deposited there for several preceding centuries. Upon removing the road a few years since, from the top to the base of this hill, some of these depressions were opened by the plough, and were found to contain not only human bones, but several curiously carved vessels or pots, of a substance resembling clay, probably wrought by the Indians to contain succotash, or boiled corn and beans,- deposited in the grave, as is their custom, to supply their departed friends in their journey to the world of spirits.
About the time that Dr. Hunt's family settled here, a road was surveyed and partially cut through the wilder- ness from the south, near the river, until passing their land, when diverging from the stream, it crossed the south line of lot number 72, about three fourths of a mile east of the village of Marathon, and continuing in a northerly direction, intersected the State road at the
228
SETTLEMENT AND ORGANIZATION.
farm recently owned by Mr. Charles Richardson, of Freetown, and extending north to its terminus at the salt works, which gave it the name of the Salt Road.
Another road, about this period, was surveyed and partially opened as a State road, by the way of Oxford westerly through the centre of the town subsequently organized as Cincinnatus, and consequently on the north line of the present town of Marathon, and crossing the river at Chaplin's ford, now known as State Bridge, and thence westerly through the county by Virgil Corners.
Dr. Hunt was an emigrant from one of the New Eng- land States, and had served his country in the Revolu- tionary war, in the capacity of surgeon. He died March 7th, 1808, at the advanced age of 97, and was the first person buried in the east burying ground of Marathon. His son William married Anna, daughter of Matthew Cole, an early settler on a farm south, adjoin- ing the county line, being the present residence of Col. Lucian E. Crain. His son James was never married, and died at Genoa, Cayuga county. His daughter, Nancy, married Abram Smith, and died about forty-five years since, leaving three children, who' are yet living in the town of Virgil. Betsey Hunt married Oliver Mack, of Genoa, and Hannah, the youngest daughter, married Nathan Thorp, of the same place. Wm. Hunt, some time after the death of his father, sold the farm and located again two miles north of Marathon village, where Stephen Johnson now resides, but finally emi- grated with his sisters from Genoa to the " Far West," to some part of Indiana. In the latter part of the win- ter of 1796, John, the eldest son of Dr. Hunt, who had
229
SETTLEMENT AND ORGANIZATION.
married Lydia, the daughter of Major Samuel Mallory, of Hillsdale, Columbia county, N. Y., was induced to move from that place into the new country in the vicin- ity of his father's residence. A man with horses and sleigh was employed to bring his effects, and family, which then comprised himself and wife, one daughter three years of age, and a son of six months. After sev- eral days' travel over the rough roads, they arrived at Oxford, a new settlement on the Chenango river, where their teamster left them and turned back in consequence of poor sleighing produced by a thaw. Mr. Hunt hav- ing one horse of his own, harnessed him to a hastily constructed sled, and placing a bed and a few necessary articles of furniture and provisions, with his wife and children thereon, started westwardly by the way of the State road for the place of his destination. The first day they proceeded about seventeen miles into the wil- derness on this rough road, passing over several of the smaller logs which had not yet been removed from the path, when night overtook them in a dense forest, which soon became vocal with the sounds of wild animals. Fortunately, they soon came to a log cabin, recently erected, covered with bark, and -having a floor of slats split from logs, with a place for an entrance, but desti- tute of a door to exclude the air. By means of his gun and tinder, he kindled a fire ; and, placing his horse close to the opening, with his provender in the sled, which served for a manger, and having hung up a blanket at the entrance, and placed their bed on the floor, being very weary, he retired to rest, and slept comfortably through the night. But his wife, unaccustomed to such privations, was less inclined to sleep. The howling of
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