USA > New York > Onondaga County > Spafford > Spafford, Onondaga County, New York, Vol. I > Part 7
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Borodino at one time had three stores for the sale of general merchandise, thee taverns, three tailor shops, three blacksmith shops, and other things in proportion; but, like Spafford Corners, was materially affected by the building of the Binghamton and Syracuse Railroad, and the conse- quent diversion of travel to that road.
Mr. Burroughs was succeeded in business by Stephen and Horace Childs, said to have been natives of Connecticut, but before or after coming to Borodino resided in Owasco, N. Y. Other merchants in Borodino were Daniel Baxter, Messer
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BORODINO STORE AND TAVERN
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Barker, Washington Wallace, William Legg, David Becker (his son-in-law), Thomas B. Anderson, Charles M. Rich, Churchell & Eddie, Grinnell & Howe, William Quick & Son, Captain Zach Berry, Caleb E. King, and Alphonso Deerman.
The first tavern was built by Ira Rider in 1823, on the present site of the Churchell House; the second was erected by Col. Lewis C. Davis, where John Uncless now resides; and the third was kept in the house lately occupied by Mark Harvey as a residence, on the northwest corner of the cross road in this village. The two latter taverns were discon- tinued many years ago, and the former is still in use and occupied as a hotel by Mr. Churchell.
The first blacksmith shop was kept by Eleazer Hillebert, on the site where the Legg Block recently stood. Other blacksmiths in the village were William Legg, Mr. Stowell, Isaac Wallace, Orrin F. Eddy, A. Griffin and John Weston.
The first wagon maker was William Legg; who had as workmen John Babcock, Solomon Sprague, Seymour Warner, and Simeon Morchell.
Among the early shoemakers were Milton Streeter, Renona A. Cady, and Harman Cady. Thomas Howard at one time had a tannery here; Daniel Baxter a Potashery; and William Hayford a tinshop and foundry.
In May, 1856, a fire destroyed the tinshop and foundry, a tailor shop, and other things, entailing a loss of about $8,000.00; and on September 12, 1871, the business places of William W. Legg & Son, William Quick, Charles M. Rich, H. Linus Darling, and Charles Benton were burned; destroying nearly the whole business center of the village. The site of the major portion of the burned district was subsequently built upon by Col. William W. Legg, for a business block adapted for the use of stores, shops and offices; this was also destroyed by fire in 1901, and has not since been restored. Since the destruction of the Legg Block three stores have catered to the wants of the Borodino people, two on the site of the original Burroughs store, and one in the building known as the Town Hall.
In early years the country merchants purchased their goods direct from the wholesale dealer and importer in New York City, and for that purpose made at least one trip annually to that metropolis, and the particularly smart ones made two, one in the Spring and one in the Fall of
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the year. These sojourns from home generally lasted from two to three weeks at a time. By reason of their much travel and their extensive business experiences, the society of these gentlemen was much sought after in the communi- ties where they resided; and their patrons never wearied of the relation of their travels and their business experi- ences in the great City of New York. Their comments on facts coming within their personal observation seemed to have force and certainty, which comes from special knowl- edge and privileged information, and were received by their auditors accordingly. If they were good fellows, and their business instincts generally led them to be, their stores naturally became club-houses, where men and boys con- gregated, not only to look over the latest importations from New York, but to hear the latest news from the outside world. Newspapers were not as common then as now, and consequently the country merchant was a power politically and socially in the community. Men naturally congregate together during the relaxation of business, and in early years, what better place was there for a country man or boy to spend a long winter evening, than around the big box stove in the rear part of a country store? Here the elders smoked their pipes, told stories, and all listened to the merchant as he related his adventures, and expounded matters political and otherwise to his patrons congregated about him. A popular merchant has always been a great power in the community, and it is a pleasure to note that in this town the store, as a club-house, has always taken precedence in popularity over that of the tavern.
HIGHWAYS.
Joshua V. H. Clark, in his History of Onondaga, in speaking of the original town of Spafford as organized in 1811, says: "The first settler in that part of the town taken from Tully was Jonathan Berry. He first settled a short distance south of the village of Borodino, in March, 1803. In April, the same year, Archibald Farr located himself on the southwest corner of Lot. 11.
