The centennial history of the town of Dryden. 1797-1897, Part 11

Author: Goodrich, George E., comp
Publication date: 1898
Publisher: Dryden, N.Y. : J.G. Ford
Number of Pages: 320


USA > New York > Tompkins County > Dryden > The centennial history of the town of Dryden. 1797-1897 > Part 11


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26


The medical fraternity of the village has been reinforced in these later years by Doctors E. Davis Allen, Frank S. Jennings, and Mary L. Briggs, while the lawyers consist of George E. Monroe, George E. Goodrich, and L. D. Mallery, Esquire J. Dolph Ross officiating as town and village magistrate.


Mention should here be made of the Dryden Springs Sanitarium, built up and conducted by Miss S. S. Nivison, M. D., during the last half of the Century Period, just outside of the village limits. A hotel building was first erected on this site early in the forties by Uncle Thomas Lewis and by him rented to different parties who conducted it as a hotel and water cure. The medicinal spring waters which were here developed or discovered early in the century by the Lacy Broth- ers while prospecting for salt, have always been esteemed and made use of by the people of the community and have recently been care- fully analyzed for Dr. Nivison with the following results :


MAGNETIC SPRING.


Total solids, 11.5 grains per gallon.


Residue consists of Lime, Soda, Patassium, trace of Iron-as Sul- phates and Carbonates.


Carbon Dioxide free and combined, 13.00 grains per gallon.


Lithia, traces.


SULPHUR SPRING.


Total solids, 22.00 grains per gallon.


Residue consists of Lime, Soda, Magnesia, Iron in form of Carbon- ates and Sulphates, also Chlorides.


Carbon Dioxide free and combined, 6.5 grains per gallon.


Calcium Carbonate, 5.8 grains per gallon.


Hydrochloric Acid combined, 4.0 grains per gallon.


Silica, 0.55 grains per gallon. Lithia, traces.


As in reviewing the town, so in closing the village history we can- not but compare some of the present conditions with those of the earlier times.


103


DRYDEN VILLAGE.


For instance the shoemakers of one hundred years ago were " trav- eling men, " not "drummers, " as the term "traveling men " would now imply, but men who with their kit of shoemaking tools went about from house to house in the new settlements, making up the farmers' leather into footwear for the family, enough to last for a year, when the shoemaker would again visit them. T. S. Deuel, whose grandfather, Reuben Deuel, was one of these traveling shoemakers, has the old account book of his ancestor, in which are charged in shillings and pence the work which he did in each family as he visit- ed them one hundred years ago. Fifty years ago instead of traveling shoemakers the work was done in the shop in the village, and W. S. Moffat used to keep in his shop on East Main street at least half a dozen men constantly employed in making boots and shoes to order, and every person who was about to need some footwear was re- quired first to go to the shop and have his foot measured. All is now changed and the boots and shoes of to-day are nearly all manufac- tured in the large cities and distributed through the traveling drum- mer and local salesman.


Dryden village to-day supports two excellent meat markets, supplied with refrigerators, power meat choppers propelled by motors connect- ed with the village system of waterworks, and furnished with all other modern conveniences in that line. Nearly fifty years ago old Uncle John Wilder and Godfrey Sharp undertook to carry on a meat market in the basement of the stone block, promising to butcher and furnish fresh meat of some kind during certain days of each week, but, as we remember it, the enterprise was given up as a bad job, until it was afterwards successfully revived by Levi Messenger. The difficulty in those days with the meat market was that everybody was supplied with salt beef and pork which was laid down in barrels for each fam- ily in the fall or early winter as regularly as we now provide potatoes for the year, and fresh meat was a luxury not often thought of.


The first permanent barber to locate in Dryden was Wm. H. Lester, who, when a young man twenty years of age, opened a shop July 1, 1858, in the southeast room of Barton's Hotel. Prior to that time Dryden men either shaved themselves or let their beards grow in the natural way, as was quite often done. Now the village supports two very creditable barber shops with four men censtantly employed.


