USA > New York > Tompkins County > Dryden > The centennial history of the town of Dryden. 1797-1897 > Part 7
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60
HISTORY OF DRYDEN.
Remarks.
Griffin, Lewis, Griffin, S. C., Griswold, Bazaleel F.,
Griswold, Nathan L., It.,
F 15 Cav. Feb. 2, '64 3 discharged at the close of the war. 3 re-enlisted in 179th Infantry. F 109 Inf.
B 179 Inf. Feb. 2, '64 3 discharged at the close of the war.
Hulburt, Edwin R., Hulslander, Wm. R.,
I 143 Inf. Oct. 8, '62 3 discharged for disability in '62.
Hunt, Myron H., Hurd, Albert,
E 32 Inf. Oct.,
'62 3 prisoner Fair Oaks, discharged for disability '63. no record.
Hurd, John W., I 143 Inf. Oct. 8, '62 3 discharged for disability September 30, '63.
Hurley, Elisha, Jr., corp.,
I 143 Inf.
Oct. 17, '62 3 discharged for disability Augsut 7, '64. did not enter the service.
Huson, Bowker,
F 109 Inf.
Hyde, Benjamin,
F 109 Inf. Aug. 27, 62 3 killed at Spottsylvania May 12, '64.
Hyde, Chas. W.,
C 76 Inf.
3 discharged at Washington before actual service.
Hyde, Norman,
C 76 Inf.
3 discharged for disability before actual service. no record.
Jackson, Jefferson,
Jagger, Frank, corp.,
I 143 Inf. Oct. 8, '62 3 discharged at expiration of term.
Jones, Lyman,
F 109 Inf. Aug. 27, '62 3 discharged at expiration of term.
Kane, Chas.,
A 179 Inf. Aug. 22, '64 3 discharged at the close of the war. no record.
Kelly, John,
Kennedy, Wm. W., It.,
F 109 Inf. Aug. 27, '62 3 pro. 1st serg., 1st It., w'nded twice, dis. close war. no record. [wounds Chattanooga Aug., '64.
Kiser, Albert A.,
I 143 Inf. Oct. 8, '62 3 wounded Peach Tree Creek, July 20, '64, died of
Kiser, Jacob,
Kline, Philip,
E 21 Cav.
3 no record.
Knickerbocker, Clay,
I 143 Inf. Oct. 8, '62 3 discharged for disability.
Lacy, Geo. L.,
F 76 Inf. Dec., '61 3 no record.
Lacy, Geo. L.,
I 15 Cav. Feb. 2, '64 3 taken prisoner, discharged at close of the war.
Lambertson, Jas. E.,
I 143 Inf. Oct. 8, '62 3 discharged for disability, April 10, '63.
Lambertson, John N,,
C 76 Inf. Dec. 28, '61 3 discharged for disability, October 28, '62.
Lambertson, Wm.,
I 143 Inf. Oct. 8, '62 3 discharged for injuries received on cars.
B 179 Inf. Sept. 30, '64 3 discharged at the close of the war.
M 21 Cav. June 2, '64 3 discharged at Fort Leavenworth, . August 9, '65. non-resident from Pennsylvania.
Lent, Hiram B.,
Lester, Wm. H., serg.,
F
76 Inf. Nov. 5, '61 3 died of disease at Fredericksburg, June 27, '62.
Lindsey, Obed H.,
I
15 Cav. Feb. 2, '64 3 discharged at the close of the war.
61
DRYDEN SOLDIERS.
Lamont, Wm., Lawson, Daniel,
B 8 Col. Nov. 14, '63 3 discharged at Brownsville, Tex., at close of war.
Lindsey, John,
F 76 Inf. Nov. 5, '61 3 discharged at expiration of term.
Kingsley, Monroe,
62
Name. Co. Reg't. Mustered. Yrs.
Loper, Lucien,
Lormore, Jas. C., serg.,
Luckey, A. B.,
Luddington, Flixton,
F 109 Inf. Aug. 27, '62 3 discharged at the close of the war. non-resident from Pennsylvania.
Lyke, Rufus F.,
Lyon, Warren H.,
F 109 Inf. Aug. 27, '62 3 discharged at the close of the war, June 4, '65.