"To facilitate the progress of Mr. Farr's imigration, Berry sent his teams and men to clear out a road, that Farr might proceed to his place of destination. This was the first road attempted to be made within the limits of the
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town, and is the same that now leads from Spafford Corners to Borodino." The next year " the road was cleared from Farr's, on Lot 11, to the Corners; and the next year, 1805, Elisha Sabins and John Babcock cleared and cut a road from Scott (then known as Babcock's Corners) to Spafford Corners."
The same time they moved their goods on sleds over this newly made road from Scott to their new abode in this town at Spafford Corners. Mr. Goodwin, in his history of Cortland County, say that the next year, 1806, Isaac Hall, who had ecently settled at Spafford Corners, drove a wagon over this road from his home to Babcock's Corners, Ioaded it with hemlock boards, and then drove it back to his residence in Spafford.
Goodwin, in this same history, says that Peleg Babcock, accompanied by his brother Solomon Babcock, coming from Leyden, Mass., settled on Lot 82, Tully, now Village of Scott, in the year 1799; and was soon afterwards followed to that place by John Babcock, Jared Babcock and others. How these latter gentlemen were rlated to Peleg, if at all, is not known. Soon after taking up his residence in Scott, Peleg Babcock puchased Lot 21, Tully, on which Spafford Corners is situate, and immediately afterwards commenced the sale of it in parcels to purchasers. Among his early con- veyances is one to John Babcock, dated October 8, 1806, one to James Cravath, dated September 7, 1805, and another to Elisha Sabin, dated September 8, 1811; probably preceded by contract of anterior date. Mr. Babcock never owned the State's Hundred Acres on this lot, which was puchased by Isaac Hall, August 1, 1805; perhaps by contract of an earlier date; it is claimed he was in occupation as early as 1804.
In view of these traditionary statements, it is interesting to note the survey bill of this first highway in town, which has been transcribed in the first book of records of the town of Spafford, from an earlier record in the town books of Tully. This is the first road record in this book of records :
"Survey of a road, beginning at the north west corner of Lot 12, in Sempronius; and running from thence S. 47º E. 185 chains - thence S. 35° E. 60 chains - thence S. 14º E. 183 chains - thence S. 7º E. 245 chains - thence S. 30 chains - thence S. 7º E. 40 chains - thence S. 15° E. 10
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chains to the north line of lot No. 82, Tully. Nicholas Howd, Surveyor. ?
Recorded this 3rd day of July, 1804.
AMOS SKEEL, Clerk.
JAMES CRAVATH,
SOLOMON BABCOCK,
Commissioners of Highways."
This is a survey of the main highway, running north and south through the original town of Spafford, (now known as the Skaneateles and Homer road), commencing at Jona- than Berry's house, on the north line of the then town of Spafford, and the south line of Marcellus, and extending to the Village of Scott, in the County of Cortland. That would indicate that, at least, the portion of this highway from Dr. Archibald Farr's location, on the southwest corner of Lot 11, to the Village of Scott, was surveyed before the tradi- tionary opening of the road. The lands purchased by James Cravath of Peleg Babcock, on Lot 21, Tully, were the same now owned and occupied by Joseph Cole in 1900; and this survey bill also indicates that he must have occupied his purchase early in 1804 or he must have formerly resided in Scott, before settling in Spafford.
The town books show the record of another survey bill, of a cross road leading from the Skaneateles and Homer road, easterly on Lot 11 to Lot 12, in the direction of Farr's Mill at the foot of the Bucktail; this road ran along the northern line of the Breed Farm of to-day, and was aban- doned years ago and taken up. This bill is also dated in 1804, showing the early date of Dr. Farr's efforts to locate a grist mill, and perhaps a foundry in Spafford Hollow.
Other survey bills of roads are recorded, commencing January 7th, 1807, and rapidly thereafter until the original town was well supplied with these means of intercommuni- cation, before it was organized as a separate corporate body in 1811; in fact in early days there were more roads than there are to-day; many of those first laid out have either been regularly condemned and taken up, or abandoned to the use of the adjacent owners of the land. Among those abandoned or gone into disuse, was one extending along the county line between Onondaga and Cortland, commencing in the Skaneateles and Homer road, and extending easterly to the main road, running northerly and southerly in Cold
SPAFFORD HILLS FROM SKANEATELES LAKE
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Brook; another cross road, extending from the Skaneateles and Homer road to the Cold Brook road, ran along the southern line of the Barker farm of 1900, and was aban- doned years ago, and fenced in by the owners of the land. The cross road along the north line of the Breed farm, above spoken of, was also abandoned over fifty years ago. There are others which have suffered a similar fate, but a recital of them would be wearisome and unprofitable.
