pages 252

252"
TOWN OF STERLING.
field
labor-he first selected, though the
than fifty years were constantly
opening more inviting fields for the exercise of
his talents.
It is doubtful, however, if he could
have been more useful in any other field.
In 1837 he married Miss A. M. Bennett, who
was born in Massachusetts in Jan., 1787, and came
to Cayuga County with her brother in 1 8 14. Miss
scribed
of
changes of more
left us, glorifying Christ in his death not less
in his life.
"
His remains were followed to the grave by a
large concourse of people who sincerely mourned
It was a most impressive scene
his departure.
and a very appropriate tribute of respect to his
man
than
memory."
Bennett, immediately after coming to this County
gave
her
attention
eral years previous
select
school
ducted first in
teaching, and was for
to her marriage principal
to
for young ladies,
Auburn,
which
sev
con
she
the foot
and afterwards at
JONAS WHITE.
of a
Owasco Lake, to which locality her father's
family had removed. She still survives her hus
band in excellent health and with mental facul
She
ties unimpaired, though in her 93d year.
is strongly attached to her friends, with whom
she loves to mingle and converse.
Dr. Clary was blessed with seven children,
five sons and two daughters, five of whom, four
at
sons and one daughter, survived his death
Throopsville, in May, 1863.
The following extract from an obituary of Dr.
Clary, published in the New York Observer, suf
ficiently indicates his excellent qualities of head
and heart :
Dr. Clary connected himself early with the
First Presbyterian Church in Auburn, and for
By an
many years was one of its ruling elders.
which
commits
a cer
arrangement in that Church
tain number of families to the oversight of each
member of the Session, he shared with the pas
of
the
Among
residents
prominent
and
old
of
He re
Auburn was ex-Mayor Jonas White.
twenty-eight
years
half
over
a
sided here
century,
of which he conducted leading hotels, including
the American, now the St. James, the old Ex
change Hotel and the Gaylord
House, having
his
clerk
for
also been
brother-in-law, Ira Curtis,
when
the latter was proprietor of the old Ex
He
change
Hotel.
all our
citizens,
frankness
and
therefore
was
and
universally
urbanity,
and
ency
of
purity
for his
respected
Few
character.
friends.
warmer
residents
of our
to
the uniform consist
his life and
had more or
He died November 20th, 1876,
and
well-known
aged
sixty-three
years.
"
tor that
spiritual care of
that
the
portion of
CHAPTER XXXI.
Town
con
He was
residing in Throopsville.
very faithful to his charge, beloved of his breth
ren, and of good report with all.
Rarely was he
the sanctuary, though he resided
absent from
His extensive prac
some three miles distant.
tice as physician never seemed to interfere with
the punctual and diligent discharge of all the du
the church and in the
ties of a Christian in
Sterling.
of
gregation
family.
He had
clear views of
conscientious regard
for
doctrines,
the
all
great
and
a most
interests
he felt
when
the
the
Sabbath,
much solicitude
he
early
nounced
awaited
was seized
part of
calmly
the
"
patients
visited
in the
upon
following
his
for
fever,
and
He
week.
own
case,
whom
the
after part of
with violent
the
and
day,
died
pro
quietly
result.
His death was
doubt was in the
part of
lake,
in
our
sight,
as
it
sight
of
the
all clustered around
him,
and
the good
of
Ontario,
County,
the
and
and west
by
Revolutionary mem
in the
extreme north
north
Victory,
Wayne
east
by the
by Os
county.
is rolling and inclines slightly to
the north.
The highest elevations, in the
ward
surface
are
south,
Big Bluff,
from
200
the
on
to 300
its
feet
above
the
lake.
lake shore, rises somewhat
to 200 feet above the surface
abruptly from 100
of the lake. The streams
and
William
Lord
is bounded
the town of
by
county,
branches, flowing
are
Little Sodus Creek
north
through the
cen
Little Sodus Bay, and the headwaters
Cartright Creek, in the south-west part,
tral part to
of
Little Sodus
emptying into Blind Sodus Bay.
Bay is about two miles long and one mile wide,
is
no
Lord.
Lake
upon
south
wego
and
precious
He was
grace in which he had so
greatly sustained by the
long trusted. The promises, to use his own ex
pression,
ory, lies
of
Christ's kingdom.
"
He took a deep interest in the struggle now
going on in the land, [the war of the rebellion,]
and preserved a calm and loyal confidence in its
He had been at his place at church as
issue.
from
named
Alexander Sterling,
The
"
usual on
STERLING,
south
one
the best natural
harbors
on
the
lake.
A swamp, covering
hundred acres, extends along the lake
of
shore
several
shore, east
south
of
of
border
of
the
the
bay,
and another
the town.
lies
on
the
HON. GEORGE I. POST.
Post, son of John G. Post, was born in the town of
County, April ?d, 1826. His ancestors were descendants of
His great
four nationalities, German, Hollander, Scotch and English.
grandfather, Christopher Post, came from New Jersey in 1796, and took up
a large tract of very valuable land on the west shore of Owasco Lake, and the
farms, into which it was afterwards divided, are still occupied by his descend
Hon. George I.
Fleming, in
this
among the
ants,
and are
Their
occupants
have
fertile
been men
most
always
lands in the County.
honorable character, substantial and
and productive
of
Company on its organization, and
President thereof. He resigned the
latter position in the Spring of 1872.
He had the merited honor of driving
the last spike on the completion of the road in 1871.
From 1859 to 1871 he
devoted himself to the enterprise, in public meetings, reports in the legisla
ture, and wherever the interests of the road could be promoted, by an active
interest in its behalf.
In the Autumn of 1867 he took an active and a leading part in the organi
zation of a company to construct a railroad from Oswego to
Lewiston, 145
miles in length, entitled the Lake Ontario Shore Road, which is completed
operation.
successful
Of
that
and in
Company he was a Director, and a
member for four years of the Executive Commit.ee, of which he was the
Chairman for two years. He was also for two years the legal advisor of the
Company ; during which time the legal and financial condition of the road
of
the
Directors,
and
the
Secretary
subsequently in turn Vice-President
thrifty.*
The
In the general legislation of the body, to which his time and energies were
assiduously devoted, he was a close and careful participant.
At the close of his legislative term he renewed the railroad agitation, and
in the Fall of 1865 called a public convention to consider the question of
organizing a Company to construct the Southern Central Railroad, for which
he had drawn Articles of Association. The result of his efforts was the or
ganization of the Company and the building of the road.
Mr. Post was one
this
of
subject
sketch
received such
early instruction
as the public
; was brought up in habits of industry, and sub
jected to the wholesome discipline of farm-life, thus developing his naturally
vigorous constitution, and rendering him capable of enduring, with impunity,
schools of the time afforded
great physical and mental
labor.
His
public school education was supple
attendance at the Lima Seminary.
At the age of seventeen he engaged in teaching. At twenty-one he married
Miss Esther C. Wyckoff, daughter of Peter Wyckoff, and bought, and for
A friend and
eight years cultivated a farm, engaging also in land surveying.
intelligent advocate of popular educationi he was called to the superintendency
town.
of the schools of his
His mental aspirations were not fully satisfied with the routine of farm-life.
He engaged in a thorough
mented
by
course
of
that of private schools
general
his
and
by
retentive
not with a view
his
law
making
personal culture.
study
pleased
him,
and
The
he
Ways
Laws,
and afterwards that
Rathbun,
Elections,
Porter, Allen & Beardsley,
of
ing
1855.
went
to Kansas
a tour of observation,
of an
president
which
as
tion of the
settlement
at
Elmira under
Board of Managers, con
sisting of Louis D. Pilsbury,
a
violent
resorted
they
the
to drive
was threatened with
mob-
his impressions
the barbarities of slavery
of
deepened
and personal
by
observation
experience.
charter of
In 1859 he
trict
-
position
he
year
important step in
form.
was elected
for three
years.
commenced
his
The
Company
the
long
means
to
procured
charter,
ate
for
want
it.
prosecute
an
by
rights
of
ings,
Company
to secure the construc
[Photo by Squyer & Wright.]
J <?*Jh
was elected
Member
Assembly from the first dis
in the three
struggle for the organization
was then Governor.
The darkest clouds of the
Rebellion were hovering over us, and intense and bitter
partyfeeling actuated
the Members.
The famous tie of 64 and 64 was maintained for
weeks, and
when 65 and 63 were reached,
and
filibustering
anarchy interposed. The vote
was finally reached, and the House
duly organized.
During this session, Mr. Post made an elaborate speech, in review of the
Governor's message, especially criticising his war-policy and that of his ad
vocates, in the course of which he said :
"
We must have war or disunion, that is the issue.
Is peace desirable at
God forbid ! Peace at the price of disunion? No ! never !
such a price?
never ! never !
Better perish than submit to disunion. War is the
only way
to peace.
Let us then have war upon war prir.ciples ; war until treason is
*
"
war until the union is
discomfited; *
completely restored.
Of this speech the correspondent of the New York World, a political
and was a participant
"Mr. Post
President.
grateful
*
Six
weeks'
-
made a vigorous speech
Mr. Post is strong
man, that
male
cultivating
and
he has friends
descendants hearing the
hundred uciea.
over aevtn
of
Mr. Seymour
:
and
prison
by
the
As
so
nearly
the
Senate,
of
Managers
was
it only when there was no
hope of success, when he
transferred his energies to the
construction of the Southern
opponent, thus wrote
As he had,
secured
of
Reformatory
admitted
of
Board
the
El
a
of
fitness,
rare
so
he
ilar Boards of Managers, and
supported his proposition
by
a
carefully prepared argument.
The result of the discussion
of
the House.
reform.
to place each of the
prisons under the care of sim
ed
of
and en
of
sought
time than any other friend of
the enterprise.
He abandon
trict,
important
question
and
public meet
Central Railroad.
In the Fall of 1862 he
a careful considera
grossing
mira
the road, devoting
thereto, it is believed, more
tion
meet
Post,
this session, devoted
sembly
continued, and was inde
fatigable in his efforts, through
in
Mr.
unanimous assent of the
He
were
the press and
deficiencies.
tion of the
extension of the
the
appropriations to
their
himself to
which the corpor
of
nual
during
in
on whose road
suspended
was
State, at
prisons of the
time, had become notori
ous leechers upon the public
treasury, demanding large an
behalf of the Lake Ontario,
Auburn & New York Railroad
,work
re
were
that
That
and eventful railroad career
prison
managers
out pay.
Dis
holding
The
non-partisan and served with
the city.
Attorney,
State;
the
of
telligent and upright adminis
tration.
This was the first
taken up his resi
dence in Auburn in 18;?, he
represented the Third Ward
in the Common Council in
i8s8-'59, and was Chairman
of the Board in the laborious
and difficult work of revising
Having
the
prisons
Rufus H. King, a talented
and honorable lawyer
; and
William C. Wey, an eminent
thus combining in
physician,
the Board just the
variety of
talent to secure the most in
violence, and
were
penal
committee
to
out the Free-state immigrants.
He
of
Sinclair Tousey, one of the
for investigating
pro-slavery
the region
measures
in the man
institutions ;
thorough expert
agement
control of
the
which
a
saw
men
efforts of
to retain
and
of that
While there he
territory.
placed
formatory
organization,
whose object was the promo
the
the passage of the act
the State Re
secured
In 1857 he
on
of
the latter of
he was Chairman. Dur
this session he drafted and
which
the bar
co
and was admitted
in
established.
important Committees of
and
Means, General
and
Privileges and
the
In 1854 he en
office of George
it.
law
continued
tered the
to
profession,
but for
firmly
Mr. Post represented this
district in the Convention
which nominated Gen. Grant
for the second term, in 1872.
In the Autumn of 1875, he
was again elected to the As
sembly, and took his seat on
the first day of
January fol
lowing. He was placed on
and
their st.dy,
the
and
were
reading,
memory
held the facts
thus brought to his knowl
edge.
Procuring elementary
law books, he began at home
and
grasped
of
so
family
last evening in favor of the policy of the
and the President ought to be a
earnest,
bold."
name aie now settled
in that
locality,
occupying
and
the appointment of a com
to minutely investi
mission
gate
the prisons of the State
the result.
and report
Mr. Post
to the
the third time,
was elected
Assembly, for
in the Fall of 1876. As he represented a district in which was located one of
the most important State prisons, he was made the Chairman of the Com
mittee on that subject, and continued on those of "Ways and Means," and
"
General Laws." As Chairman of the Committee on Prisons, he prepared
the legislation necessary to give effect to the constitutional changes in their
official management, and which have
already resulted in an annual saving to
the State of nearly $ ;oo, 000.
Mr. Post was a leading Member of the Assem
bly, in which he was recognized as a power. All his public undertakings
were actuated
by an exalted sense of justice. He was a clear, consistent
worker, frank and above-board, voting on all occasions with a boldness
evinced only by independent men.
During the Winter of 1877 was organized the Boston, Hoosac Tunnel &
Western Railroad, in which Mr. Post took a lively interest, and is one of the
Directors of the Company. This is the last and most important raiiroad en
terprise in which he has been engaged.
He may with propriety be denomin
Railroad-builder,"
ated the
for he has devoted thereto twenty of the prime
'|
years of his life.
Physically, Mr. Post is large, being over six feet in height,
and finely formed.
He is remarkably vigorous, and ceaselessly active. He is
indomitably persevering ; a great lover of liberty of thought, speech and action ;
and candid almost to bluntness.
He is honorable in a high degree. He is
hopeful, expectant and buoyant. In politics he is a Republican. He has three
sons and two daughters: Jane Elizabeth Hawes, T.
Benton, Henry C., Cora
W. and George I., Jr.
GEOLOGICAL FORMATION.
