EARLY HISTORY

Of ti'\ e

Town of Van Buren,

ONONDAG·A CO .. N. Y.

By

LOUIS DOW SCISCO. W. F. MORRIS PUBLISHING CO., BALDWINSVILLE, N. Y. 1895. CONTENTS.

Van Buren in the Earliest Years, 1 Military Tract History, 3 Grantees of Military Lots, ti Sketches of the Pioneers, 10 Earlier Settlers of the Town, In Hamlets and Loca.li ties. 20 Macksville, now Baldwinsville, - 25 School and Road System, 29 Town History from 1801-1829, 33 Shops and Mills of the Town, 40 Local Religious History, 44 An Early Assessment Roll, - 49 Organization of the Town, 51 Archreology of Van Buren, by Rev. \V. M. Beauchamp, S. T. D., 4ddenda, 62

A HISTORY

Of the Town of Van Buren, Onondaga County, New York, Prepared by Louis 0. Scisco, and Reprinted from the Series of Articles Published in the Baldwinsville, N. Y., Gazette.

ITS SCAXT SHARE I:'i THE EARLIEST OXOX­ known history may be increased a lit­ DAGA HISTORY. tle that the following pages have been contributed to the columns of THE GA­ The recent celebration of the centen­ ZETTE. nial year of Onondaga County has brought about a revival of interest in Some reference to the early events of local history that is showing i tseif in Onondaga county's general history are many locahties in the county. Little a necessary prelude to any sketch of real "-vork on the h1:story of the local an individuai town. Although the development of the county has ever town of Van Buren was not closely ·been done, thot1gh the history of the l!onnected with the early romance of Onondaga Nation and of the early Onondaga, yet its later history can be French missions has received the better understood by a review of these spPcial attention of many. \Vere it not events. The Onondaga country was a for the works of J. V. H. Clark, pub­ pa.rt of the great interior wilderness lished in the forties, little would now when the first French explorers came be known of the pioneer period of On­ into the valley of the St. Lawrence and ondaga. His books, though far from the colonists soon learned that it was errorless, have preserved from loss the home and center of the warlike manv valuable facts. In Clark's histo­ Iroquois League. In 1615 the explorer ry, however, the citizen of the Town of Champlain marched from the Canadian Van Buren finds but a scant two pages settlements directly into the heart of devoted to his town. None of the the Iroquois territorv on a military towns of western Onondaga received foray and chose a route that took him their share of consideration from him across the northeastern part of the and Van Buren received less than any present county. This was the first other town in the county. The county advent of Europeans into the region history published by Mason & Co. in and its date is a starting point for our 1S78 did much better for Van Buren, count_v's history. Forty years after most of the material being furnished Champlain's expedition the county was by a citizen of the town, whose knowl­ again visited by white men. The edge of its past is extensive In addi­ J e~uit mission priests found their way tion to those facts already published, from Canada up the Oswego river there are many facts of interest which and set up their mission stations close can be gleaned from the records, and it by the Indian villages east of Onondaga is in the hope that the sum total of its lake. Here they labored with the HISTORY OF VAN BCREX. ------savages in a vain attempt to make them highways of the wilderness. ~outh of religious and incidentally laid up for the present town lay the old trails themselves lasting fame by the dis­ which led through the valleys westward covery of the Onondaga salt springs. from the O oondaga towns to the vil­ For the next half century after the lages of the western tribes. It was arrival of the Jesuits the h1storv of along these trails that the Britishemis­ Central New York is closely c-onneucted saries of the eighteenth century found with that of Canada. The Governors their way to the Cayuga and Seneca :;et­ of the French provinces well knew the tlements. East of the present t-own of value of securing the control of the Van Buren Jay the trails along which Iroquois territory, and made ~very was carried on communication between effort to bring the Indians under their the Onondaga towns and the military rule. posts at Oswego. Lying thus to one In the early part of the eighteenth side of the g-reat avenues of travel, it century the French found a rival power was natural that the territory should be disputing their frontier. The English passed by until the pe.riod of actual set­ colonial authorities at New York sent tlement~ and that it should have no par­ out their agents and explorers among ticipation in the events of Onondaga's the Indians and every influence was early hh,tory. brought to bear to break down the as­ The powerful Iroquois confederacy, cendency which French governors had which for nearly a century held the worked so long to upbuild. The potent balance of power in the politics of power of English diplomacy, backed up rival colonial extension, was over­ by English gifts and Enirlish promises, thrown in the revolutionary period. gradually won Central New York for The confederacy had become a stead­ the English crown, despite the advan­ fast ally of the British government tage which the French held by their after the overthrow of French power long acquaintance. The building of south of Lake Ontario, and it remained the British fort at Brewerton in 1759 faithful in its friendship when the col­ marked the actual occupation of the onies revolted against the mother coun­ Onondaga country by the English try. The Indian war parties fought colonial authorities and the struggle with axe and scalping-knife alone- the with France ended in 1762 when a colonial frontiers and marched under trea.ty between the two powers gave to the British command in more than one Great Britian the territory south of campaign. Finally a series of military Lake Ontario. expeditions by the Continental troops In all this history the town of Van reached into the very heart of the Buren has no share. The central point Indian country and ended forever the around which the priest~ diplomat and Iroquois power. While Sullivan, in soldier in turn struggled for influence 1779, harried the settlements of the was the Iroquois council-fire at the In­ . Cayugas and Senecas, other expeditions dian towns east of Onondaga Lake. attacked the Mohawks and Oneidas on No early explorer, so far as we know, the east and a detachment, under com­ traversed the region of the present mand of Colonel Van Schaick, burned town. It was a part of the hunting­ the villages of the Onondagas south of ground of the Indian tribes, where Onondag-a lake. This was the ending both Onondagas and Cayugas resorted of the Iroquois power. The war of the for the chase. Along the Seneca river Revolution which was closed by the and in tbe valleys of the sma.ller treaty of peace in 1783 was followed by streams are vet found the traces of a treaty of peace at Fort Schuyler in their camps.·· Van Buren lies in the 1784 between the United Colonies and angle between the great primitive the Six Nations. HISTORY OF VAN HCREX. 3

The treaty of 1784 left the Indians THE .lIILITARY TRACT-HOW THE COUNTY still in possession of the territory of OF ONONDAGA WAS LAID OFF Central an.J Western New York. Two years before the treatv of Fort Schuy­ TO SOLDIERS. ler the State of New York had antici­ pated the logical results of the Iroquois The military expeditions of 1779 overthrow and had reserved the lands which ended the power of the Indian of Central New York for the purpose confederacy could have had but one re­ of carrying out its pledges to its sol­ sult and that was the taking of the In­ diers. Almost at once on the close of dian lands for settlement under state the Revolutio~ steps were taken to ex­ authority. Several years before the tinguish the Indian title to these un­ treaty of 1788 finally extinguished the settled lands. Treaties were made with Indian title the change had been fore­ the di:fferen t tribes of the Confederacy seen by the state administration and for that purpose. The Onondaga plans laid accordingly. New York chiefs met the state commis~ioners at state, like the other states of the new Fort Schuyler and after some negotia­ republic, was often hard pressed for tions concluded a treaty which bears money during the revolutionary strug­ the da.te of Sept 12, 1788. This treaty gle. It was necessary to equip troops, contained six distinct provisions as fol­ pay salaries to state officials and make lows: First, for the cession to the state contributions tow"11rd the national of a 11 the Onondaga lands; second, for funds at a time when the treasury was the laying out of a reservation to be empty and money scarce. In these retained by the Indians; third. for pre­ times the financial plans of the state serving to 1he Indians the right to hunt government were often based on the freely in any part of the land thus supposed value of the state lands. A ceded; fourth, for the reservation of great number of estates belonging to the land about Onondaga lake by the British sympathizers had been confis­ state and the Indians as tenants-in­ cated and to these were soon added common; fifth, for the payment of cer­ portions of the wild lands toward the tain annuities by the state to the In­ eastern part of the state. dians; sixth, for the prevention or In 1780 the state found difficulty in expulsion of intruders on Indian lands. paying the troops. The difficulty was This treaty marked the end of Indian partly solved by issuing certificates ownership. Next came the state sur­ which were made acceptable in pay­ vey and allotment in 1790 which com­ ment for confiscated estates. Next pleted the conquest by the whites. year it became necessary to raise two The territory of the present town of regiments for war service. Again the VanBuren was a portion of the region matter of payment became a problem. which passed from the Indians to the The national congret;s, several years state by the treaty of 1788. There before this, had provided for a land was no settlement in the town at this bounty to the Continental troops, and time although pioneers had begun to the state of New York now adopted a find their way to other parts of the similar plan to tide over the emergen­ Onondaga country. Ephraim Webster cy. The act of 1781, which provided had been four years trading with the for the raising of the two ne\v regi­ savages at his post on Onondaga creek ments, provided also that they should and Asa Danforth was already settled be granted lands ia lieu of pay and fix­ at Onondaga Valley, but the tide of ed a scale of bounties; 500 acres to a immigration into the county did not private, 1,000 acres to an ensign or sur­ fairly begin until after the treaty of geon's mate, 1,500 acres to a captain or cess~on was completed. surgeon and 2,000 acres to a lieutenant- HISTORY OF YAX BCREX. colonel or major. A year later another the Indians. For several years there­ act extended the same terms to the re­ after all legislation in regard to the cruits enlisted to fill vacancies in the Military Tract ceased, while commis­ regiments. In 1784 the provisions of sioners appointed by the state govern­ the act were further extended in favor ment conducted negotiations with the of La.mb's artillery regiment. different tribes of the Six Nations. All this legislation had plP-dged the Finally the treaty of 1788 ended the Ir­ state to the granting of lanis which oquois title to the Onondaga country. were as yet neither state property nor The work of opening up the newly even located. Some definite action ceded land to settlement came up be­ had to be taken to remedy that state of fore the state legislature at its first sit­ affairs. This was accomplished on ting after the treaty was concluded. July 25, 1782, when an act of the legis­ On ~,ebruary 28, 1789, an act was passed lature defined the limits of the famous requiring the land-office commissioners Military Tract in Central N,~w York to direct a survey of the Military Tract and ordered it reserved for allotment by the surveyor-general, and the com­ to the soldiers of New York state en­ missioners, at a sitting on April 22n.d titled to bountv lands under acts of following, did so direct Simeon Dewitt~ congress and legislature. This was the surveyor-general, to survey the the first establishment of the Military Tract. Legislative enactment had giv­ Tract, in which was included all the en specific directions as to the manner present county of Onondaga and with in which the tract was to be laid out. it the town of Van