USA > New York > Onondaga County > Spafford > Spafford, Onondaga County, New York > Part 4
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Uncle Daniel had a large, intelligent and respectable family of children whom, for reasons best known to him- self, he named after distinguished notables and royal per- sonages which attracted his attention, as follows: “ Simon
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Bolivar, Napoleon Bonaparte, Santa Anna, Maria An- toinette, Demetrius Ypsilanti, and Andrew Jackson." Andrew Jackson was a name particularly to his liking, for the first of that name having died young, he named a second after that distinguished character in American history.
SCHOOLS.
Like other communities settled by New England people, the first settlers in town had hardly put their things to rights in their log cabins before they organized schools and churches. The first school teacher at Spafford " Corners " was Hannah Weston, who came from her home in Skan- eateles Village and returned to it weekly on horseback; the road through the wilderness between the two places not permitting of any other mode of travel. This school, the beginning of District School No. 2, was taught in a log cabin, standing near the present residence of Nathan Ran- dall, two doors south of Roundy's store in 1900. Miss Weston was born in Fitz William, N. H., September 22, 1786, and came to Skaneateles with her parents before 1800, among the first settlers in that village. It was while teach- ing that school she made the acquaintance of Captain Asahel Roundy, with whom she was afterwards united in marriage, January 19, 1809.
The school thus organized was continued for a short time at the place where it was first instituted, but soon after, as a compromise between the patrons residing on the two main thoroughfares running north and south through this portion of the town, a building specially designed for school purposes was erected on " The Hill," a quarter of a mile or more east of the " Corners," on a cross road leading from one to the other of these two leading highways.
The first two or three generations of village boys and girls who attended school on " The Hill,' have many reminis- cences to relate in reference to these times, pleasant and otherwise. We imagine, however, that none of them were ever exactly satisfied with that location for a school house. In the Summer it was dreary, nearly half a mile from any residence, and in Winter it was the bleakest and windiest place on earth. The cold northwest wind, coming over Skaneateles Lake, had a free and unobstructed sweep of twenty miles or more, and struck the school building fair
BORODINO SCHOOLHOUSE
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and square in its full strength and vigor. In looking back to those days we only wonder why the building was not blown away. It took many cords of three foot wood to feed that old box stove, in use at that time, to keep the boys and girls in comfort on the back seats and their ink stands from freezing. Every scholar had to carry a dinner pail in those days, the noon hour being too short to permit going to the nearest house for the mid-day meal. In Winter the east and west road between the school house and village was always drifted full, so it was imperative for teams and pedestrians to pass through the open fields, in going from one to the other of these places. Then there were many other objections to this location for a school house that a pupil could allege, besides those already noted, and not least of these was the fact, that it was altogether too near a fine old grove of beech woods, which was just opposite of the school house grounds. Teaching school in those times was very much like driving oxen; it was attended with much talking and a dextrouse use of a beech gad. We doubt if there is any boy living or dead, who attended school on " The Hill," who has not a score of vows registered in High Heavens to "lick" some teacher who taught in that old house, " as soon as he got big enough to do the job." There was something in the very air of that old school house to make a schoolmaster " whale' a boy; and so far as heard from there were no exceptions to the rule in teachers.
About 1824 or 1825 the first school building accidentally (?) burned and the boys and girls were happy. But the time was not then ripe for a change, so a new building was promptly erected on the old site to replace the old one. During the interim school was continued in Webster's barn, then standing a few rods east of the village cemetery. The second building was used for school purposes until about 1860, when a new generation of fathers having come in power, a new building was erected just south of the Corners, where school has been taught ever since.
Among the pleasing incidents which occurred at school on the hill was the raising of a flag and pole. At a Summer term the small boys had under discussion the subject of pole and flag, when the school mistress good naturedly observed, that if they would erect the pole she would furnish the flag. This put the youngsters to work, and very soon,
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with the aid of their friends, the pole was in place, obligat- ing the teacher to perform on her part. In her dilemma she engaged the services of the village wagon maker, who professed knowledge on the subject of flags, to furnish the article required. At the time appointed the flag was pro- duced; it consisted of a strip of white cotton cloth striped with paint in all colors of the rainbow, and on the field, where stars usually are placed, instead appeared this motto: " What man has done, man can do again. No. 2 will try it."