The underlying
the
Oneida
the Medina
are
south
Hannibalville,
sandstone and the
Clinton group
of each
having
other,
tervening, intermixed
a
with
is
sandstone
The
is
red sandstone
the
of
creek
mass exposed
being
appears again
in the
from
lowest
the hard
diagonal
friable,
and
struc
darker
of a
is geologically the
New York which contains brine
red
rock of
Martville
kinds,
the
which shows
and one-half
four from Mart
two
of
more coarse and
The
color.
it is
where
variegated,
the
and
the quarry between
Hannibalville,
and
two
It
formerly
the place
about
Sterling Center,
also at
;
in its
twenty-five feet thick.
road near
sandstone
purity and quantity to be
into salt. From this fact and its
of sufficient
springs
manufactured
it
red color
was
for
red shale of the
long
time confounded
Onondaga
with
a
The
Little Sodus Bay.
near
salt
springs was said
to have had
common
probably to
earthy base.
Conglomerate
at
a sharper
salt, owing
muriate with an
the farm
from
a
all
these
soluble
Bentley's quarry and
by Robert Hume, both
In the former locality it
previously referred to.
is a light greenish-gray, fine-grained sandstone,
in
mottled with green
places
places with
It
shale.
purple
reddish
the thickness
excavated
The latter locality was
*
The Medina
houses
fond
and
of
farm buildings.
licking it
them to
foam
Franklin B.
York,
sandstone
1872.
at
whenever
the
Hough,
spots
much
for
It has been
observed
they have
access
and renders
mouth,
A. M., M.
D.,
Gazetteer of
a
group,
five feet.
hogs
that
it,
that
to
the
are
it
of
very
State of New
ex
mill
village are seen
shale, the
is
fossilifer-
Here
abundant.
the higher
specimen
delthyris,
the
part of
of
the Caly-
At the mill, in the bed of the
creek, rising for about eight feet in the bank, is a
It contains some fossils
yellow-green
shale.
mene
Clintonii.
is the Broad agnotis,
which
among
unnamed
yet
limestone
above
;
of
in the
south of
ore
from
the
of
made
mass.
ore
powder
Petten,
Its
of
sizes,
and
Ster
little
latter
place considerable
west of
lenticular
or
flattened
apparently have
which
more
fragments
is
color
grains of
of
of
iron
supposed
of
pyrites.
a slow and
to be the
duced this decomposed form
All the
pyrites.
freely in acids, which
carbonate
iron
water, acting in
organic
of other
brownish-red, its
It is very friable, soils
red.
little lustre, and is often stud
usual
decomposition
ner, is
little
and a
is probably due to the admixture
lime. By some its formation is
of
a
cohere
It
to that
de
also called argillaceous
samples examined effervesce
others
a
by the pressure applied to
frequently contains joints or disks
to
being
showing that
have been taken.
consists
the encrinite,
remains.
it,
Peter Van
which
of various
grains
of
Hume's quarry,
quantities of
of
vicinity.
land
the
ling Station,
This
of
light-colored hard lime
Lenticular clay iron ore,
on
the bottom
at
alluvion,
adhering to
stone with ore
posit exists
of
fragments
which were
exists
layers
entirely of Shining Orihis,
This mass is covered with
nitens.)
fifteen feet
about
thin
are
which
Avicula
and an
composed
(Orthis
causes
fatten them.
creek,
the Niagara
of
complete
with minute
Martville,
the
whole
being
green shale of
nearly
ten
on
The
retepora
a specimen
about
calcareous
and
some
being
At the
solid.
ded
or
it difficult
of shale
somewhat
and, in the
and other
Martville to the
of
below.
ferruginous
a
under-pinnings
to
the village
a mile
found
again
appears
fingers, has but
in
for Wolcott furnace.
used
mass exposed
the
mill at
being four
opened
is
of
the
ous, the Clinton
was
fucoids
numerous
a
shale,
Clinton lingula, besides
few
and
shale,
for the
was quarried
latter
which corres
grayish-green sandstone and
It
half
about
been
appears at
formerly owned
the sandstone,
of
the
tending from
taste than
more
their
feet thick.
At Ster
salt group.
brine spring rises by the side of
the creek, through a fissure in the sandstone ;
another exists a mile further south, and a third
ling
Center
a
series of
upon
plants, rests
marine
its
by
Oneida conglomerate, showing
the
alternations
south, the
creek a mile
Robert Hume,
by
owned
in
stone.*
and
ponds with
top
forms, with
other fossils,
gray
The two
Sterling Center,
at
the
pears on
so well characterized
At Bentley's quarry it ap
conglomerate.
few
in the bot
well exposed
the
the former containing
and
red
The Clinton group,
iron ore beds and its
red
that
green shale of
by drift, &c.
quarried for
building
sides, extending along the
the
sandstone
concealed
former have been
ture,
are within a
gray
the
the
where
The junction between the
group.
and
An inter
part.
from Martville to
ville
of
series
showing the super-position of
is at Bentley's quarry, on the road
these rocks
miles
town,
locality
esting
tom
the
conglomerate and
the Clinton group, in the
feet
sand
the northern half of the
which covers
stone,
and
rocks
253
of carbonate
ascribed
to the
iron ; and by
The infiltration
imperceptible
cause which
of
of
the
ore.
has
man
pro
It yields
TOWN OF STERLING.
254
iron
an
is
which
highly
for
valued
poses, especially for castings ; and when
with other ores, it greatly improves their
Co.; Bonesteel,
pur
various
mixed
quality.*
The
some places
We
gravelly loam, and in
is stony and difficult to cultivate.
a good deal of sorrel growing in va
is
soil
noticed
a
and
sandy
The town has
an area of 26,748
improved ; 5,017,
are
18,343
of which
acres];
woodland
;
and
3,388,
2,668
and
;
3,042
was
605,
owners of
Ontario Shore R. R.
part
from
to
east
it in
crosses
;
ter
northern
The Lake
Sodus Bay.
Little
white
the town
crosses
to north, its
south
whom
land, f
The Southern Central R. R.
diagonally from
at
minus being
of
;
; 374, foreign ; 3,038,
native
were
colored
4,
in 1875
population
the
northern
west.
Sterling Center, (Sterling
is
and
Junction,
the
237,
of
M. E.
and
three stores,
furnace,
a
nery,
one
Wm. Byer,
chandise,
Presb.,)
hotel,
(Baptist,
one
a
union
grist-mill,
school,
tan
one
blacksmith shops,
three
shop, tin shop
ness
a popula
three churches,
and contains
Reformed
of
It has
L. O. S. R. R.
the
Sterling
Sterling Valley
of
east
mile
situated
central part of
north-east
miles
one
and
station on
tion
two
o.,) is
p.
Little Sodus Creek, in the
town,
har
a
keeps
a general stock of mer
business in
commenced
Sterling
Cen
ter, about thirteen years since, in company with
James D. Church and Nicholas Byer, under the
firm
Byer,
name of
thereafter
years
has
partners, and
The
alone.
1848,
by
idle
opened
date,
that
store at
stood
John P.
it.
conducted
since
he
his
the business
occupies was erected
Hunter,
and
of
who
opened a general
failed ten
sold out
in
years after.
It
Plumb & Duel
when
in the spring
of
1865
Wm. Byer.
to
James Green
uel
Crawford
put
in
when
occupies
about
the store
fifty
a stock of goods and
he
rented
the
store
years
built
ago.
kept it till
to
by
Sam
Crawford
about
1832,
William Graham &
History of New York. Lardner Vanuxem, Geology; Jas.
Beck, Mineralogy ; James Hall, Paleontology; E. Emmons, Ag
* Natural
C.
he bought the interest
till about 1863,
They
About three
Church & Co.
building
j-
Census
store
for
whom
Wm.
of
1875.
About
a portion
Hunter had
Bruce
a
year
it
of
as
acted
partner
after, John
Mr.
it to Wm. Kevill
Hunter built the
time
Byer,
in Penn
About 1840,
with
Hunter.
him.
Mr. Green
by
pied
used
spring
of
it for
a
1852, it
two
years
who removed
by J. B.
previously
and
stock
Wm.
and
In the
by Wm. Longley
Longley, being the postmas
post-office
About
there.
his brother Freeman,
to
now occupied
854 James Green,Wm.
and James D. Church, (Green
having
bought the building,) put in a general
continued
1
two
about
who still carries on
being
the citizens
when
years,
and
Chappell.
sold
Geo. F.
built the
It
then but
$400,
one store
a
the
in the
stock
company,
shares
being $25
by J. B.
store now occupied
finished in the spring of 1840,
to Chas. Comstock, brother of Judge
was
Comstock,
general stock
Luther
business.
the
formed
with a capital of about
gether
eighteen
sold
village,
and
he
the goods to the store
In 1839, there
each,
some
his interest to the remaining part
About a year later McKnight sold to
Church
Green,
used
and shoe store.
Chappell. About
McKnight
by Wm.
was occupied
time, kept the
after he sold
that
Peck,
store now occu
after which
boot
as a general store.
at
was
dwelling,
a
Kevill
ter
store now occupied
The
went
At this
about 1848.
into it.
moved
and
kept
Jenkins,
clerk
partner
a
as
About 1837 Crawford died, and the store
into the hands of his father-in-law, Liva
who sold
was
1835,
stock and
when a
associated with
became
in
the
of
two years,
some
in the fall
took
and who
Franklin Southwick.
the
partner,
years
Gilchrist, who had former
to John
been his clerk,
and
of
about
of
Syracuse,
Longley,
five years,
who
when
store where
or
who
In 1847,
goods.
Wm.
Wm. opening a
is. About 1853
ne
put
sld
occupied
in
a
it to
it to
they dissolved,
James Green
now
'4, Freeman Longley, from
Adams, Mass., a brother of Wm. Longley, bought
out Luther Longley, his cousin.
Wm. Longley
made an
assignment, his
into the hands
moved
pied
them to
by J.
in-law
riculture.
who,
stock
ners.
and shoe shop.
who
ly
by Crawford,
months as
Sterling Center.
on
his
sold
After two
Yan, became
otherwise unimproved.
The
kept
again
the goods.
Hunter bought
localities in the town.
rious
furnishing
Oswego, Graham's
of
of
his brother
of
his
own
B. Chappell.
Freeman
stock
eventually coming
Freeman,
store, the
who
re
one now occu
Wm. Wood,
a brother-
Longley, subsequently became
his partner, the two continuing the business two.
RESIDENCE OF HUGH DUGAN
STERLING GAYUGA GO. N.Y
'/
RESIDENCE OF JAMES C. HUNTER STERLING VALLEY CAYUGA CO. N.Y.
STERLING CENTER
three years,
or
tion and the
to
returned
Albany,
first
hotel
Beattie, having been
It
was
Wood
Free
and
Crawford,
about
and was
by
1838,
Samuel
previously as a dwell
Beatthe first hotel in the village.
kept it three
used
four years, and was suc
ceeded by several individuals who kept it
only
for a short period. In 1876, Jno. C. Shaw,
tie
or
the present
of
uncle
bought the
proprietor,
property and put it in good condition.
The grist-mill, owned by Edwin Clark,
James Mizen,
by
run
Ireland,
named
saw-mill
and
three
put
hands
the
Clark is
three
who
a
the
were
came
into
Nathaniel C.
Sanford,
a
grist-mill
several
by
years,
village,
one-half
late
feet,
It
proprietor.
saw-mill and
Asa
from
Cary
in
town
The
about
for
a
a
fall
not
of
and
in
of
operated
1859,
by
Wemple, on the site of
by Vilas, White & Co., and
of
owned
Nathaniel C.
by
for their business, erected
About 1 861, Kirk sold his interest
who,
Cary.
It has
& Cary.
about
1864,
since
been
Plows
steam.
sold
to
an
to
The
works
and
addition.
Sylvanus
Nathaniel C.
conducted
and cultivators are
articles manufactured.
by
hotel
ing
a
in
now
by Sturgis
some
distance
new enterprises
and
The gently slop
is
which
the head
at
a
sheet of
pretty
Abijah
by
since
many
and
fifty
about
kept in it for
years
a good
Sayles,
Hunt
kept it
who
five years, when Benj. S. Patty followed
kept it a like period, being succeeded by
Thos. Harsha kept it
or six
years,
winter
by
the
of
it
until
Giles C. Barrus.
Hannibal, kept
ceeded
who
Emer S.
by
James M. Crozier.
the
build
a
first hotel in Fair Haven.
the
years
in
condition and used as a
erected
Hunt,
Bay,
the
of
dilapidated
a
dwelling-house,
came
Barrus,
present
1877-78,
after
into the
from
who was
house till his death in
he
when
his son, Giles F.
Barrus,
was
suc
the present
proprietor.
fine large
a
Point,"
"
hotel,
situated
in the spring
at
the
by
R. J. Meyers, the present proprietor.
Mrs. Jane Hitchcock opened a hotel just
of
the
was opened
Hunt
old
many years,
The first
Garrison
now
till
hotel,
Taylor,
on
Seth Turner
Lake
street.
went
used as a
hotel,
some
three
David
west.
succeeded
years ago
him, but
at
good
building
He
to Taylor.
next
east
was started
1825, in the
was
a
1873,
the war.
about
subsequently
Bay. He kept it
he
during
of
kept
she
Fair Haven
at
twenty
about
which
her death
store
occupies,
a store
1852.
small
Ferris,
kept
ten and
Cary
built
about
was
C.
Alex.
1846, by Wm.
Sturgis,
Kirk and A. C. Sturgis, who, in 1848, finding it
too
presents
The Meyers House,
constant
to
and
the
extends
many fine sites for residences.
The Barrus House was built in 1875, by Giles
C. Barrus, who had previously, for about six years,
water,
of
it into
Bay,
the
of
hands
here. Edwin
Bay
undertaken.
rapidly
ing shores
cabinet ware.
but the supply is
foundry
being
acres
Vermont,
Reformed,)
and
village
It is prosperous,
for five
years.
burned
it.
wards
225
converted
foundry, has
built in 1832,
above
are
The
the
of
contains
and whose
1831,
now resides
out stuff
Edwin
others.