McDermott, James,
F 155 Inf. Aug. 17, '62 3 wounded Cold Harbor, May 3, '65, died of w'nds 3 non-resident from Pennsylvania, [soon after.
McDonald, Robert,
McElheny, Marion F., corp.,
I 32 Inf. June 2, '61 2 dis. for disability Jan., '62, re-enlisted 109 Inf.
McElheny, Marion F., corp.,
F 109 Inf. Aug. 27, '62 3 wounded at Spottsylvania.
McGregor, Clinton D.,
F 76 Inf. Nov. 14, '61 3 discharged at expiration of term.
McGregor, Clinton D., serg.,
1st V. R. C. May 7, '64 3 wounded at Gainesville, discharged close of war.
McGregor, Daniel,
F 76 Inf. Nov. 14, '61 3 wounded Gainesville, died of disease Jan. 28, '63. 3 non-resident from Pennsylvania.
McHue, James,
McKee, David,
E 32 Inf. June 9, '61 2 discharged at expiration of term.
McKee, David,
I 15 Cav. Feb. 2, '64 3 discharged at expiration of term.
McKinney, Wm.,
A 179 Inf. Sept. 17, '64 3 discharged at the close of the war.
McLean, Conrad, F 109 Inf. Aug. 27, '62 3 wounded at Petersburg, discharged close of war.
Mc Whorter, J. T., serg.,
I 143 Inf. Oct. 8, '62 3 discharged for disability, June, '64.
Mack, Halsey,
I
15 Cav. Feb. 2, '64 3 discharged at the close of the war.
Manchester, J.,
3 non-resident from Pennsylvania.
Maricle, Cornelius,
G 76 Inf. Sept. 3, '61 3 discharged for disability November, '61.
Marsh, Augustus,
I 15 Cav. Sept. 3, '63 3 discharged at the close of the war.
Marvin, Harrison, capt.,
I 143 Inf. Oct. 8, '62 3 discharged at the close of the war.
Mastin, Britton,
F 75 Inf. Dec., '61 3 discharged February 24, '62.
Mastin, Britton,
I 15 Cav. Feb. 2, '64 3 discharged at the close of the war.
Matson, James H.,
F 109 Inf. Aug. 13, '61 3 discharged at the close of the war, June 4, '65.
Matson, John C.,
I 143 Inf. Oct. 8, '62 3 discharged at the close of the war.
Mattison, David,
C 76 Inf. Sept., '61 3 taken prisoner at Wilderness, died Andersonville. 3 non-resident from Pennsylvania.
Mattison, Geo. L.,
Maxwell, Edward,
I 143 Inf. Oct., '62 3 trans. Vet. Res. Corps, disch'g'd at close of war.
HISTORY OF DRYDEN.
Remarks. non-resident from Pennsylvania. I 103 Inf. Mar. 7, '62 3 discharged at the close of the war. non-resident from Pennsylvania.
Mead, Elias A., It., Miller, Albert W.,
Miller, Frank
Moffat, Wm., It.,
Monroe, Milo, serg.,
F 109 Inf. Aug.
I 143 Inf. Oct. 8, '62 3 resigned. 8, '62 3 discharged at Denver, June 10, '66.
Monroe, Wm.,
Montgomery, Daniel R.,
F 76 Inf. Nov. 14 '61 3 wounded at Gettysburg, dis. expiration of term. Medical Cadet U. S. A.
Morey, Wm. A.,
I 143 Inf. Oct.
8, '62 3 died of disease in Georgia.
Morgan, John, Morgan, R. S.,
F 109 Inf. Ang. 27, '62 3
C 76 Inf. Dec.,
Mosely, Chas. D.,
A
F 15 Cav. Aug. 26, '61
15 Cav. Feb. 2, '64 3 died of disease at Fairfax Seminary, July 14, '65.
Mosher, Philip D.,
I 143 Inf. Oct.
8, '62 3 died of disease at Washington.
Mosher, Wm. A.,
C 76 Inf. Nov.
5, '61 3 no record.
Mynard, Cortland,
B 179 Inf. Sept. 17, '64 3 discharged at close of the war.
Nash, David,
I 143 Inf. Oct. 8, '62 3 discharged at close of the war.
Nash, Philander,
I 15 Cav. Feb. 2, '64 3 '61 3 died before actual service.