There are other roads which have been laid out or re- surveyed, since the organization of the town in 1811, and particularly since the addition of the Marcellus acquisition. The early records of the original town of Marcellus were burned before 1830, so a re-survey of that portion of the town was ordered by vote, early in the thirties. The last survey bill appearing of record in the town books, is one of the road leading from Edwin Morris' house, (1900) on Lot 31, to the head of Skaneateles Lake, by way of Spafford Landing and the cottage of the writer on that beautiful sheet of water.
In this connection it seems appropriate to remark, that the main road running northerly and southerly through this town, from the village of Homer on the south to the village of Skaneateles on the north, is one of the most attractive and picturesque in Central New York, so cele- brated for beautiful drives, and in early times, before the cross-country railroads had diverted the natural course of travel, was much used by travelers, passing from the north- ern to the southern portions of the State. A regular line of stages passed daily both ways over this route, to accom- modate the demands of travel, and taverns at stated places along the road did a prosperous business. In the Fall of the year, large droves of cattle and sheep were frequently seen going along this highway, and the farmers along the route found a ready sale for their surplus fodder to the drovers accompanying these domestic herds, destined for the New York Market. The Stage Driver and Tavern Keeper were important personages in those early times, and held a position in the community entirely different from their successors of the pesent day.
The highway from the village of Homer to Skaneateles, a distance of twenty-five miles, is nearly in a direct course, and so gentle in its rise and descent that a traveller can trot
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a smart team, attached to a light conveyance, nearly the whole distance between the two places. Leaving the Village of Homer. the route to Scott, eight miles, is up a wide and fertile valley, and from thence to the county line, two and a half miles, is up a gentle ascent along a small water couse. As the traveller approaches the county line, there is sud- denly opened to his view an expanse of fifteen or twenty miles of landscape, covering part of the county of Cayuga, nearly all of the town of Spafford, parts of the towns of Skaneateles and Marcellus, and the whole of Skaneateles Lake, with its surrounding hills and wooded points mirrored in its placid waters. The highway at this point, is over a thousand feet above the waters of the Lake, less than a mile away on the left, and thence, in its northerly and parallel course to that body of water, gradually descends to the sur- face level of the Lake at Skaneateles Village, fifteen miles away, the traveller never losing sight of that beautiful sheet of water, from the time it first came in view in the hills of Scott. This old stage route may have lost some of its points of interest, by the removal of the old time stage coaches, and the discontinuance of travel by pivate equipages, once so frequently seen on this favorite route of travel, yet there is a satisfaction in knowing that the graceful Spafford Hills, the fair waters of Skaneateles Lake, and God's pure air and the sunlight of Heaven spread over all, are still there, and cannot be diverted by the commercialism of man.
Another road in town, known as the " Bucktail," leading from Spafford Corners to Otisco Hollow, will always attract the attention of the traveller, by reason of its wild and rugged character; without question it has no counterpart in Central New York, and possibly not in the whole State of New York. It was laid out about 1818 by Captain Asahel Roundy, and surveyed in May, 1819, by Lauren Hotchkiss, Surveyor. The naming of this road was mentioned under the head of First Settlers, in connection with the name of Captain Roundy.
PROFESSIONAL MEN. PHYSICIANS.
The first resident physician, in the southern end of the town of Spafford, was Dr. Archibald Farr, who, according
SKANEATELES LAKE FROM SPAFFORD HILLS
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to tradition, settled on the southwest corner of Lot 11, Tully, in the Spring of 1803. Very little is known of him, beyond the fact that he was the first settler in the southern portion of the town, that he opened his log cabin for the entertain- ment of guests, and that he built a grist-mill in 1806, and perhaps a foundry, at the foot of the Buck Tail Gulf, in Spafford Hollow. He must have moved away before 1811, for according to deed records in the County Clerk's Office, the Leggs were in possession, that year, of the land where he is reputed to have resided.