The flag was a grievous failure, for when hoisted to the top of the pole, like any piece of oil cloth, which in fact it was, it would not float in any zephyrs known to Spafford Hills. Yet, the motto was there and made an indelible impression, which we trust will endure as long as a scholar of that old school shall survive to repeat the sentiment.
In April and May, 1813, the original town of Spafford was divided into five school districts, very much as now, with the exception of the Spafford Hollow district, which was then included in, and afterwards taken from, the Cold Brook district. The Nunnery district was then designated as No. 1, Spafford Corners as No. 2, East Side Hill as No. 3, Cold Brook as No. 4, and the North district, sometimes called the Woodworth District, as No. 5.
From time to time subsequent to this first school order, slight changes were made in district lines to accommodate patrons of these schools; and from time to time, to meet the wants of school children, new districts were created out of old ones, or discontinued, as the exigencies of the times seemed to require. Among the changes made which seem worthy to be noted are the following:
1n 1817 School District No. 2 was divided by a line drawn east and west though the center of Lot 31, Tully, and the southern portion created into a new district, known as No. 6. The next year (1818) Ripley Hill was taken from School District No. 4, and, after a separate existence as School District No. 7 for a short time, was finally dissolved in 1821, and its territory added to School District No. 6. In this district school was first taught in a log house which stood west of the highway on Lot 41, Tully, just south of Prindle's Woods. In 1831 a new frame building was erected east of the same highway and at its junction with
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a cross road south of Barker's house, leading to Ripley Hill. In the latter building school was continued until the Spring of 1850, when this district was dissolved and its territory re-annexed to School District No. 2. At this time the school building was sold, moved to Spafford Corners and re-modeled into a dwelling house, lately occu- pied by Alexander Green. This house is now the first house south of Roundy's store, on the west of the highway.
In January, 1824, after a protracted controversy among the patrons of School District No. 3, over the location of a new school building, that district by order of the School Commissioners was divided into two districts numbered 3 and 7, but in 1835 the latter was dissolved and its terri- tory re-annexed to School District No. 3.
In 1831, after the annexation of a portion of the town- ship of Marcellus to the original town of Spafford in the prior year, the schools then existing in the new territory were recognized and re-numbered, so as to make their numbers consecutive in order with those then existing in this town. There have been some changes in these school districts since that time, owing principally to changes in town lines by acts of the Legislature of the State of New York, so there are now in the Marcellus end of the town, three full districts instead of seven, as at the beginning of 1831.
In addition to the schools above enumerated there have always been joint districts, supported by this and adjoining towns, notably the Scott and Ripley Hill District, and the school in Spafford Hollow, supported by the towns of Spafford, Otisco and Tully.
It seems unnecessary to add that these schools have been for years free schools, supported by public tax, are under the general supervision of State authorities, and, like all schools of the State, are justly commended for their excellence and efficiency.
CHURCHES AND LIBRARIES.
One of the oldest churches in the County of Onondaga is that of the Baptist Church at Thorn Hill, which was organ- ized largely through the instrumentality of Elder Elias Harmon, its first pastor, who came to this town and settled on Lot 77 or 76, Marcellus, on or before February 25, 1801.
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The first records of this church are dated April 19, 1806, but the general belief is that the organization of the church preceded that date. The incorporation of the society under the name of " First Baptist Religious Society of Marcellus," took place May 7, 1815, when the church building was begun, and at which time Alexander Enos, Elijah Cody, John Wiltsey, Medad Harvey, Joshua Chandler and John Hunt, were made trustees. It is probable that the church building was completed in 1816; prior to which time church services were held in school houses and private residences. The names of Nathan Thompson, Amasa Sessions, John Ten Eycke and Charles Nichols were additional names mentioned in said letters of incorporation, which were recorded in Onondaga County Clerk's Office in Miscellaneous Records, Book " D," page 2, etc., April 4, 1816.
The following account of said society is taken, corrected, and adapted from Israel Parsons, M. D.'s, Centennial Address delivered at the Village of Marcellus, New York, July 4, 1876.
