USA > New York > Onondaga County > Pompey > Re-union of the sons and daughters of the old town of Pompey > Part 14
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3 The Personal Estate consists of Bonds aud Mortgages, and covenants to give bond and mortgages, on interest at 7 per cent., payable on the 28th of January, annually.
4. Prices of tuition are : For reading and writing, $1.50. English Grammar $2.50; Arithmetic, Geography, Logic, Rhetoric and Belles Lettres, $3; Mathematics, Natural and Moral Philosophy and other learned languages, $4 per quarter.
5. The Apparatus consisting of one pair of Globes, 12 inches in diameter, and two large stoves with pipe, and oth- er articles of furniture for the school rooms.
6. Average price of board is $2.
7. The tuition is estimated at 600 dollars.
8. The benefits of the Institution are uniformly extended to families which are unable to pay the tuition.
Dated at Pompey, in the county of Onondaga, A. Dom. 1818.
HISTORY OF TOWN OF POMPEY.
Containing Account of Settlements and Improvements, its Geographical Features, a History of the Military Tract, &c., &c., Edited and Compiled by Ebenezer Butler, Member of Pub- lication Committee.
GEOGRAPHIC FEATURES. BY II. D. L. SWEET.
That portion of the State of New York, comprised in the original township of Pompey, lay between the parallels 42°, 51', and 42°, 59', 20", north latitude, and between meridi- ans 75°, 54', 13", and 76°, 11', 58", west longitude from Greenwich.
The present township lies between parallels 42°, 51', 20", and 42º, 59', 20", north latitude, and between meridians 75°, 54', 13", and 76°, 4', 52", west longitude. Pompey Academy being located 42°, 54', 5", north latitude, and 76°, 1', 2", west longitude from Greenwich .*
The name given by the Indians to this region was Ote-ge- gu-ja-le, a place of much grass, openings or prairies. An- other name given to this locality, not often repeated, and about which there is much superstitious resource, is Ote- queh- sah-he-ch, the field of blood, a place where many have been slain. (See State Gazetteer.)
Pompey is a part of the Military Tract, and was desig- nated as township No. 10, on Surveyor-General's maps of surveys. On Saturday, 3d day of July, 1790, it received
"We are indebted to S. W. Clark, of Syracuse, who, from survey, has given us the de- grees of latitude and longitude.
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from the Commissioners of the Land Office, in New York City, the name it now bears. It was first given a municipal government as a part of Onondaga County, by Legislative enactment, in the year of 1794, in following words :- "All that part of the said County of Onondaga, comprehending the townships of Pompey, Tully and Fabius, together with that part of the lands called ' The Onondaga Reservation,' bounded northerly by the road leading through the said Reservation, commonly called the Genesee road, and west- erly by the Onondaga Creek, shall be and hereby is erected into a town by the name of Pompey." By subsequent Legislation, the boundaries of the township, as then fixed, have, (in the years 1798, in 1806 and in 1825,) been changed, its present boundaries being :- North by town of De Witt and Manlius ; east by the county of Madison ; south by the town of Fabius ; west by LaFayette.
The township is located upon the great dividing ridge, from which the waters flow north to the valley of the St. Lawrence, and south to the Chesapeake Bay.
This great ridge is divided within the township limits, by four great valleys. The first on the cast, is on the east line of the township, cutting entirely across it, and with but very little inclination. The stream, the east branch of the Limestone Creek, which flows through it, has but few mill seats on its entire length.
The second valley lies about three miles west, and nearly parallel ; has a greater inclination, and, although the valley extends entirely across the township, a portion of the water How's to the south ! The stream which flows north, has at one place a fall of 137 feet, perpendicular, (Pratt's Falls,) and is quite rapid in all its course.
The third, or the Butternut Creek Valley, lies nine miles west of the east line, within the limits of the township, and has but little fall.
The fourth, or Onondaga Valley, lies about four miles cast of the western boundary, and four miles from Butter-
-
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nut Creek Valley, and within the limits of the township has fall sufficient only for two or three water powers.
The greater portion of the township lies on three, a small portion however, on a fourth, of hills or ridges, the axis of which are nearly due north and south.
The first, or the one on the east, has an altitude of nearly 1,200 feet above tide water, or 800 feet above the level of the Erie Canal, at Syracuse.
The second attains an altitude of 1,743 feet above tide water. This point is in the cemetery at Pompey Hill.
The third attains, near the village of Lafayette, an eleva- tion of from 1,400 to 1,500 feet.
The fourth, or Bear Mountain, is but little less in altitude than Pompey Hill.