Thus we are able to see how times have changed with us during the past hundred years.


-


MAIN STREET, DRYDEN.


RYDEN VILLAGE.


me.


13 Mrs. C. Rummer, 19 E. E. Bannell.


Wall Street.


I J. D. Ross,


4 C. J. Bailey,


8 J. D. Ross.


Lewis Street.


I D. D. Edwards,


2 Abram Hutchings,


4 George Hart,


5 Fred Sherwood,


6 D. R. Montgomery,


7 D. Bartholomew,


8 D. C. McGregor,


IO A. C. Rockefeller,


15 Wm. W. Ellas,


19 Joseph Basil,


20 Abram Hunter,


23 Mrs. Sidney Sorrell,


24 James Graham,


25 29, M. Tripp,


32 R. H. Newsome,


40 Mrs. John Hunter.


Mill Street.


2 H. A. Lormor,


4 Arnold Hopkins,


6 O. Coleman,


7 George Bradley,


8 Barney Tyler,


IO Mrs. Harriet Carpenter,


14 I. D. Jenks,


18 E. D. Branch,


26 Dryden Stone Mill,


28 Guy Chew,


29 A. Marsh,


34 Chas. Lormor.


age


Lake Street.


9 John McKeon,


II I. P. Ferguson estate,


13 Edward Swart,


17 Hiram Pugsley,


21 John Swart,


22 John Swart, cidermill,


25 John Goodwin,


40 David O'Dell,


48 J. H. Kennedy,


50 P. E. Kennedy,


52 Dryden Tannery.


Montgomery Street.


.. 5 Wmn. Wheeler, gs, II John Sandwick. James Street.


8 D. S. Messenger, 12 Thomas Tamlin, 16 R. E. Stilwell,


21 W. Pond,


25 B. Bishop estate,


31 Charlie Ballard,


33 Carson Vunk,


35 A. P. Brown,


37 Irving Brown,


43 Wm. H. Moore.


South Street.


I Weyant & Kingsbury, hard- ware,


3 Mrs. W. H. Moore,


5 W. H. Moore, shoes,


6 Wheeler & Co., storehouse,


7 W. H. Moore, residence,


8 Wheeler & Co., storehouse,


9 George Cole, residence,


Io M. Tyler, carriages,


12 Bailey & Ellison, bl'ksmiths


13 H. Marvin,


14 S. W. Daniels, shop,


15 Ellery Vunk,


16 Firemen's Hall,


18 Chas. Tanner,


19 Mrs. I. P. Ferguson,


21 Chas. Williams,


22 R. C. Rummer,


23 J. E. McElheny,


24 Wm. Tanner,


25 Geo. E. Goodrich,


26 Mrs. Chas. LaBarr,


27 Mrs. A. Hill,


28 James E. Lormor,


36 Mrs. Anna Stewart,


38 Mrs. A. Collings,


42 Truman Parker,


46 W. F. Miller, 47 Dr. Mary Briggs, 48 S. M. Stanton,


58 Henry Small,


64 F. & F. Caswell,


68 Mrs. Catharine Mellon,


70 Orris Church estate.


Miscellaneous.


a Frank Stout,


b J. B. Wilson,


c S. S. Nivison,


d Barney Weber,


e Daniel Lawson,


f Southworth estate,


g Depot,


h Milk Depot,


i Rockwell's Coal Yard,


j Chappuis' Coal Yard,


k Hart's Stock Yard,


p Old Griswold House.


-


Reservoir. Dryden Village Water Works.


R


.


R.


Dryden Springs Sanita- rlum.


DRYDEN · FAIR · GROUNDS.


loc.


096


MAIN


ST.


101


97


my


MONTGOMERY ST.


- E


W


REB


E


CAIOWOLO


ROAD.


of


KEY TO THE MAP OF DRYDEN VILLAGE.


Weat Main Street.


