USA > New York > Tompkins County > Dryden > The centennial history of the town of Dryden. 1797-1897 > Part 13
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 older section was used as a burial place early in the century, some inscriptions recording deaths as early as 1816, and in this sec- tion the remains of Judge Ellis and Esquire McElheny, whose deaths occurred in 1846 and 1836, and Aaron Lacy, the original owner, who died and was buried there in 1826, were deposited before the present extension of its territory was contemplated. But in 1864 the friends of the enterprise perfected an organization, and subscribed, as a fund for purchasing additional ground, about one thousand dollars, which was contributed by the following inhabitants :
Wm. Hanford,
- $100
Samuel Rowland, -
- 100
Geo. A. Ellis, -
100
Thos. Jameson, Sr., 100
Mrs. Olive Lewis, -
50 Jonathan Rowland,
50
Huldah Stickles,
50
Geo. Hanford, - 50
Anson Stickles,
50
Zephaniah Lupton, -
50
Fred Hanford, -
50
Artemas Smiley,
75
Amos Lewis,
50
John R. Lacy,
-
50
Darius J. Clement,
50
All these sums have since been repaid by the sale of lots or in other ways so that the society is now entirely out of debt with the surplus above indicated and considerable territory still available for the sale of lots. The principal officers at present are, Moses Rowland, presi- dent ; Theron Johnson, treasurer ; Geo. E. Hanford, secretary.
CHAPTER XXXI.
WEST DRYDEN.
Some statements contained in " The Landmarks of Tompkins Coun- ty " would seem to indicate that the earliest settler located at West Dryden before the year 1800. The proximity of this part of the town to Lansing, which, from its location on the lake, was reached by the pi- oneers some years before Dryden was accessible, gave plausibility to these statements, but a patient and careful investigation of the subject
122
HISTORY OF DRYDEN.
establishes the fact that the pioneer first to locate at "Fox's Corners," as it was known in early times, was Evert Mount, who came in the year 1801 or 1802. He was followed by Jacob Primrose and Samuel Fox. Mr. Mount, who was a blacksmith, built his cabin and shop on the southwest corner, while Primrose first occupied the southeast and Fox located on the northwest corner a few rods from where the church now stands. Some rivalry is said to have existed among this trio of pioneers as to which should give the new settlement its name, Mr. Mount suggesting " Mount Pleasant," and Primrose, "Primrose Hill," but Fox carried off the honors and "Fox's Corners" it was called until a postoffice was established under the name of West Dryden, Decem- ber 23, 1825. Many, however, still know it best by its original name, which still elings to it, and letters yet occasionally find their way to the postoffice addressed " Fox's Corners, N. Y."
It is remembered that before the postoffice was established here the mail was delivered from house to house, being brought from Ithaca once a week by a man named Hagin, who made his trips on horse- back, and who finally while performing this duty was thrown from his horse and killed.
From 1816 to 1840 West Dryden was a business place of some note, supporting good stores, shops, hotels and the like. It is supposed that Daniel C. Carr kept the first store, carrying on in connection with it an "ashery " at which "pearlash," a crude form of saleratus, was manufactured. Lumber, shingles, ashes and barter of all kinds were taken in exchange for "store goods," and the space surrounding a country store in those days had much the appearance of latter day lumber yards. Carr was succeeded by Israel Hoy, who became the first postmaster in 1825, and built and kept the first hotel, dealing largely in lumber. As store-keeper he was followed by Reed & San- ders, after whom came Robert T. Shaw and Parley Guinnip and later Lykin & Hance, Lykin & George and H. H. George.
Charles W. Sanders, author of Sanders's series of school books, re- sided at West Dryden several years, during which time he completed his " First Speller." John Barber did a large carriage making business at an early day and James Youngs manufactured large quantities of broad and narrow aves, adzes, chisels, augers, etc., besides furnishing the usual products of a smith's shop.
The first physician was Dr. Harvey Harris, registered at Ithaca in 1828, who was followed by Doctors Baldwin, White, Barker, Howell and Pelton, all of whom were here prior to 1840.