" The materials concerning the Baptist Church at Thorn Hill were taken from a manuscript history of that church prepared by Elder Hatch in 1867, during his pastorate of that church. At the date of the first records of the church on April 19, 1806, Elder Elias Harmon was pastor, and the following were among the most active male members: Amasa Sessions, Amasa Kneeland, John Kneeland, Warren Kneeland, Jesse Manley, Chauncey Deming, Nathan Thomp- son, and Joshua Chandler.
The following is a list of the early pastors of this church: Elias Harmon 1805 (or earlier) to Feb., 1816 Salmon Morton Aug., 1816 to Aug., 1818
Jesse B. Worden Nov., 1816 to Mar., 1835
W. Benjamin Capron Mar., 1835 to Mar., 1840
Thomas Brown Apr., 1840 to Feb., 1848
A. R. Palmer Feb., 1848 to Dec., 1849
Sylvester Gardner Spring, 1850 to May, 1851
William Wilkins May, 1851 to Mar. 1852 Jno. Baldwin June, 1853 to Sept., 1854
Alexander Milne Mar., 1855 to Mar., 1857
Hiram Powers Mar., 1857 to Mar., 1858
Thomas Bowen Apr., 1858 to June, 1858
the date of his decease.
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J. N. Seeley Dec., 1858 to Nov., 1860
William Roney May, 1861 to May, 1864
E. B. Hatch Apr., 1865
(The latter was pastor when this record was made.)
" From the organization of the church to September, 1867, (when the record was made) a period of sixty-two years, there had been united to it by baptism five hundred and twenty-two, and by letter three hundred and eight.
Elder Worden's pastorate was the longest, eighteen years, and Elder Hatch says was the period of the Church's greatest prosperity. He preached two thousand sermons, attended two hundred funerals, and solemnized one hundred and twenty marriages. Over four hundred were taken into the church during that time.
Dr. Jonathan Kneeland is quoted as saying: " The Baptist Church at Thorn Hill was built fifty-nine years ago, and previous meetings were held in school houses. Elder Jesse B. Worden preached to the people from the high pulpit of this church, standing on one leg, (not Worden but the pulpit), for about 18 years, when he went to Montrose, Pennsylvania, where he died. He was Captain of Volun- teers in the War of 1812. His church salary was $250.00 per year, one-fifth in cash, and the balance in produce, prin- cipally corn and wheat, the former at three shillings and the latter at six shillings per bushel."
Dr. Kneeland is further quoted as saying: "Elder Morton will be long remembered for his strong Calvinistic sermons." " Elder Harmon moved to Chautauqua County, N. Y., and many of his sons became men of mark." Hon. Sidney Smith says " Elder Morton died and was buried at Thorn Hill." He " died January 22, 1822, in his 55th year and the 23rd of his ministry," according to the inscription on his tombstone at Thorn Hill.
A public library was instituted and incorporated at Thorn Hill, February 12th, 1811, at a gathering of twenty or more people at the residence of John Hunt. The name of the society was entitled as " The Harmonical Library," and the following were chosen as its first trustees: Elias Harmon, Thomas King, Amasa Sessions, Jeduthan Lamb, Jesse Copp, Lewis Smith and Amasa Kneeland.
The good results flowing from the establishment of this church and library at Thorn Hill at such an early date are
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noteworthy and can be seen and felt in that rural community even to this day. Dr. Parsons, in speaking of the Thorn Hill community says: "More of her sons and daughters have entered the literary field than is usual in that amount of population. Besides others that I have mentioned as having become statesmen in the Great West, the following have been members of the New York Legislature one or more times : Daniel Baxter, S. S. Kneeland, Sidney Smith, Charles R. Vary and Lewis Smith (three times) ; the last also once held the office of Sheriff of the County of Onon- daga." It is to be regretted that Dr. Parsons did not mention the names of others who grew up in this Thorn Hill community subject to the influence of this Church and Public Library, and who have gone forth to make an honor- able record for themselves in the learned professions and in the business pursuits of the world. Among others be- sides those already named, who should be mentioned in this connection are the names of William Smith, who became a lawyer, college graduate, and successful business man, but who died early of asiatic cholera; Stephen and Job L. Smith, two college graduates and distinguished physicians; Stella Kneeland, missionary to India; Amasa Spencer Knee- land, Baptist minister ; Hon. A. Judson Kneeland, lawyer; Dr. Jonathan Kneeland, a distinguished physician of Onon- daga County from whose comments on Thorn Hill people we have already quoted; Horace Kneeland, sculptor ; John Sessions, a lawyer of Brooklyn, New York; Alonzo Sessions, Lieutenant Governor of the State of Michigan, Member of the State Legislature, and also of the State Constitutional Convention of the latter State, and a Bank President and successful business man; two or more of Elder Harmon's boys whose names are not known, also attained eminence in professional and business life; and undoubtedly many others whose names are unknown to the writer. It is much to be regretted that the moral influence of this church, the incen- tive to study and to higher literary attainments emanating from this public library established at such an early date cannot be better told and described at this writing.