Dr. Farr was followed by Dr. Ashbel Searls, who first settled east of the main road, on Lot 42, Tully, on land purchased of Elijah Knapp. He erected there a log house, but did not remain long before he re-deeded the land to Mr. Knapp, and moved to Spafford Corners, where he pur- chased a house and lot on the southwest corner of the cross roads, of Lauren Hotchkiss. From there he moved to Otisco about 1815, and finally to Onondaga Valley, where he died in 1875 at a great age. He became a member of the Onon- daga County Medical Society in 1816, while a resident of Otisco.
The next physician in the southern part of the town, of whom we have any recrod, was Dr. Zachariah Derbyshire, who resided on the west side of the highway, half way between the residence of Lyman C. Bennett and that of Mrs. Isaac Fisher, on Lot 22, Tully. His first wife, Pruella Derbyshire, died August 12, 1823, and was buried in Spaf- ford Cemetery; he then married Hannah Williamson, daughter of Cornelius Williamson, for a second wife. We have no record of his coming or going, but it is probable his stay in town filled the interregrum, between the going of Dr. Searls as above stated, and the coming of Dr. Collins, who came about 1830. He at one time had a foundry, just above the upper falls in the Buck Tail Gulf.
Dr. John Collins came to Spafford Corners from Brook- field, Madison County, New York, where he was born, about 1830, and remained here in active practice of his profession until his decease, August 15, 1853.
Among the early students who read medicine in his office was Daniel G. Frisbie, who after being admitted to prac- tice, entered into partnership with him. Dr. Frisbie was admitted to the Onondaga County Medical Society in June,
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1845. Dr. Frisbie, while associated in business with Dr. Collins, married Mary Bulfinich, daughter of Joseph Bul- finch, and a short time afterwards went West, where he became a successful practitioner and business man.
A short time before the decease of Dr. Collins he sold his last residence (the late T. Maxson Foster residence) and business interests to a Dr .Davidson, who continued practice here for a few years and then moved away.
Since the departure of Dr. Davidson, the southern portion of the town has been sevred by resident physicians, in the persons of Dr. H. D. Hunt and Dr. G. Eugene Barker. Dr. Hunt was admitted to the Onondaga County Medical Society in June, 1875. He moved to Cortland County.
Dr. Barker, son of William Barker, was born in this town, and after a successful practice in other places finally returned here, where he has had a prosperous career in his chosen profession, for a number of years last past. He is a Homeopath, and was admitted to the Onondaga County Medical Society of that persuasion in 1891, while he was a resident of the village of Tully. He now has a residence and office at Spafford Corners.
In the northern, or Marcellus end of the town, the first resident physician was Jeremiah Bumbus Whiting, who is reputed to have located at or near the present village of Borodino in 1802, and continued practice there until 1819, when he moved to Sempronius, N. Y. He afterwards went to Michigan, where he died. Dr. Jonathan Kneeland, who commenced the study of medicine in his office, said of him; he was a good classical and medical scholar, well skilled in the use of indigenous remedies, but too much addicted to the use of spirituous liquors to make a successful practitioner in the field of medicine.
Dr. Whiting was succeeded at Borodino by Dr. Benjamin Trumbull, who came in 1816. He was admitted to the Onondaga County Medical Society in 1822, and was Presi- dent of that body in 1832-3. He continued practice in this village until his decease, which occurred May 28, 1835, at the age of 46 years. He was invariably represented by physicians, who knew him, as a gentleman, scholar and a skillful physician. He was a nephew of "Brother Jona- than " Trumbull of Connecticut, the intimate friend and associate of Washington, and one of the most noted War
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Governors of the Revolution. It is claimed that this village is indebted to him for its name, Borodino, and that during his residence here he did much to foster the churches, public schools, and the Chistian morality of the community. He died of heart disease.
Dr. Jonathan Kneeland, born near Borodino in 1812, early had a predilection for medicine, and when a small boy, entered the office of Dr. Whiting as a student; but this engagement was soon terminated. He then entered a medical school in Ohio, but his entry into the practice of his chosen profession was interrupted by severe illness, which delayed the fruition of his desires until he was over thirty years of age. He first opened an office in Tully, but soon afterwards settled at or near Thorn Hill, where he had a successful career as physician and surgeon, among his old towns people near Borodino, for several years. He then moved to Onondaga Valley, where he remained until his decease. He joined the Onondaga County Medical Society in 1842, and in 1892 was honored by that body by a public banquet, on account of his long and honorable career of fifty years, as member of that society. He was President of that body in 1852.