Buren. There were to be townships havirig The war of the Revolution ended in each exactly 100 lots and each one of 1783 and with the di~charge of the sol­ these lots was to contain 600 acres of diers from the disbanded regiments land as nearly as the amount could be came the necessity for further action determined. Each township was to toward carrying out the pledges of the bear a name and a number and the lots state. The national congress had, ear­ of each township were also to be num­ ly in the war, promised to every Conti­ bered. One of the provisions that was nental soldier 100 acres from the pub­ ma.de in every act for surveying public lic domain at its disposal. Near the lands at this time was adopted for the close of the war an arrang~ment was Military Tract survey. That one was made wherebv the state ef New York for the reserve of various lots from the took upon itself the carrying out of sale of which in after years could be this promise so far as it related to the realized funds to support churches and soldiers from this state. It was the in­ public schools. Other provisions of tent of the state authorities to increase this act defined the method by which the state grant of 500 acres to each sol­ the lands should be assigned tu the dier by the 100 acres promised by con­ war veterans and ordered that lots gress and lay out in the public land granted should revert to the state un­ enough 600-aP-re tracts to cancel the ob­ less settled upon within seven years. ligations. No steps could be taken to­ Surveyor-General Dewitt probably ward surveying the land, however, until began his work very soon after being the Indians yielded title. An act of given his instructions. The exact de­ 1785 begins with the preamble: "\Vhere­ tails of the survey work are uncertain as no leg-a~ settlement can be made on and the field-books no1:.v preserved at the lands now claimed br the native In­ Albany ~ive little information on the dians until a title from said Indians point. There seems reason to think can be had or obtained" and went on that raged about secured title later to lots 9 and 19. In sixty to eighty cents an acre, as they contrast to these was the sale by James passed from hand to hand. The actual Skaats of his claims for four pounds; of settlers of that period -bought their John Welch for three pounds, fourteen farms at about the same figures. John shillings, eight pence; of Francis Hor­ McHarrie's contract price in 1795 was ner for three pounds, four shillings; 75 cents per acre, and the purchase of and of William Gurtley for three David Haynes in 17~8 was at 66 cents pounds. These sales are typical of an acre. what was done by soldiers all through An examination of the deed records the continental army. Of the fourteen of the town of Van Buren shows many Van Buren grantees who retained title names of earlv note in state hh,tory, until after the allotment of 1790, at which were specially linked with tl1e least eleven sold their lots before the town by the ownership of lands within close of 1794. The last ones to part its limits. Dewitt Clinton. governor with their grants were the holders of of the state, held part of lot-· 8 from HISTORY OF VAN BUREN. 9 ------______; ___ _ 1796 to 1821. Lieutenant-Governor time. Others of the land owners oi Jeremiah Van Renssalaer, was interest­ this region were residents <'.>f Central ed in lot 13. Aaron Burr. the famous New York, and of these will be recog­ politician, held a part of lot 29 for a nized William Cooper, Peter Ten time. Nor were the land grants held Broeck and Francis Henry, of Otsego entirely by citizens of New York state. county, Asa Smith and \Villiam Shat­ Among those connected with Van tuck, of Romulus, Walter Wood, Abia­ Buren were Samuel Meredith and thur Hull, John Richardson, Sylvanus George McCall of Philadelphia, Robert Hussey and Thomas Mumford, all of L. Hooper, James Parker and Thomas Scipio, Francis Lamman, George W. Anderson, of New Jersey, Hezekiah Kirkland and Thomas R. Gold, of Gold, Thomas Johnson, Pierpont Ed­ Oneida county, Timothy Sweet and wards, Seth Turner, Samuel W. John­ Phineas Barnes of Pompey, Aaron son and James Wadsworth, Jr., of Con­ Wood and Daniel Mulholland, of Man­ necticut, with Henry Newman, Ed­ lius, Robert .Earll, of Marcellus, and ward Edwards, and Josiah Dwight of Joshua Forman, of Onondaga. Massachusetts. The greater part of The period of speculative land hold­ tne land holders were of course resi­ iD-oo-s in Van Buren began in 1790 and dents of the eastern part of New York lasted until about J 820, by which time state. Among residents of New York the greater portion of the town had city are to be found John Lawrence, passed into the hands of residents. Alexander McDougal, John W. Wat­ The history of the Onondaga awards kins, James M. Hughes, Wilham Duer, belongs to this time. Land titles of William .J. Vredenburgh, John I. Mor­ the Military Tract began early to pro­ gan, Thomas Lawrence, Richard Platt, duce trouble. A statute of 1790 had John McLean, Isaac Lawrence, Josiah declared that all conveyance of title Ogden Hoffman, Samuel Jones, Jr., since the date of March 27, 1783, should William Henderson, Jame~ Fairlie, be valid as applying to the lands allot­ Robert Troup and Frederick Depey­ ted to soldiers. This legalized all ster. From other parts of the Hudson the assignments of claims which had valley were Nathaniel Potter, of Long been made by soldiers before the allot­ Island, Peter Van Ness, of Kinderhook, ment of 1790. The consequence was John D. Coe. of Haverstraw, Philip that where an unscrupulous soldier Van Cortlandt, of Cortlandt, John Suf­ had sold his claim several times over, fern, of New Antrim, Israel Ro~ers as was often the case, there was a and Moses Phillips, of Wallkill, Theo­ clash of rival claimants disputing for dorus Bailey, of Poughkeepsie. Philip possession of that soldier's g·rant. Verplank, of Fish kill, Alexander Neely, SP-veral examoles of these oft-sold lots of Amenia, William McKown, Teu­ may be found in the town of Van ni.s Van Vechten, Jeremiah Schuyler, Buren. Lot 42 was sold by Williams John I. Cuyler, John Brown and Mat­ in 1783, again in 1790, once more in thew Visscher, all of Albany, Stephen 1791 and a fourth time in 1796. Lot 14 N. Bayard and Cornelius Van D_'t"'ck, of in the same way was sold by Gurtley ~chenectadv, John Woodworth and in 1783, again in 1785, and also about ,v1Uiam Gilliland, of Troy, Archibald 1787. Other instances of these double McIntyre, of Johnstown, Abr?,ham G. titles can be found in lots 1, 7, 12, 20, Lansing, of Lansingbnrgh, Stephen 21, 22, 37 and 40. To still further make Thorn, of Grenville, ,John \Villiams, titles uncertain extensive frauds were of Salem, an

Jonathan Foster, Asher Tappen, about 1807. Heman \Varner, brother David Haines, Gabriel.Tappen, of Seth Warner, is believed to have at Eber Hart, John Tappen, this time settled on Lot 40. Abner William Laken, Amos Warner, Hitchcock, a blacksmith. was also a Isaac Lindsay, Hannel Warner, settler on Lot 40. while John Shannon John McHarry, Henry Warner, was located on Lot 12. Daniel McQueen, Seth Warner, . About 1808 .John Cunningham settled Peter McQueen, Calvin Waterman, on Lot 38. He deserves something David Parish, Jos,eph Wilson, more than passing notice as he was the Jonathan Parish, Reuben Woodard, only Revolutionary veteran of the town .Tosiah Parish, John Wygent, who settled on the lot assigned to him Samuel Parish, James Young. by the f:,tate in 1790. Cunningham was John C. Britton was a Revolutionary a soldier in Machin"s cowpany of the veteran who came from New Jersey to Artillery Regiment. His company \Vas Onondaga county, settling near Ionia. a part of the expedition against the On­ He died in 1842 and is buried in the old ondaga Indians in 1779 and Cunning­ cemetery. Jonathan E,oster also lived ham may pos~ibly have visited the On­ near Ionia and died in 1830. So also ondaga country then. After the \var died Ira Barnes, whose death on Octo­ he settled at ~ewburgh, Orange coun­ ber 8, 1864, at the age of 81 years is re­ ty, from whence he came to Van Bu­ corded on his tombstone in the old ren. Cunningham is said to have been cemetery. Abraham Rogers seems to of Irish birth and his wife to have been have been a son of Moses Rogers. He a ~cotch woman named Elizabeth -was a land-owner in the town as late Nicholson. John Cunningham. Jr.. his as 1825. Gabriel Tappen and Asher son, spent most of his life in Van Bu­ Tappen, who appear in the census re- ren, but his descenda~ts have all left 1,urns, were sons of John Tappen. the town. Robert H., another sou, Elijah Rice was an early settler on was killed by an accident about 1825 Lot 39. Benoni Sherman had a farm and his descendants are also gone. on Lot 27 close by. Seth Warner and Catherine, sister of Robert, married Henry \Varner were also on Lot 39. Samuel Howe. and from her descended Seth \'Varner was born about 1775. He members of the Howe, Haynes, Crum, came to the town in 1807 and was a Van \Vie, Reed, O'Brien and other fam­ prominent man in early town affairs, ilies of the town. Another sister mar­ dying at an advanced age. Daniel M.c­ ried one Burgess. John Cunningham, Queen was an early settler 011 Lot 12 Sr., died about 1820 and was buried on and Peter McQueen was probably of the Lot 38. His widow aied about 1832. same family, although when be first Other settlers known to have come to appears as a land-owner in 1814 he is the town about 1808 are Linus Squire located on Lot 43. on Lot 27 and Delanson Foster, Jona­ Quite a group of the electors of 1807 than Skinner, Samuel .Skinner, Aar:)n were resident in the eastern part of the Foster and Samuel \Villard on Lot 40. town. Isaac Earll, Calvin Waterman Philip Hodges appears on the records, and .James Young were near the Van too, as a land-owner on Lot 22, while Buren corners. Joseph Robinson and about this time, probably, Augustus the Parishes were in the extreme south­ Harris settled on Lot 14 on land which east section. Stephen Crego was on had been bought by the Harris family Lot 23 and Isaac Linsday on Lot 29. in 1804. The Linsday family, including Isaac, Records of 1809 show Jonathan Taber \Villiam and Elijah Linsday, brothers, as a land-owner on Lot 39, Charlton seem to have removed from southern Britton on Lot 12 and Benjamin Depuy Camillus to the Van Buren region on Lot 7. Alvin Bostwick settled on HI~TOR Y OF VAN llU REX. 19

Lot 27 in this year, and about this time Ethan Daniels were on Lot 8 and Eli­ Nathan and Isaac Bentley settled on jah Barnes, Eli Ketchum and one "'\Val­ Lot 39. Esek Taber was a land-owner ker were in the same region. In the near Ionia in 1810 and James Wells, son eastern part of the town were John of Ebenezer Wells, on Lot 7 Charles Patch, Holder and John Cornell, Ben­ H. Toll came to the town about 1810 jamin Parish and, on Lot 41, John H. and also settled at Ionia. Lamerson and John Sears. Aaron Several names of known settlers do Warner was near Ionia. In the north­ not appear upon the records, although ern part of the town were Nathan Wil­ they came to the town in these early liams on·Lot 10, Chester Molby on Lot years. In Clark's history is mentioned 11, John Williams on Lot 7 and Charles one Benjamin Bolton as an early set­ Turner on Lot 14. tler at Jacks Rifts. He is not found in In 1814 come the names of Eleazer any record. Another early settler at Dunham, Loami Wilcox, James and the Rifts was Gilbert Totten. The De­ Jonathan Paddock, Robert Wilson and lano family which was settled on or Stephen Shead near Ionta. Henry near Lot 12 was also among the early Spor~s and Douw Smith settled on Lot arrivals in the town. Daniel Bartholo­ 20, the latter of whom died in 1841, mew is mentioned in an old sketch as at the age of 104 years. A man named one of the early settlers in the western Campbell was on Lot 21, John Morley part of the town and Atchison Mellin is and Rudolphus Auchampauch were on known as an early settler in the north­ Lot 28 and David Tillotson on Lot 40. ern portion of the town. In the eastern section Joshua S. Hulse In 1811 the names of Samuel Beck­ was on Lot 22, Josiah Hodges and Vine worth, Elihu and Peter Peck appear as Branch on Lot 23, Elijah Waterman on pioneers on Lot 41. Daniel Savage was Lot 29 and the Brewster and McAllister settled in the same section on Lot 22 families on Lot 15. Jost C. Finck lo­ and David Cornell on Lot 29. The lat­ cated on Lot 10. ter died in 1824 aged 72 years. James Near Ionia are found in 1815 the Rogers, son of Moses Rogers, became a names of Pardon Hart, Peleg Taber, land-owner on Lot 19 in 1811. Thomas James Rice, Levi Carter and Thomas Marvin came to Lot 40 from Connecti­ Smith. Dr. Jonathan S. Buel is said cut in 1811 with his sons, George, Nor­ to have come to the town in this year. ton, Joseph, Warren, Henry and Ralph. Frederick Ouderkirk and a McGee fam­ In 1812 John Ingalsbee, Moses Howe, ily were located on Lot 4. Luther Seaver and Phineas Meigs set­ · In 1816 Marcus Rice, Robert Rogers, tled in the Sorrel Hill region. John Alfred Little, Isaac Saxton, J..