The slopes of all these, except the last named, are not steep, and were originally covered with a heavy growth of timber-mostly decidnous trees.
Carpenter's Pond, which lies in the second valley, and from which the water flows south, is the only natural body of water.
Swamps are few and small; as also are gulfs and ravines. There are not, it is probable, 1,200 acres of the 60,000 in the original township, that may not be cultivated.
The soil is chiefly a clayey loam. Eighty years tillage has proved it of excellent quality.
In the northern part, a small quantity of limestone shows at the surface.
The surface, however, is generally underlaid by the Ham- ilton group of sholes, while upon the extreme highest por- tions, Genesee slate is found.
The climate is subject to sudden changes, and is partieu- larized by high winds; the average temperature is lower by 33 degrees, than the general average of the State. In the village of Pompey, on Pompey Hill, the wind often blows
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with terrific violence. The cool breezes of summer render this locality a remarkably pleasant one for those, who, through the warmest months of the year, seek relief from the oppressive heat of the city and valleys below. But the high winds of winter make it at times a situation most un- favorable for comfort or pleasure.
Although the annual temperature of this section is found to be lower than the general average of the State, and veg- etation is uniformly backward, yet the robin appears here earlier, and the autumnal frosts are later than in many other sections.
This is one of the most healthy, as it is one of the highest inhabitated portions of the State.
The natural scenery is rarely equalled. The vision, from one stand point on Pompey Hill, is uninterrupted, being bounded by the horizon at every point of the compass, and embracing views in seven different counties .*
The landscape consists of hill and dale, placid lakes, dot- ted with sail, meandering streams, villages, forests, culti- vated fields, beautiful farm houses, steam car, together with the beautiful city, and its hum of busy life.
Within the present limits of the town there are five vil- lages containing Post Offices, viz :- Pompey Hill. Pompey Centre, Delphi, Oran and Watervale.
There are flouring mills at Pratt's Falls and at Watervale, two manufacturies of edge tools, one near Delphi. Samp- son's on cast branch of Limestone Creek, and one, Wood's, on west branch of Limestone; formerly there was, as will be remembered by many old residents, a woolen mill four miles north of Delphi, one-half the way between Oran and Delphi.
Population of the town in 1875, was three thousand, three hundred and sixty.
Onondaga, Cortland1, Herkimer, Madison, O-wego, Oneida and Cayuga.
12
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SETTLEMENT AND IMPROVEMENTS.
POMPEY HILL AND VICINITY.
The township of Pompey obtained great celebrity abroad at a very early period, and was principally settled by people from New England, many of whom took up their residence here while the township was a part of the town of Mexico, Herkimer County.
The first white settler in the town of Pompey was Mr. John Wilcox; he came in 1789 from Oneida, in company with an Indian Chiet, for the purpose of exploring the coun- try. He made a settlement near an Indian orchard, which was located about two miles north of the present site of Lafayette village. (For these and further particulars rela- tive to his settlement, sce Clark's Onondaga, vol. 2d, page 241.)
The first settlement made within the limits of the present township, was made at Pompey Hill, by Ebenezer Butler, who originally came from Harwington, Conn., to Clinton, Oneida County, in the year 1788 or 9; remaining in Clin- ton till 1791, he left and came, guided by marked trees, to this place, and settled on lot 65, which tradition says, "he bought of a soldier for a horse. saddle and bridle. " IIe erected his first, a log house, near where is now " the Stone Black- smith Shop," and near to the spring which supplies the watering tub in the present village. Here in the same year, 1791, he moved his family, consisting of his wife, four chil- dren, his father and a maiden sister.
The following year, 1792, his brother, Jesse Butler, came from Connecticut, and buying 100 acres of him, on the north half of his lot, made a small clearing and put up a log house on a knoll about 30 rods north of the present site of the M. E. Church. He returned to Connecticut in the fall, and in the month of April, 1793, in company with George Catlin and their familes, on an ox sled, came back and made this his residence. Mr. Catlin, having bought of his broth-
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er-in-law, Ebenezer Butler, Jr., 100 acres, near the south side of his, (Butler's) section, settled on the same. and af- terwards kept the first tavern that was opened in this vicin- ity. His house was located a little south of the one lately occupied by Judge Asa Wells.
Jacob Hoar came from Onondaga in the spring of 1793. and settled on lot 48, near a spring of water, at the first four corners on the road leading from the village of Pompey to Jamesville.
Here, afterwards, about 1800, was found something of a village, named Log City, which grew to contain ultimately, a store and ashery, owned by Justice Fowler, (uncle to O. S. Fowler. of New York,) a shoe shop and tannery, a turn- ing lathe, a school house, together with a respectable num- ber of settlers Log City and the Hill were, for a time, rival settlements.