I D. T. Wheeler & Co., store, 2 Post-office,


3 W. E. Vunk, store, 4 J. H. Pratt, haroess, 5 Wavle's Hotel, 6 Wm. Mespell, market, 8 J. H. Pratt, store, 10 M. Little, market,


12 W. H. Baker, grocery, 14 L. A. Niver, harber, 16 G. Rummer & Son, shoes, 17 C. H. Seamaus, graccry, 18 J. B. Fulkerson, store, 19 Vunk & Tanner, bl'kamiths, 20 O. J. Hill, store,


21 C. E. Green, tailor, 22 A. T. Niver, billiards,


23 J. C. Lormore, clothing,


24 J. G. Clark, drugs,


25 W. W. Adams, hardware,


26 J. G. Clark, residence,


27 G. C. Sweet, undertaker, 28 Library,


29 Ira R. Bean, jewelry, 31 Chas. F. Mason, jewelry, 33 Henry Thomas, residence, 34 D). Mclachlan, 36 R. L. Weaver, 37 A. J. Baker, 38 Lucien Weaver, drugs, 39 F. S. Howe, 40 Isabelle Lormor, 41 J. B. Fulkerson,


42 Dr. J. J. Montgomery, office, 43 J. R. French, 44 Dr. J. J. Montgomery, 45 E. E. Banfield, 46 Grove Hotel,


53 Mrs. D. F. Van Vleet, 54 L. D. Mallery, 56 Chas, M. Perrigo, 57 Misses S. & L. Tanner, 59 D. S. Messenger, 60 G. M. Rockwell, 62 D. P. Bartholontew, 63 G. C. Sweet, 66 Mrs. M. L. Keeney, 67 Mrs. Mary Hyde, 68 Mrs. Abram Hutchings, 70 D. T. Wheeler, 71 Geo. W. Bailey, 73 R. M. West, 75 George Wickhanı, 76 A. Bailey, 77 Miss P. Smith,


78 Henley Hunter, 79 George W. Sutfia,


80 J. D. Ross, 81 Hugo Dolge, 82 Hugo Dolge, residence,


83 Mre. M. A. Dean,


84, 85, 86 Hugo Dolge,


87, 89, 91. 93 Dryden Woolen Mill,


88 Hugo Dolge, woolen mill office,


90 W. W. King, planing mill, 95 A. Houpt estate, 96 W. W. King. 97 George E. Monroe, 98 Mra. Mary Swift,


100 Horace Fitte,


102 Casper Sherwood,


107 Rohert Schutt,


108 Sylvester Foster,


109 Charles Meade,


IIO Miss S. S. Nivison,


113 T. S. Denel.


East Main Street.


I Weyant & Kingshury, hard- warc.


2 M. E. Church,


5 Fortner & Seton, und'takers


7 French Bros., furniture,


9 Mrs. R. A. Dwight,'


Io H. H. Ferguson,


13 Chapman Strong,


15 Wm. Mespell,


16 John Munsey,


21 A. Burlingame estate,


23 Frank Hutchinson,


24 Dr. E. D. Allen,


26 Dr. E. D. Allen, office,


28 C. H. Scamans,


30 C. H. Seamans, bl'ksmith,


33 D. E. Bower,


34 Benjamin Griswold,


39 Mrs. Win. Dupee,


43 Mrs Caroline Beattie,


51 Harrison Manning, 56 James Steele.


North Street.


2 Will H. Silcox, photo.,


4 Williams & Bower, marble,


6 J. H. Pratt, 10 J. H. Pratt,


II Presbyterian Church,


14 H. C. Loomis, 16 Mrs. Fred Ward,


18 Mrs. Lo vina Lord,


21 Southworth estate,


22 A. M. Clark.


26 A. M. Clark.


32 H. P. Pratt,


54 A. D. Burlingame, 55 Mrs. Mary Burlingame.


Elm Street.


{ J. Giles Ford, 4 Wm. A. Glazier, 8 Geo. P. Hatch, Io John Tripp,


12 Mrs. Martha Tyler,


31 Dryden Herald.


Library Street.