Norton, Wm. D.,
C 76 Inf. Dec.,
E 155 Inf. Sept.,
'62 3 discharged at close of the war.
Obert, Eli A., Odell, George,
I 15 Cav.
3 discharged at the close of war, died soon after.
Ostrander, Myron,
F 15 Cav. Feb. 2, '64 3 wounded and lost leg, discharged August, '65.
Overacker, Isaac,
I 143 Inf. Nov. 8, '62 3 died of disease April 4, '64.
Owen, Daniel J.,
O'Wrighter, Marion, Paine, John,
Peak, Seth R.,
F 15 Cav. Feb. 2, '64 3 discharged at the close of the war.
Pease, Almon,
Pelham, Benjamin,
Pendleton, Geo. L.,
C 76 Inf. Sept., '61 3 wounded at Antietam, honorably discharged.
3 discharged at close of the war.
V. R. C. F 76 Inf. Nov. 14, '61 3 killed at 2nd Bull Run, Aug. 28, '63.
I 15 Cav. Feb. 2, '64 3 killed at Newmarket, and buried on the field.
Montgomery, J. J.,
July 9, '64
'61 3 also 3d U. S. Cav., discharged at close of the war. 32 Inf. May 15, '61 2 discharged from disability Sept. 29, '62. discharged at close of the war.
Mosely, Chas. D.,
Mosely, Edwin T.,
I
DRYDEN SOLDIERS.
Nugent, John,
F 109 Inf. Aug. 27, '62 3 killed in battle on Weldon R. R., August 21, '64.
3 died of disease in service. non-resident from Pennsylvania.
I 143 Inf. Oct. 8, '62 3 discharged for disability July 20, '63.
I 143 Inf. Oct. 8, '62 3 discharged at the close of the war. discharged at Washington before actual service. non-resident from Pennsylvania.
63
64
Name.
Co. Reg't. Mastered. Yrs. Remarks.
I 143 Inf. Oct. 8, '62 3 dis. for disability, leg amputated Sept. 17, '63.
Perrigo, Chas. M., Pettengill, F., corp., Pettigrove, John,
I 143 Inf. Oct. 8, '62 3 died of disease in Columbia Hosp., Washington. no record.
Pratt, Samuel,
I 143 Inf. Oct. 8,'62 3
Price, Chas. H.,
E 32 Inf. June 2, '61 2 discharged at expiration of term.
Puderbaugh, John A.,
F 109 Inf. Aug. 27, '62 3 discharged at the close of the war.
Puderbaugh, Theo. J., E 32 Inf. June 2, '61 2 dis. at expiration of term, re-enlisted in 143 Inf.
Robinson, John L.,
I 15 Cav. Feb. 3, '64 3 discharged at the close of the war.
Robinson, Joseph,
E 32 Inf. June 2, '61 2 discharged at expiration of term.
Robinson, Langdon,
I 143 Inf. Oct. 8, '62 3 discharged at the close of war, died soon after.
Roe, Wm. M., serg.,
I 143 Inf. Oct. 8, '62 3 wounded at Peach Tree Creek, dis. close of war.
Root, Horace L., It., F 109 Inf. Aug. 27, '62 3 wounded Petersburg, July 30, '64, arm amp.
Rulison, Geo. P.,
F 109 Inf. Aug. 27, '62 3 discharged at the close of the war. non-resident from Pennsylvania.
Russel, D. E., Ryder, Wm.,
I 143 Inf. Oct. 8, '62 3 discharged at the close of the war.
Schutt, Jeremiah,
32 Inf. June
2, '62 2 wounded 1st Bull Run, dis. disability July 2, '62.
Schutt, Monroe,
F 109 Inf. Aug. 27, '62 3 discharged at the close of the war.
Schutt, Socrates,
I 143 Inf. Oct. 8, '62 3 died of disease April 6, '63.
Scott, Chas.,
I 15 Cav. Feb. 2, '64 3 discharged at the close of the war.
Seaman, Ephraim,
I 15 Cav. Feb. 2, '64 3 prisoner Newmarket, dis. Louisville close of war.
Seaman, Peter, serg.,
I 143 Inf. Oct. 8, '62 3 discharged at the close of the war. no record.