On the 25th day of August, 1829, a religious society was incorporated in the Village of Borodino under the name of the " First Religious Society of the Village of Borodino," of which Merrit Leonard, John Baxter, Dyer Coe, Charles
BORODINO TOWN HALL
BORODINO M. E. CHURCH
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SPAFFORD, ONONDAGA COUNTY, NEW YORK
Vary, Benjamin Trumbull and Ira Coe were the first trustees. George Dickson, Jr., John H. Fargo and Ransom Howard were additional names mentioned in said letters of incorporation. This society, according to statements made by Simon B. Wallace, built a church building in which services were held for a number of years, and owing to want of membership was finally abandoned as a place of worship; the building has since been occupied and used as a town hall and a place for public gatherings in the Village of Borodino.
October 18, 1853, the Methodist people in Borodino and that vicinity who prior to that date had been meeting in the school house and other places met and were duly incor- porated under the name of the " Borodino Methodist Epis- copal Church," with Isaac Harris, William Hayford, Isaac Morrell, Charles Ferry and William Cowan as its first board of trustees. Mr. S. B. Wallace says, this society at the time of its incorporation purchased a church building in the Village of Skaneateles, took it down, and rebuilt it in this village where it stands to-day and is still used as a church building by this society. This society and the M. E. Society at Spafford " Corners " have for many years been presided over by a minister assigned to them by the M. E. Conference of this district as one charge; the minister residing formerly at Spafford Corners, but latterly in the Village of Borodino. Like most country religious societies neither of these two Methodist societies have the power and influence that they once had.
The members of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Spafford Hollow were incorporated on the 5th day of March, 1834, under the name of " The Spafford Hollow Methodist Episcopal Society," and Wliliam O'Farrell, Esq., David B. Boutell, Elias Jacobs, Jonas Terbush and Isaac Smith were chosen the first Board of Trustees. The same year a church edifice was built on the following described real estate, which was conveyed to said Board of Trustees by Isaac Smith and wife Lucy, on the 9th of January, 1835, as follows: Being part of Lot 23, Tully, and bounded on the east by the highway running northerly and southerly through said lot and Hollow-on the south by a cross road running easterly and westerly across said Hollow, and unit- ing with said first highway-and on the west and north by
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parallel lines to said two highways so as to contain said church edifice and one-half acre of land. The Spafford Hollow Cemetery is located only a short distance from this church. Among the early active members of this church society were the O'Farrells, Boutells, Jacobs and Smith families, and the family of Benejah Cleveland. Since these families have died out or moved away the active spirit of the church has been much impaired.
About fifty years ago the Methodist Episcopal Society of Cold Brook built a church building, opposite the Cold Brook Cemetery, but no articles of incorporation have ever been filed or recorded in the Clerk's Office of Onondaga County, and no deed of conveyance has ever been recorded granting the church lands to any Board of Trustees, although these lands have been excepted on one or two occasions from deeds granting surrounding lands. Among the active church members of this society in former years were the families of Justus N. Knapp, the Churchills, Tafts, Maxons, and Crosleys. The present state of this society is not known.