In the year 1794, Messrs. Jerome & Smith came from Massachusetts and settled on lot number 85, which is the lot first but one, south of that on which the Butlers had settled.
In 1797. Ebenezer Butler, Jr., or, as he was afterwards more familiarly known, Judge Butler, built the first framed house that was raised in the vicinity of Pompey Hill. This was located on the west side of what is now the publie square, and on the present site of Hon. Manoah Pratt's dwelling, formerly Handy's tavern. The next year, 1798, he erected for his father a house, on the present site of the wagon shop so long owned and occupied by Joseph Beach. In the same year, his brother, Jesse Butler, built a frame house on the site where the M. E. Church now stands.
On the corner where the public house is now standing, Truman Lewis had, before 1800, built a small frame house and opened a tavern. From that day till this, there has been a house of entertainment kept in that place. A part of the house located near the Disciple's Church, and when taken down a few years since was owned by Mrs. Orr, was
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a part of the house built by Mr. Lewis, and, together with part of the frame of Mr. Pratt's house, (Handy's tavern,) and a barn situated on the place so long occupied by Cal- vin Dean, are the oldest frames recently standing in the village, or this locality.
North from the village, on the Pompey and Manlius road, near the barn on the land owned by David King, was locat- ed Nathan Davis. From him the farm passed to Victory Birdseye, Esq .; thence to Ansel Jones : thence to Mr. Gec. E. Wells; and thence to David King. A gentleman by the name of Mills, a tailor by trade, lived north of Davis, on the knoll by the "old thorn tree."
Farther north, and next neighbor, on a fifty aere lot, set- tled John Bars, a Hessian, one of the thousand taken pris- oner by Washington, at Trenton, in 1776. Bars remained for a time ; he sold to Mr. Anger, from whom the farm has passed successively, to Capt. Ebenezer Carr, to Messrs. Smith, Handy, Wieks, Wells and to its present owner, Da- vid King.
The next farm north was owned by the Lillys, who re- sided at the foot of the hill, near Mr. Wells' house. And. on the top of the hill they built a blacksmith shop, and were for a long time the only, as they were the first blacksmiths who carried on this business in the locality.
On the farm now owned by Randolph Beard, and where he resides, was located as early as 1800, Mr. Orsemus Bow- ers. Before this date it had been owned by one Bond, who also worked at blacksmithing. From Mr. Bond the farm passed to Capt. Carr, and to Beach Beard, father to present owner.
Mr. Orsborn, a carpenter, and the first in the place, settled on the farm formerly owned and occupied by Augustus W. Chappell. Mr. Orsborn sold to Mr. Fisher, who sold to Mr. Chappell's father, from whom it passed to the son. First north from Mr. Chappell, on hill opposite stone quarry, was one Foster. At the four corners, beyond, was first located
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James and Samuel Curry. They sold to " The M'Keevers." Augustus Wheaton afterwards came into possession, buying, we think, of Mckeever. Between Foster and Curry on west side of road, was Mr. White, who married a sister of .Jacob Hoar.
At a later day than 1800, Morton Bostwick was settled, on corner opposite Augustus Wheaton. On the place now owned by Jas. VanBrocklin, first settled Mr. Sandiman Cul- ver, who sold to Mr. Jakway, from whom it passed to Jas- per Bennett, to Isaac Wieks and to Mr. Van Brocklin. IFhere Nicholas VanPatten now resides, Jacob Hoar settled. His first house however, was on the side west of the road, near to a spring of water, as it was the aim of the early set- tlers to locate at or near a spring, that water could easily be obtained. The first well that was dug in the village, was by Truman Lewis, and has since been filled.
Where now lives Messrs. Cramer Johnson and Eli An- derson, were located two brothers, Abel and Thos. Orcutt, and on the farm of Hiram Butts, lived Daniel Webster. Obed Handy lived on the farm of Ira Anderson, whose grandfather bought of Handy.
Mr. Timothy Cossitt, Sen., lived on the farm, so long owned by his son Calvin Cossett. Benjamin Butler and his son Salmon, settled opposite the farm so long owned by Rensselaer Johnson. They owned at first the farm of Mr. Johnson, and sold to his father, Rufus Johnson, who mar- ried Mary, sister of Judge Butler.
The Butlers sold to Ami Butler, son of Benjamin, a farm, which forms a part of that now owned by Mr. Doolett. Ami settled near where is now Mr. Doolett's house. Across from Butler's, Dea. Ezra Hart made a settlement. His house took fire from some cause, and burned to the ground, the Deacon loosing nearly every article of furniture and wearing apparel he possessed. He afterwards built anoth- er house, and after occupying it a few years, sold it to Jesse Butler, who occupied it till about 1847 or 8.