The first school house was a log building located one-half mile west
123
WEST DRYDEN.
of the "Corners" directly across the road from where A. W. George now lives. This was built in 1806 or 1807. No roads had as yet been opened to many of the settlers' cabins, and children had often to find their way to school a long distance through a dense forest by means of blazed trees. In a few years, the school was removed to the corners and a large frame building erected which was used for school purpos- es on week days and for church service on Sunday. This was soon followed by a building on the northeast corner and later by one on the present site. The pres- ent school building is the fifth which has been used for school purpos- es since the settlement of the place.
The first Methodist society in the town of Dryden was organized at West Dryden in 1811 by Rev. Geo. W. Densmore. The mem- bers of the first class were Samuel Fox and wife, David Case and wife, Selden Andrus and wife, and one other whose name is not known. Densmore was succeeded by Revs. James Kelsey, Isaac WEST DRYDEN M. E. CHURCH. Puffer, John Kimber- lin and other old time circuit riders. Meetings were held at the houses of members of the class and other places until about 1815, when a large building was erected on the corner where the blacksmith shop now stands. This was used for both church and school purposes for a few years and was the only church here until the present edifice, constituting with its white dome one of the most prominent and famil- iar landmarks of the township, was built in 1832 by Peter Conover at a cost of twenty-two hundred dollars. It has sittings for three hun-
dred people.
The first trustees were Lemuel Sperry, Thomas George and William George. The pastors of the society since 1845, include Revs. W. N.
124
HISTORY OF DRYDEN.
Pearne, D. Lamkin, D. Cobb, A. Cross, W. N. Cobb, S. Minier, E. Hox- sie, J. M. Searles, F. Reed, R. C. Fox, J. B. Hyde, F. M. Warner, J. V. Benham, A. M. Lake, L. R. Pendle, W. E. York, E. D. Thurston, L. T. Hawkins, J. E. Rhodes, Philo Cowles, W. M. Sharp, A. S. Durling, George Britten, G. D. Walker, J. A. Roberts, T. C. Roskelly, F. E. Spence.
Among the pioneer families of West Dryden, which, for the purpose of this chapter, is considered as including the four town lots which corner here, are :
CASE, DAVID, who was a native of Hartford county, Conn., and came to Truxton, N. Y., about 1798 and to Dryden in 1808 or 1809. He pur- chased fifty acres of land on Lot 12, where he lived until he died. He was in the War of 1812 and was buried on the farm of A. W. George. No stone marks the place where he and other pioneers there lie. Soon after coming to Dryden his wife died and he afterwards married the widow of Burnett Cook, who was also an early pioneer. Susan (Cook) Case was a daughter of John Morris, whose will was the first one recorded and proven after the formation of Tompkins county. One son of the second wife, Eleazer Case, is now living in Ithaca aged 80 years. David Case and wife were members of the first Methodist class formed at West Dryden in 1811.
Fox, GEORGE, was also a native of Hartford county, Conn., coming as far west as Truxton in 1798 and to West Dryden in 1808 or 1809, when he purchased fifty acres of land on Lot 12, where he remained until he died. He was also in the War of 1812 in the company of Capt. Bassett of Col. Bloom's regiment. He was buried on the farm now owned by A. W. George with no stone to mark his final resting place. His only son was Palmer B. Fox, well known throughout the county, and who left descendants, including Aretas Fox, still a resident of West Dryden.
Fox, SAMUEL, became a resident of West Dryden in 1804, coming from Fabius, Onondaga county, to which place he had emigrated four- teen years previously from East Hartford, Conn., where he was born in 1756. He had served seven years in the Revolutionary War, enlist- ing in May, 1775. In July, 1780, he was sent to the command of La- Fayette in Virginia, where he was in the battle at the mouth of the James River, the siege of Yorktown, and at the surrender of Lord Cornwallis. He was one of the first settlers of Fox's Corners and from him the place derived this name by which it was first known. He built his first log house a few rods west of where the M. E. church now stands and was one of seven to form the first Methodist class in the township.
125
WEST DRYDEN.