A Baptist Church Society at Spafford Corners was incor- porated under the name of "Spafford Baptist Society," March 21st, 1817, in which John Babcock, John Hutchens, Asahel Roundy, Amos Palmer, and John Knapp were named as trustees, but the society never had any church building, or left any records, except these articles of incorporation. What is supposed to be the same society was afterwards re-incorporated on the 7th day of May, 1838, with Phineas Hutchens, Cornelius Williamson and Samuel French as trustees, and Asahel Roundy and John C. Harrington also named in said Articles of Incorporation. This society under its re-incorporation built a church building in the year 1839, which was dedicated January 8, 1840. Among the stated ministers who presided over this church were Elders Benjamin Andrews and Alanson Boughton. After a season of prosperity and usefulness this society went into decline and finally failed for want of membership. The church building was sold in 1860 to Uriah Roundy, Esq., who converted it into a store for the sale of general mer- chandise, and it is now in use for that purpose on the old church site at the " Corners."
This church edifice was, during the early forties, the
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scene of a remarkable disputation between the two resident ministers of the Methodist and Baptist denominations, on the subject of baptism by immersion as an essential saving ordinance. People came from far and near to attend these meetings, which continued for several days, and at the end, as usual in such controversial debates, both sides retired feeling that each had won a great victory over the other side. One thing is certain, baptism by immersion may have been efficacious in saving the members of this church from eternal damnation, for all or nearly all have gone to their final reward, yet it did not save the church buildings from subsequent desecration as a place of religious worship.
On the 22nd day of August, 1829, a religious society was incorporated at Spafford " Corners" under the name of the " First Presbyterian Society in Spafford," and Erastus Barber, Ellis Taft, and Silas Cox were made trustees. Uriah Roundy, in speaking of this church society, says: “I have no knowledge of this society, and yet I knew all the men named in the Articles of Incorporation. Erastus Barber resided at the head of the Buck Tail road where Sey- mour Norton subsequently resided; he was once a Member of Assembly in the New York Legislature in this State. This society never had any meeting house, and must have ' died a borning.'"
MORMON EXODUS.
At an early period in the history of this town there were a number of persons residing here who were known as Free Will Baptist, and were presided over by Elder John Gould, who resided in a log house standing east of the Homer road, on Lot 31, Tully, near the present residence of Mrs. Norton, widow of Erastus Norton. This society was duly incor- porated December 13, 1825, with James Avery, Shadrack Roundy, Thomas Smith, John Lawrence, Rogers Ide and Alexander R. Jackson as its first board of trustees. At the meeting held for the purpose of incorporation, Daniel Owen, a soldier of the Revolution, presided as Chairman, and James Smith acted as Secretary. In the year 1828, this society built a church building on the hill east of Spaf- ford Corners, adjoining district school house No. 2, on premises conveyed to it by Asahel Roundy and Hannah, his wife, February 12, 1828. The Board of Trustees at that
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time were Roswell Prindle, Shadrack Roundy, James Avery and Zerah Pulsifer. At this time this was the only church building in this portion of the town, the society had a large and respectable membership, and the church gave promise of a long and useful career, but about 1832 or 1833 it was struck by a proselyting wave from the newly discovered Mormon religion, and a large share of its membership, under the lead of its pastor, Elder Gould, were carried from the fold of the church into the embraces of the new faith. Among those who are said to have severed their connection with the church at this time, sold their possessions in town, were rebaptized into the new faith, and who departed from this State with the Mormons' movement, were the follow- ing: Elder John Gould, Zerah Pulsifer, and his brother Daniel Pulsifer, Shadrack Roundy and Uriah Roundy, his brother, Elias Humphrey, Mayhew Hillman, James Oliver, Mr. Ensign, and Mr. Cheeney and their several families; also Mrs. Maxson, Miss Maria Ripley and Miss Maria Brown. Some of these people separated themselves from the Mormon movement, on or before the Nauvoo incident, which resulted in the death of Joseph Smith, the Prophet, and settled in the Great West; among whom were Elder Gould, Uriah Roundy and Maria Ripley; but the greater number of them finally settled in Salt Lake City, where their descendants remain to this day. It was not possible for this church to recover from this exodus of membership into a movement like this, so the church went quickly into decline. After the church building had stood open for a long time to the weather and been a place where. cattle in the fields had found shelter, it was finally sold in the early forties to Captain Asahel Roundy, who moved it near the Homer road, south of the " Corners," and converted it into the dwelling house lately occupied by Seymour Norton.
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