-:>hn C. Wright bought land near Ionia. Na­ Weeks and David Calkins are land­ thaniel Cornell, Sr., and Cyrus H. owners on Lot 9, Thomas W.Curtis and Kingsley settled near Van Buren and Simon Rouse on Lot 19, Hazael Hender­ Nicholas Vader came to the northwest­ son, Samuel Howe and Waty Meigs on ern part of the town. In this year Lot 20, Henry Cook and Richard Mc­ Thaddeus Sweet, Clark Eldred, Eph­ Laury near Ionia: while in the east riam Smith and Reuben Smith had Enos Talmage was on Lot 21. Thomas land on Lot 13 which they lost a little Bowen, Nicholas Lamerson and Benoni later when their titles proved worth­ E. Danks on Lot 22, John L. Cooper less. The Reuben Smith mentioned and Holden L. Albro on Lot 23, John may perhaps be identical with the ear­ Savage and Zar Patch on Lot 42. John lier settler on Lot 7. Henry B. Turner Bowman and Daniel Nelson on Lot 43. was a militia captain in this year. More names come npon the records with the year 1813. ,James Clark and 20 HISTORY OF VAN BUREN. mason work.'' A few years later, prob­ ably in 1813, the first school-house in HAMLETS AND LOCAL N AlIES-SKETCHF.S the town was put up near the corners. OF THE CENTERS OF POPULATIO~ Earlier thaT\ this John Tappen had giv­ en land a little west of the corners for IN VAN BUREN. the first cemetery in the town. When the state road was located Much of the local history of a town about the year 1813 and became a trav­ groups itself around its villages and elled highway with a bridge crossing hamlets. The circumstances -of their the Seneca a change took place at creation and the incidents of their "Harns' Corners," as the locality had growth are often important portions of been called. A post-route was extend­ the general historJ of the town. In ed over the new high way and Charles Van Buren the settlements of Ionia, H. Toll built at the corners a country Canton, Warners, Van .Buren and Macks­ tavern for the convenience of passing ville were centers of some little import­ peddlers, drovers, travellers and post­ ance in earlier years, though no~ ab­ riders. A justice court with Toll as sorbed or overshadowed by larger justice was established in 1814. A places. country store was started by Toll as Ionia was the first olc:!,ce in Van Bu­ well, and in 1816, or perhaps a little ren to take upon itself the semblance later, the first postoffice in t.he town of villagehood. Its exi~tence as a set­ was created there, with Charles H. Toll tlement dates really from about 1813, as first postmaster and Ionia as its ·offi­ when the :state road toward Sodus Bay cial name. The place was now a grow­ was laid out. The southwestern cor­ ing village with excell en t prospects for ner of the town was the oldest settled the future. Settlers increased in num­ portion and the most advanced gener­ ber around the corners. In 1815, ac­ ally. Lot 25, whose owner was Peter cording to Clark, Dr. Jonathan S. Buel Ten Broeck, of the Town of Onondaga, had located here, the first physician in was the first one of the military lots in the town of Van Buren. Three years the section to be parcelled out and sold later, in l 818, came Theodore Popell, to resident owners and the first parcel the first lawyer, and about the same sold was a hundred-acre tract which time came Dr. Uriah H. Dunning. The went into the possession of the Barnes first library in the town was estab­ family in 1801. This tract included lished by a meeting held April 9, 1816, that part of Ionia north of the east-and­ in the old school-house. It was called west road and on it Phineas Barnes set­ the Alexandrian Library and was kept tled, being, undoubtedly, the first set­ up for many years. The first trustees tler at the corners. were Stephen V. Barns, Phineas Barns, The first buildings in the section Levi Carter, ~eth Cushman and Charles were, of course, log cabins, but in 1808 H. Toll. The second church societv of the corner~ became dignified by the the town, the Christian Society, was erection of the first frame house within organized in 1818 at Ionia. the limits of the presP.nt town. Phine­ At the full tide of prosperity came a as Barnes, according to the usual ver­ check. The Erie canal was built and sion, was builder and owner. Another the village of Canton was laid out less account which may not be, perhaps, than a mile away on the new highway entirely accurate, gives more detail in of commerce. 'l'he post-route over the these words: "The first frame hous-e state road. was abandoned. New inns was built for Joseph Wilson at Ionia, and stores were built close by the side of Isaac and Nathan Bentley doing the the great ditch. The future greatness carpenter work and Phineas Barnes the of Ionia was a dream of the past. ~,or HISTORY OF YAN BUREX. many yea~s, however, after the canal and was a partner with Laughlin. was built the older settlement retained Drs. ,vareham Root and Rufus C. Dun­ a great deal of local importance. Drs. ham also settled in the place, the latter Uriah H. Dunning and Joshua L. Hardy being a disciple of the heretical "homce­ were local physicians. Abel Lyon and opath" school. Abram Lipe had a James Hawley were local storekeepers. blacksmith shop in the place and Levi Medad Curtis is said by Clark to have Elsworth owned a little foundry here. been here located as a lawyer, but this In 1828 the postoffice at Ionia was re­ seems to be an error. The first church moved to the newer village. The name edifice of tbe town was built here by of Canton was already borne by a post­ the Christians in 1829. Eleazer Dun­ village in St-. Lawrence county and the ham, a rough specimen of the back­ new office was called Canal to prevent woods boniface, succeeded to the place confusion. The little village was now of tavern-keeper about 1824. At his a brisk settlement. Canal traffic was inn was held the first town meeting of active and the place became a center of the newly created town of Van Buren trade for miles around. Occasional re­ on April 28, 1829, as well as the succeed­ ligious meetings were held in the place ing town meetings of 1830, 1831 and 1832. after 1826 by the Baptist society. At the corners were also held from Charles H. Toll, who had removed to year to year the fall elections, general Canton with the change of the postof­ trainings, political meetings and other :fice in 1828, opened an inn and in 1829 even ts of general interest. Here was another inn was run by Daniel Powell. kept the office of the town clerk for a Isaac Hill and John Lakin were among long time. Rut the decline of its im­ the early m.erchta.nts of the place. The portance slowly went on. The postof­ first town meeting held at Canton took :fice, long held by Charles H. Toll, was place in 1834 at the tavern kept by discontinued in 1828, or rather remuved Miles E. Curtis, the supervisor elected to Can ton· with a change of name. at the time being John Lakin, the local Town meetings were more seldom held merchant. For many years Canton there and onl v once after 1832 was it so was now the principal place in the favored. Eleazer Dunham passed away, town. Among its merchants were and under Amaziah Franklin and his David C. Lytle, John D. Norton, Joseph successors the tavern fell in dignity and J. Glass and others equally well known. was finally given up entirely. The old Most of the town meetings were held building yet stands on the corners as here until the growth of the Baldwins­ reminder to older citizens of the :vast. ville south side began to give Canton a Memphis, as a settlement, dates from rival. In 1851 the railroad was built 1821, when George W. Robinson, the through the town and then began the surveyor, was employed to lay out a building up of railroad terminal cities village along the bank of the Erie canal at the expense of the way villages, to be named Canton. There seems to Memphis being one of the places whose be no record as to whose plan it was to future was ended, so far as hopes of ex­ found a rival to Ionia, but possibly Lo­ tended growth were concerned. The ami \Vilcox, the holder of much of the name of the postoffice was changed in land in the vicinity, may have been the December. 1860, from Canal to Mem­ author of the enterprise. The new vil­ phis. Following is the list of postmas­ lage seems to have g-rown rapidly as ters of the village from the beginning: canal traffic increased. Dr. William 1828, Charles H. Toll: 1830. Oliver Nich­ Laughlin was the first physician in the ols: 1835, Job Nichols; 1838. David C. place. Clark's history says he came in Lytle; 1839, John D. Norton; 1843, 1812. probably a misprint for 1822. Dr. Leonard Mason; 1849, Abel H. Toll; V. H. Dunning came from Ionia later 1851, Charles H. Toll: 1853 ..John Lakin: HISTORY OF VAN BUREN. 1857, Andrew B. Conover; 1858, \Vilson 1831 a religious society was organized Bates; 1861, Anson Dunham; 1866, at the village. The little settlement Charles D. Barnes; 1867, David Shapley; was now beginning to assume a slight 1869, Seabury M. Higgins; 1871, Henry measure of local importance. A bijah Cro11se; 1885, Irvin R. Burch; 1889, Hudson, an early merchant, sold out in Dwight M. Warner; 1893, Irvin R. 1825 to John D. Norton, and the latter Burch. was followed in the little store by Hez­ Warnersvillage grew up near a coun­ ekiah R. Dow, Joseph Marvin and other try tavern located on the old state road. store-keepers. The creation of the Lots 39 and 40 were settled about the town in 1829 added to the importance year 1807 and the members of the \Var­ of the settlement and the fall elections ner family were numerous enough to were held there a part of the time. give the locaUty the distinctive name The town meeting was held at Hunt's by which it was long known. About tavern in 1833 and again in 1837. 1813 a school-house was built at the About 1838 Hunt died and was followed corners on Lot 39 and this became a by William Hall and others. A post­ sort of center for the neighborhood. office was established at Warners in It was here that the Baptist society, December, 1837. It was called Van the first church organization in the Buren Center and bore that name for town, came into existence about 1815. many years to the great trouble of Warners Settlement proper was, how­ postmasters whose mail was mixed ever, of later date and was located with that intended for the Hardscrab­ around the junction of the highways in ble office. It was changed to the name the center of Lot 40. Heman Warner of Warners in 1870. The building of bad settled on Lot 40 about 1807 and the railroad in 1851, a little distance was the purchaser in 1814 of one-third south of the older settlement, changed of the lot, his tract being a strip run­ the center oft.he locality and the new­ ning north and south in the center of er Warners extended southward to its the lot. He built a house near the present location. The building of the place where the roads now cross and first cement works near the village re­ about 1812 held a justice court there, cently was an event that hastened its which was probably the first one locat­ latter-day development. Finally.it may ed in the town, his appointment having be noted as of historic interest, though been made from Albany in that year. of trivial importance, that in 1894 an The Warner dwelling is constantly re­ officious postoffice department has clip­ f,~rred to in early records as a well­ ped the final letter from its name and known point by reference to which reduced it to simple "Warner.~' The roads and property lines were located. succession of postmasters of the local About 1818 Darius Hunt started a tav­ office follows: 1837, John Skinner; ern sou th of the cross-roads and on the 1849, George W. :Marvin; 1853, John Bo­ state highway, while as early as 1821 ley; 1854, ~herburne Noble; 1854, was located there a country store run Stephen W. Betts; 1872, George W. by Luther Scoville and Truman Skin­ Davi~; 1884, Alvah L. Spaulding; 1885, ner. About this time Dr. Adonijah Duane Van Al~tyne; 1889, Thomas H. White, one of the tnwn's earliest physi­ Marvin~ 1894, Ann McAuliffe. cians, came from Columbia county and Van Buren Settlement probably owes settled near the corners. Abner Hitch­ its beginning to the choice of the cor­ cock was the first blacksmith at \Var­ ners as a location for a tavern some­ ners, having located some years before time about the vear 1820. About this this. Dr. Jacob O. Loomis was a phy­ time there seems to have been a moder­ sician of a later day. The Warners ate amount of travel on the road lead­ school-house was built in 1824 and in ing from Ionia through \Varners to Van HISTORY OF VAN BUREN. 