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Dr. Walter Colton, the first resident physician, settled on the farm, and had at that time, a house situated a little north of the one now owned by Geo. Wells. He sold to Edward Boylston, a silver-smith, who for a time carried on his trade in that place; Boylston sold to Rev. Hugh Wallace, one of the first settled ministers of the Presbyterian church. It is just to remark, that Rev. Mr. Gilbert, who settled near where Mr. Albert Butterfield lived, and where Mr. Blairnow lives, was at Pompey, and preached to the settlers before the set- tlement of Mr. Wallace, which occurred in 1801. So was also a Mr. Williston, 1798. Mr. Gilbert lies buried in the cemetery at Pompey Hill. Mr. Daniel Gillett settled and built a log house near where Mr. Seubal Knight lives. Samuel Johnson bought and made a clearing, where Daniel Marsh lived at the time of his death. In 1805, he sold to Asa Wells, who built a house and lived a little east, and back from the road. Mr. Wells sold to Judge Butler, or rather exchanged for 100 acres, the farm now owned by the Ryan estate, situated at the foot of the hill directly east from the village.
Mr. Wm. Lathrop resided where Frank Porter now lives. Mr. Lathrop drew the plan for, and framed the " Old Acad- emy" building. Opposite Mr. Lathrop, lived one Titus Rust, a shoemaker, who afterwards sold to Mr. Marovia Marsh. Farther south, where Calvin Dean lived, was Nathaniel Brace ; nearly opposite, lived Gad Loveland; farther south, (and where is now a few apple trees, beyond the Wells' house,) lived George, afterwards Maj. Catlin, who, as before stated, kept the first public house in the place.
Where Robert Ellis recently lived, Jas. Cravatt settled. He, very soon, sold to Chauncey Jerome, who lived upon the lot till his death. Next south, lived Jas. Lankland. Where Ira Ellis lately lived, Capt. Sely Castle made a clear- ing and built a house. Where Eli Pratt lives, was Jabez, afterwards Gen. Castle. Mr. Godfrey Williston settled . where Mr. Guynn lived. Mr. Williston bought of one Doty, who first settled upon the farm. Mr. Urial Wilson was on
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the farm now owned by his son-in-law, Truman Woodford. Next, came Messrs. John Jerome and Joseph Smith, who came to Pompey, as before stated, in 1794. These lands are still owned by the Jeromes.
At the foot of the hill, on the road running east from the cemetery, where Mr. Elizur Seymour now lives, Sylvanius Bishop bought of Cravatt, and settled. Further east, where is " the Bliss place," Benjamin Hopkins settled. He bought of one Whitney, who had built on the site of the present dwelling. Isaac Frost settled where Maj. Berry now lives. Beyond the four corners east of where Frost resided, Mr. Curtis located, owning the farm on which is located No. 8 School house, the farm now owned by John VanBrocklin. Nearly [opposite the old Curtis home is the VanBrocklin residence, where Nicholas Van Broeklin lived over fifty years. He purchased of one Campbell the father of Almira Campbell referred to in Mrs. Ostrander's letter. On this farm Wm. W. Van Brocklin was born. Next east lived Elijah Wallis for over fifty years, and next on the north side. Millard Robinson.
At and near the four corners, at the top of the hill cast of Frost, were located Deodatus, Hezekiah and Thaddeus Clark. The first two, physicians. The last, father of Grace Green- wood, who was located on the farm next west of Van Broek- lin's at the corners.
There were also in same locality, south, Berry Davis, the Judds, Samuel Dunham, Almer Pratt, Reuben Billings and Hanchett. Further east, at Wood's Corners, was Wood, and near by, were James, Noodiah and Epiphras Olcott.
North from Dr. Clark's was Rev. Mr. Gilbert; since Tim- othy Butterfield's home; then followed Samuel Flint, Elijah Wells and Artemus Bishop. At the foot of the hill, on road to Cazenovia, near the Pratt's saw mill, was Hooper Bishop, who only a few years since, was living in Michigan, at the advanced age of over a hundred years.
One Ackley lived west of the mill, and afterwards built the house occupied by Lewis Pratt.
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On the farm now owned by Marshall R. Dyer, first lived Edward Hoar, who built a very substantial log house-the logs being hewn and made square, a circumstance quite un- usual in those days. Mr. Hoar sold to Mr. Allen Hayden, who sold to Miles Dunbar. Elijah Howard bought of Dun- bar. He sold to John Todd, from whom it has passed to Pitt, and now to Marshall R. Dyer. By Pratt's Falls, Ma- noah Pratt and the Smiths-Jared and Roderick-" took up" a lot of land one mile square, and settling, built a flour and saw mills. The first built in the present township of Pompey. These mills were erected in 1797 and S.