4 Opera House,


6 John Ellis,


7 R. F. Chappuis,


8 Dr. F. S. Jennings,


14 Mrs. Geo. Pratt.


George Street


I Cbas. Burghardt,


2 John D. Lamont,


3 Merritt Tyler,


5 Lyman Smith,


6 H. Witty, 15 Mrs. F. Dutcher,


17 Wm. Shelton,


21 George Culver.


Union Street.


I Charles Williams,


2 J. C. Lormore,


3 E. Williams,


4 J. D. Lamont,


5 C. J. Sperry,


6 Aaron Albright,


7 Mrs. Mary Tucker,


8 Darius Givens,


9 W. H. Sandwick,


Io Presbyterian parsonage,


14 Mrs. A. Lumbard.


Pleasant Street .


I G. J. Sweetland,


3 J. A. O'Field,


4 G. H. Sperry,


5 John Carpenter,


6 A. J. Fortner,


7 Miss A. Mineah, 8 Mrs. S. Ballard, IO Delos Mahan,


II Miss Anna Donley,


14 Scott estate.


Rochester Street ..


I Mrs. Abram Hutchings,


3 C. J. Sperry,


5 Hubbard Lusk,


7 J. C. Vanderhoef,


IO W. W. French,


II Leander Hutchings,


13 Mrs. C. Rummer, 19 E. E. BanDell. Wall Street.


I J. D. Ross,


4 C. J. Bailey,


8 J. D. Ross.


Lewis Street.


I D. D. Edwards,


2 Abram Hutchiaga,


4 George Hart,


5 Fred Sherwood, 6 D. R. Montgomery,


7 D. Bartholomew,


8 D. C. McGregor, IO A. C. Rockefeller,


15 Wm. W. Ellas, 19 Joseph Basil,


20 Abram Hunter,


23 Mrs. Sidney Sorrell,


24 James Graham,


25 29, M. Tripp,


32 R. H. Newsome,


40 Mrs. John Hunter.


Mill Street.


2 H. A. Lormor,


4 Arnold Hopkins,


6 0. Coleman,


7 George Bradley,


8 Barney Tyler,


Io Mrs. Harriet Carpenter,


14 I. D. Jenks,


18 E. D. Branch,


26 Dryden Stone Mill,


28 Gny Chew,


29 A, Marsh,


34 Chas. Lortor.


Lake Street.


9 John McKeon,


II I. P. Ferguson estate,


13 Edward Swart,


17 Hiram Pugsley,


21 John Swart,


22 John Swart, cidermill,


25 John Goodwin, 40 David O'Dell,


48 J. H. Kennedy,


50 P. E. Kennedy,


52 Dryden Tannery. Montgomery Street.


5 Wm. Wheeler, 11 John Sandwick. James Street.


8 D. S. Messenger, 12 Thomas Tamlin, 16 R. E. Stilwell,


21 W. Pond,


25 B. Bishop estate, 31 Charlie Ballard, 33 Carson Vuok, 35 A. P. Brown, 37 Irving Brown,


43 Wm. H. Moore. South Street.


I Weyant & Kingebury, hard- ware,


3 Mrs. W. H. Moore,


5 W. H. Moore, ahoea,


6 Wheeler & Co., storehouse,


7 W. H. Moore, residence,


8 Wheeler & Co., storehouse,


9 George Cole, residence, Jo M. Tyler, carriagea,


12 Bailey & Ellison, bl'k smitha 13 H Marvin,


14 S. W. Daniels, shop,


15 Ellery Vunk, 16 Firemen's Hall, 18 Chas. Tanner,


19 Mra. I. P. Ferguson,


21 Chas. Williama,


22 R. C. Rummer, 23 J. E. McElheny, 24 Wm. Tanner, 25 Geo. E. Goodrich,


26 Mrs. Chas. LaBerr,


27 Mrs. A. Hill,


28 James E. Lormor,


36 Mrs. Anna Stewart,


38 Mrs. A. Collings,


42 Truman Parker, 46 W. F. Miller, 47 Dr. Mary Briggs, 48 S. M. Stanton, 58 Henry Small,


64 F. & F. Caswell,


68 Mrs. Catharine Mellon,


70 Orris Church estate. Miscellaneous.


a Frank Stout, 6 J. B. Wilson,


c S. S. Nivison,


d Barney Weber,


e Daniel Lawson, f Southworth estate, g Depot,


h Milk Depot,


i Rock well's Coal Yard, j Chappuis' Coal Yard,


k Hart's Stock Yard, ₱ Old Griswold House.


ss


40


2.