23 Buren, connecting the two state high­ Keller; 1862, Emeline Keller; 1866, office ways. A tavern was the natural result discontinued; 1867, Rufus Foster; 1871, of the travel. Before this time the Augustus W. Bingham. place had no special prominence. Isaac Not without interest in this connec­ Earll had been an early settler and in tion are the local names that are found 1808 had purchased the land in the vi­ in the Town of Van Buren as in all cinity, selling it again in parcels from other towns of this f)art of the state. time to time to Calvin Waterman, John They are in many cases relics of the Patch, Nicholas Lamerson and others. rural life of fifty or sixty years ago, Here, it is said, Isaac Earll built the when every man bore a more or less first frame barn in the town and here, grotesque nickname among his fellows about 1813, was erected a log school­ and when not even the neighborhood house. In 1817 the postomce was es­ in which 1:.e lived was exempted from tablished at Baldwinsville and the the same sort of affliction. Many of state road from Onondaga Hill became these old local nicknames are dying out a post-route. The first tavern-keeper and in most cases their origin is already at the corners is uncertain. Dr. Au­ nearly forgotten, though fanciful anec­ gustus Harris IS the earliest one known, dotes of later times, :floating around but it is possible that Calvin Bishop, here and there, readily supply the defi­ from whom he purchased the site in cie:ucs. It will not be difficult to find 1821, may have preceded him as land­ many variations of the explanations of lord. Harris was a man of some edu­ these names that here follow. cation who settled early in western The name of Jacks Rifts, applied to Van Buren. coming from Albany eoun­ the rapids of the Seneca, a.t the western ty, and had already united the callings edge of the town, was used very early.· of physician, farmer and surveyor be­ It Is found in a deed of December, 1816. fore becoming inn-keeper. I:fe kept Several different aecounts exist to ex­ the inn for many years. M-.--- 'Brown plain the name. One ascribes it to an -was inn-keeper as early as 1834. The Indian named Jack, said to have lived only town meeting ever held at the cor­ by the rifts at an early day. Another ners took place at his tavern in 1838. account says that Jack was a negro, 'fhe establishment of the tavern was who lived near the rifts and assisted followed in the course of a few years boatmen to transfer their freight at by other permanencies. Stephen Prou­ the rapids. Whatever the origin, the ty had a blacksmith shop there in 1829. name came with the early settlers and The postoffice was created in April, has remained. A bridge was first built 1829. A country store was also started across the river at the rifts in 1829 or at an early date. The corners were 1830. It supplanted Snow's bridge as a frequently the scene of the fall elec­ crossing-place, and the latter was tions and of general training at these abandoned a few years later. The times. After the building of the rail­ Jacks Rifts bridge has been rebuilt road to Oswego in 1848 the corners re­ several times. It originally touched lapsed into quiet that has never been the south bank of the river on the Van aroused. The list of its postmasters Buren side of the town line, but now is follows: 1829, Charle~ Turner; 1830, on the Elbridge side. Jam~s T. Hough; 1831, Adonijah \Vhite; Bangall, on Lot 18, is a place which 1837, Hezekiah Dow; 1840, Isaac Earll; once gave promise of growing into a 1842, Christopher C. Clapp; 1843, Asahel village, but the promise was never real­ K. Clark; 1845, Hezekiah R. Dow; 1849, ized. Its water power and lumber Lyman Peck; 1851. John Howman; 1852, growth made it an excellent place for Solomon Keller; 1856, Horatio N. Howe; the first saw-mill and grist-mill men to 185G, M.ezekiah R. Dow; 18fH, Solomon Jocate, and there grew up around the 24 HISTORY OF YAX BUREN. mills a little settlement whose houses all is a local name for which no origin were nearly all built of th~ rough slabs seems to be given. Pagoda Hill is a, turned out by the little saw-mill. title of more recent adoption than any From this is said to have come the ear­ of the foregoing. It comes fr:>m the ly name of "Slab City," applied to the great painted pagoda on the old Hamill place. Later the name of Bangall barn now on the Quereau farm. came into use. One account says the In the northern part of the town is a name was used on account of tn.e fight­ valley containing a small pond no•v <>n ing propensities of some of the men of the farm of Justus Stephens. The that place. Another story is that when pond is fed by springs of purest_ water, the first frame house was built there and in e,arlier times, when settlers the work was done by amateur carpen­ built no fences. but turned their cattle ters whose poorly finished timbers had loose. the pond was a gathering place to be pounded and "banged" together for the herds. The discordant chorus by immense effort at the "raising," of the cow-bells was always to be bringing into use the name of Bang-all. heard there and from this came, it is Sand Springs, a later name for Bangall said, the name of Ding-le Hole. found on the county maps, is derived Another derivation of the word may be from the springs which gave name to found perhaps in the fact that "dingle" Sand Spring Brook as early as 1831. is an old English word for a shaded \Vhiskey Hollow is not far from Bang­ dell often used in the mother country. all. The region was once inhabited Some twenty-five years ago the old­ by settlers and squatters of the pio­ fashioned word grated on the ear of a neer kind who loved good liquor and school-marm teaching there and she loved it often. Their conduct was decided that Pleasant Valley would more or less of a scandal to the more sound better. She was aided and steady-going people of other parts, who abetted to an extent that has brought dubbed the locality with the pictur­ the newer name into common use. esque name which time has since made Nearer the center of the town was so inappropriate. This name is also Shacksboro. In old-fashioned lan­ said to be derived from an escapade of guage a "shack'' was sometimes a some of its people in years gone by rough hut such as was built by poorer when a large barrel of whiskey was people for temporary use or it was stolen from the old Bangall distillery sometimes a lazy, useless man. Both and was traced to the Hollow by its meanings are cited in explanation of owners but never could be found. the name mentionerl. Another sug­ Satan's Kingdom is another name of gestion is that it came from the abund­ striking sound. l::)ome say that in early ance of butternut trees, then called years there were settlers in the section "shag-nut'' trees. whose wildness of conduct earned the The name of Sorrel Hill is stated place its name. Others say that the to have come out of the good-natured name was given sportively in reference badinage of two men at some public to the mischievous pranks of the young gathering. A man from the hill had people of the place, who loved to play said something in disparagement of the havoc with the rigs that staid farmers other's farm soil and the aggrieved one or visiting young men left outside retorted with the nickname of Sorrel while they attended religious services Hill. wild sorrel being a weed that or snelling-bees in the old school-house. abounded on the hill farms. Pfne Hill. a name applied in a very In the east part of the town was the general way, refers to the great forests well-known name of Hard-scrabble, or, that have covered the high grounds as we should translate the old fash­ since the town was first settled. Beat- ioned pronunciation, ·'hard scramble." HISTORY OF VAN BUREN. Many stories are told of this, too. One rifts there seems also to have been a is that it voiced a popular belief that foraing-place. For a number of years the land there was so poor that it was early in the century there was a road a bard scramble or task for them to coming trom the south which crossed make a living. Another accouut puts straight down to the river bank in a the point of the allusion on the steep north.easterly direction, entering the hill roads over which a man could not present cemetery property about where go with a team without a hard scram­ the chapel now stands and ending near ble to surmount the ridges. the McHarie cabin site. It is probable that this was the old road across the MACKSVILLE-THE EARLY DEVELOPMENT ford, used before the bridge was built as well as afterward until the dam OF THE BALDWINSVILLE FIRST WARD. raised the water. This road was re­ surveyed as late as 1814, but was su­ The First Ward of Baldwinsville bas perseded a few years later. About 1806 no very eventful history, but the story the state road to Oswego was laid out, of its earliest years will not be without crossing the river at the rifts. Dr. interest, since it is an important part of Jonas C. Bald win, of the Town ot On­ the general history of the town. It is ondaga. had some years before pur­ a part of Military Lot 7, which was in chased considerable land on the north 1790 granted to Benjamin Epton, ex­ side of the river at this point and it is private of the Continental army. Ep­ said that the laying out of the state ton, like many another soldier, had road to cross through the Baldwin pro­ e:old out his rights some time before perty was the result of his influence. the Military Tract allotment. He had, As soon as the road was located Dr. in fact, twice sold them. The better Baldwin began preparations for the in­ of the two claims thus created passed vestment of several thousand dollars in from Charles F. Weisenfels, the pur­ commercial improvements. By an act chaser, to \Villiam J. Vredenburgh in of the legislature passed April 7, 1807, 1790, and in the same \·ear from the he was empowered to build a bridge latter to Samuel Meredith, a Philadel­ not· less than twenty feet wide and to phian. who held title a- number of take toll thereon for thirty years, in years. About 1792 John McHarie came accordance with a certain schedule. down the river from the western coun­ Every two-horse carriage paid 20 cents, try and found here a handsome ~pot a two-horse wagon 15 cents, a mounted where fish and game abounded. Here rider 8 cents and a footman 4 cents. he settled and found ready an oppor­ while domestic animals in droves and tunity for labor in helping the boats herds were also taxed for crossing. By through the rifts on their up trips. In another legislative act. passed Febru­ 1793 Daniel Allen also came to the vi­ ary 24, 1809, Bald win was authorized to cinity and settled a little farther up build a dam. canal and locks and did the river near the north west corner of so, locating the canal on his property the lot. Both settlers made contracts on the north side of the river. The with Meredith for land. Allen was first dam was swept away a few months given a deed for his hundred acres in after it was built. but with the help of 1798 and was the first property owner the settlers around, who ~w future of the sou th side. good results in local improvements, it The presence of the rifts at this was re-built. Mills were soon put up point made the place a well-kown lo­ on the north side and a village was cality and it early became known as fairly started there. "McHarie's Rifts." It was a stopping­ The south side during this time place for the river traffic. Above the showed no hint of change except for 26 HISTORY OF VAN BUREN. the coming of a few more settlers. About 1827 Baldwin erected the The elder John McHarie, who had south side grist-mill and added to the never received a deed for his 500-aere impulse of south side growth. In the purchase, died in 1807 and the next same year John McHarie laid off the year the land was deeded by Meredith first south side village lot and sold it to to the McHarie heirs. About this time, ...t\.masa Scoville. It was located on the the 8tate road having opene-i the land southwest corner of Water and Svra­ to settlement, Reuben Smith, Ebenezer cuse streets. Stephen W. Baldwin a Wells, Ebel Goddard and others settled little later employed George W. Robin­ on the south side. Ebenezer Wells and son to survey a series of village lots on his son, James Wells, purchased tracts the east side