To Samuel Fox and his wife, Mabel ( Webster), were born eleven chil- dren, of whom three died unmarried. Edmund returned to Fabius, N. Y., Julius removed to and died in Wisconsin, but the remaining six, including Anna (who married Ephraim Bloom), Samuel, Jonathan, Eu- nice (who married Harris Roe and afterward Francis White), Asa (who married Eunice Dodge), and Chester (who married Julia Spafford), all settled in and about West Dryden.
Samuel Fox died in West Dryden Oct. 10, 1844, 88 years of age. His farm of about fifty acres is still included in that of his grandson, James A. Fox, to whom we are indebted for some interesting incidents of the hardships endured by the pioneers and their families. When his father, Asa, was a boy trying to keep up with the men in hoeing corn, his grandfather, Samuel, to encourage his son sent to Ludlowville . by a neighbor who happened to be going down, for a hat, the first the boy had ever had. When it was brought back the father placed it up- on his son's bare head, but after he had hoed once around with it on, the boy took it off and laid it by under the fence, saying that he was not used to it and it made his head ache. He had his first pair of boots when he was eighteen years of age, children going barefooted like colts until that age, and he secured a pair of shirts by splitting one thousand rails. When he bought his farm there was a mort- gage on it held by a man in New Jersey, where he went twice on foot to make his payments.
When the eldest son, Edmund, went by himself he had a pair of oxen and a cow, constituting his stock and team. When his season's work was half done one of his oxen died and his only recourse was to yoke the cow in with the other ox to carry on the work of the farm, the cow being thus required to furnish the family with milk and but- ter and at the same time do half of the team work. We should hear but little about the present bad times if people now realized the ex- tremities to which the pioneers were often reduced.
FULKERSON, BENJAMIN, JOSIAH and CHAPMAN, brothers, were originally from New Jersey, coming to Lansing soon after 1790. They came to Dryden in 1805, Benjamin purchasing in that year all of Lot 22 ex- cept the survey fifty acres and paying for it two thousand dollars. He bought fifty acres which is now included in the farm of J. H. George. On this he built his cabin, but soon after died. His wife, who was Sally Giles, survived him many years and was married to Simeon Van Nortwick, also an early pioneer. Benjamin and Sally Fulkerson had one son, Benjamin, Jr., and one daughter, Phoebe, who married Henry White, son of Daniel White. Benjamin, Jr., married.
126
HISTORY OF DRYDEN.
Emily Douglas, who is now living with her daughter, Mrs. J. B. George, at the age of 86.
Josiah Fulkerson bought of his brother the south half of Lot 22, building his house where his great-grandson, Lamont Fulkerson, now lives. His wife was Polly Cook and his family consisted of five sons, Burnett C., Silas, Benjamin, Lot and Calvin. The daughters were Sal- ly, who was married to John George ; Ann, to Sheldon Sharp ; Jane, to Hiram Snyder ; and Maria, to James Snyder, the latter being the only one now living.
Another brother, Chapman, who came to the town from Lansing soon after, also settled on Lot 22. He was born in New Jersey in 1785, and his wife, Hester Brown, two years later. They were mar- ried and settled on a farm half a mile south of West Dryden in 1807. The first winter they kept their stock on browse and a few ears of corn each day, and wolves killed several sheep. Mrs. Fulkerson rode horse- back and carried a child twelve miles to Teetertown, now Lans- ingville, to church during the first few years of their married life. Their first child was Betsey, who married Dayton Primrose and lived at West Dryden ; she left children. Sarah married Philip Robertson and settled in the western part of Pennsylvania ; she is still living and has three children. Miranda did not marry ; Stephen B. lives on the old homestead. Malvina married Albert Twogood; they moved to Marion, Iowa, and left six children. Daniel removed to the West. Sophia married Abram Anthony; they settled in Iowa and have a fam- ily of six. Samuel C. married Lucinda Hill, has always lived in the town of Dryden, and has five children. Lonisa married Elliott Fort- ner and left three children. John lives in Iowa. Chapman Fulker- son died December 24, '49, aged 64 years. Hester Fulkerson died January 21, '69, aged 81 years.