54


Drydon Village Water Works.


R


DRYDEN.


R.


A


Drydan Springs Sanita- rlum,


PRATT


T.


H.


DRYDEN · FAIR . GROUNDS


....


10


CAT


MAIN


.


5


ST


Academy


ST


E


360


147


1 31


.


0 17


+ 43


12


.20


WALLS


34.


METERY.


Branch.


61


40 %


d


FERGUSON ROAD


f



97


950


SOUTH


REEN


DIV.


.


105


DRYDEN VILLAGE.


CHAPTER XXVII.


ANECDOTES OF DRYDEN VILLAGE.


It was the privilege of the writer some years ago to spend an even- ing in a small company of former Dryden men at Fargo, North Da- kota, with John Benton, formerly sheriff of Cortland county, and af- terwards for a few years one of the proprietors of the Dryden Hotel as a partner with Peter Mineah. On that evening Mr. Benton enter- tained the company very agreeably by telling Dryden stories, which he can do to perfection, and after keeping his hearers in convulsions of laughter for an hour, he concluded by saying that there was no place on earth where he had ever been which furnished such a fund of anecdotes as Dryden, and among his many excellent characters for humorous stories he placed John Tucker, of Dryden, with his inno- cent smile and stammering tongue, head and shoulders above all others. If my readers could have listened to the genial ex-sheriff on the evening in question while he was giving his recollections of some of the humorous incidents of his sojourn in Dryden village, I think they would readily accede to the truth of his conclusions.


It is designed in this chapter briefly to give a very few samples of some of the true anecdotes which are connected with the history of Dryden village.


The first one concerns Parley Whitmore, who, as we have seen, was the postmaster and justice of the peace located at the "Corners" in pioneer times. Among the numerous attendants at his court upon the occasion in question were the two McKee brothers, James and Robert, who lived north of the village and who are the ancestors of many of the present inhabitants of Dryden. In some way these two brothers were very much displeased with something which occurred before the justice at this time and they had not much ability or dis- position to conceal their displeasure. So excited did Jimmy become that in giving vent to his feelings upon the subject he used profane language in the very presence of the court. This could not be toler- ated or overlooked, and the justice arraigned the culprit on the spot, imposing a fine of one dollar upon Jimmy for contempt of court. This produced quiet in the court room, but the two brothers were more angry than ever, fairly ready to burst with suppressed indigna- tion, when Robert, who had the most money but who was the less fluent in his speech of the two, stepped forward and laid down on the table before the court one dollar in payment of the fine, and started to


106


HISTORY OF DRYDEN.


put up his pocket-book ; but upon second thought he opened it again, taking out this time a five-dollar bill which he plumped down before the court and turned triumphantly to his brother, saying, "Now, Jim- my, swear your fill. "


It was before the same Justice Whitmore that at one time in the early days of Dryden a rather pompous individual whom we will call Mr. T., stepped up in the presence of a crowd of spectators and asked, "'Squire how much will it cost me to knock down Jim Beam?" Jus- tice Whitmore, who seems to have had some common sense as well as. a knowledge of the rules of justice, answered rather officiously some- what as follows ; "It would be improper, Mr. T., for me to fix in ad- vance the penalty for such an offense, but I will say that in my judg- ment an attempt on your part to commit the crime which you mention would cost you among other things a good threshing."


As illustrating the state of school discipline in our early times, which we are happy to be able to say has sustained some improve- ment since then, we relate an incident which occurred in the old schoolhouse on Mill street, which was located where the John Gress house now stands. A "man" teacher was commonly employed in the winter term, whose duty it was to train the older boys, many of whom could attend only in the winter season, and lucky indeed was the teacher who was not turned out of the schoolhouse before the first warm days of spring called them back to their work on the farm.