of the state road and these on the east side of the great lot, and were partly disposed of to purchasers. Benjamin Depuy also owned a tract. All this indicates active growth. It Gabriel Tappen, who had married a was about 1827, probably, that the Me­ daughter of the elder McHarie, also Haries built the old red school-house, held title to a part of the land. None then some distance away from the set­ of these settlers, however, seem to have tlement, though its ~ite on the corner attempted any improvements. On the of Canton and Downer streets is now north side of the river the Baldwin set­ well within the village limits. In Jan­ tlement slowly grew and as early as uary, 1828, MeHarie sold to James 1820 adopted the name of Baldwinsville. Johnson, the mill owner, for $623, the About the same time the south side be­ tract now enclosed by Syracuse, Water, gan to be called Macksville, in allusion Canton and Downer streets, excepting to the name of the McHaries. Consid­ Scovilie's village lot. Water street erable travel converged at the Baldwin was the principal street at this time. bridge and as early as 1814 travelled Stores were located there as earlv as highways leading to the settlement at 1828. James Johnson, the mill-owner. Ionia were located about where Canton was an early store-keeper. D. Lovejoy street, Water street and the western & Co. are also mentioned as an early part of Downer street _now lie. fi:rm of dealers. In 1824 came the first awakening to The name of Baldwinsville had not an advance. Stephen \V. Baldwin at this time been extended to the south bought from .Tobn McHarie for $511 a side. In conveyances of the period thu-teen-acre tract including the 'land south side village lots are sometimes north of Water Etreet and the whole described as being "opposite Baldwins­ river-front. On this purchase Baldwin ville." Macksville was the accepted planned a canal similar to that on the name of the little village. In 1828 north side to extend from above to be­ there seems to have been an effort low the dam. In 1825 a part of the ca­ made to supersede the older name of nal was built, and at the same time Macksville by that of Wellington, but Bald win and Johnson built the saw­ the effort was not very successful. In mills on the present raw-hide factory a few eases the newer name was used site. The canal still exists, but its pro­ on land conveyances and an example of jected extension across the state road its use may also be found in the follow­ was never carried out, although the ing item from the Syracuse Advertiser right to make such extension was for a of June 4, 1828: "The Greek commit­ time carefully reserved by Baldwin. tee at Syracuse aeknowledges the re­ Another land purchase was made by ceipt from the ladies of Baldwinsville Baldwin in 1825, when he paid the Me­ and Wellington of their very liberal Haries $613 for the tract now enclosed donation of clothing valued at 200 dol­ by Uanton, Downer and McHarie streets lars." The new name was never able and the river. to supersede the older one. HISTORY OF VAN BUREN.

In 1830 for the first time streets be­ ducted it for some years. From 1841 to gan to be given names. Stephen W. 1843 1t was managed by E. D. Barber Baldwin laid out and named Seneca assisted by Miss Fosdick. Later the street which ran through his land. principalship was held by Lewis A. Canton street was also named. In 1831 Miller. The academy was given up in names had been given to Water and the forties. During its existence as a Syracuse streets. Tappen street, select school it was widely patronized though it was early laid out, seems and had quite a reputation through the not to have been named until the for­ neighboring towns. ties. J\-Iany people had purchased James Johnson, the mill-owner, south side village lots in the thirties, yielded to business ill-fortune in 1831 but some of these early land-owners' and his property went under the hau1- names are now unknown in the vicin­ mer. By virtue of his holdings of vil­ ity. Those who seem to have been ac­ lage property be had been the princi­ tual residents in the section at the pal man on the south side, but his fail­ time are Amasa Scoville! Ira Welch, nre ended that. Reuben U. Smith, Otis Bigelow, David S. Chapin, Walter who bad come to Macksville in the D. Herrick, Russell B. Frisbie. Jonas C. twenties, purchased Johnson's property Brewster, Austu1 Baldwin, George S. and took the leading place in the com­ Wells, Reuben U. Smith, Stephen munity. He had much to do with Prouty, James A. Scoville, Garret L. building up the little village and was a Cotton, Horace D. Putnam, Joseph W. leading eitizen for many years. His Heath, Jonathan A. Ormsbee, Andrew death occurred in 1878. Brown, Harlow Chapman, Pa.trick Ca-r­ Sanford C. Parker came to Macksville roll, Enenezer Merrick, David Penoyer, about 1835 from Marcellus. He bought Samuel L. Allen, Origin B. Herrick and the old saw-mills which were then do­ Sanford C. Parker. ing a splendid business. He continued Some time about 1832 was built the the Water street store which bad been "Travellers' Home," an old-fashioned run by his mill-owning predecessor and tavern located on Syracuse street on the upper floor of the store building where the Harder residence now stands. he established his office_ as a lawyer, Walter D. Herrick in 1829 bought the the first one· in Macksville. Parker land on which the tavern later stood, was ior twenty years the leading man but whether or not Herrick built the of the village and did much to make tavern is uncertain. The first town the place well known. In 1836 he meeting brought to Macksville was built the old stone grist-mill on the held at this tavern in 1835, it being site of the present Hotaling mill. It then run by John B. Ham. About 1838 was a remarkably expensive edifice for it passed into the hands of George B. that day and was regarded with a great Parker and after him was run by deal of admiration. Parker himself Hiram Hall, one Snell, Orson Barnes bought and solcl much land and dabbled and others, until :finally torn down in politics. He was assemblyman at about 1855. the time of his remov~l to Van Buren In the thirties was started the old from Marcellus. He became supervisor south side academy. The building in of Van Buren in 1844 and again in 1853. which it was held was on Tappen street He was president of the village of Bald­ and was probably put up by Reuben U. winsville 1n 1853 and 1854. and in the Smith, inasmuch as the school went by latter year was a defeated nominee for the name of Smith's Academy. Mr. Congress. Parker was the organizer Smith was the organizer of the school in 1850 of the Baldwinsville masonic and started it under the management lodge, one of the earliest in the county of a Mr. Leavitt and sister, who con- to be organized after the anti-masonic 28 HISTORY OF VAN BUREN. troubles. He was credited in 1850 with and until destroyed by fire a few years being worth $100,000, not an insignifi­ since stood as a dwelling-house on Syr­ cant sum now and relatively larger acuse street close by the corporation then. Business reverses overt(J()k him line. In its place was built the white finally. He lost most of his property school-house, enlarged about 1864 and anc., after living long enough to see the abandoned when the new brick build­ stone mill, which he had fondly hoped ing was erected. The south side was a would perpetuate his name, destroyed part of old School District 41 when by fire, he died April 26, 1861, two Van Buren was separated from Camil­ months later. He is buried iu. River­ lus in 1829 and at that time the dis­ side cemetery. trict was re-numbered as District 18. The building of the stone mill in 1836 So it remained until absorbed into the kept up the growth of the village. Dr. Baldwinsvilh'! Union Free School Dis­ Philip Sharp, who had come to Macks­ trict created in 1864. ville before this time as its first physi­ The olndently. District No. 8, by Mr. Parish, comprehends the inhabitants on Lots H. 15, 22, 23, 29, 42, 43, the north part of Lot No. 44, the northeast part of SCHOOLS AND ROADS-NOTES ON THE L·>t 5o to the lieavermeadow Brook and a part of Lot 41 including Elihu Peck. LOCAL SCHOOL AND ROAD SYSTEMS. District No. 9, by Lieut. Warner's, comprehends the inhabitants on Lots 27, 39, 40, east on Lot No. 41 to include Capt. P~ck's, south on Lot No. fi3 as No detailed sketch of thE> history of far as the swamp, the east parts of Lots 26 and 38 any town is complete without some and fifty acres otf the southeast corner of Lot No. 19. reference to its schools and its roads, District No. 10, by Ca.pt. Robinson's, compre­ for they are alike interesting to a stu­ hends the inhabitants on Lots 13, 20, 21 28, and dent of local history because closely the east half of Lot No. 12. District No. 11, by Mr. Harns', comprehends the connected with the growth of the com­ inhabitants on Lots 25, 37, 24, 3.:;, 18, the west half munity. The necessity of managing of Lots 26 snd 38. the south third of Lot No. 19, 30 HISTORY OF VAN BUREN. except fifty acres lying in the southeast corner of of a district, more especially where the said lot, the north half of Lot No. 51 and the farms of Ehjah Linsday and Richard :McClaughry number of children in the district was on Lot No. 50. small. The first schooi-teacher in the District No. 14, by Capt. Tappen's, compre­ town is said to be Augustus Robinson. hends the inhabitants on Lots 4, 5, 6, 7, 11, the west half of Lot No. 12, t~ Past half of Lot 'No. a person whose identity seems to be 10 and two-thirds of Lot No. 19 on the north. uncertain. The greater part of the District No. 15, on Lot No. 8, comprehends the teachers of that day, as at present, inhabitants on Lots 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 16, 17, and the west half of Lot No. 10. were young men or women who had District No. 17, by Mr. Sprmgsted's, compre­ studied at the academies and had prov­ hends the inhabitants on Lot 66 and western 550 en acceptable as disciplinarians. .Many acres on Lot 54. that part of Lot 79 north of the cedar swamp and part of Lot 41 to include l\lr. of the prominent citizens of a later day Beckwoi:th, John Lamerson and Capt. Sears' began their life work as teachers in farms. the country schools. The school-dis­ The first school-house in the town of tricts in Van Buren had increased to Van Buren is said to have been built at nineteen in 1830, just after the town Ionia. It was probably that put up was set off from Camillus. and were :for District No. 11 in 1813. The school­ then re-numbered The census of 1835 houses of the other districts must have rep~rted 18 districts and a school-age been put up soon afterward, however. population of 947 children, of which 96 On Lot 39, at the northeast corner of per cent. was enrolled. Today the the junction of the roads, the school­ town has 16 districta, wholly or partly hou~e of District No. ~ was built, and within its limits, 15 school-houses and the land on which it stood was former­ about 65u children enrolled. ly deeded to the district by J:iem y War­ The original plan of managing the ner on Jannarv 1. 1814, for a considera­ schools of each town by the commis­ tion of $5. A little further east, on sioners and inspectors proved too cum­ Lot 21. Jol1n Woodworth deeded land bersome. The responsibility was divid­ on which the house for District No. 10 ed and the system was inefficient. was located. Still further east, at Van There was no state department of pub­ Buren corners on Lot 22, was the house lic instruction at that time to oversee of District No. 8. In the western part the schools with authority. In 1843, of the town was District No. 15, with a therefore, a sweeping change was made. school-house on Lot No. 8, and in the The six town officers were abolished northern part wa~ District No. 14, the and in their stead one town superin­ site of whose school-house is uncertain. tendent was created in each town to do All of these early school-houses were the work and to keep in touch with Al­ roughly built of logs and were used for bany through a county superintendent. school purposes for years after the log­ This plan was a gl"eat improvement and cabin began to go out of use as a d wel­ lasted to 1856, when the school system ling place. None are now in existence was practically divorced from town in the town. control by the adoption of the present In 1815 the creation of new districts district commissioner system. began and changes in the boundaries No regularly incorporated academies took place almost every year :for a time. have existed in the town. Lot 15, New districts brought new school­ which was especially reserved for houses and all portions of the town school purposes in 1790, was early took their share in the growth granted by the legislature to the Pom­ of the local system. Probably pey Academy corporation. Private not every one of the new districts had schools took tbe place in former years a school-house of its own. In earlier of the present academic system and years school was often held in an ex­ were popularly known under the titles tra room in some of the larger houses of aca.demies or seminaries. Such a HISTORY OF VAN BUREN. 