Selby, Henry,
B 26 Col. June 14, '63 3 no record.
Shaver, John W.,
I 143 Inf. Oct. 8, '62 3 discharged at the close of the war.
Shaw, Henry,
1 143 Inf. Oct. 8, '62 3 discharged for disability. 3 no record.
Shaw, Wm., Shepard, Wm. C. Sherwood, Emerson,
F 109 Inf. Ang. 27, '62 3 discharged at the close of the war.
Sherwood, John,
Sherwood, Lafayette,
Sherwood, Morgan,
I 143 Inf. Oct. 8, '62 3 discharged for disability March 10, '63. no record. I 143 Inf. Oct. 8, '62 3 died at Bridgeport, Alabama,
HISTORY OF DRYDEN.
Seaman, Wm.
I 143 Inf. Oct. 8, '62 3 discharged at the close of the war.
Sherwood, W. P., Simons, Daniel P., serg.,
I 143 Inf. Oct. 8, '62 3 died at Nashville, Tenn.
1 109 Inf. Ang. 27, '62 3 wounded at Spottsylvania, dis. at close of war.
Simons, Seneca A.,
F 109 Inf. Aug. 27, '62 3 no record.
Skillman, Geo. F., Skillman, Jas. M.,
F 109 Inf.
Aug. 27, '62 3 discharged at the close of the war.
I 143 Inf. Oct. 8, '62 3 dis. for disability April 8, '63, died August, '65. 3 non-resident, from Pennsylvania.
Smalley, W. R., Smith, Edwin W., Smith, L. D.,
M 21 Cav. Feb.,
'64 3 discharged at the close of the war.
Snyder, Ezra,
F 109 Inf. Aug. 27, '62 3 discharged for disability, no date.
Snyder, Henry J.,
I 143 Inf. Oct. 8, '62 3 discharged at Cincinnati, April, '64.
Sorrell, Edward, B U. S. Col. June 14, '63 3 killed on picket Graham's Neck, S. C., Dec., '64.
Sorrell, John H.,
B 26 Inf. Dec. 24, '63 3 discharged at the close of the war.
Spear, M. I. G., It.,
F 109 Inf. Aug. 27, '62 3 resigned February 1, '64.
Starr, B. Peter, corp.,
F 109 Inf. Aug. 27, '62 3 discharged for disability.
Stevens, Chas.,
I 143 Inf. Oct. 8, '62 3 discharged at the close of the war. no record. no record.
Straight, Hiram, Strong, B. G., F 109 Inf. Aug. 27, '62 3 discharged at the close of the war.
Strong, C. L., corp.,
F 109 Inf. Aug. 27, '62 3 discharged at the close of the war.
Strong, Philemon B., I 15 Cav. Feb. 2, '64 3 died of disease at Baltimore.
Stubbs, Wm. A.,
C 76 Inf.
3 discharged at expiration of term.
Sutfin, Geo. W .. Sutfin, Nathaniel D., Sweet, A. C.,
I 15 Cav. Aug. 31, '64 3 discharged at the close of the war.
E 32 Inf. June 2, '61 2 dis. for disability Sept. 10, '62, died soon after.
-
Sweet, A. Cole,
F 15 Cav. Feb. 2, '64 3 discharged at the close of the war.
Sweet, A. Cole,
F 76 Inf. Nov. 5, '61 3 discharged for disability, July 14, '62.
F 109 Inf. Aug. 27, '62 3 discharged at the close of the war.
I 143 Cav. Aug., '64 3
E 32 Inf. June 2, '61 2 discharged at expiration of term.
Tanner, Lyman, serg.,
Teeter, Edward H.,
C 76 Inf. Nov.
I 15 Cav. Feb. 2, '64 3 promoted to q. m. serg., discharged close of war. 5, '61 3 discharged disability Aug. 20, '62.
65
DRYDEN SOLDIERS.
Sweet, A. Lewis, 5 Sykes, Jonathan H., Tanner, Garrett S., Tanner, Lyman,
B 94 Aug. 15, '64 3 discharged at the close of the war. wounded Gainesville, South M'nt'n, dis. ex. term. E 32 Inf. June 2, '61
Stanton, Wm. A.,
I 143 Inf. Oct. 8, '62 3 killed at Atlanta, July 30, '64.