The tannery which is owned
by Wemple Halliday, was built
one
length
and
by
John Halliday, father
whole
him
and
Bay,
S. C. R. R.
the
of
(M. E.
churches,
about 700.
of
or
Cary,
it, and has
the
lation
four
passed
Little Sodus
on
district school, two hotels, eight stores, two
saw-mills, a planing-mill, brick-yard and a popu
into
it
after
town,
north
a
Soon
The creek, which furnishes the motive power
for all the manufacturing establishments in the
except
contains two
in the
situated
terminus
northern
succeeded
now owns
shop for cutting
is the
the
of
was
The
uthe
practical
It
corner
and
present
bought
it
west
Haven (p. o.) is
thorough over-hauling
Liva Peck,
of
a man
bought
were
who operated
runs of stones.
land
land
and
He built
The
time.
acres of
Crawford,
813, by
1
several years.
same
in 1835 gave it
in new gearing.
and
son
the
about
some
Samuel
of
it
built in
sons, though not
whose
managed
millers,
was
Fair
and
Allen proprietor,
Samuel
by
occupied as a
ing.
he came,
to Wisconsin.
255
Fair Haven.
goods at auc
whence
House, Ethan
built in 1833,
the
sold
to J. B. Chappell.
removed
The Cayuga
was
they
building
Longley
man
when
FAIR HAVEN.
in the
the
by
he
opened
building
head
of
the
four years, when
Cole and a Mr. Oakes
or
neither of
them continued
long.
Isaac Turner
and
a store near where
the principal
Hitchcock
are operated
Turner
now
went out
but only for
Rufus S. Welch then
the
brick block
stands.
and
a short
After
Welch
time.
opened
of
Mendell &
a
short
continued
time
it alone,
TOWN OF STERLING.
256
Oscar F. Miller
the
opened
store
the next
was
he
the
village
They
1873.
about
in the
store
a
opened
in the spring of 1877, Robinson opening
the grocery store in the east end of the Mendell
& Hitchcock block,
and winter of
made
clothing
in the
west
still
Mendell
and
1876,
boots
and
the
end of
a stock of
ready
shoes, in the
and
Both
block.
same
store
are
in the business.
J. B. Chappell & Son
the
opened
central store
in the Mendell & Hitchcock block in
the
spring
carry on business there.
Isaac P. Welch opened the grocery store he
now occupies in the spring of 1878.
of
and still
1877,
Geo. B. Knapp, under the
E. E. Austin & Co., opened their
E. E. Austin
firm
name of
store of
the
groceries and
general
in the spring
Point,
The
and
supplies, at
ship
of 1878.
by
Knapp & Hemingway, was built by Post, Knapp
It is 70 by 50 feet, two
& Hemingway, in 1872.
steam
stories
high,
feet
lumber
of
Connected
with
Bay,
The
pla'ning
20,000
motive power
fifty-five-horse-power
a
is
engine.
property is a dock, on
feet in length.
The annual sales
the
mill
feet
2,000,000
about
are
capable of
day.
per
by
528
is
and
furnished
the
owned and operated
planing-mill,
of
In
lumber.
the
large capacity at
C. W. Austin
building
a
Seth
Turner,
it
sold
after
through
it
some
three
several
Bottsford,
four
or
hands,
whose
four
twenty-five
some
husband
about
four
Jacob
Hemingway
the village,
spring
or
located
mills are
the
of
now owned
passed
by
Mrs.
acquired possession of
and
on
the
line
They
and make
by
at
the head
of
the Bay.
Wm. Van Hoesen
of
brick
a
little
com
south of
railroad, in the
the
give employment
15,000 per
to eight
day.
and continued
more
was
done till
David Lester,
four
or
about
now of
tons
enty-five
capacity
fish
of
several
when
1877,
the
Point,
bushels,
and a
elevator at
30,000
of
jointly
are
this
were entered at
parties were
port
in
in the
engaged
business.
Several
coal companies
this place,
in
April,
headquarters
with
,
organized
Buffalo;
at
at
the
with
Coal Co. ;
headquarters at
Elmira; Wheeler &
with
headquarters
Oswego ; for
Lehigh
Co.,
Co.,
business
doing
are
Moser, Hoole & Co.
viz :
1878,
the Butler
Valley
at
Colliery
all
of
C. W. Austin is shipping agent ; and E.
M. Ford, with headquarters in Oswego, for whom
which
C. L. Bloodgood is shipping agent. The railroad
company have a coal trestle at the Point, with a
stock
ity
capacity
of 1,300
the
tons,
They also
is
which
and a pocket capac
own
the steam
tug
the president
named after
of
road.
The
of
lector
at
of 45,000
tons.
E. P. Ross,
June
the
of
this
1877,
following
office
8th,
forwarded
this
at
Mr. George P.
Customs
were
showing the
statistics
business done
by
of
$24,000;
the
kindly
Knapp, Deputy Col
The
:
receipts
December 4th,
from March 20th to
30th to
and
1878, $729.
during
port were
Fair Haven
from June
magni
There
year
were received and
140,000
1877,
bushels
barley, 1,500,000 feet of lumber, 75 tons of
fish, 2,000,000 lath, 1,000 cords cedar posts,
five
years.
four
years
Oswego,
3,000 tons of
iron ore,
From April
nth
Nothing
ago,
when
manufactured
for
to
and
65,000 tons
of coal.
December 4th, 1877,
number of vessels
coming into the
with an aggregate
tonnage
of
port was
68,5 16
the
360,
tons.
Little Sodus Harbor is naturally a good one,
and has been improved
by the general govern
ment and
Floyd Kelsey, of Auburn, was the first to make
He commenced about
brick in this locality.
1856,
transfer
C. R. R.
of
saw-mill now owned
manufacture of
1877.
ten men,
It has
who
years ago.
Both
menced
is
since,
by
years since.
R. S. Welch built the
him
years
years.
and
built
winter of
capacity of 3,000 bushels per hour.
Peo & Rice are engaged in shipping foreign
fish, and are doing an extensive business. Sev
furnished
was
of
1877-
transfer
members.
in Fair Haven
the S.
and
steam
with a storage
tude
saw-mill
Point in the
the
ice-house
an
'78.
spring of 1875, the senior partner, Mr. Post, with
drew, his interest being bought by the remaining
The first
the present pro
Messrs. Reed & Conger built
built in the fall
which was
by
were resumed
idle
then remained
works
prietors.
sep
arated
The
about one year.
till operations
now occupies.
Robinson & Mendell
east part of
He
merchant.
Congress
the residents
appropriated
and examination
of
of
$400 for making
to the
In
a
1828
survey
Lake
the southern shore of
Ontario, between Genesee
with a view
the place.
improvement
cessible and commodious
Oswego rivers,
and
of
harbors
on
the most ac
the
frontier.
FAIR HAVEN.
Capt. T. W.
in
placed
Maurice, Corps
charge
the
of
Engineers,
of
com
and
survey,
was
in
His report,
October, 1828.
submitted
in January, 1829, adjudged Little
Sodus to be of secondary importance, but recom
work
menced
its improvement
mended
and submitted
plan
a
therefor.
The
two
narrow
to the
the
two
struct
purpose
channel
the
of
a
piers,
the
to
beach,
each
make
290
to
con
long,
yards
by a dike
to be done at
out
this beach
breakwater,
openings
whole work
except at
closed,
gravelly
plan proposed
and close one of
long,
bay
by a
was
openings,
The
of water.
answer
130 yards
an estimated
$32,327.59.
cost of
en
condi^
was
in
as
$10,000
of
the
ed
swept
new
a
from the
pended
in
people
locally
1858
the
"
It
ment
in
build,
improving
this was
the
under
in charge,
300
Bay
proposed
hand $6,000 in money
to
the
water,
piers
and
to
adjacent shores
was
Ontario
Company."
government
deep
was
begun in 1854, and sus
for want of funds.
In 1858, the
interested formed a company,
Work
as
survey
decided to build
south ends with
rip-rap.
known
was
plan
necessi
Another
the bar to
crown of
the
connect
it
and
the
of
1845, thus
since
away
project.
in 1853,
which cross
formed the basis
entrance and
tating
made
made; but the beach
was
had been
by
With this exception, nothing
1852, when the first appropriation
1828.
done till
feet
carried
was
further
The
is the
the
and
harbor,
It is
had
on
with which
materials,
of pier.
and
the
engineer
presumed
out, for in 1866, 284
feet
that
of pier
done till 1866,
Congress
when
made
appropriations
1852, there
1870,
made
this harbor :
was appropriated
$
50,00000
"
"
"
5,00000
87 1, '2, '3
1875, there
'4,
was
"
in
each
$15,000
appropriated
"
"
60,00000
10,000.00
5,000.00
appropriations
44-2
close
of
the
during
collected
fourth order,
the
A
west pier.
ter the
ending June 30th,
fiscal
the
3>I54- 68
$
22,544.00
86,111.00
226
18,258
213
The first
many
years.
he is
till
about
He
now
He
1859,
Dewitt
he
ago.
The
about
1850
removed
to
fifteen
years
Auburn,
where
he is
years
elapsed,
here.
physician
in 1873
several
some
Some ten
during
Dr. R. S.
and remained about a year.
by
was succeeded
remained
and
subsequently to
came
came
when
to Fulton
moved
there was no
Fields
at
subsequently to Oswego,
Truman F. Brink
practicing.
now practicing.
which
the
and
succeeded
and
years
some
Sterling Center,
ago,
of
locate permanently
to
twenty
Byron Dewitt, who
and practiced
where
can en
docks
coal
the
of
feet
of
Dr. Crounce, who practiced a
He removed to Guilderland,
was
cdunty,
was
next
light
head
twelve
up to the
and go
white
the
near
drawing
physician
Fair Haven
Albany
fixed
a
R.*
S. C. R.
good
by
placed
vessel
harbor
Dr. Oliver Bloomfield, the
physician, who came about 1875.
present
Dr. Marsh
came
to the
village
in the spring
of
1878.
born in the town
some
bar
forty
the
of
some
and
'77.
a
years
in
native
and moved
He
ago,
was
into this
was admitted
and
is
to
still prac
his
was
Reports of
the
Fleming, in
of
into the
years
sixteen
He
Victory,
who
village.
who came
distinction
A. R. Willey,
years ago.
Geo. I. Post,
County,
was
twenty
about
to date are, $173,840.41
year
ap
was
13,417
The harbor is lighted
* Annual
At the
purpose
Their tonnage, tons
Point.
The total
of
of vessels entered
ticing in
"
that
year ending June 30th, 1877
Value of imports
Value of exports
Number of vessels cleared
Their tonnage, tons
33.84041
"
and
Revenue
the
"
balance
pier
$5,856.57.
10,000.00
"
for
the east
end of
unexpended
available
propriations
feet ; of
east break
remaining to be
of improvement
work
inner
west pier
500
the
and of
scheme
the
The
the shore.
town
"
1
1876,
have been
"
1866,
1867,
of
original
The first lawyer
appropriation.
following
feet;
connection of
years.
the general
aid
breakwater
The only
the
the
constructed of
west
512
feet.
under
to
supervision of
for the improvement
In
In
In
In
In
In
In
done
the
of
pier
780
water
erhoff
in existence, although a portion of the
outer end had
evidently been destroyed. Nothing
a
the east
Harbor Improve
was still
further
feet ;
1,070
Number
A resurvey was made in 1845, when the
trance was found to be in about the same
tion
1877, there had been
with
entrance
257
since
town
and
profession,
elected
Chief
of
is
District
this
from Auburn
has
acquired
living
at
Attorney
Engineers, U. S A., for
the
in
1876
TOWN OF STERLING.
258
November,
in 1863, 1876
Thomas C.
Sterling,
of
Member
ar>d was
1859,
Bridges, ex-Supervisor of the Town
born in the
was
the
eastern part of
in the spring of 1878 moved into the
village, where he is reading law with Mr. Post.
town,
and
(p. o.,)
PelJiam, is situated on
Sodus Creek, one and
Sterling Valley
(United
shops,
two
wagon
shop,
John
built
him
as
a
by
1867,
the
been
was
carried
James C. Hunter
is in the store,
on
again
the grist-mill,
four
about
years
of
A.. Allen & Co.
by
William
It
built here
mill on
three
is furnished
fall here
by
the
having
Lay
he
owned
in
being
was
from the creek,
fourteen feet.
which
has
in
in the
east part of
on
the
(M. E.
the town
S. C. R. R.
and
on
It
contains
south
Stiles
combined,
a
grist
tannery, (which is
in operation,) three blacksmith shops,
wagon
shop;
a shoe
shop,
and
one
124 inhabitants.
discontinued
when
Hough,
who
It
on
1
about
few
about
his
Hiram
A
years
distillery
Curtis'
gar
by
his
brother,
and
son
two years,
'62,
or
after,
after
Nathaniel
by
C.
86 1
the time
burned
years.
1828, kept
in the business
it
five
was
opened a general store
a
first tav
the
distillery at
started a
stood where
died
here,
one
in 1872,
by Miles
was
Charles,
till
suc
who
his death.
him, but
succeeded
re
only a few weeks, when the property came
into the hands of
widow, now Mrs. Norton
mained
Miles'
who
nephew of
conducted
in the
few
to
to
a
Mr.
the
pulled
The
by
when
who,
who
is
a
about
1855,
he
about
carried on
sold
1855,
his
business
stock
moved
to Ste
the
goods
Valley.
tannery
was
same
year,
Abram Van Auken, some
Van Auken rented the
Comstock, who
two years,
Tilford,
business
commenced
previous.