31 school was carried on for many years The old state road mentioned above in Baldwinsville on the sou th side of is the well-known highway crossing the river. The creation of the public the eastern part of the town from academy in Baldwins-dlle dates from Baldwinsville to Belle· Isle. In the the erection of the Baldwinsville Union early portion of this c~ntury there was Free School District in 1864 into whfoh a popular demand for state roads. was merged the old District No. 18 of Rapid growth of population in the cen­ the Town of Van Buren. tral and western counties made neces­ Unfortunately for the roads of New sary the laying out of pubhc highways York State there has been no develop­ on a scale that could only be successful­ ment in their administration such as ly carried out by the state itself. Ev­ has brought the school system into a ery successive legislature provided for well organized and well directed whole roads, some of them hundreds of miles from much the same beginnings. Our long, crossing the sparsely settled ter­ roads are still built and cared for on ritorv from settlement to settlement. very much the same plan that prevailed It was a wise policy on the part of the when the pioneers of Central New York state that found its reward in the rapid first began road work. The Town of development of the western counties. Van Buren has no especial cause for The old road in Van Buren vvas one of either pride or shame on account of its these. Its survey was ordered by an roads. Its highways are, if anything, act passed April 4, 1804. The commis­ somewhat above the average of country sion named in the act to oversee its roads in excellence. survey was Moses Carpenter, of Camil­ When the first settlers came into the lus; Medad Curtis~ of Onondaga., and town they found an Indian path lead­ Asa Rice, of Lysander, and for their ing through the Dead Creek valley, work they were each granted the sum w bile all else was wilderness. The of f2.50 a day. The road was required first travelled highways of the town to be six rods wide and the route speci­ were mere forest paths leading from fied was simply "from the court-house cabin to cabin and marked by blazed in the county of Onondaga to Ox Creek trees. The use of the carriage or near where it empties into the Oswego wagon was unknown for many years river and from thence to the village of after settlement began. Men and Oswego." It is hardly likely that there women rode on horse back and the pack­ had been any travelled path along the horse ca.rried portable property. Along route that the new road took. It is a these forest paths the settlers found local tradition that the surveying par­ their way from one part of the town to ty, instead of regarding the face of the another, and the route of some of these country in choosing the route, laid it early highways can yet be pointed out out from cabin to cabin at their own by the older residents. convenience, the chief feature of their The systematic laying out of regular plan being that they should be able to highways began early in the century reach a settler's home at each consecu­ as settlement advanced. The state or­ tive meal time. Probably the story is dered the survey of the old state road unjust to the old commis~ion, for the to Oswego in 1804, and it is probable old road was certainly a fairly straight that this was the first regular highway and well laid out thoroughfare between in the town. Within a few years after­ the two points where 1t began and end­ ward the early deed records begin to ed. It hastened the settlement of east­ make references to other roads and ern Van Buren and was an important show that the southern part of the factor in the growth of the McHarie­ town had become fairlv well covered Baldwin settlement. In the war of by regular roa.ds. ~ 1812 it suddenly assumed an important 32 HISTORY OF VAN BUREN. position as an available highway for Buren and built up the southwest part the movement of troops and was prob­ of the town. Its importance as a trunk­ ably used as such. Aft,er 1817, and road waned, however, when the Erie possibly before that, it was a post-route. canal was put through in 1820, and ten The old Camillus road record shows years later the abandonment of the that the portion south of the Seneca bridge over the Seneca ended its im­ river was re-surveyed in 1814. Por­ portance so far as it concerned the Town tions of the old road were r.e-surveyed of Van Buren. in 1830 and in later years. While al­ The old road records of Camillus terations have changed the route some­ show that the surveyors who laid out what from its early location the re­ the early roads of Van Buren were mains of the original road may usually mostly resident in the southern part of be recognized today by a width unusu­ the old town. Jonathan Wood is the al in modern country roads. first whose name appears on record Another state road exists in the signed to numerous surveys of 1813. town, but the lapse of years has Joseph White also made a few surveys brought about an abandonment of its in that year. Elijah White followed title and the oldest inhabitant would these. He began road work in 1814, not recognize it under that name. It laying out high ways in tt.e eastern and is the road running eastward from Io­ central part of the present town, while nia toward Warners and westward past Wood was working in the western part. the old Amos Warner homestead toward It was Elijah \Vbite who re-surveyed the river. On March 29, 1811, the the state road in 1814 from the Ononda­ state legislature ordered the laying out ga line to Baldwin's bridge. He after­ of a high way "from the bridge over So­ ward became a high way commissioner dus Bay, on the most direct and elig­ of the town. Squire Munro made some ible route, to the new bridge over the surveys in the town from 1815 to 1819, Seneca River at Adams' ferry and from but the most of his work was done fur­ thence, on the most direct and eligible ther south. Augustus Harris, a resi-. route, to the house of Gideon Brockway dent of the town, began work in 1818 in the town and county of Onondaga." and was a prominent surveyor for The bridge over the Seneca mentioned many years after the separation of Van was Snow's bridge, which spanned the Buren from Camillus. Other surveyors river from the town of Lysander to Lot who~e names occur before 1829 are 9 on the Van Buren side. The commis­ James McClure, James Ransom and sion appointeo to take the work in Daniel Reed. George W. Robinson's charge was Reuben Humphreys, of On­ name occurs as early as 1826 and is ondaga; Joseph White, of Camillus, and common th~rea.fter. Asa Baker is Philetus Swift, of Ontario county. another who appears on the records Work seems not to have been begun at about 1829. In later years came Philip once, for a year later, on June 18, 1812, Drake in 1842 and Hiram Bowman in the act was amended by a change in 1845 and also David Carroll, whose the northern terminus of the road and death is a recent occurrence. the substitution of Ira Hopkins, of Cay­ After the first beginnings of the uga county, on the commission in place town road system it advanced rapidly. of Humphreys, deceased. The actual The old Camillus road record began on survey seems to have been done in 1813. March 30, 1814, and from that date the The effect of this road was to bring highway development can be easily through the town an enormous amount traced. A bout the year 1820 the growth of travel from Lysander and the towns of the salt-boiling industry at Syracuse further west. It made centers of set­ brought a demand for wood that gave tlement at Ionia, Warners. and Van a ready market to the timber owners HISTORY OF VAN BUREN. 33 along the Seneca river. Regular high­ 7-Justin S. Cornell. ways were then existent leading down 8-David Scovill. to the numerous boat-landings along 9-Darius Hunt. the river where wood was placed await­ 10-George Marvin. ing shipment. In later years these 11-Philander W. Olcott. roads to the river bank have been aban­ 12-0rigen B. Herrick. doned. Constant change in roads has 13-Benoni E. Danks. been the rule, indeed, until very recent 14-Jabez Grippen. vears. Few of the roads now exist as 15-William McLane. originally laid out. Sometimes in the 16-Abel Weaver. past the laying out of new roads or the 17-0liver Nichols. discontinuing of others brought pro­ 18-Ralph Russ. test from those affected. One such 19-Warren Russell. case occurred in 1838 and takes up 20-Browning Nichols. much space upon tl:.e town records. G. 21-Phineas Barnes. W. Bowen petitioned for the discontin­ 22-J a mes Paddock. uance of a road in the western part of 23-George Hawley. the town and a jury of twelve freehold­ 24-John H. Lamerson. ers approved his request, the jury con­ 25-Joel S. Barnes. sis£iing of Belding Ressiguie, Gabriel 26-Edmund Holcomb. Tappen, Justus \Veaver, Ezra Weaver, 27-Peter McQueen. Asher T. Marvin, James Williams, Den­ 28-William Jones. ison Marvin, Arza Sears, Augustus 29-John Griswold. Suith, Stephen H. Safford, Am.os Hall 30-.Jerome Sweet. and Russell Saxton. Nicholas Vedder, 31-Amos Warner. across whose land the road extended, 32-David D. Prouty. protested against the action and the 33-Nathaniel S. Hungerford. three judges of the county court, head­ The three-commissioner system, on ed by Grove Lawrence, were called to account of its frequent changes, was the spot to decide the matter. Their found unsatisfactory, just as it had decision was in the nature of a compro­ been in school matters In 1846 the mise that ·doubtle&s satisfied all parties. term of each commissioner was made The plan of keeping country roads in three years,one being-elected annually. repair through the supervision of over­ In 1856 the number of commissioners seers or "pathmasters" is a very old was reduced to one, annually elected. one, dating back more than a century. It remains to be seen whether further Formerly the road overseers were chos­ changes will take place on the line of en at town-meeting by informal caucus those in school matters. of the voters in the several road-dis­ tricts and were subiect to three com­ THE FORMATIVE PERIOD-GENERAL ms­ missioners of high ways,elected annually at town-meeting. When the Town of TORY OF THE TOWN FROM Van Buren was laid off in 1829 it con­ 1801 TO 1829. tained thirty-three road districts and the following were the first road over­ The period of growth from seattered seers of the town: cabins to a complete community is al­ 1-Elnathan McLaughlin. ways an interesting one with whatever 2--Josiah Hodges. section of country one may be con­ 3-Calvin Ford. cerned. The formative period of Van 4-Peter H. Rogers. Buren begins in 1801, when immigra­ 5-Daniel Betts. tion began to assume a lively phase, 6-Rnssell Foster. and lasts until 1829. \Vhen the town 34 HISTORY OF VAN BCREX. was created. Settlement in the town strength, and as the new settlers came had, indeed, be~n as early as 1792, in many of the non-resident lot owners but it had been very slow and when had their property surveyed and began the century closed there were probably to contract with the new citizens for hardly a dozen families located in the its sale. James Geddes surveyed Lot region. With the new century's ad­ 25 as early as 1803 and Lot 21 in 1807. vent, the fast swelling tide of immigra­ Others of the early surveyors were tion that was spreading over all north­ Ephraim Hammond, Dorastus Blanch­ ern Onondaga took Van Buren in its ard, .Spencer Smith, Asa Baker, George scope and dotted its bills with new­ \V. Robinson and Augustus Harris. Hy built cabins and cleared fields. Onon­ virtue of his knowledge the ea~ly sur­ daga County was at this time just veyor was often an important perso~ emerging from the frontier condition. of the frontier community. Onondaga Valley was its early county The rapid settling up of the town is seat until 1805, when Onondaga Hill indicated by the state census of 1807, became the principal village of the which gives nearly forty names of Van county. New towns were being form­ Buren people who O\vned or occupied ed from time to time and the popula­ freeholds