HISTORY OF DRYDEN.
Name.
Co. Reg't. Mustered. Yrs. Remarks.
Teeter, Edward H.,
Thomas, Theodore F.,
Tomlimson, Robert,
F 76 Inf. Dec., '61 3 dis. for disability, Apr., '62; afterward med. cad.
I 15 Cav. Feb. 2, '64 3 discharged at Louisville at close of the war.
I 15 Cav. Feb. 2, '64 3 pro. May 8, '65; discharged at close of the war.
Truesdell, Geo. L., capt., Tucker, John, Tucker, Orrin,
F 15 Cav. Feb. 2, '64 3 discharged at close of the war. F 109 Inf. Aug. 27, '62 3 discharged for disability, March 28, '64.
Tyler, Jas. V.,
F 109 Inf.
Ang. 27, '62 3 died of disease, July 16, '64.
Underwood, Nathan,
F 109 Inf.
3 3
Underwood, Ogden G.,
F 109 Inf.
Vail, Samnel J., serg.,
F 109 Inf. Aug. 27, '62 3 wounded Wilderness ; died of disease Oct. 4, '64.
Valuschamp, Abraham,
3 non-resident.
Vanderpool, John W.,
F
76 Inf. Nov. 5, '61 3 discharged at expiration of term.
Vanderpool, Simon,
F 76 Inf. Nov. 5, '61 3
Van Horn, Nathaniel,
3 non-resident. 3 non-resident.
Van Horn, Samuel,
F 15 Cav. July 13, '64 3 discharged at close of the war.
Van Order, Eugene,
32 Inf.
3
Van Order, Fred,
32 Inf.
2
Van Valkenburgh, Eugene, corp. F 109 Inf.
Ang. 27, '62 3 discharged for wounds received at Spottsylvania.
Wagoner, Alonzo B., serg.,
F 76 Inf. July 26, '64 3 two terms same reg't ; discharged at close of war.
Wagoner, Garrett, F 76 Inf. Nov. 5, '61 3
Waite, Andrew,
I 143 Inf. Oct. 8, '62 3 dis. disability Dec. 13, '62 ; re-enlisted 21 Cav.
Waite, Andrew,
M 21 Cav. Feb. 20, '64 3 discharged at close of the war.
Waite, Henry B.,
F 143 Inf. Oct. 8, '62 3 discharged at close of the war.
Waite, James,
I 143 Inf. Oct. 8, '62 3
Wallace, J. Henry,
G 15 Art. Sept. 5, '63 3 w'ded Lacey Springs, Va., Dec., '64, dis. close war.
Wallace, Wm. L.,
F 109 Inf. Aug. 27, '62 3 killed before Petersburg, Aug. 27, '64.
Ward, Ai
I 143 Inf. Oct. 8, '62 3 discharged for disability March, '63.
Weaver, Henry D., corp.,
C 76 Inf. Oct.,
'61 3 killed at Gettysburg, July 1, '63.
66
F 9 Art. Aug., '64 3 discharged at close of the war. '64 3 discharged at close of the war. I 15 Cav. Aug., 155 Inf. 3 discharged at close of the war.
Tripp, John D., corp.,
Tripp, Wm. C.,
Van Natta, Theodore,
Welch, James,
F 143 Inf. Oet. 8, '62 3 discharged at close of the war.
West, Albert M.,
F 109 Inf. Aug. 27, '62 3 died of disease Sept. 12, '63.
White, John A.,
C 76 Inf. Nov. 5, '61 3 died of disease in Virginia, Aug. 27, '62.
White, John W.,
F 109 Inf. Ang. 27, '62 3 killed at Spottsylvania, May 12, '64.
White, Win. R., corp.,
F 109 Inf. Aug. 27, '62 3 discharged at close of the war.
Wickham, George, I 143 Inf. Aug. 10, '64 3 discharged at close of the war.
Wilcox, Geo. R.,
F 15 Cav. June, '64 3
Wilcox, Joseph L.,
F 15 Cav. June, '64 3
Wilcox, Lyman,
I 143 Inf. Oct. 8, '62 3 discharged on account of age, Nov. 9, '62.
Wilcox, Marion,
F 76 Inf. Nov. 5, '61 3 discharged before actual service.