Sterling
store about a
Miles.
store erected
years
the
to the present occupant,
Miles Allen
Curtis,
a
the
George A. Desbrough
where
operation about
Allen,
two churches,
saw-mill,
years,
owned
opened
the mill property.
who
The
society having a
hotel, (kept by Nor
later he
building erected
and
one
building,) a district school, a
ton S. Snyder,) one store, a
not
the
Little Sodus Creek,
Adventist, only
mill and saw-mill
in
years
Hough
and
carried
phen
situated
a stock
six
ashery, the first
operation about
Allen,
store
Martville.
then
who
property, but
Floyd F. Allen
It
motive power
William
in
about
mill
lives.
when she sold
The
put
store was
now
original
been burned.
and
The
in the house
the
is the third
when
by Benjamin Conger & Son,
building and stock, and spld to
ern
Snyder,
water
(p. o.) is
two
present
and
A Mr.
year.
two,
continued
also opened an
and about
about
Martville
the
sold
it to the
site of
Cooper,
run of stones.
by
of
who sold
John
built in 1869,
mill was
stands on
that site, two
contains
a
The
Stevenson,
proprietors.
mill
milling business
since, under the firm name
a
bought that property, opened a store, which he
continued till he disposed of the mill property,
when it was closed out.
since
the
commenced
they
den is.
proprietors of
building
Hawley
mill property.
ceeded
Andrew Daggert,
and
or
Snyder, Conger & Reed,
acquired a
James C. Hunter has
and
about
a year
the
rented
bought the
who
Watts,
post-
remained
kept it
next
alone till
postmaster since 1861.
A. Allen
here
sold
and
half interest, and the firm became and has
remained James C. Hunter & Co.
The
office
firm
the
John Cochran
Hunters,
business
the
when
under
building
occupied
previously
by
1862
who
Mc-
Daniel
by
and was succeeded
James C.
in 1863, James
his interest to his brother John,
sold
whom
1859,
Co., in
and
In
tavern.
his interest to the
Hunter
blacksmith
and
in
one
shop, tailor shop,
shoe
John Hunter &
church
school,
John Cochran
store
of
north
contains one
107.
a
as
Little
of
miles
and a population of
John Cooper
by
branch
district
a
a
saw-mills,
opened
of
known
grist-mill, two
and
Hunter,
Hunter
name
It
station.
flouring
north
Gilvrey,
of goods.
locally
one-third
Presbyterian),
a
store,
the
about
three years, and was succeeded
Lyon
by
opened
was
Lay,
1825, in the hotel now
Norton Snyder.
He remained about
by
Hawley
Sterling Valley.
Sterling Valley,
kept
in Martville
store
Robert L.
1877.
and
The first
Assembly
of
at
built
locality,
down
by
Martville,
about
1849,
of small
reason of
owned
by
Hiram C.
a previous one
capacity,
having
in
been
decay.
grist-mill and saw-mill
stands on
the
site
built in 1823, by Chauncey Hickock and
Timothy Austin, from Marcellus, who were the
first to settle on the site of Martville, in that
of one
EARLY SETTLEMENTS.
In
year.
it
1840
C. Hough
liam
burned,
was
is built
The
grist-mill
four
and one-half stories
the
at
now owns and
years.
The creek,
A
man
mill
named
cloth-dressing
Colton,
mill
About
the
Hart
Lot
Pease followed for five
to Alvah
sold
Lund,
The first
took the
the
Amasa P.
to
Ira A.
and
they
when
years,
building
down
was
Dr. Uriah
The
to the village about 1826.
physicians
are
W. M. Wells
Wm.
and
Kyle.
Junction,
miles south
S. C. R. R.
five
1874,
Kevill,
years
and
by
produce
dealers.
by
as station
a
storehouse,
Albring and
Both Albring
the two
railroad
While he
the town,
the
on
American
and
or
and
Kevill
companies, the
the
her
old
south-east
State road, is
a
now
son
part
in the
named
of
of
of
the
Crockett's
part
hamlet
L. O. S. R. R., in
the town
many
Isaac M.
town.
the
con
this
still
of
long
on
the
north-east part
a
north
large
town.
Thf First Settlement in
Sterling was made
who
at the Valley, by Peter Dumas, a Frenchman,
with
LaFayette
and served
white child
born
about
one and
Martville.
He is
murder
in
Martville
near
settled
bachelor, and his sister Nancy,
him, kept house for him. Both
since passed away.
settled on
Augustus
by
born
was a
who came with
have
was
who
living
of
live in
and acquitted.
DeCamp
He
first
south
following
still
Hoppins recently tried for
border
family,
of the
none
Joseph
Green,
Devine,
farm
the
the
near
town, in
of whom
center
of
of
He had
1807.
are
brother
now occu
living
in the
William,
set
He, too, had
large family, but they, like William's, mostly
tled adjoining him the
County
the
or
descendants
the
was
the town.
in the
settled
in this
north-west
County
1806.
the
.
to this
His
of
Hoppins,
He is
town.
Francis
a
came
Hoppins
of their
March 16th, 1807,
of
Station,
Station, is
ago.
north-east part of
town
the
and
pied
as
His
many years ;
Mrs. John Ireland, who is living
William Devine
Sterling Valley
here
after a residence
family
in the
an
18 12.
years
many
board
on
Andrew, who died in the town
years ago ; William, who removed to
ten
year,
three houses.
line
town
north-east
were
Mary,
A
the
killed
was
the
settled
Lake Ontario in
vessel on
the father
a
Also known
He
died in the
with
lake, in
the
near
the town.
of
part
west
Floyd H.
father's
in the town.
reside
still
Rassmusen
Andrew
year
same
family
the
erected
Sterling,
the
to his
gone
Sunday
scendants of
him
district school, a small store, kept by
Wm. Pasells, a hotel, blacksmith shop, and two
taining
had
wife
circumstances.
evening to milk for his mother, who
was sick, their house caught fire, and it, together
De
with their four
children, were consumed.
one
in
Sterling, in
Peter, John, Na
sons
resided
his
and
one-half miles
North
His
agent.
North
Dumas died in
Peter,
had, under peculiarly distressing
store,
by
family were absent in search
death, which occurred July 21st,
Jasper,
Michigan
contains a
starvation,
the
the first in the town.
north-west
and established
and
since,
Allison J.
are employed
latter
L. O. S. R.R.,
and
by Frank German,
owned
the
of
in the town many years.
the eldest, lost four children, all he then
than
children
town, about one and three-fourths
of Fair Haven, at the junction of the
the
part of
This
was
1806,
some
o.) in
Sterling Junction, (p.
in
food.
wife
Sterling
some
of
pinching want, that
convalescing from a fever
rigor of
his appetite, died
recovered
Captain
in Martville
physician
who came
present
who
six
on
had
while members of
the machinery.
and sold
Beder,
saw
new mill
and
and so se
circumstances,
Ezra, who was
their son,
the town in 1825.
feet.
carding and
Josiah Bidwell
Lannson
or
five
Barnes'
a
south-west
verely did they feel the
a
creek and sold
1840.
about
of eleven
its
on
set
Dumas'
two
motive
site of
1835, he built
opposite side of
the
tled
He drew lot 13, and
corner in 1805. The
family were in destitute
term of
a
through the Revolution.
feet,
Des-
George A.
1828.
the
started similar works on
mill.
to
started
about
40
Charles N. Ross
fall
this point, a
at
by
a wooden addi
furnishes
which
structure.
contains
occupant, for
present
has,
is
time.
leases the
the
and
saw-mill
same
brough,
power,
high,
Wil
1841
present
stone, is 30
of
The
runs of stones.
tion, built
the
erected
in
and
259
removed
to the
west
Wilmot
settled
on
same
time.
Nathan
early day.
the farm now occupied by
at
Joshua Cosbut, in the
an
north
central
part,
and
TOWN OF STERLING.
26o
Jehial Parks in the
his
mot and
day.
Nathan, his
his father's death.
about
years.
He
ily,
Parks bought
1820,
Of McFarland's
soon after
fifty
Charles Williams ; and Jane,
John Daniels : all are dead.
lived there for many
went west, with his fam
numerous,
and
the north-west corner
settled
town, in
the
of
John
there died.
Jacob Wilsey, from Saratoga county,
1808.
Valley,
which
Cooper
for many
was
at
the
known
as
settled
years
Cooper's Mills, from the saw and grist-mills built
there by him.
It is not certain in what year
these
mills
were
but there is
doubt that these
James Hunter & Co.
the
near
year, he
the
site of
opened a
This
town.
which
room,
his first
as
tavern,
old
the
answered
their
homes
own
George
former
its
enjoyed
the
on
now
Coopers
now occupied
have
the town.
numerous
Dusenberry
Galey's corners,
Thomas
where
long
lot
27.
typhoid
Robert,
1
to
since
8 12,
the
resident
ing
to
18
west of
Frank Duel.
descendants
settled
now
and
the
east
He
The McFarlands
in the
militia
drowned in Nine Mile
Oswego,
The
while
water
current strong.
part,
removed
settled on
of
this
rescue
town,
him.
where
he died in the
living
about
half
in the
Creek,
war of
a
little
was
James
Vaughn,
also a
drowned
while
removed
to
winter of
1876.
a mile south of
try
Illinois,
Thomas is
Sterling
Center.
his
removed
to
The
marriage
of
first
the
was
John Turner, from Long
Island, settled in 181 1, the former a little west of
Peter Dumas, and the latter at Fair Haven.
Turner traded his
in
of 140 acres
Isaac,
son,
and
in 1804,
Sterling,
in making the
family
in
came on
and
February,
ley,
the
where
stopped
had
terminated,
road
days
seveial
with
from the bleak
winds
floor
which
and
split
by
premises
named
and
Myers
and
All
the vicinity.
fish
on
The
At this time
were
by
woods
along lines
waters of
tempt to
neys
a
foot.
of
subsisted
of
there
which
and
the
were no
through the
Ofttimes
provisions, the
the
rough
lake making it too perilous to
reach Oswego in their white-wood
at
ca
the
him to
compelled
pull
his
canoe
to the shore and make
When he
set out
reached
day his
his way home on
home he was taken sick,
father
and younger
brother
to recover the cargo.
When they
reached
next
locality
several
the
and
paths
lake in
the
the
which
and grist
the
of
named
While returning from one of these jour
to Oswego, Isaac Turner was overtaken
by
storm,
and
as
blazed trees.
out
the
Oswego,
water,
highways, nothing but
get
they
family
Bay ;
a
of
game, both
public
settlers would
Val
shelter
two others
squatters,
wild
most convenient route
noes.
head
nearest grist-mill was at
of
and where
the shore
on
and
Sterling
a
shanty with bark roof
had been erected on the
family and
Wiltsey,
ice from
family found,
resided at the
Simmons'
ac
a
squatters.
Ramsdell
Peter
in
to
age
an acquaintance who
The
them.
preceded
farm
settlement.
the
on
a
induced his
becoming of
then
who was
the
in L. I. for
possessions
point one and one-half miles west of
in
returning home with his
in the Creek was high
Thomas
Joseph Bunnell
The
Stoddard,
place
which
in the town.
mostly
as
Mart
settled at
marriage celebrated
were abundant.
is known
from
came
.
him,
living
in the
lives.
and
on
12,
died in the town.
Manning
Ohio.
who served
company.
and
and
by
while
John died in the town, about 1813, of
fever.
William is living in Illinois.
was
west of
early
settled, the
settled at what
Englishman,
who was an
the
of
Mr. Fry,
by
owned
one
kitchen,
of
John,
of
latter, from Saratoga county, in
opposite side of the road, a little
the farm
but
William
the
on
first in
sitting-room,
built.
being
same
also
Charity Turner,
They
stands
he died.
where
later Mrs.
Mrs.
Matthew
and
;
and
Matthew Harsha to
It
rude accommodations
were
farm
family
Michigan,
company
the
purpose
removed
occupied
which, the
; but many
brothers
Cooper,
were
contained
and
sleeping-room and parlor
Both
now
which was
cabin
first
store.
log hut, in
bar-room, dining-room
settlers
a
the
were
Cooper built the house
burned.
differ,
authorities
kind built in the town.
their
mills of
by
no
as
erected,
Matthew Harsha
and
children
Cooper, John Dusenberry, Curtis Stod
dard and John McFarland and his sons, William,
Robert, James and Thomas, came in from Wash
1810.
him,
with
afterwards
Washington county in 1810, and
John died in Oswego, to
ville.
in
John
ington county, in
who came
Mrs. Charles Crawford
afterwards
on
acres
daughters,
Margaret, afterwards Mrs. Alexander Beattie ;
Nellie, afterwards Mrs. Samuel Stevenson; Isabel,
early
and
afterwards
which was quite
an
at
removed west
son,
Wil-
1807.
died in the town
wife
lot 26,
locality, in
same
lake,
where
deer,
it
which,
was
stored
taking
were pursued and
they
observed
alarm, plunged into
four
captured.
They
.^3^.
James ji. fi\w IN.
M.e\s. James M. Jf\win.
JAMES H. IRWIN.
Among
the large land
agriculturists of
owners and
the town
Sterling, Mr. Irwin
of
His
occupies a conspicuous place.
G. Irwin,
In the
1790.
Oswego,
of
year
1817, he
and settled on
Government
father, James
born in Washington
was
land,
moved
county,
to the
No. 30, in
in
county
Mary White,
Washington
Oswego county,
privations
soldier
still
in the
survives
were
born,
and
1820,
war of 18
&
12-
To
him.
was
Irwin.
and passed
his
county.
him
14,
and
him the. trials
He
died
was
upon
His
1863.
twelve
them
was
a
the
widow
children
living.