and were entitled to vote un­ tion was growing atan enormous rate der the laws of that day. Yet the de­ in all parts of its territory. The set­ velopment of the town had hardly tlers who poured into Van Buren with begun. It was yet isolated from the this wave of settlement were mostly of main highways of travel and there was the sturdy New England stock that bas no trade within its limits. About 1807 always been at the front of settlement a new era was opened by the laying in the American republic. Many came out of the Oswego state road and the to Van Burf!n direct from New England, building of the Bald win bridge at the while others came from the Yankee l\lcHarie Rift. This avenue of trade towns of the Hudson valley or the Ot­ did something for the town and when sego hills. In more than one case set­ in 1813 the new state road through the tlers came from the older settlements sou thwestern part of the town was laid of Pompey, but a iew miles away. In­ out there was yet more rapid develop"' termingled with the Yankee stock were ment. descendants of Dutchmen from the The bridging of the Seneca at the .Mohawk or the Hudson and a sprink­ western end of the town was a conse­ ling of that vigo!"ous Scotch-Irish ele­ quence of the laying out of the second ment that has done so much for the state road. As early as 1811 there had American people in the past. Not a been a ferry crossing the river at the few of the pioneers of Van Buren were north line of Lot 16 which was run by revolutionary veterans. Among the a man named Adams, probably· Dr. names of tht>se we find John McHarrie, Charlora Adams. of the town of Lysan­ John Tappen, \Villiam Lakin. John ln­ der. who owned the land directly oppo­ galsbee, John llritton. David Cornell, site. About 1813. when the state road Phineas l\Ieig-s, .John Clark, Sherebiah was laid out, crossing the river at the Evans. Atchison Mellin, John Cunning­ point, Elijah Snow, of Lysander, built ham. Calvin Waterman, Ebenezer Mor­ a low wooden bridge that was used for ley, Douw Smith and others. They many years and is often referred to in had fought on many fields, and now in early records as "Snow's bridge.'' advanced years they sought the wilder­ About this time the principal stream ness to build new homes. of the town began to be called by its During the first few years of the cen­ present name of Dead Creek. The tury the development of the town was building of the Bald win dam in the uneventful. The immigration gained Seneca some years before had backed HISTORY OF VAN BUREN. 35 the water of the river, overflowing the and it certainly does not seem that low land at the mouth of the creek and communities suffered much from lack stagnating its waters for 'the greater of physicians' presence. Corn was the part of its length. To this condition is great staple of agriculture. Not only generally ascribed the origin of the did it supply material for the family cr~ek's peculiar name and the deriva­ bread chest, but it also furnished the tion is probably right. The first use pioneer farmer with what was then of the name that,occurs in the records considered one of the necessaries of is in a will d;.tted April, 1814. Mud life~ old-time whiskey~ strong and pure. Creek seems also to have been an early The quiet of the growing region wa~ name for the stream~ rudely disturbed in 1814 by the spectre The domestic life of these times was of war. Hostilities had begun between by necessity of the simplest. Few of the United States and Great Britain in the settlers were well off in worldly 1812, but had caused little uneasiness goods and their isolated life left them to the interior of the country. The little beyond the bare rouud of daily American government had garrisoned existence, The first frame house of Sacketts Harbor with troops and had the town had been built in 1808 and made Oswego a fortified post of some others followed, but the greater part importance, but these posts had not of the people lived in the primitive log­ been threatened seriously. In the win­ cabins which were common up to ter of 1813-14 the Americans took the about forty years ago, and which have initiative in carrying the struggle up­ not yet entirely disappeared. In these on the lakes, and began preparations small ca.bins which seldom contained for trouble. A large quantity of naval more than two or, at the most, three equipme.ats and ammunition was separate rooms, large families were brought from Albany through Wood reared and whole lives spent. With creek and Oneida lake to near the pres­ simple wants there yet appears to have ent site of Fulton village, where it was been no great amount of leisure in stored for future use. The presence of these olden times. The men of the these stores became known to the Brit­ family spent day after day and season ish and an attack on Oswego was plan­ after season in clearing their land of ned, with the further intention of fore~t and tilling it into fertile farm marching up the river and capturing soil, raising flocks of sheep and making the stores. The old Oswego fort had needed improvements. The women at this time a garrison of 300 men, cooked and wove and spun and knit, much too small for adequate defence, gathered herbs and nuts and fruit for and the arrival of the British fleet be­ winter. and, in spite of all, raised fam­ fore the harbor was the signal for the ilies of six, eight or ten children to summoning of the militia to the rescue. take up the work of improvement Onondaga County responded to the where the parents left off. Clothing alarm. Among the companies of citi­ was made entirely by home industry zen soldiers which hastened to Oswego then. The wool from the sheep of the were those of Gabriel Tappen ·and farm was cleaned, carded, spun and Stephen Tappen from the town of Van woven into cloth which was then Buren. There is .little known of the fulled. dyed, cut and sewn into home­ details of this short campaign. The spun garments, cut according- to the ar­ militia reached the scene of trouble, ti~tic taste of the housewife. Home but had little to do. On May 6, 1814, grown flax was also turned into cloth the British forces captured the fort, for the familv. 'fhe virtues of herbs but they did not attempt to force a was a part of the lore of every house­ way to the military stores at Fulton. ket-per in days when doctors were few. After dismantling the fort they retired 36 HISTORY OF VAN BUREN. to their ships. The militia was then Camillus, Lysander and Hannibal and sent home again. having among its officers Quartermas­ A most important feature of country ter Abraham Rogers, Captain Gabriel life in the early part of the century Tappen, Lieutenant Seth Warner and was the militia organization which on Ensign Ira Barnei,;. In 1812 the militia very rare occasions sprang into momen­ throughout the state were numbered tary importance. It was a legacy of and the Van Buren section was a part revolutionarv times. when the freemen of the 16th regiment. The 172nd regi­ of every town were organized under ment, created in 1816, was a Lysander state authority to spring to arms at a regiment, and Stephen Tappen, then possible invasion of British red-coats. resident in Lysander, was its lieuten­ In times of peace the militia became a ant-colonel in 1816 and its colonel in very picturesque but scarcely useful 1818. Changes among the officers of part of the state government system. the old militia regiment:s were not in­ Its organizat.ion covered the whole frequent and the list ef Van Buren men state and every adult male not physi­ who held military rank from 1809 to cally impaired was obliged to attend 1821 is of goodly length. The most of general training at lea~t once a year these are included in the following list: for the alleged purpose of obtaining in­ Colonels-Gabriel Tappen, 1816; Ste­ struction in military science. The in­ phen Tappen, 1818. struction thus received, as may be sup­ Lieu tenant-Colonel-Stephen Tap­ posed, was not especially valuable, but pen. 1816. the general trainings became a feature Major-Charles H. Toll, 1820. of country life looked forward to with Regimental staff-Abraham Rogers, keenest zest by young and old. They quartermaster in 1809; Charles H. Toll, were holiday celebrations to which quartermaster in 1816, adjutant in 1819; gathered the whole countryside. "£he John McHarrie, paymaster in 1819; U. commissioned officers of the regiments H. Dunning, surgeon in 1820. were appointed from Albany and as Captains-Gabriel Tappen, 1809; Ste­ the higher ranks of the militia were phen Tappen, 1811; Henry B. Turner, often stepping stones to political pre­ 1812; David Parish, 1814; Seth Warner, ferment the foremost men of the com­ 1816; John L. Cooper, Henry Warner, munity were glad to accept commis­ Levi Paddock, 1818; John Inglesbee, sions. Richard Lusk, 1819; Delanson Foster, The little that can be said about the 1820. militia organization of Van Buren Lieutenants-Seth Warner. Gabriel comes from some papers published by Tappen,1806; David Parish, 1812; Josiah P. H. Agan, of Syracu~e, several years Parish, Jr., Stephen Shead, 1814; Ira ago. From tht-se it is lt-arned that as Barnes, John L. Cooper, 1816; James early as 17~8 the old town of Camillus Wells, John Inglesbee, Richard Lusk, was a part of the territory covered by Jost C. Finck. 1818, Delanson Foster, the 'I'hird H.egiment in the Oaondaga 1819; Phineas Meigs, 1820; C. H. Kings­ County .Brigade. As the present town ley. 1821. of Van Bur~n was settled the names of Ensigns-Ira Barnes, 1809; Henry its residents begin to appear on the roll Warner, James Wells, 1816; Delanson of militia officers. Before 1809 Isaac Foster, James Rogers~ Daniel Cornell, Linsday was a captain, Seth Warner 1818; Phineas Meigs, Stephen Britton, and Gabriel Tappen lieutenants, and 1819; Abram H. Hamblin, John Lakin, Isaac Earll a paymaster in the regi­ 1821. ment. In 1809 a battalion of three No militia records later than 1821 are companies was set off from the rest of at present accessible. Col. Thaddeus the regiment, covering the towns of Haynes, Col. Belding Ressiguie and HISTORY OF VAN BUREN. 37 others reached their rank at a later and fish anywhere in their old territory day than those above nam~d. and their olden hunting-ground was a As late as 1815 the town was hardly favorite place of resort. They usually out of the frontier stage of growth. A came up through the Dead Creek valley justice court had been established only and established their hunting and fish­ three years before. School districts ing camps in the neighborhood of the had been formed and school-houses Seneca river. A well-known camping built and a powerful factor \lf social place was at _Writ?'ht's woods on Lot 5. improvement thus introduced. The As the town became thickly settled first church society had come into ex­ and larger game disappeared the visits istence. A village was irrowing up, of the Indians became more infrequent. too, at Ionia corners, with a tavern There was little, if any, hunting done which served as a stopping place for after 1820, but until that time the In­ passing· trade. Yet, after all. the town dian parties came through often and was to a great extent a wilderness. the red men and white men often fra- . The great forests still covered large ternized in expeditions after game. In parts of the region and in their depths this connection is preserved the curious still lurked the bear and panther, story of the Indians' lead mine. while prowling wolves made havoc in An old Indian discovered one day, so the settlers' :flocks. Sometimes the the story runs, that his white friends wolves invaded the very sheep-folds of the Dead Creek valley had exhausted where the flocks were penned at night, their stock of lead and were at a loss until the settlers, taught by experience, for bullets. Lead was needed badly, built high enclosures over which the but none was at hand. The Indian creatures could not leap. In the early was sympathetic and thoughtful. Af­ records of the board of supervisors are ter a time he quietly said, "I get you many entries of bounties paid out for some," and a short time afterward wolf scalps by the county legislators. could not be found. Little was Ten dollars for each scalp was the sum thought of either words or action until paid then. In 1814 Benoni Sherman is several hours later when the settlers upon the list and is followed in 1815 by were astonished to see him stalk in Jonathan Howe, in 1816 by David with a quantity of what appeared to be Cornell, William Linsday, Benjamin lead ore of the finest sort. It was Weaver, ,John Paddock. Hiram Nichols, melted, moulded and used. The inci­ and in 1817 by Isaac