GEORGE, DAVID, was born near Monmouth Court House (now Free- hold), Monmouth county, N. J., in the year 1769. He was nearly ten years old when the battle of Monmouth occurred near his home, June 28th, 1778. He carried water all day to the soldiers wounded in that bloody battle of the Revolution ; and at night nearly fell with exhaus- tion. In 1793 Mr. George married Alletta Sheppard, whose father and grandfather both were officers of note in the Continental Army in the Revolution ; both of them were taken prisoners in 1781 and car- ried to New York by the British, undergoing much suffering at their hands. Mr. George moved into the town of Dryden with his family in the year 1804, and settled three fourths of a mile east of West Dry- den upon a farm of one hundred acres, a portion of which is now
127
WEST DRYDEN.
owned and occupied by a Mr. Lathrop. Some parts of the buildings now on such portion were built by Mr. George during his lifetime. The family passed through all the hardships of the pioneer settlers of the town. The forest was almost unbroken, while the clearings al- ready made were few and far apart. He was a weaver by trade, weav- ing coverlets, blankets, cloth and linen, and there are persons in the town now who have some of his work.
MRS. ALLETTA GEORGE.
In spite of their hardships and sur- roundings Mr. and Mrs. George raised a family of twelve children, namely: Thomas, who set- tled in Syracuse when it was a small village, and always lived there ; Allet- ta, who always liv- ed in the town, un- til her death ; Ra- chel, who married George Conrad and after living a few years in Cattarau- gus county, N. Y., moved west. One of her sons, Hon. W. F. Conrad, lives at Des Moines, Io- wa, and is a prom- inent Judge of that
state. Elisha, too, settled in Syracuse and always lived there. Joel with his family settled in Joliet, Illinois ; Peter and his family settled in Steuben county, N. Y .; Sarah lived at Niagara Falls. Mary mar- ried Peter Grover; one of their sons, Andrew J. Grover, is still re- membered by many in this section, and after him the G. A. R. Post at Cortland is named. Hannah married Solomon Silver, and lived for a number of years at Peruville, in this county ; Eliza late in life married Dr. Isaac Carpenter and settled at Auburn, N. Y. She is
128
HISTORY OF DRYDEN.
at present living at Jamestown, N. Y. Adaline married William L. Fessenden and is living at Candor, N. Y. Harvey married Susan Van Horn, for a while was a merchant at West Dryden and later moved to. Kansas and died there about ten years ago.
Mr. George continued to live upon the farm where he settled, until his death, which occurred October 3rd, 1848. His widow survived him twenty-one years ; her death took place September 12th, 1869, she be- ing ninety-one years of age. She could remember seeing the British soldiers of the Revolutionary War pass her father's house on their way through the Jerseys.
None of their descendants now reside in Tompkins county; but a grandson, Dilworth M. Silver, an attorney of Buffalo, N. Y., has de- voted himself to tracing out the history of this branch of the George family, and has materially aided us with the results of his researches, being able to trace his grandmother's ancestry back to the year 1654, which was the date when the first of her ancestors came to America.
GEORGE, JOEL, an elder brother of David, was born in Monmouth county, New Jersey, in the year 1767. He married Mary Toan, and all of their older children were born in New Jersey, but about the year 1798 they migrated "West" and after sojourning for about six years at Scipio, N. Y., located in Dryden on land now owned by An- drew Baker, about the year 1804. He bought three hundred acres, which included the farm now owned by S. M. George. His sons were Thomas, John and William T. The daughters were married-Sally to William Van Nortwick; Elizabeth to Thomas Hance, Jr., after- wards to Judge Joshua North ; Clarissa to Peter Conover. Joel was the first blacksmith in that part of the town, carrying on the business many years. Among his grandchildren are S. M. George, James H. and Almanzo W. George, all still residing in West Dryden and repre- senting the three male branches of their common ancestor, Joel.