One winter over fifty years ago Nehemiah Curtis was the name of the teacher, and so faithful had been his work and so gentlemanly his bearing that all the scholars liked him and the last day of school ap- proached without any serious difficulty. In view of the fact it was de- cided to have some special exercises upon the last day and the schol- ars on the day before trimmed up the school room with evergreens procured from the woods, which were then not far away. But on the morning in question when the teacher and pupils, dressed in their best apparrel for the occasion, entered the schoolhouse they were met at the door by two cows, one belonging to Abraham Tanner and the other to James Patterson, which had been locked in over night and had browsed and trampled down the trimmings and mussed up the school room generally. The good-natured teacher's high hopes of ending the term prosperously were thus suddenly crushed and he was about to give up in disgust when the better disposed pupils offered to take hold and repair the damage so far as possible and clean out the school room for the exercises, which they did. Of course no one knew who the guilty culprits were who caused the mischief, although great


107


DRYDEN VILLAGE.


efforts were made at the time to ascertain, but one of our present peace officers of the town now admits that he then persuaded his- " best girl" to falsely represent to his inquiring parents that he spent the evening in question with her in order to shield him from the sus- picion of having been among those who introduced the cows into the schoolhouse.


One short story must be told of John Tucker as a sample of his. ready wit and stammering tongue, although we cannot undertake to. convey to the reader who has not seen it an adequate conception of the innocent smile which lights up his countenance upon these occa- sions. The incident which we shall attempt to relate has in its repeti- tion been associated with different individuals, which is immaterial, for in all versions of it the part of the essential character, John, is the same. For the benefit of those readers who are not acquainted with him it must be stated that John is a great trapper and his favorite game is the skunk. He is thoroughly acquainted with the haunts and habits of these peculiar animals and derives no little revenue annually from the sale of their pelts which he thus collects and which are quite valuable for fur.


One day in the spring when John was looking over his stock of skins. in company with a friend, his next neighbor, Mrs. Dupee, happened out at the back door near where they were and inquired incidentally of John how many skunks he had caught that season, to which he re- plied, "Twenty." She went in-doors and a few minutes later her hus- band, William Dupee, came along and he asked John how many skunks he had caught that season, to which he readily replied, "F-f- forty-five." After William had disappeared his friend remonstrated with John for showing such disregard for the truth and giving such contradictory statements concerning the result of his winter's trapping,. when he replied with an innocent smile on his face, " Why, B-b-ill can stand more s-s-skunks than she can !"


CHAPTER XXVIII.


SCHOOLS, CHURCHES, AND CEMETERIES OF DRYDEN VILLAGE.


As we have already seen, the pioneer log cabin of the township, after it had ceased to be used as a place of habitation by Amos Sweet, became its first schoolhouse in the year 1804, with Daniel Lacy serv- ing in it as the first schoolmaster of Dryden. Imagine the children of the pioneers who first settled about "Dryden Corners" coming togeth-


*


108


HISTORY OF DRYDEN.


er to receive their first school education and congregating in a room ten feet square inside, with one door and one window without sash or glass, and no stove, but a fire-place made of a few hardhead stones placed together, and no chimney but a hole in the roof for the smoke to pass out. The next teacher at the "Corners, " of which we have any note, was Charles Grinnell, who came from Columbia county early in the century and taught school, boarding with John Southworth be- fore he built his brick house in 1836. But the first account which we are able to give of the schoolhouses of the village brings us down to near the middle of the century, when there were two public school buildings, one being a wood-colored house on South street where the Marvin house is now located and the other a red schoolhouse on Mill street, which has since been remodeled where it stood, into what is now known as the John Gress house.


There was also another school building which stood on the site now occupied by the residence of Charles Perrigo, on the corner of Main and Lewis streets, but this accommodated a private school and here the celebrated criminal, Ruloff, in the year 1842, served as a teacher for a short time, and here, over fifty years ago, a very capable teacher by the name of Burhans trained the youth of the village.