James
born March 25th,
childhood
with
In 1845, he
his
same
to
and
of
Sterling
settled
Mrs. Irwin have had
order
born
March
14th,
born October 28th, 1850;
18th, 1858;
lot No. 5,
nine
their ages
of
S., born June
1856;
on
since resided.
in the
Emerson
his marriage, Mr. Irwin
and
Mary B., (deceased,)
9th,
Washington
76 years.
year
he has
named
of
and
Armstrong died at DeKalb, Illinois^
Mrs. Armstrong is still living at the
advanced age of
Mr.
natives
Robert
of
George A.,
children,
as
follows
:
17th, 1846;
Alice A.,
1847;
Emerette, born May
(deceased,)
born June
Jane E., born March 15th, i860;
William D., born November 15th, 1862; Robert
the third child of
He
to
Armstrong,
1872.
removed
a native
also
life.
six of whom are still
Mary
in Oswego
I
shared with
pioneer
of
James H. Irwin
G.
in
Armstrong, daughter
Mr.
county.
Oswego
accompanied
county,
and
was
who
homestead, March 6th,
old
Rebecca
where
His wife,
and
Ann
The
town..
of
Mary
acres of
hundred
one
lot
on
prominent
parents
married
Miss
B., born November 8th,
November 17th,
On
L., born
1866.
another page of
view of
1864; Clara
this work
Mr. Irwin's home.
may be
seen
a
4
f
73
m
CO
o
rn
o
n
>
CO
33
-I
rn
'33
m
^B
EARLY SETTLEMENTS.
thus
were
in the
war of
Benjamin
grist a
was a soldier
He has filled nearly every
nearly every improvement
181 2.
seen
the last sixty
their
with
Isaac
cargo of venison.
town office ; and
which
home
to take
able
bountiful
have
years
produced.
Clark taught the
first
in
school
1812.
June 19th,
2, the town
The first town
Cato.
are unable
Town
of
18 1
from
off
set
lost ; hence we
the first officers.
records are
to learn the names
officers
was
elected
at
of
Spring
the
Town Clerk
Daniel C. Sanford.
George A. Cleaveland.
Orville E. Curtis.
Shelden D.
Inspectors of Elections
Borst, Frank Jones, appointed to fill
Cole,
Isaac
vacancy.
Christopher Huntley, Wm. But
Constables
ler, Ira Ward, Edward Floyd Snyder and H. J.
Coalman.
Lewis Tebedo.
Game Constable
Michigan.
Hugh McFadden
John Ingersoll, from
where
settled
among
Bothel kept
first
the
a
Scipio,
Wm. Ke
Robert M. Stewart, from
Washington Co., came in the spring of
small
in 1812,
Bothel
and a man named
at
settlers
Fair
Haven.
there a good
tavern
McFadden
town
many
tled on
in the
of
lot
fall,
fall,
on
to
the
Haven. Hehas
State
lot
27.
He
also came
subsequent
he died.
Lyons
from Oswego to Fair
numerousdescendants
Sterling
came
south-west corner
where
road
Miller
Stewart
dead.
Michigan,
McFadden
town.
west of
now
1815.
in the
and settled on
removed
settled
settled
He is
26.
in the
ly
and
in
living in the
lot 26, a little south
He brought with him
settled on
Center.
his wife, Jane, and seven children, viz : William
who died on the old homestead in 1834; Mary
S, who is living with her brother, John H., in
Center;
Daniel Hoy, with
Sterling
Margaret,
whom
she
afterward
removed
Mrs.
tp Mis
settled on
foot,
came on
May,
and
set
lot 27, near the center
the first blacksmith in the
on
acres,
He
died in the
and
Stewart
farm
a
was
ling
His shop was about a mile east of Ster
He busied himself at farming when
Center.
not
employed
in the
He
shop.
was
noted
a
hunter.
John Winchell
He
time
spent much
blacksmith
was a
early day.
an
at
that
at
the bridge crossing the
used
to fish
log
canoe.
their
for
Bluff was,
Big
destruction
secured
it
breeze
a
then
1820,
an ox
his
early day,
were
they
scene of
to
a
the
elevation
the
cattle
frequently
of
cattle
to
precipi
the embankment,
About
perpendicular.
almost
belonging
great
Its
cattle.
many
road.
wife rowed
a
the
was
from the caving
was
the State
which attracted
whence
which
the creek below
on
creek on
and
and
in his
when not engaged
at an
of a good
fishing
of
salmon while
in the summer,
run
Fair Haven
at
fond
was
Joshua Barnes located
tated below
came
He
Alexander
of
town.
Miller, Samuel Stewart and Alexander
McFadden, from Argyle, Washington county,
Benjamin Lyons
brother
town on the 7th of
the town.
the edge,
and
a
Alexander's,
of
twenty
years.
William
was
several years since.
arriving in the
lives.
now
and
John W. McFadden.
He
came
Bennett
James
Elijah Marsh
8 16.
shop.
Town Board Justices of the Peace
vill, A. S. Douglass, James C. Irwin.
were
after
of
Commissioner of Highways
Collector William Stevens.
and
Thomas McFadden, who was born
the family moved into the town, is living in
adjoining that
Lewis, to fill vacancy.
Overseers of the Poor- Harman Van Petten,
Silas
Missouri.
and
J.
she returned
Cortland county, where she now lives ; and Al
exander, who is now living in Lexington City,
1
Justice of the PeaceJames C. Irwin.
L. Nathan Calbert, Hersen
Assessors
and
here, and
subsequently became Mrs. Robert Hume, and
who died in the town
May 5th, 1869 ; Jane, who
is also living with John H. ; Sarah, the widow of
William Calvert, with whom she removed to
election
E. Randolph Robinson.
death
and on whose
souri,
Argyle,
1879 '
Supervisor
261
Mr. Eno,
who was an
upon the shore, was precipitated over
early settler
the bluff and lodged on a ledge about half way
It remained there several days before be
down.
ing
ropes,
of
falling
which
while
When
tract
bordering
and
The
in
water
the
and
daga Hollow.
a rise
served
first
the
quantities
was
by
rescued alive
to guide
it
means
and prevent
its
making the steep descent.
berry bushes,
by
It
discovered.
the
has
settlers
lake
the
was
fruit
marketed
A few
the
Oswego
later
they
somewhat,
in large
and
Onon
were
water which covered all
receded
marshy
covered with cran
was gathered
at
years
came
killed
that tract.
but the tract
TOWN OF STERLING.
262
is
to frequent inundation from the back
subject
ing
the lake water.
of
Reformed Presbyterian
The Associated
CHURCH,the first church in the town, was organized
'
society numbers seventy ; and the attendance
Sabbath-school is about seventy-five.
The M. E. Church
ganized about
ship
Samuel King, Elders, and John
George Cooper, John and Hugh McFadden
school-house.
Farland
Their
Isaac Turner.
in 1828,
years
The first
since.
fifty
having
town a short time since,
He
up the ministry.
John Edgar, who
gave
to
place
Hume,
a
membership
flourishing Sunday school,
Sterling
Center,
and
a
meeting
Rev.
Mr.
after which
about
two
a prosperous con
It has
150.
of
a
with an attendance of
about
of
1820,
King
in
house in
after
the
in
held
were
Smith,
a
school-
the
by
it
Forty-one
house in
Sterling
Center
of
place
of
Hannibal,
the
The first
who perfected
first
year of
were
pas
the
or
the exist
added
to its
by baptism,
by letter, and one
by experience. The building of their church edi
fice
ten
in the spring
was commenced
of
1842, but
owing to pecuniary embarrassments and the loss
by fire of a quantity of lumber, which was a seri
ous
hindrance, it
was not completed
till 1845, the
first meeting being held in it on the first Sabbath
in April of that year. In January, 1845, the pas
tor
was
Foot, in
assisted
a series
by
with
Revs. I.
by
of revival
addition
letter.
of
eleven
Elder Green
May 26th,
succeeded
by Rev.
mediately
In
was granted a
Lawton
meetings,
the church
by
dwelling-house.
Green,
membership
fifteen
and used as a
Bunnell,
dismissed from the
members were
society twenty-five
held in
now owned
Ster
took the name of that town.
During
ganization.
the
at
the Cen
of
their
town
to the
Rev. T. H.
meetings were
It is
thereafter
years
tor was
in the
of
north-east
in Hannibal to form this.
sulted
Their first house
Joseph
of
church
Even
for many years.
worship was built in 1828.
Big"
15, in
few
and others.
the valley
"
18
and were conducted
Milligan, Cannon
organization
The
now stands.
church
Sterling Valley,
Revs. Alex.
organi
a school-house which stood
the Methodist
meetings
The
Andrew Galey.
and
Sterling,
of
house
miles
was changed
and
Bethel,
name was organized several
years previously, at the
ter,
organized
was
the above
Rev.
Presbyterian Church
zation was effected
first
by
by
thirty members, among whom were
Alex. McCrea, Alex. McFadden, John Scott,
Robt. M. Stewart, James Erwin, Thos. Cox,
where
known
lives in
October 2d, 1841, in
in Sterling Center.
A society
previously
some
Samuel
school-house
ence of
The Reformed
with
the
building
held in the
was organized
one-half
ten years,
present pastor
The Baptist Church
ling Center,
are
no
Ira.
and
125.
about
of
one
his duties
upon
in the town
The
given
pastor,
The Church is in
has
and
died in the
and
about
present
who entered
years since.
dition
remained
the
relations
succeeded
was
Rev.
was
pastoral
years,
two
some
pastor
settled
maintained
who
Church for
the
built to it
and
built
was
edifice
church
addition
an
and
David Curry,
with
and
and
Meetings
erected.
of wor
down in
torn
was
rebuilding, but
to
view
1875 with a
has yet been
was or
built their house
and
The latter
1842.
about
Sterling Valley in 1 8 1 7 or 1 8, in the old log tav
ern kept
by John Cooper, the most prominent
Mcones then connected with it being David
at
1830,
Martville
of
at
letter
of
by
A. R.
dismission
which
baptism
closed
1850,
and
D.
re
and
his labors
and
was
im
Palmer, who
July
5th, 185 1.
Rev. Wm.
remaining half of 185 1, the church
was ministered to
by Elders M. Shaw, Plumb,
Green and I. R. Nesbit, the latter from Roch
previously supplied the pulpit
He was succeeded by Rev.
at an
early day.
Matthew Wilkin in 1856, having served a faith
University.
The pulpit was afterwards
filled for a short time by Elder Peevit, who ten
dered his resignation March 6th, 1852.
June
185 1, the
erected,
sons.
present
at a cost of
The first
L. Roberts,
ful
where
twelve years,
R. Gilbreath,
half, when he
ria,
where
T. Allen,
settled
It
will seat 250 per
pastor was
who
pastorate
Ohio,
$1,600.
was
of
thirty
he died.
He
years.
Wilkin
and was succeeded
remained
who
was
removed
remained
by Rev.
only
to
about
Samuel
a year
and
a
missionary to Assy
The present pastor, Rev. J
appointed
he died.
succeeded
him in the fall
of 1876.
The
During
the
ester
6th, 1852, a call was extended to Elder G. A.
Ames, and September 12th, 1852, he commenced
his
labors among them.
He was succeeded
April 5th, 1856, by Elder Ira Dudley; and in
August,
1858,
by
Rev. Samuel Smith.
ber 17th, 1859, a call was
Thomas H. Green ; and in
extended
October,
Septem
to Rev.
1864, to
CHURCHES.
Rev. J. P.
tained
years.
place
Simmons,
pastoral
the latter
among
Isaac M. Hoppin
by
Smith,
family,
and
house
of
of
about
worship
$2,000,
the
during
and,
Baptists, in
the
in i860,
of
church
Their
at a cost
building
of
of
the
At its
that society.
became
;
an appointment
It 1869 it separated
attached to itself Martville
the Fair Haven charge.
from
that charge, and
It
as a second appointment.
known
was
Sterling
as
detached,
the
since
which
ruff,
first became
In 1872, Martville
time the church has
came
a
list
in 1856,
to the
the
of
with
charge :
1856;
H. Giles,
in this church,
of about
a
Honeoye
the
year
in
Hiram Wood
to the
called
1864; F.
O.
A.
C.
O'Far-
a call
cepted
in 1874,
succeeding
which
hundred
resulted
and
in the
Hobbs,
and served
In
years.
of
was
them
1877,
be
to
chosen
James Barnes has been
of which
school,
intendent for
the
ance at
a
The
number of years.
is
school
super
attend
The form
of govern
is Congregational.
ment
A little distance from
cider and
tory,
all of which were
was
built in 1851,
and
has
a
capacity
was built in
1
The
bushels
per
four
propelled
built the latter
pacity
day,
and
in the
months
by
is in
The jellies
10,000
The
manufactured
to
all
a
It
from
con
of
only
All three are
has
a ca
This is
established
a
to
shin
capacity
jelly factory
jelly per day.
developing into
superior
The
operation
year.
industry, having been
is
stones,
day.
year.
The
water.
of 400 pounds of
and
of
of apples per season.
shingles per
about
grist-mill
from
tains one self-setting machine, with
5,000
and
861, contains three presses,
the juice usually
bushels
owned
and are
three run
contains
Kevill's
are
apple-jelly fac
Kevill.
of 200
and expresses
15,000
built
William
by
Sterling
shingle-mills and
grist,
to be
in
Communion is
eighty-six.
a quarter.
observed once
new
pastor
The membership June 15th, 1878, was
There is a large and interesting Sunday
ninety.
1870,
in adding sixty to the
In
Wells, of Ontario, N. Y., ac
from this Church, and served them
with such acceptance as
a remarkable revival occurred
conversion
to
Elder James E.
gle-mill was also
; A.
W. J.
by
Elder M. R. Miles
pastorate
the two
and
E. W.
Salisbury, 1858;
Paddock, 1862 ;
such effect as
forty individuals.
preached
Falls, N. Y.
pastors
Miller, 1869 ; R.