KIMBERLIN, REV. JOHN, who had traveled thousands of miles on horseback through the wilds of New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio as an early Methodist circuit rider, came to Dryden about the year 1815, and bought of Selden Andrus the place now known as the Bry- ant farm, one-half mile west of "Fox's Corners, " where he lived until his death, which occurred in 1853 at the age of seventy-two years. At his request he was buried directly underneath the spot where the pul- pit had stood in the old Asbury red meeting house, which had been burned a few years before and where he had preached so many times.
MOUNT, EVERT, who was born in New Jersey in 1758, was a soldier of the Revolution, participating in the battles of Trenton, Princeton
WEST DRYDEN. 129
and Monmouth, and coming to West Dryden in 1801, accompanied by his only son, Joseph. The latter was the father of William Dye Mount, and grandfather of the Mounts now living in Groton. Evert and his son built the first blacksmith shop at the corners, where they worked for a few years. They returned to New Jersey with the in- tention of bringing their families to their new homes, but while there hostilities between England and the United States broke out and Jo- seph Mount volunteered and was sent to the frontier. He was killed in the battle of Lundy's Lane, July 25, 1814. Evert Mount returned with his wife to West Dryden and resumed work at his trade, which he continued until the weight of years compelled him to relinquish it. He died at West Dryden in July, 1841, aged 88 years, and was buried in the "George " cemetery. His wife, Effie Dye Mount, survived him several years, living with her grand-daughter, Mrs. Wilson Hunt. They afterwards removed to Cattaraugus county, where Mrs. Mount died in 1849.
PRIMROSE, JACOB, came from Sussex county, New Jersey, in 1803, and settled on Lot 23, where he purchased one hundred and thirty acres of land. He was a weaver of coverlets and worked at that trade after he came here. His wife was Martha Dayton. They had three sons : Henry, who served in the War of 1812, and Lewis and Dayton. Of the four daughters, Ruth and Sarah married Silas and Benjamin Fulkerson, respectively. Sarah is still living at Clinton, Wisconsin, at the age of 88 years.
The farm has always remained in the family and is now owned by George Primrose, a son of Dayton.
SUTLIFE, DAVID, was an early West Dryden pioneer, coming from Hartford, Conn., to Genoa in 1804 and to Dryden in 1806, buying land on Lot 23 now owned by Geo. Fulkerson, and which remained in pos- session of the family nearly seventy-five years. He was the father of fourteen children, most of whom were born in Connecticut. The best known in Dryden were Uriah, Henry P., and Parintha, wife of Burnett C. Fulkerson, who was the last surviving member of that branch of the family. She died in 1892 in her 91st year.
WIRE, JARED, also came from Hartford county, Connecticut, and pur- chased a farm of fifty acres on Lot No. 12; but he removed to Penn- sylvania, where he died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Watson Sutliff, many years ago, leaving no descendants in this town.
9
130
HISTORY OF DRYDEN.
2
VARNA-
3
4
..
37
6
اد محـ
36
15 16
14
13
12
25 362128
23 24
Key to the Map of Varna.
1. Geo. E. Underwood.
2. Ezra Ostrander.
3. Ezra Ostrander.
4. Mrs. Cooper.
5. Wm. J. Manning.
6. Wilson Baker.
7. Frank Powers.
8. Philip S. Snyder.
9. Mrs. Olive Crutts.
10. Grist Mill.
11. Wagon Shop.
12. Marenus Crutts.
13. Marenus Crutts.
14. Geo. Underwood.
15. Robert Smiley, Postoffice.
16. Ernest Snyder.
17. Milo Williams.
18. H. Brink, Store.
19. J. Whipple.
20. Blacksmith Shop.
21. Wagon Shop.
22. School House, No. 18.
23. Marenus Crutts.
24. W. C. Ellis.
25. J. Pierce.
26. Mrs. S. Grover.
27. O. T. Ellis.
28. Seaman & Snyder.
29. M. E. Church.
30. M. E. Parsonage.
31. Wm. J. Manning.
32. Geo. Brown.
33. Mrs. Isaac Creamer.
34. Mrs. Sherwood.
35. Frank Ellis.
36. J. T. Morris.
37. Will Ross.
38. Frank Hazen.
39. Depot.
Fall Creek
5
131
VARNA AND FALL CREEK. CHAPTER XXXII.