Willey, Samuel M.,
I 185
Williamson, Clark,
F 15 Cav. June, '64 3 discharged at the close of the war.
Wilson, Henry,
F 76 Inf. Nov. 5, '61 3 transferred to Vet. Res. Corps ; dis. close of war.
Woodmancy, Geo., corp.,
Wright, Geo. W.,
I 143 Inf. Oet. 8, '62 3 discharged at the close of the war. 3 I 143 Inf.
Women, as well as men, gave their services to the country in this time of need, and Mrs. Julia A. Cook, whose husband, Enos, had already died in the service, and whose only son, James H., served throughout the war, volunteered as a nurse and was on duty in the hospitals at Washington in June, 1864, until her own sickness compelled her to return. As an inland town Dryden could not be expected to contribute much to the naval forces of the country, but an incident which interested the people of Dryden village and enlisted their deepest sympathy at the time, should be here mentioned. Jared Boorom, a relative of a Dryden fam- ily, had been a sailor and in his wanderings had married a little Spanish woman whom he had met in the West India Islands. Upon the breaking out of the war he brought her and their little daughter to Dryden, where he provided for them with his relatives while he enlisted as a gunner on the Galena, a gunboat of the U. S. Navy. Mrs. Boorom could speak but very little English, but with her peculiar Spanish ways she was a subject of great interest to Dryden people, among whom she made many friends. But suddenly there came news that Boorom was wounded by the explosion of a shell in an attack on Fort Fisher in the James River, May 16, 1862, and a day or two later that he was dead. The grief of the poor young widow knew no bounds and excited the deepest sympathy from all who had known and heard of her. The remains of her husband were brought to Dryden and laid in the Green Hills cemetery, where a monument to-day marks his grave. His wife soon after returned to her native country.
DRYDEN SOLDIERS.
67
68
HISTORY OF DRYDEN. CHAPTER XX.
INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS.
While the period of the war involved great loss of life and property to the North as well as to the South, it was, to our section of the country, in some respects a time of unusual prosperity. The money which was freely paid out by the government for services and supplies came into ready circulation among the people, and the prices of every- thing went up to high figures, so that those people who remained at home and formed the producing class were able to secure enormous prices for their products. Wheat brought $2.50 per bushel ; wool one dollar per pound ; while butter was sold for sixty cents and at some times even more than that per pound. Real estate, as well as other property, was booming, and everybody holding property of any kind was agreeably surprised upon finding himself richer than he had previously supposed himself to be. This increase in wealth was in a measure imaginary, and to some extent, at least, due to a depre- ciated currency by which the value of things was then estimated. When the currency was brought up to a par value with gold, some time after the close of the war, the delusion began to be dispelled, and the value of property has ever since then seemed to depreciate.
Still there were people during the war, as there always have been and always will be, who were continually complaining of the hard times, and suggesting that if ever the war should cease then they might accomplish something, while those who then went to work and made their efforts productive, accumulated property more rapidly than it was possible to do in the same length of time either before or since that period.
The apparent prosperity which then prevailed in business matters stimulated local enterprises, and the first railroad to furnish means of transportation within the town, at first known as the Southern Central, was opened for travel between Owego and Auburn in the year 1869. Such a project had long been dreamed of and hoped for by the people of the town, and we find on an old map of Tompkins county published in 1838, a copy of which is in the possession of Dr. Mary Briggs of Dryden village, a railway projected from Ithaca to Auburn by way of Etna and Freeville, over almost the same route now occupied by the branches of the Lehigh Valley. The old Ithaca and Cortland railroad, known in those days as the "Shoo Fly," was opened as far as Cortland running diagonally through the centre of the town of
69
INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS.