Dr. Trumbull was succeeded at Borodino by Dr. Isaac Morrell, who continued a successful practice there until 1866, when he moved to Fulton, N. Y. After a short absence he returned to Boodino, but soon after went to Elmira, N. Y., where he died. He was admitted to the Onondaga Medical Society in January, 1841.
Since the departure of Dr. Morrell this end of the town has been served by Dr. Van Dyke Tripp and Dr. William G. Bliss. Dr. Tripp was admitted to the Onondaga County Medical Society in 1869, and represented his town in the Board of Supervisors of the County of Onondaga in 1881-3. He is now deceased. Dr. Bliss was a native of Georgia, in the State of Vermont, and after a successful business career at Borodino for a number of years, moved to Tully, N. Y., where he is now engaged in the pactice of medicine.
Several of Spafford's sons have gone forth from this, their native place, to other localities, and risen to eminence in the profession of medicine, among whom are Jonathan Kneeland (spoken of above), Stephen Smith, who went to Brooklyn, N. Y., and there became a leading physician and
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surgeon; who was at one time Commissioner of Charities there, was Commissioner of Lunacy in 1882, was selected as a Delegate to the International Sanitary Congress at Paris in 1894, and is especially remembered for his valuable gift of a medical library to the medical department of the Syracuse University.
J. Lewis Smith, who was a graduate of Yale Coilege, became a prominent physician, and medical instructor in the schools of the City of New York. He is also well known to the profession as a medical writer and the author of several medical works, particularly for a Treatise on the Diseases of Children.
Dr. Edward Cox, son of Silas Cox, studied medicine with Dr. Trumbull at Borodino, and then went to Michigan, where he established a lucrative practice at Battle Creek.
Dr. Polaski Prindle, son of Moses Prindle, born near Spafford Corners, studied with Dr. Morrell at Borodino, and located first at Cashtown, and afterwards in Michigan, where he died.
Dr. James R. Weston, son of Edmund C. Weston, studied medicine with Dr. Collins at Spafford Corners, and finally moved to Montana, where he became a successful physician, a Bank President, a Judge of the Probate Court, and a successful business man.
Dr. S. Elis Crane is a successful physician in Syracuse, N. Y.
Dr. John E. Lyon, son of David Lyon, died soon after coming into a lucrative practice; he was buried at Spafford Cemetery.
LAWYERS.
There has never been a resident practicing lawyer in this town; although there has always been some one skilled in the practice of Justice Courts, and able to serve the people in that tribunal; among these were Captain Asahel Roundy, Jonathan Johnson, James H. Isdell, Uriah Roundy, H. Linus Darling, and Simon B. Wallace. The latter is the only one now living; he resides in the Village of Borodino, and is ready to serve the people when his services are required.
While there are no resident lawyers, there are several persons born here who have settled in other localities, and risen to eminence in their chosen profession; among whom
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are Hon. Martin A. Knapp, Judge Elliott Anthony, Captain George K. Collins, Hon. A. Judson Kneeland, late practicing attorney in the Village of Homer, N. Y., William Smith, a graduate of Yale College, an attorney and counselor at law, but who died early in California; Lee Olmsted and Harley J. Crane, each of whom is actively engaged in the practice of law in the City of Syracuse; Judge Charles Vandenburg, a graduate of Yale College, an attorney at law, and a Justice of the Supreme Court of the State of Minnesota; and Mr. Harmon, son of Elder Harmon, an eminent lawyer, late of Washington, D. C.
MINISTERS.
Among the ministers who have gone from this town and risen to prominence elsewhere, are Amasa Spencer Knee- land, Stella Kneeland, Josiah N. Knapp (died a young man), and David M. D. O'Farrell.
TEACHERS.
The following, born in Spafford, have graced the profession in other communities : Prof. Charles O. Roundy, first principal of the Syracuse High School, Prof. Silas M. Betts, born in Borodino in 1828, was at one time principal of the High School in Niles, Michigan, for several years principal of grammar schools in the City of Sryacuse, and a teacher in the Normal School in the State of New Jersey ; Prof. Alfred G. Harrington, at one time a successful teacher in the high grade of schools in this State, now retired to his farm in the town of Spafford; Prof. Joseph Addison Prindle, at one time a successful teacher in one of the Normal Schools of this State, now retired and residing in the Village of Skaneateles, N. Y .; and Prof. James Foster, an old time teacher, moved to South Dakota, but now deceased.
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