VARNA AND FALL CREEK.
The annals of the early settlement of Varna seem to be hopelessly lost. We cannot even obtain a hint as to the origin of the applica- tion of its name to this locality, the only other Varna of which we have any knowledge being a Bulgarian city of that name on the shore of the Black Sea. It, however, had an early history, and among its first settlers were men by the name of Dyer, Jarvis and Blue, followed by Ebenezer Brown, Erasmus T. Brown, Jonathan Knowles, James Bird, Gen. John Munson, Peter Talmadge, John Ewers, Dr. Call James McElheny, Wm. H. Miller, Walter Dowe, Dr. Ide, Dr. Pome- roy, William Cobb, William Schutt and Isaac Creamer.
Both the first saw-mill and the first grist-mill are said to have been built by Gabriel Cain, in 1803, the former near the site of the Hart mill, where Amos Ogden, in later years, first instituted the custom of putting up flour in cotton sacks, for which paper has been substituted. The first tavern seems to have been built by a man by the name of Ab- ner Chapin, near the site of the present hotel, in 1806, but the present hotel building was built by James McElheny in 1832, the first school house having been erected two years before on the opposite side of the street. On the site of the Crutts grist-mill there was constructed a saw-mill in 1818 by Gen. John Munson, and a sash factory was built in 1837 by Erasmus Brown, which was later occupied by Israel Brown as a distillery. Gen. Munson had a store in 1831 on the site now oc- cupied by the Whipple blacksmith shop, the first blacksmith shop of which we have any record having been built by William Van Sickle in 1830. A tannery was built and operated by Z. Hartsough in 1840, fol- lowed by the building of the M. E. church in 1842 and the Presbyte- rian church in 1843.
The proximity of Varna to Ithaca has always interfered with its prosperity as a business center, but there was a time, near the middle of our Century Period, when it had quite a business of its own. In those days it was a great horse market, and many a drove of horses was started from there to New York in the old-fashioned way, some twenty-five horses more or less being attached with yokes to a long rope at the head of which was a leader on horseback, and a man with a cart or wagon attached to the other end of the line brought up the rear, while horses in pairs were attached to the rope all the way be- tween. Such a troop of horses starting for the New York market in
VARNA, FROM THE RAILROAD STATION,
Photo by Silcox,
133
VARNA AND FALL CREEK.
this way would be a novel sight in these days of rapid transportation. Large droves of sheep and cattle driven along the highways of our town enroute for New York were a frequent sight fifty years ago, on all of our principal thoroughfares.
Not only was Varna in early times a great place for sending horses off to the cities, but it was noted as a home horse market where horses were sold and exchanged in great numbers, and where the running of horses as a test of speed was a common practice before the present custom of trotting horses came in vogue. At one time there were some parties there by the name of Sloan Bros. who for years made it their headquarters for peddling clocks of Eastern manufacture throughout the surrounding country.
The first M. E. church of Varna was organized at the school-house January 5, 1842, with the following as trustees : Hoffman Steenburg, William Cobb, Robert C. Hunt, Benjamin Davenport, George Em- mons, John Munson and Isaac Seaman. Their church edifice was completed the next year at an original expense of fifteen hundred dol- lars, extensive repairs having since been made. The pastors of this church have been W. H. Miller, A. H. Hamilton, D. Lamkin, L. G. Weaver, J. W. Steele, Elias Hoxsie, David Davis, G. W. Smith, A. En- sign, Sylvester Minier, L. R. Grant, E. House, D. W. Sherman, L. T. Hawkins, E. A. Peck, R. L. Stilwell, N. M. Wheeler, F. M. Wheeler, W. M. Fisher, P. W. Mynard, E. D. Thurston, G. W. Reynolds, J. L. King, C. J. Pendleton, M. J. Owen, P. H. Reigal, J. E. Showers, F. H. Dickerson.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.