This building had a belfrey and bell but was afterward used as a shop and was finally destroyed by fire. About the year 1850 a new union school house was built, taking the place of the others, on the lot now occupied by Daniel Bartholomew as a residence. The up- right part of this building, which was an imposing edifice at the time, now serves as the plaster and lime storehouse of G. M. Rockwell, near the railroad depot, and one of its wings is the Wall house on Wall street. Here various principals of the district school ably pre- sided and succeeded each other, including a Mr. Starr, Mills Van Valkenburgh and finally George E. Monroe, Esq., who continued to teach there until the Union Free School District was organized in 1872.


About the year 1860 Jackson Graves from Pottsville, Pa., who had then recently married Mary J. Bishop, who was a very capable and an excellent Dryden teacher, purchased the site of the present public school property in Dryden village, and erected the present academy building, which was known as the Dryden Seminary, conducting it as a private school enterprise under their efficient management for about ten years, when the property was purchased by the school district and has since been maintained as a public Union Free School and Academy. Prof. Graves had in the meantime been elected School


109


DRYDEN VILLAGE.


Commissioner of the second district of Tompkins county, and has since resided in the town of Danby, his first wife having died in 1892. Mr. and Mrs. Graves will long be remembered by the present genera- tion of Dryden village as faithful and efficient teachers.


Since the establishment of the Union Free School the standard of educational advantages in the village has not been allowed to fall, and many excellent teachers have served the district, including Charles A. Fowler, afterwards principal of the Binghamton city schools, Fran- cis J. Cheney, Ph. D., now principal of the Normal School at Cortland, and Herbert M. Lovell, since prin- cipal of the Elmira Academy and now an attorney and counsel- or of that city. Dr. Wm. Fitch, George E. Goodrich and George E. Monroe have suc- CU , cessively served as presidents of the Board of Education.


The First Presbyte- rian society of Dryden was organized Febru- ary 17th, 1808, with the following charter members : John Ter- penning, Juliana Ter- penning, James Wood, Sarah Wood, Stephen THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. Myrch, Rebecca Myrch, Benjamin Simons, Isabel Simons, Derick Sutfin, Elizabeth Topping, Abram Griswold, Asenath Griswold and Jerusha Taylor. The first services were held at the home of Mr. Serren H. Jagger, a shoemaker in Dryden village, and in the barns of Thomas Southworth and Elias W. Cady at Willow Glen. The church edifice was com- menced in 1819 and completed in 1824 under great difficulties.


It was extensively repaired in 1847 and again in 1861, and with some recent improvements now appears as represented in the accompanying


110


HISTORY OF DRYDEN.


1


view. In the year 1851 a town clock was purchased by subscription and placed in the tower of this building and we are, fortunately, able to give from the old suscription paper the names of the subscribers and amounts contributed for that purpose, which are as follows :


Thomas Lewis, $4 00


Hiram Bouton, $2 00


Timothy Cross, $ 50


John C. Lacy, 3 00


D. J. Baker, 3 00


Lewis Barton, 4 00


Enos Wheeler, 5 00 W. S. Moffat, 1 50 Wm. Ercanbrack, 50


Bowen Sweetland, 2 00


Daken & Stebbins, 2 00


Thomas Jameson, 3 50


Briggs & Goodyear, 1 00


Geo. Truesdell, 1 00 Orrin Wheeler, 1 00


D. P. Goodhue, 50


G. D. Pratt, 4 00


Otis Murdock, 1 00


Wm. Hazlett, 1 00


L. J. L. Bates, 1 00


Amos Lewis, 2 00


A. H. Phillips, 1 00


Willet Ellis, 2 00


J. W. Dwight, 2 00


I. P. Ferguson, 1 00


Wm. F. Tanner, 1 00


S. S. Bunnel, 2 00


S. & C. Bradshaw,2 00 Gardner West, 50




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