Dryden, in 1871. A great effort was made by and in behalf of Dryden people, especially those living in and about Dryden village, to secure the constructtion of the Southern Central. Many other towns along the proposed line were bonded to furnish means with which to con- struct it, but the town of Dryden was never obligated in that way. The citizens, however, believed that only by very liberal subscriptions to the stock of the company could the road be secured, and a sub- scription amounting to nearly two hundred thousand dollas was ob- tained from the people, only about one half of which materialized, Many under the strong influence brought to bear upon them and out of a sense of duty to the public interests of the town, agreed to take more stock than they afterwards felt able to pay for, and subsequent developments indicated that the road would have been finally built without so great a sacrifice on the part of the people. Those towns, however, which bonded themselves fared the worst, for their bonds were paid when times were harder and property had greatly depreci- ated in value. The Midland Railroad Company projected a road in this period from Freeville to Auburn by way of West Dryden and Lan- sing, which was not completed until 1880, and after being operated for about ten years was absorbed by the Lehigh Valley Company and discontinued. The telegraph accompanied the railroads, or in the case of the Southern Central preceded it by a few years. Thus the town from being wholly destitute of railroad privileges up to 1869, has ever since been traversed by at least two lines of railroad, crossing each other at nearly right angles near the centre of the township, providing five railroad and telegraph stations within its borders.
Near the end of this period, and about the year 1870, attention was called to the fact that Dryden was holding rather more than her full share (in fact nearly all) of the political honors of the county. It so happened at that time that Hon. Richard Marvin, as Supreme Court Justice, then residing in Chautauqua county but brought up as a Dry- den boy, was assigned to hold a term of Supreme Court at Ithaca. Mills Van Valkenburg was then serving as county judge and surrogate, elected from Dryden ; Horace L. Root was serving as sheriff, as well as Thomas J. McElheny as county clerk, both elected from Dryden ; while Benjamin F. Squires, the court crier had formerly been a Dry- den merchant. With Milo Goodrich, of Dryden, then a member of congress from this district and a prominent figure at the bar of that court it was conceded that for a country town Dryden then had a claim upon at least her full share of the offices of that court and of the county.
70
HISTORY OF DRYDEN.
CHAPTER XXI.
THE PERIOD OF MATURITY.
By applying the term "maturity" to this present time, the last quarter of the Century Period of our history, we do not intend to imply that it is a time when perfection has been reached, or that further developments. of a progressive nature may not be expected in the future history of our town. It is regarded by us as mature only as we view it from the standpoint of the present as compared with the primitive conditions of the past, while to those who may review it one hundred years hence, the present time will doubtless appear, in some respects at least, as a period of rude development. This period will be treated of here very briefly, as it is not yet ripe as a subject for history, and it is rather to give those who shall come after us and who may chance to peruse our efforts, some idea as to how our times ap- pear to us to-day than for any other purpose that we complete our gen- eral history of the town of Dryden with this chapter.
There are some few respects in which great progress has been made during the past hundred years where it would seem that but little im- provement need be expected or asked for in the future. One of them is in the matter of highway bridges, of which our town is required to maintain many, although none of extraordinary dimensions. In the Pioneer Period it is presumed that there were no bridges of any ac- count, the inhabitants then being required to ford the streams in sum- mer and cross them on the ice in winter. In the Second Period pole bridges were constructed, rude affairs-many of which were carried away with every spring flood. These were replaced in the War Per- iod with comparatively substantial structures of wood, of the truss pattern, but they were subject to decay, the life of such a bridge, however well constructed and protected, being less than twenty years. But now all or very nearly all of them have been replaced during the past twenty-five years by substantial iron structures, supplied by the town at considerable expense, placed upon solid piers of masonry or iron piles, in such a manner that they seem to be almost inde- structible and imperishable.
Another respect in which great progress has been made and ap- parently the limit of perfection almost reached is in the matter of educational advantages. Common school education for the young is now not only free, but in a measure compulsory, and there can be but little hope for the children of to-day who do not readily improve the
71
THE MATURITY PERIOD.
superior advantages now afforded them by our schools. If we com- pare the school buildings of to-day with those of twenty-five years ago, and then again with those of fifty and seventy-five years ago, we shall be impressed with the degree of comfort and elegance which our own times afford in comparison.
The dwelling houses and farm buildings of the present time are not to be compared with the rude habitations of fifty and seventy-five years ago. It was not then considered necessary to winter cattle under cover except in the worst storms, and then the poorest shed was supposed to furnish ample protection. When the country was mostly covered with forests the severity of winter was not felt by man or beast as it is now, and we are told that in the Pioneer Period snow drifts were unknown. Now the cattle barn of the Dryden farmer is usually larger and often more expensive than the house in which he lives, which is itself a palace in points of convenience and elegance as compared with the homes of his ancestors.
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