O. Beebe, 1870; P. T. Hughston, 1871 ; R.
Houghton, 1873 ; Z. Wilcox, 1876; George P.
In 1869, during
Avery, the present one, 1877.
the pastorate of Allen Miller, but under the
evangelical labors of D. W. Thurston, of Syra
and
being
sermon
cider-mill
Samuel
Pierce, i860 ;
Lathrop, 1863; J. Barns,
rell, 1866 ; D. Stone, 1868
cuse,
the
conducted
Following is
organization
they
then
thirty
and
charge.
since which
stood alone.
strange to
and
and with
between
1878.
the
school-house
invitation
by
Gary
three hun
about
held in the
summer,
of
preachers.
early
organization, the church
on
to this de
1875 they built their church edifice, at a cost of
$2,300, and dedicated it Aug. 15th of that year,
that
a period of sev
Smith, father
and will seat
one
had
and meetings were
was erected
church, meetings were
Mrs. Rhoda
organization
Previous to the
persons.
about
and
during
Rev. David B.
was one
peculiar
new
were
who
convert
thirty
John N. Smith,
were
whom
circuit preachers
eral years.
which
nomination,
Cen
Sterling
with
this, an
fallen into decay,
existed and
dred
Church,
at
Previous to
Duel.
Sabbath
many
in 1856,
organized
members,
of
attendance at
"
listened,"
The First M. E.
was
the
and
a
the doctrines
and expounded
thirty.
about
school,
held
six
He left in the spring of 1878, and his
has not yet been filled. The present mem
;
in
weeks, held
tent, and conducted by El
ders M. R. Miles and B. P. Stevens, who at
tracted large numbers, some from great distances,
main
fourteen
them
with
relations
bership is eighty
ter,
of whom
263
a
here in
large business.
apples are reputed
others.
membership.
The Advent
ville,
Christian
was organized
ty-seven
members,
Church,^ at
August 17th, 1873,
among
whom
Mart
with six
were
A. H.
Dunbar, John Tappan, D. R. Childs, Wm. H.
Barr, S. Stum, S. H. Bradford, Oliver Blanchard,
George Timeson, S. D. Crofoot, Nelson Palmer,
Orin Barnes andElkany Baker, and as the re
sult of a series of a
45-2
meetings,
during
a period of
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
JAMES HUNTER.
James Hunter
His early
was
in Ireland in 1796.
on his father's farm,
born
youth was passed
TOWN OF STERLING.
264
he acquired the habits of industry that
his subsequent life.
His educational ad
vantages were somewhat limited, but being at
tentive and studious he obtained a good common
education.
Ambitious to acquire a competency
he left his native land at the age of nineteen and
sailed for America.
He found a home in Balti
more, Md., where he learned the stone-cutter's
He advanced rapidly in his business and
trade.
became ere long foreman for a prominent firm.
In 1826 he married Miss Isabella Crockett. This
union resulted happily, and to them were born
In 1838
five children, four of whom are living.
he came with his family to Sterling, where he
There he spent
purchased a farm on lot No. 8.
the balance of his life and died November 4th,
He was an honest and useful member of
185 1.
society, and his children and friends still cherish
His wife still survives him at the
his memory.
where
marked
good old age of
years.
eighty
JOHN HUNTER.
John Hunter is the oldest child of the late
James Hunter and was born in Baltimore, Md.,
In 1830, he came with his
in the year 1828.
father to Sterling, where, during his youth, he
was
employed
through
the
summer
months,
his winters were passed in the district
schools in a faithful effort to obtain an education.
He was not permitted after the age of 18 to con
tinue his studies in school.
The demand for barrels in this fruit-growing
country seemed to open to him the cooper trade,
and for two years after he had reached the age of
When 22
20, he was engaged in that business.
years old he returned to his native State and was
for one year occupied as a stone cutter in a soapwhile
stone
1850, Mr. Hunter
summer of
Orange
the
in the capacity
that road as
and
the
building
of a
new aqueduct
across
the
Chippewa River, which is the most extensive and
difficult work on the Welland Canal enlargement.
The estimated cost of the work on the two sec
tions, is nearly one and a half million dollars.
Mr. Hunter was united in marriage to Miss
Mary Conrad, April 10, 1855. To them eight
children have been born.
All are living but one.
For twenty years Mr. Hunter has been a mem
ber of the Reformed Presbyterian Church, in
which, for 18 years, he has been a ruling elder.
A view of his beautiful home, together with a
steel portrait of himself, appears in this work.
thus commencing
contractor
returned
to
Soon
and
after
his
saw-mills,
operated
till
THOMAS HUNTER.
and
of
till the
Sterling,
spring of 1858. He
he has since
where
resided.
return
at
quite
he
the flour
purchased
Sterling Valley,
recently, carrying
which
on
lumber business.
at
he
the
In 1859
After the
he built the store at Sterling Valley.
war of the Rebellion his brother, James, became
same
and
masonry on about seven miles of the
Lake Ontario Shore Railroad.
Since that time
he has built, and laid the track on about 70 miles
of that road, now a part of the Rome & Watertown Railroad.
In 1873 he did the grading and masonry on
38 miles of the New York Central and Hudson
River Railroad.
He also built the Railroad
bridge over the Oswego river at Oswego, N. Y.,
tunnel through the Park in that city.
and the
Mr. Hunter was one of the contractors for grad
ing and building the locks on sections 8 and 9
on the Welland Canal enlargement.
This work
was
commenced in 1874 and completed in 1878.
He had also a half interest in the contract for
At the present
enlarging the Lachine Canal.
writing (September, 1878,) Mr. Hunter is en
his largest and most difficult con
gaged
on
tract, the widening and deepening of the new
at
Port Colborne, the building of the
canal
new entrance lock and
race-way at that place,
was em
Alexandria railroad,
his
foreman,
career on public works, which he has carried on
After one year's
so extensively in after years.
the O. & A. Railroad he went to
service on
Fauquier county, Va., where he accepted a simi
lar position on the famous Manassas Gap Rail
In 1852 Mr. Hunter made a contract
road.
(his first,) with the last named road, for con
structing a certain distance and was engaged on
ployed on
ing
ing
quarry.
In the
then
his partner in the mercantile business.
The
firm of John Hunter & Co. is widely and favora
bly known, their house being one of the most
prominent in their section of the County.
In 1 87 1, Mr. Hunter contracted for the grad
time an extensive
Thomas
Hunter,
nth of
with
his
Hunter,
was
born in
the fourth
child
of
James
Baltimore, Maryland,
the
September,
parents
them until after
1834.
He came to Cayuga
in 1838, and lived at home with
his father's death.
He attended
district school winters till the age of twelve
years, and from that time to the age of nineteen
his attendance at school
amounted to
nine
ty-three days.
In 1852 Mr. Hunter went to
Virginia and worked on the Manassas Gap Rail
road for his brother John, who was a contractor
on that line, for one dollar a day.
In the fall of
returned
he
to Sterling and attended school
1853
the
winter
and went back to Virginia in
during
of
1854.
He remained there till June,
spring
when
again
he
returned to Sterling, and,
1857,
connection
with
his brother John, bought the
in
the
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
saw-mill at
grist and
the
charge of and run
he
Sterling Valley.
mills
till
Sept.,
back to Virginia, where he
in 1861,
broke out
war
went
the
his uncle, who
Gap Railroad.
He took
when
i860,
remained until
for
working
the Manassas
was a contractor on
Hostilities put a stop to further
work on that road and Mr.
Hunter, like many
was
other northern men,
virtually a prisoner dur
ing the first few weeks of the war. He was
called by the rebel authorities before the court to
take the oath of allegiance to the Confederate
He obeyed the summons,
States of America.
He was also en
but declined to take the oath.
rolled
in the State
of
with a view
in
and
of
lines,
Lovettsville, Virginia, he
to escaping through the rebel
the vicinity of
fortunate as to
was so
nedy,
to muster,
On the morning of the
he refused to do.
August he started for the Potomac river
which
8th
militia and ordered
meet
in
Auburn, N. Y.,
Captain T. J. Ken
command of a de
N. Y. Volunteers, which
Mr. Hunter
Cayuga County.
was raised in
reached
Sterling with seven and a half dollars
and the clothes on his back, which comprised his
From that time he dates his
earthly possessions.
one year's rest in Ster
about
After
start in life.
he enlisted as a private in the noth N. Y.
tachment
of
the
19th
ling
Volunteers, company
He
1862.
10th of
F,"
"
the 7th
was commissioned 2d
September,
1862,
day
of
August,
lieutenant the
and promoted
to
captain
In 1864 his
April,
Jefferson at Dry
Fort
garrison
ordered to
detached
tugas, and Captain Hunter was
1864.
the 19th of
sent
he
regiment was
to St. Vincent
organized a
regiment
Union
of
Mr. Hunter
it
of
was mustered
August,
ling,
where
out
He
1865.
he
of
was
service
then
refugees and
which was
his
remained with
and
While there
Island, Florida.
deserters from the rebel army,
as the 2d Florida cavalry.
Tor-
known
1874,
they
Charlotte,
ing
of
the aqueduct
across
the
Chippewa River
lift lock from the river to the canal, also
lock at the Lake Erie end. This con
tract includes a large amount of rock and earth
excavation.
The total estimated cost of these
two sections is one and a half millions of dollars.
In the year 1867, Mr. Hunter married Marga
ret Ann Duguid.
She is the daughter of Alex
ander and Maria Duguid.
Her father is a native
of
Schenectady county, and her mother of Wash
ington county.
Mrs. Hunter was born in 1841,
August 31st.
They have had four children, all
of whom are living.
In politics Mr. Hunter is a staunch Republi
can, and takes a deep and lively interest in the
affairs of his town and county.
He is not a
member of
religious organization, but attends
any
the Reformed Presbyterian church.
Mr. Hunter is preeminently a self-made man.
Beginning life with only his natural resources
and the limited education afforded by the district
schools of his town for his capital, he has worked
himself up step by step to an altitude in business
attained
by but few in a generation. He is a
and
the
the
guard
and
man of quick perception
frank
getic
and
fearless in
in their
strong convictions,
their expression, and ener
execution.
He
possesses
strong
sagacity in busi
ness ; ever ready to meet and strong to overcome
the difficulties in the way of self-made men. He
is a good neighbor and warm friend, and has, in
the fullest, the respect and esteem of his fellow
common
sense,
and uncommon
citizens.
WILLIAM IRWIN.
day
the 30th
to Ster
his brother
came again
engaged
entire
tember, 1877, they took the contract for the en
largement of sections 27 and 35 of the Welland
Ship Canal in Canada, which includes the build
regiment until
on
with
John in the lumbering business until 1871.
In the last named year he, in company with
his brother John, took a contract to grade a por
Central
tion of the road bed of the Southern
Railroad.
They also contracted for the grading,
of five miles of the
masonry and bridge building
In 1872, they
Lake Ontario Shore Railroad.
In 1873, they
distance.
built about the same
the N. Y. C. & H. R. R. R.
contracted with
third
Company, for grading and masonry for the
between Syracuse
and fourth tracks of that line
In
miles.
thirty-five
of
and Clyde, a distance
On
built the R. &. W. R. R., from
tario to
265
distance
Irwin, father of Sophia Jewett,
James C. Irwin, George B. Irwin, Esther E. and
Minnie E. Irwin, was born in Washington coun
William
He came to the town of
ty, March 3d, 1799.
Sterling in 18 16. He took up sixty acres of
He was married in 1833 to
land on lot No. 3.
Betsey Irwin,
Washing
born in 18 12.
She
came to this county in the year of her marriage.
His wife is
Mr. Irwin died May 8th, 1876.
still living with her son, James C. Irwin.
ton county,
where she was
HUGH DUGAN.
eighteen miles.
In 1875 and 1876, they built on the same
The
from Kendall to Lewiston, sixty-five miles.
substructure of the rail
same year they built the
In 1877,
bridge over the Oswego river.
who was also a native of
road
road
the
ballasting
laying
they did the
In Sep
Railroad.
Syracuse, Geneva & Corning
track
and
of
Margaret
He came
Dugan, was born in Ireland in 1841.
in
parents
1849.
The
his
with
to this country
settled in Sterling, where the father died
Hugh
family
in
1863.
Dugan,
son
of
John
and
TOWN OF STERLING.
266
Hugh became
close application
farmer at an early age, and by
to business finds himself, while
a
comparatively young, the owner of one of the
most productive farms in the town of Sterling,
A view of his residence
consisting of 102 acres.
is shown on another page.
JOHN
IRELAND.
The spring of 1855 he pur
land, on lot number 67, town
of Sterling.
He has from time to time added to
original
purchase
until now his farm lands
his
October 25th, 1855, he
comprise
360 acres.
married Miss Margaret A., daughter of William
and Maria Follett.
To them four children were
His wifedied May 13th, 1863.
born.
Mr. VanPetten lost his wife and three children, all within
two years.
October 4th, 1863, he was united in
marriage to his present wife, Miss Nancy J. daugh
ter of Ashley and Julia A. Bowen, of the town of
Ira, Cayuga County.
In politics Mr. Van Petten is an earnest Re
publican.
Three times has he been elected su
cultural pursuits.
chased 48 acres of
,
John
Ireland,
a native of
the
State
of
Penn
was born in 1793, and came to Sterling,
Cayuga County, in 1 8 14. He died in 1868.
His
wife, Polly Rasmussen, was born in Genesee coun
ty, in 1796, and came to this town about the year
181 5.
They were married in 18 16, and have had
six children, four boys and two girls, William,
Andrew, John, Joseph, Catharine and Margaret
Jane.
Mrs. Ireland is still living, wonderfully
active for one of her years.
sylvania,
town, serving during the years
He has often served his town and
party on committees and in other capacities.