In thus giving names of the original settlements made, we have taken a circuit about the village of Pompey, and named the settlers en route. By this review, we find there were, within the circle thus described, as early as about 1800, sixty or seventy families.
In Clark's Onondaga, we find that the entire population of the county at this time, was 1,036, and of this town, 309. Showing that nearly one-third of the entire population of Onondaga Co., (which then embraced Homer and Solon, now Cortland Co.,) was located in this vicinity.
At that time, what is now Onondaga Co., numbered only 885, Pompey containing nearly 50 more than one-third of the entire number. Clark further says, "At this time such a vehicle as a horse wagon was not in existence in this town or county : and the visiting was done mostly in winter on ox sleds, and happy and rich indeed was he who could yoke a pair of oxen of his own, make his way through the woods with wife and child or two on the sled, on an evening's visit to a neighbor's several miles distant-in fact, such a man was considered in rather opulent circumstances; and too, it was no disparagement for the belles and beaux of that day to attend singing school or spinning bee on the ox sled."
Within the next few years many changes took place; set- tlers came in rapilly; a very thriving community was estab- lished at what was then called Butler's Hill. Besides those
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already named we find named by Clark, the following par- ties who had settled in the town, " True Worthy and Selah Cook, the Holbrooks, Hibbards, Hinsdales, Messengers, Westerns, Allens and Burrs."
But. during the advancement of the community to this time, the trials attendant upon the emigration of the set- tlers, the deprivations necessary to be endured by them, in clearing the forests and commencing a settlement and a new home, were, by no means, light. Coming as many or nearly all of them did from Mass. and Conn., where they had enjoyed the comforts of a home in a comparatively old settled country : churches, schools, stores, mills, good roads, warm and comfortable dwellings, the social circle, and all of the comforts which a long established community enjoy ; and breaking aloof from these, and either on foot, with axe across the shoulder, or with the family and family effects upon an ov-sled or cart, often bidding adieu to friends and kindred, they took up their line of march for this the then far West. To do this, and under circumstances so unfavorable, was not so pleasant a task as we, viewing it from our present stand-point, in days of rail roads and telegraphs, might suppose it to have been.
A journey then to " the West," was further than that of to-day. to California or to Oregon.
The " North River" then, was a distance so far from home, that the criminal who should escape to it, was safe from his pursuers. And New York and Albany were places farther, apparently, from them, than Pike's Peak or San- Francisco from us to-day !
When they were about to leave on their journey, the friends and neighbors for a great distance around, met at the homestead ; prayers were said, psalms was sung, and those who were left behind, felt that those who had gone, were to them no better than buried. During the last 30 or 40 years, we have been accustomed to witness the departure of friends and neighbors who, by rail road, were to take
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their departure for Wisconsin, Minn. and California, but never with feelings such as saddened the hearts of those who bade adieu to those who were to be the first settlers of this. our native town.
Not unfrequently, the journey was performed by our grand-mothers in company with their husbands, sons and daughters, much of the way on foot, beside the cart or sled which carried the household goods !
As the young of to-day take a retrospect of those times and trials, and of the journeys performed by our grand-pa- rents, may we not learn lessons of heroism, of self-denial and of devotion to the best interests of our descendants, which should they be acted upon, would somewhat improve our physical, and perhaps our social and moral condition ? Then society could boast of men and women possessed with strong physical, and often strong mental abilities, to whose development we owe much of our present prosperity and happiness.
We can hardly realize the change since then. Fancy yourself surrounded by a ¿number of little ones, cutting loose from the enjoyments of your present comfortable home, and all the blessings surrounding you, and wending your way, not by the comfortable and elegant rail road car,. but by the slow, sure, tedious foot or sled-passage, over rough roads, across fords often deep and dangerous, over causeways, through swamps, through dense forests, the home of the panther, bear, wolf, deer and Indian; and, by the aid of marked trees, seeking your future home in a coun- try which, because of these difficulties, is far from friends and the comforts you now enjoy ; and in the lone wood. stopping to rear a log hut, commence a clearing and the set- tlement of a new country. Picture the gradual completion of your rude dwelling; the felling of the trees; the clear- ing of the land; its seeding and the growth of the little erop of corn or rye that is to become the bread of yourself and family ; the hollow stump or mortar for cracking the same : and, in case of sickness, of the silent watch, the long lonely
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