He is in every sense a self-made man and has,
by his own unaided efforts, risen to the prominent
An
and influential position he holds in society.
engraving of his beautiful home adorns this work.
pervisor of
the
i87i-'2-'3.
PETER VAN PETTEN.
JOHN UPCRAFT.
Peter Van Petten
He
county in 1797.
1824
and
Sterling.
Myers,
born in
born in Washington
came to
this County in
settled on lot No. 34, in the town of
In 1820 he married Miss Catherine
a native of
was
Albany
Eleven
county, where she
was
born to
Vanwhom
still
of
are
nine
living.
Mrs.
them,
Petten died November 3d, 1877.
Mr. Van Pet
ten is still living with his son George.
1803.
children
were
JACOB VAN PETTEN.
Jacob Van Petten is the oldest child of Nicho
His father was
las N. and Mary A. Van Petten.
a native of New York State and was born June
He came to the town of Sterling in
3d, 1800.
He married Miss Mary Grinnell, of Al
18 17.
bany county, who was born May 14th, 1809.
Mr. Van Petten was for many years a much
esteemed citizen of this town, and died
July 9th,
1876.
His aged wife still survives him.
Jacob Van Petten was born in the town of
Sterling, August 25th, 1828. His youth was
passed at home in working on his father's farm
during the summers, and attending the district
At the age of 21 or 22 he left
school winters.
home and began life for himself, working for the
"
on
After
two years following a farm
Then he
that he spent another year at home.
on
the
contractors
employed
the
South
was
by
ern Central Railroad as foreman, during the year
From that time to the present Mr. Van1853.
Petten has been exclusively engaged in agri
_
The town of Sterling can boast of few, if any,
farms so well improved as Lake View farm.
Those who knew the place twenty-one years ago
would not recognize it to-day.
It has changed
from a neglected, dilapidated place to, perhaps,
the model farm of the town.
Its present owner,
John Upcraft, Esq., was born in Norfolk county,
England, in 1830. He was the third child of
Henry Upcraft. He came with his father to this
country in 1840, and located in the city of Os
wego, where for three years he was employed by
the late F. T. Carrington and Myron Pardee.
He left their employ and was a lumberman for
the next three years.
Then for a long period
(18 years) he was engaged in mercantile busi
ness and farming, for Fitzhugh and Littlejohn.
In March, 1858, he purchased Lake View farm,
consisting of over one hundred acres, on lot
No. 3.
December, 1854, Mr. Upcraft was joined in
marriage to Elizabeth Read.
Their union was
of short duration. Mrs. Upcraft died in June of the
following year. He was again married in Octo
ber, 1856, to Annie E. Briggs, daughter of Jere
miah and
Mary Briggs. Mrs. Upcraft was born
in Glens Falls, N. Y., in 1832.
On another page of this work we show a view
of Mr. Upcraft's buildings.
shares."
RALPH HEWETT.
Ralph
county,
Hewett, a native of Northumberland
England, was born October 16th, 1800,
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
to Cayuga County in 1823.
He set
lot No. 8 in the town of Sterling.
Mr.
Hewett was married four times, as follows :
His first wife was Mary Scott, who died in 1834 ;
the second was Rebecca McCoy, who died in
1844; the third, Jane McCoy, who died in 1846;
his present wife, Lydia Redfield, was born in
Connecticut, in 1800. Mr. Hewett is a highly
respected citizen of this town, and is
passing the
of his
days with his son, Walter S.
evening
Esq.
Hewett,
and came
tled
on
died in
267
The
day
battle of Os
Mr.
Scott visited
wego,
15,
the battle field and assisted in the burial of the
dead.
His second wife was Hannah Spottswood,
who was born in Northumberland
county in 1768,
and came with her husband to this County, where
she died in 1853.
By this marriage there were
three children.
His first wife, by whom he had
four children, died in England.
Mr. Scott has three children living, Jas. Scott,
of Grand Rapids, Michigan ; Dr. R. B. Scott, of
Oswego, N. Y. ; and Henry Scott, of this town.
i860.
the
after
in
which occurred
18
THOMAS ANDREWS.
Thomas Andrews, father
seph
Andrews,
of
this
died in
town,
John and Jo
born in Ireland,
of
was
He emigrated to this
country and settled on lot No. 13, in Sterling, in
His wife, Jane, was born in Ireland, in
1806.
1 80 1.
They were married in 18 18. They were
the parents of four children, three of whom are
living.
Mrs. Andrews is still living with her
son John.
in 1786,
and
CHAPTER XXXII.
1862.
Town
Victory.
of
VICTORY lies
the
upon
west
border, in
the
*
WILLIAM COOPER.
was
ACKERSON.
Conquest,
,
years, three
of
months and eight
days,
with
the
rank
He was on two occasions taken
At the close of the
the English.
Lieutenant.
prisoner
by
war, for
his valuable services, the government
grahted him five hundred acres of land situated
in the present town of Sterling, on which he
After an event
moved with his family in 18 15.
ful life he died in 1845.
Many of his descend
ants are residents of this
those
who
those
who opposed
surface
points
being
level.
It is
lies in the
watered
west
Creeks,
part,
furnish but
There is
a
township
though
eral
John
Scott, father
Mr.
Henry Scott,
of
born in Northumberland county,
this town,
England, in 1775. He was by trade a carpenter
He came to America in 181 1; setand joiner.
was
fled in
Sterling, Cayuga County, in
18 14;
and
a
north
power.
part
which
There is less
the two
two
north
southern
Cato;
there is
sandy
and
also
gravelly
the latter.
of
covered
parts
of
is
soil
of which
water
Conquest, the
towns of the old
The
Ira,
and
and
blue limestone
of
acres.
Red
center.
south-west
hundred
land.
of
the
of
east
very limited
ern, than in Cato
good
general
the latter flows
little
land in this town
waste
former
the
while
swamp in the
several
covers
a
highest
undulating, the
fifty feet above the
by the head-waters
town a
the
through
They
scarcely
The underlying
JOHN SCOTT.
same
it.
is gently
Sodus
Little
less
the
organized at
from the victory achieved by
favored a division of the town of Cato
loam, mostly
town.
town was
which
originates
time,
and
Cornelius Ackerson was born in Rockland
Co., N. Y. in 1756. He was a soldier of the
Revolutionary war, in which he served seven
the
from which it was
military town of Cato,
Its name, like that of
formed March 16th, 1821.
The
CORNELIUS
north-west quarter of
old
over
seven children.
rents of
the
It is the
Wayne Co.
born in Ireland in 1777.
He was a
He came to this country in 1804.
the war of 181 2, and was in the battle
soldier in
He married Sa
He died in 1843.
of Oswego.
rah Craig, who was born in Washington county
in 1783, and died in 1871.
They were the pa
William Cooper
County, and is bounded
on the north by Sterling, on the east by Ira, on
the south by Conquest, and on the west by
part of
north
of
are
rocks
the
red
shale
and
the Niagara group, which,
deep
with
drift,
the town.
are seen
Quarries
in
al
sev
have been
in the limestone, and considerable im
and thickness
provement is shown in the quality
opened
of
the
with
calcareous portion of
the
mass
further
the rock as compared
south.
This
rock
is
of
TOWN OF VICTORY.
268
importance
great
it furnishes
as
lime
not
for
suitable
to
all
the
white
Doud,
about
four
two
five feet
or
miles
interest,
great
shale
as
which
that
a
very
Mr.
his grandson, now lives.
children, Patrick and Jane,
where
of
Victory,
north of
where
for lime, which has
between the layers, is of
more
a columnaria
fossils,
also,
as
such
avic-
and an
as well as a slender encrinile not yet specific
named.*
ally
The Southern Central R. R.
crosses the north
town, but has
east corner of the
no station within
its limits.
The
population of
1,
The town
which
and
area
of
improved;
are
21,234
4,641,
acres
;
of
woodlands
;
otherwise unimproved.
south
was commenced
part,
on
lot
on
65,
John
farm
the
in 1800,
McNeal, from Mont
John Martin, from Ireland ;
by
gomery county, and
the former of whom located
Victory,
Wayne county ; and
Wm. Root,) in Cato.
now
about a mile south of
by Edward
owned
Merritt, where he died the same year, his death
being the first in the town. None of his descend
ants are living in the town.
Martin located on
the farm now owned by Smith Wood, on a tract
of
fifty acres, twenty-five acres of which was given
Vermont, also came in 1810,
lot 66, on the farm now owned by
Hamilton Emerick.
He took up twenty-five
In 1 8 1 7 he moved to the farm now owned
acres.
by John Wood, on the south line of the town,
where
he died
some
daughter, Polly, (the
living
now
her
with
Mrs. Worden
twenty
of
Smith
Mrs.
Wood,)
Samuel
who
was
husband died in
Ira, in the fall of 1877. Samuel
Martin, brother of John, also from Ireland, located
years
afterwards
where
he died
Elisha Granger
south-east
Gideon is
up
*
five
fifteen
settled with
corner,
living
Scouten,
at
on
of
the
years ago.
son
his
family in
lot 67.
Westbury,
1802,
His
and
son
John,
a
soldier
of
the
Revolution,
lot 14, on which he
; but he remained only four
to 1806
years.
Natural
Vanuxem.
History
in the spring
18
of
10,
York, Geology,
^d
Dist., by
Lardner
is
Lucretia, (now
daughter
another
took up
and
south-west corner of
lives,
now
John
Daniel
about
a
mile
Abram is
now
Daniel
and
lot 54,
lot 25,
All
181 1.
little
a
on
are
south-east
living,
Rumsey
of
and
Rumsey, is living
of
of
Victory.
Camp
Victory.
eighty-four,
William
county,
Benjamin,
with
acres, in
Philo
of
aged
south-east
dead.
fifty
where
Griswold, from Herkimer
and
settled
Westbury, in
son of
Daniel
Stephen Holt, about a
The rest of the family
moved west.
Jacob W.
and
Martin
DeForest, from Wash
ington county, settled on lot 43, in the east part,
Conrad Phrozine, from Newburgh, set
in 1 812.
tled the
the
same year on
creek at
he built the
grist-mill,
the
farm
lot 4,
at
North
Victory,
Stumm's mills, on the site
first grist-mill in the town.
1820, John Hooker
of New
Henry Wood,)
John.
Eastwood,)
His
ago.
Carter's, is living in Conquest. His other chil
dren, John and three or four daughters, are liv
ing in the west. Abram Scott, from Vermont,
came in with his family,
(consisting of his wife
Hannah, and two sons, Charles Y. and Abram,)
mile west
as a soldier's claim
settled prior
or
some
north part
son, in Michigan.
A Mr.
took
now
in the
years
widow of
his son, Geo. C. Scott.
Jane,
mother
(afterwards
born in 1804, was the first child born in the town.
She died on the farm about eight years since. Her
another
Sarah, (now Mrs.
Asahel Carter from
with
and
the
Butler,
,
son
in
in
living
grand
up in 1823, about two miles south-east of
Victory.
Pamelia died in the town in 1841.
His
town,
other
ninety-
His daughter
few
are
Murphy,
Vanderhuyden, from Troy, Rensse
laer county, settled in 1810, on lot 67, where his
daughter Louisa (now Mrs. Elihu Knapp,) lives,
and where he died in April, 1876, aged
five years. Wm. Hager, Vanderhuyden's step
son, and Pamelia, his daughter, afterwards Mrs.
Peter Cooper, came in with him. The former
is living, at the age of eighty-two, on the farm he
the
a
Two
third,
a
him to induce settlement, the remaining
five having been given him by his wife's father.
twenty-
Wood
Samuel
where
in Feb
Matthias
and settled on
covers an
Settlement
in the
1,875 was 1,944 ;
native; 91, foreign ; 1,943,
colored.
16,085
508,
the town in
were
1,853
and
;
on
settled
took
of whom
white
lot 54,
ruary, 1806,
The quarry
affording
Becostated orthis,
ula,
except
Murphy, from Ireland,
also
taken out
are
little dark-blue
a
to
Patrick
country,
stone, but
purposes
is usually applied,
lime is required.
article
section of
building
only
all
this
put
up
a
still,
owned
by
John
which
About
saw-mill
about a mile south-east of
now
of
and
Victory,
Hapman,
on
on
which,
VICTORY VILLAGE.
the
with
the grist-mill,
exception of
to have been the first
Further
of
believed
are
kind in the town.
their
this
settlements were made
Ephraim
Simon
and
county ;
Chauncey and
Lathrop, from Sennett. Smith settled
ondaga
farm
is
Ephraim
living
Ann
Philo Camp.
by
owned
now
in Victory.
on
His
Cato.
of
day
Kellogg
the
of
west part
Charlotte,
Mrs. Luman
the latter (now
lage
and
lives.
where
Victory,
mile north of
Daniel,
owns a part of
tled.
The
where
the
Lathrops
A
early day about
the farm now owned
settled at an
tory,
on
He died
here,
and
his
name
the
first
and
are
Manasseh French
1
8 10,
that
and
village,
James P. Root.
sons sold
out and moved
The
present
town officers are the
Supervisor Edward
Town Clerk
Irving
following
:
18 12 a second
H. Knapp.
Simon
Sennett.
Chauncey
Edwin
Assessors
Bacon, D. S. Woodford,
The
store
Murphy, Daniel
Samuel
Overseers of Poor
Pinkney.
Cox, Corydon
CollectorA.
by
He
small
James
now
Sabins, George Bamford,
George Corkner, James Beesmer, Walter Follett.
ConstablesA.
B.
of
the
of
Cato
which
is
town,
on
it is
situated a
and
little
is distant
the Southern
connected
three churches, (M.
miles
six
Baptist
and
center
north-west
Central R.
by daily stage.
E.,
the
of
It
R.,
with
contains
Presbyterian,)
district school, five stores, two blacksmith shops,
Smith, proprietors,) a har
(Wm. Taylor and
a
ness
shop,
shop, kept
46-2
kept
by
by
Wm. R.
A. B. Wetherby,
Fleming,
a
a
shoe
hotel, kept by
of
moved
in
one
opposite
Victory
five
west,
a
by Chauncey
in from
few
years and
the
of
streets.
failed
Simon
also
where
he died
re
and
six years
or
In
181 5.
who came
sides
opposite
after
at
18 15.
about
separated after
on
stood
opened
Gager,
his
was opened
who
failed
opened
a
here
after
to his
goods
about
at an ad
year or
two
He is
creditors.
sold
the
and
John T.
that
his interest to his partner,
who
business
alone
his son, Abijah B. Hager,
interest.
partnership, with a half
later Mr.
active
Knapp
expiration of
At the
when
infirm for
1830,
they kept in company
which
store,
Knapp
years
a
about
in Iowa.
In 1832, William Hager
time
south
who
as
was
store
drug store
living
conducted
Victory
Scott,
merchant at
kept it till
some eighteen years.
Victory Village.
but in
He
early as 1810.
where David Woodford's
French,
failed
and returned
B. Sabins.
he died.
vanced age.
A
Robert
Inspectors of Election
Doud, William T. Benedict.
about
ashery at the
David Wood
till about
from the town.
1838.
Andrew Bennett.
out
Scipio,
an
Lathrop, brothers,
stores
moved
we
where
where
The first
They
Raynor.
what year
sold
near
remained
and
Allanson.
kept
the
Abram
kept
also
stands.
house stands,
Justices of the Peace William R. Fleming,
Russel
Dedrick, Joseph
Dutcher, Charles
store.
of
doubtless the first
stood
which
Manasseh
and
He
logs,
of
was one
in from
came
opened a store opposite
off.
built
soon
with
Merchants.
was
was
Throop,
to
French
French
it.
opened
Moffitt
of
which was
ford's house
to
and
his father in the spring
French was keeping a store here
says
time,
Greg
Abijah Hager's
uncertain.
into town
the town.
by
is
year
which
determine.
removed
and
1809
James
by
1806,
village, but in
at the
to
unable
set
Vic
the
settlers
came
a mile east of
by
man
is believed
village
Cutten) lives,
A
Needham
man named
of about
his daughter Sally, (now
first tavern,
the
son now
Victory,
at
Mrs. Philander
what
he
about
who settled where
ory,
early
on which
made
the site of
lot 27, about a
His son,
he died.
farm
to have been
and stood near
vil
a population
in the
settlement
son
on
settled
there.
opened a store
his
where
The first
after
lot 39, in the
on
and removed at an
he died, and
Ebenezer Bird settled
Ira,
to
in the
Derby)
settled
town,
are
has
and
the
Two daughters,
living,
former (now Mrs. John Cooper) in Conquest,
Mary
viz :
Daratt,
150.
(18 12,)
year
Smith, from Saratoga county ; Silas
Kellogg, from Brutus ; Ebenezer Bird, from On
by
Hulbert
269
Hager,
who
business,
interest to his son,
who
till
about
1868,
was admitted
was
Two
or
to
three
too
becoming
his remaining half
carries on the busi
sold
still
ness.
Several
riods,
merchants
but failed.
kept
Among
stores
them
for
short
pe
Mr.
Mc-
were
Cabe, Southwick, Walter Thayer,
who
was
in
TOWN OF VICTORY.
270
partnership with Simon
before the latter's failure,
Lathrop
a
time
short
Fred. Thompson.
and
In 1875, a disastrous fire occurred in the vil
lage and destroyed the four stores, the only ones
in it.
then
Woodford,
The
Hager, David
merchants, in
December,
1875, both
'62, R. L. Fraser;
to H. B.
addition
having
previously re
sided in the town ; J. D. Woodford, who bought
out his father, D. S. Woodford, in the
spring of
Nelson
Sutton,
came
It
erected.
the first
when
present
house
The
Sabbath
attendance at
ond
Bap'tist Church in
and
business
commenced
William A.
menced
Hager,
Addison B.
der
He
a native of
Wetherby,
having
i860,
the
The
Victory,
present
who
administration
Walter H.
by
was preceded
Sennett in
1819.
In
post-office
being
Physicians.
appointment un
he is
kept in his
The first
still
shoe
physician
was
the
in from
boot
engaged,
in this lo
The
early physician.
present physician is Charles A. Fisher, who was
born in this locality and has practiced here about
was
another
six years.
The M. E. Church
in
18
13,
by
of
Rev. Zenas
Prominent among
Victory
Jones,
was organized
the first
pastor.
the first members were Joseph
Rumsey, Daniel Griswold, James McCready,
Piatt Wilson, William Hamilton, John Hamilton
and
to
William Thompson.
learn the
previous
names of
to 1844,
w^th
the
We have been
unable
this
church
pastors of
the
exception of
the
first.
pastor
second
which
This
their
twenty-one
was
year
were
the
and
'45, Revs. J.
pastors
of
this
Hall
and
A. Robbins
Society; from 1845
to
'46, Revs. B. Phillips, and B. Nichols ; to 1847,
B. Nichols; to 1852 and '53, Cyrus Phillips; to
1854, P. W. Barber ; to 1855, Allen Castle
B.
Smith;
to
1858, J.
Smedley
and
D.
; to 1859, M.
was
is
1850.
members.
fifty.
about
was organ
Sec
i8i8,as the
Vic
town
which
to the
admitted
of
that
Rev. Roswell
were
followed in
of
his
Os-
added
1831
by
office
as
to
baptism.
augurated was
another,
which
are
they
"For
seemed
1834-5
about
as
the re
to their
by
num
happily
in
trials, from
entirely recovered, and which
to in their letters to the Asso
:
three
years past our
bliss
has
fell de
progress
Campbellism, that
below, together
heavenly
retarded.
stroyer of
of
never
thus referred
ciation of
checked
fruits
the
The prosperity thus
speedily
1828.
their number.
sult of which sixty-two were added
by
in
his pastorate, the
of
first revival,
with all
its paralyzing effects and concomitant evils, has
hung like a dark and lowering cloud about us.
The love of many has waxed cold and the way of
truth is evil spoken of, while the church has stood
like a lamb shorn of its fleece, shivering in the
blast."
northern
"We have been under the
painful
necessity of excluding some, who, to us,
appear to follow the commandments of
men, yet
we know that our
Heavenly Father is too wise
to be mistaken, and too good to be unkind, there
fore we submit and kiss his chastening rod and
'
say Thy will be
done.'
In 1844
to
was
duties
the
church enjoyed
ber
shop.
June 3d,
and
is
Victory
Cato,
which
worship,
school
vil
burn, who was ordained subsequent to the organ
ization, and continued his labors till 1825. The
second pastor was Rev. John M. Bartlett, who
During
a
Dr. Waite
The first
held
was
of
the
of
Cayuga Baptist Association in September
upon
who
at
members
belonged,
then
entered
Dr. Squires, who was settled at
Meridian, in Cato. Lucius Hooker was the first
resident physician, and the first one in the town.
cality
tory
fifteen
Lincoln.
having moved
which
is
office
i854,he commenced the
business, in
and shoe
postmaster
Sayre,
The Baptist Church
year.
Mr. Wetherby
years.
born in this town, his father
1876.
President
of
and
who com
has held the
the
received
the office about eight
the
7th, 1878;
business September 15th,
Postmasters.
since
May
church edifice was
located in the village, was built about
The Society numbers eighty-five
Wayne county,
years,
school-house
a mile west
stood about
Their
1876.
of
held in the
meetings were
till about 1820,
lage.
in the fall
with
a number of
and
Stone ; to 1868, R. D. Phillips ;
to 1871, J. De Larme ; to 1873, Henry Meeker;
to 1875, Orin Switzer.
The present pastor, Rev.
ized
he lived
to 1861
'66, S. O. Barnes;
to i864and
1877 ; J. W. Chamberlain & Co., (Celia L. Cham
berlain,) the former of whom came in from
where
Lathrop;
to 1867, David
Their
Harris & Knapp, (Harvey S. Harris
H. Knapp,) who commenced business
are
Irving
and
Abijah B. Ha
by
Fred. Thompson.
and
present
Hager,
kept
were
Harris & Ellis W.
Harvey
ger,
in
They
to i860, O. C.
Thrasher;
The third
"
Rev. John H. Dudley,
council convened for that
pastor was
who was ordained
by
a
June 20th, 1834.
In this year, the
church, which had joined the Onondaga Associa
tion in 1825, again became a member of the
purpose
CHURCHES.
Cayuga Association.
labors
the 15th
ordained on
letter to the Association for this
following
In their
the
churches,
exertions,
blessed, like
most of our
with an abundance of this world's
we
the
of
God
blessing of
have been
the administration
enabled^to sustain
word
and
ordinances,
have received the approbation of Heaven's
High King. We now find that our place of wor
ship is too strait for us, and have felt called on to
in the Acade
to rent a room
make an extra effort
my building which is now being completed.
Ours is a missionary field, and we doubtless have
many of our sister Churches,
from the Convention.
But we
disposition to draw from, if we cannot
aid in replenishing, an almost exhausted
equal with
who receive aid
feel
no
largely
and second
Elder Mc
years of
Far-
land's ministry were greatly blessed.
"The Church seemed to emerge from its polar
winter into the genial clime of Christian
activity
and union, and as the fruits of the two revivals en
joyed,
*
58 were added to their numbers.
then the
following
Collins,
and
term, Lee, Thos. Siegford
a second
the
was
latter
to
on account of
worship the
*
at
for
and
present
Sabbath
its
the
house
in the house
The Church
or
feeble
a somewhat
twenty-five
the
a
con
members.
has
church
called
Roswell
viz :
ordination,
of
held in
pastor, meetings,
about
existence
brethren to
a
Creek,
present
were
Woodford.
It is in
dition, having only
the
several years
without
school.
During
Church
and
with
their
erection of
by Alonzo
now occupied
six
Osburn,
John M. Bartlett, John M. Dudley, David Mc
Farland,
Lee, and Thomas Siegford.
The First Presbyterian Church
Revs. Eastman
by
Darius Chittenden
Dunning.
his wife, Thomas
Henry Quilhart,
Chistopher
Victory
Second Presbyterian Church of
at the house of Thomas Cole
man, November 30th, 1820,
and
of
the
Cato,
the town of
and
The Church thus aroused, became warmly engaged
in the great moral enterprises of the day ; the
temperance
reformation, the Bible cause and
other kindred causes being warmly supported by
their influence and
failing health,
meetings of the
school-houses,
is
his labors
close
Previous to the
year.
Red
of whom resides at
obliged
was organized as
treasury."
The first
Since
1850.
and our
which
claims
during
Church
we are not
goods, yet, through the
own
was
year occurs
of
pastors
was call
and
in the fall
have officiated, viz : Revs. Trow, David
McFarland, John Everingham, the two latter
suc
:
"Although
sister
and was
June following.
of
his
closed
McFarland, who
February, 1837,
the pastorate in
to
Dudley
in 1836,
church
Rev. David
by
ceeded
ed
this
with
Mr.
271
Coleman, Hannah,
and
the wives of
Ostrander,
Annis,
and
wife
of
Peter Van Pelt
among the first
were
members.
Their first
commenced
ed
in
ed
two
pastor
was
Rev. Mr.
his labors in 1827,
Powell,
who
and was succeed
by Rev. Wm. Williams,
contributions."
Elder Mc Farland
his labors
closed
this
with
Church in February, 1840, and was succeeded by
Rev. Allen R. Beach, who remained about one
year,
and was
ham,
who
about
a
year,
about
and was suc
by J.
tors, two
resulted
seasons of revivals were
in the
number.
Haskell,
who
Their
next
began his
ministrations
them
being
debt,
which
which was
small
somewhat
fully
underwent
they
were
somewhat
in
Rev. A.
September
In
7th, 1848.
house of worship
May
The
1846.
obliged
crippled
cancelled
which
twenty-five to
pastor was
1845 they begun the erection of a
which was finished June 24th,
ciety
enjoyed,
addition of about
and closed
22d, 1846,
three
Evering-
C. Moore, a licentiate, who remained
Under the labors of these pas
two years.
ceeded
their
continued
Rev. J. S.
by
succeeded
to
incur
their action,
1850.
extensive
so
a
but
Their house
repairs
about
The
next
begun his
pastor
pastoral
was
Rev. E. Marshall,
labors in 1849
and closed
who
them
The
years.
who remain
Rev. Daniel
next pastor was
Washburn, in 1835. The fourth was Rev. Daniel
Waldo, during whose pastorate from 1 841-3, the
first
and present
house
Rev. Lemuel Dada
He
Everett ;
1
85 1-2;
their
fall
of
At the
worship
the
next
was erected.
pastor, in 1845.
in
1847 by Rev. Ebenezer
Rev. Edward Hall, in the winter of
by
by
Rev. Levi Griswold,
pastoral care
Beufort
of
was
succeeded
was
Ladd,
May
ist,
1852
who commenced
1859
and
close
of
continued
and
Rev.
by
his labors in the
them
his labors he
;
who assumed
several
settled
years.
in the
vil
Thomas
he died in March, 1877.
Watson, who resided in Cato, and belonged to
lage,
where
the Reformed
for three
lived
but
was
years ago.
1830
at
Creek, became
remained
only
Rev. Ezra D.
1873,
removed
next
to
supplied
the pulpit
Rev. Ephraim Kellogg,
years.
Red
February,
he
church,
one
and
their pastor
year.
Shaw,
who
remained
Moravia,
where
The
was
who
in 1871,
next
pastor
installed in
two years,
he died in
when
1877.