Linsday, all of dent made some little stir, tradition these being probably Van Buren men. says, for the prospect of a lead mine Not only wolves b11t other game was near by gave a hint of wealth to the hunted. In 1816 Abel Weaver and lucky finder. The Indian was ques­ \Villiam Lakin were awarded a bounty tioned, coaxed and bribed, but no hint for killing wild cats. A longer list of would be give of the place whence the early citiz~ns is on the record as fox metal came. His companions were hunters. Among the number are either ignorant or equally secretive. Ethan Daniels. Warren W. Marvin. Al­ Nothing could be learned. He was im­ mon Peck, Jonathan Howe. Chester portuned to repeat his trip and did so Morley, Ira Barnes, Amasa Franklin, more than once, al ways returning with Isaac Peck, Jacob Spores, Benoni Sher­ metal. Efforts were made to follow man, Philo Peck, Elihu Peck, Robert him without his knowledge, but his \Vilson. __ trackers always lost the trail. The The Indians were a familiar figure in mystery was never solved. This story the town as long as there was game to of the lead mine was well known in be hunted. The treaty of 1788 bad ex­ western Van Buren. The earlier resi­ pressly granted them the right to hunt dents used to believe that the bidden 38 HISTORY OF VAN BUREN. mine was somewhere along the hill­ tury the Elbridge school-master, but sides of the valley and many a pros­ he bought a farm in Van Buren and re­ pecting tour was made in search of it moved to it. From 1814 until 1829, ex­ within the memory of men yet living. cept for one year, the town clerk's office Indians, wolves and other scenic in­ remained in Van Buren. Linus Squire, cidentals of the frontier passed out of after serving several years as town the town history-when the elements of clerk, was chosen supervisor in 1818, modern life came in. Ionia grew and and for the first the northern part of prospered. Skeels and Paddock put up the old town was thus represented in their saw-mill at Bangall and began to the town government. Squire was turn out rough boards for local use. twice re-elected as supervisor. His Along the river at the north settlers successors in the town clerkship were began to find a market for their sur­ Charles H. Toll, 1818-J 820, 1822-1824, plus timber by shipping it to Salt Point Linus Squire. 1825, David C. Lytle, for fuel in the salt blocks. Times of 1826-1827, Abel Lyon, 1828-1829. Lyon trial came, however, in 1816, when, in held the office when the old town of the famous cold season, the crops failed Camillus was split up and he was and families found themselves almost elected the first town clerk of Van without food. At the grist-mill in the Buren. Oswego Bitter corn was received from With the year 1819 begins a distinct the more fortunate and after being period in the history of not only the ground was given out in small amounts town but of the county as well. The to the poorer families to keep them middle section of the Erie canal was from starvation. This experience was completed and chan£:res which were of only an incident, however, 1n the-march vast importance began to take place. of prog-ress. Growth continued. The The traffic over the state roads had in­ Ionia posto:ffice was created in 1816, or fluenced the inner life of Van Buren to a iittle later, with a mail-route on the a great extent. The settlements which state road, and in 1817 the new postof­ had started at Ionia, Warner and Van fi.ce at Baldwins ville placed another Buren were due to its activity. As an mail-route on the eastern state road. accompaniment to this awakening o:C Once a week the post-rider came local life, mills were being built, through with the mail, usually on schools extended and church societies horseback. or sometimes with a light formed. With the coming of·. the sulky. The posto:ffice brought the canal the importance of the state roads outside world vet nearer to the settlers. passed away, and to a certain extent The bringing of the supervisorship of the little centers of population along the old town of Camillus into the Van the state roads felt the depression. Ruren region in 1818 marks the grow­ Another effect oi the canal was the ing importance of the present town. blow that it gave to the traffic along The old town of Camillus was at this the Seneca river. The old water-route time quite an important memb~r of the through Oneida lake and Wood creek county group. It had a large popula­ was now given up since the direct tion and the best of prospects. El­ water-way that led from Lake Erie to bridge was its principal village and Io­ Albany made the old route worthless. nia and Camillus were secondary cen­ \Vhile the cana] thus centered in itself ters. In later years Canton rivalled the trade that had previously spread Elbridge in importance. As early as itself over the roads and the river it 1814 the town clerk's office came north­ gave remarkable growth to the canal ward to the present Van Buren, the in­ villages that sprang up along its banks cumbent at the time being Linus and the state road centers were left Squire. Squire was early in the cen- with shattered dreams of future gr~at- HISTORY OF VAN BUREN. 39 ness. In Van Buren the new village of den of old Pleiades lodge. The hamlet Canton drew to itself all the trade of of Macksville began to reach import­ the town. ance in the twenties. About 1825 Bald­ While river commerce with Albany win and his fellow capitalists com­ was killed by the new canal the local menced mill·building on the south side cord wood trade with Salina village con­ of the Seneca river and gave an impe­ tinued. The town was not yet cleared tus to the growth of the south-side of its dense woods and the settlers hamlet. Not until the forties, how­ spent year after year chopping and ever, did Macksville become a formid­ clearing off their acres. Prowess in able rival to Canton. tree-felling was one of the boa&ts of The politics of these times deserves a the early settler, and he who could cut word. The Van Buren portion of the down the greatest number of trees in a old town of Camillus had its share in given time was a hero to whom his fel­ the distribution of town offices, as has lows paid all due deference. The saw­ been said, but never, until it became a mill at Bangall was a busy center in town by itself, was Van Buren granted early years and the Pine Hill region be­ an assemblyman or a county officer. came a famous pla,ce for lumbering. None the less interest, however, seems On Lot 16 in the western part of the to have been taken in politics by its town was timber of excellent growth citizens. When the century opened in early years and as the lot belong-ed the political arena in New York state to non-residents the wood became a held the two opposin~ parties of the matter of· covetous interest to many. Federalists and Republicans The for­ Midnight raids used to be made, it is mer grew weakened in time and its ex­ said, in th is section. Spies were posted istence in Onondaga county ended with to give alarm if necessary and night the disbandment of its county organi­ after night the work of felling trees zation in 1817. In place of the old con­ and dragging away logs continued. testants now arose the warring fac­ From 1821 to 1829 the history of the tions of the Clintonians and Bucktails, town is merely one of continued devel­ both claiming to be of the Republican ment, but with no great events to party, but waging bitter war on each break the even current of existence. other. The death of Dewitt Clinton in Until the year 1821 slavery evisted in 1828 deprived the Clintonian faction of the state of New York and was in that its leader, and a re-adjustment of party year abolished. There seems never to lines took place through the state. have been a bondsman held in the town The old Republican party name was of Van Buren, however, and this early about this time displaced by the more abolition law is without local signifi­ familiar name of Democratic party, It cance. The daily life of the pioneers was not a united party, as yet, by any had by this time less of the isolation means, for old struggles were continued that had prevailed in earlier years. The by its factions under new rallying influence of district schools and church­ cries. "-Adams" men fought "Jackson'' es was a potent one. District school li­ men until their respective factions braries began to be established and were gradually absorbed under the wer~ a welcome innovation. Another pressure of new issues. There is very social influence is suggested by the in­ little that can be said of the local bear­ stitution of a Masonic lodge at Bald­ ings of these struggles. The party winsville in 1822, among whose early organizations, though not as complete members were Philip Sharp, John Her­ and staple as they are in the present rick. Stephen Y. Barns, James Wells, time, bad much the same scope of work Atchison Mellin and other Van Buren and extended into every town. Town men. \Yells was the first junior war- caucuses were often held at Ionia and 40 HISTORY OF VAN BUREN. Canton for the old town of Camillus, es of industrial life. The town that and Van Buren men occasionally ap­ has grown up around the sites of the pear among the delegates sent to pioneers· cabins would hardly have be­ county conventions. come the community that it has today, The Anti-Masonic excitement, which had not the mili-builder and the handi­ started in the western part of the state, craftsman followed close upon the soon extended to Onondaga County, pioneer and supplied the lacking fea­ and the Anti-Masonic party was organ­ tures of a self-reliant society. In these ized in the town of Camillus in Janu­ mcdern times when merchandise of ary, 1828. In that year the party polled every sort is unloaded at our doors by 592 votes in the county. FoJlowing is daily passing trains, it is almost impos­ the report of the organization as pub­ sible to realize the necessity for me­ lished at the time: chanical labor that was felt by a young "At a meeting of the inhabitants of community. The miller, sawyer, full­ Camillus friendly to the Anti-Mason er, tanner and potter had work to do cause, Jonathan Skinner was chosen then, which now is done by immense chairman and Charles H. Toll secre­ factories miles a wa_y. Hardly less i m­ tary. portant were the petty craftsmen, the "Voted, That a committee be ap­ shoemaker, hatter, blacksmith. cooper pointed to draft resolutions to present and tinsmith. These men were seldom the sense of said meeting, and that large land-owners and this fact ac­ Lewis Squire, Leonard Caton. Lorenzo counts for the scant mention they re­ Hunt, Lewis Beedle and DeLanson ceive in the records. In the early times Foster compose such committee. social status was to a· large extent a "Levi Paddock was appointed dele­ matter of acres, as it is today in a pure­ gate to attend county convention and ly rural region, and the mechanic was Lorenzo Hunt, Asa Bingham, C.H. Toll, not a prominent feature 1n the social corresponding committee." organization of the time. Yet the The history of Van Buren as a sepa­ names that are here mentioned •as be­ rate town begins in 1829 when it was ing identified with the early shops and separated from the old town of Cam­ mills of Van Buren will be recognized illus. The year is an important one in as those of men who occupied no unim­ the history of the county, for it marks portant place in their time. the removal of the county seat from Saw-mills and grist-mills were the Onondaga Hill to the growing canal first necessities c.,f a new country in an village of Syracuse, and the conseguent industrial way and the saw-mill was beginning of a new period of develop­ generally the first to be built. ment in the county. After 1829 Van Throughout the whole extent of the Buren was fairly out of its pioneer Onondaga country the hills and valleys period. Its later history belongs to were covered with vast forests. At another chapter. first the settler built his cabin of rough­ hewn logs and as he cleared his land VAN BUREN iNDUSTRIES-THE SHOPS .A.ND burned the felled timber to get it out the way. As settlement progressed MILLS THAT HAVE FLOURISHED the sawyer appeared and began to turn IN THE P .A.ST. out from his mill sawed timbers and rough boards. Then the log ca.bins be­ In th~ story of the development of a gan to pass away and the frame house community no small share of credit to appear. In Jater years improved should be given to the men who ha~e waterways and state roads opened the done their work in its growth by found­ way to export and gave a commercial ing and carrying on the varied branch- value. HISTORY OF VAN BUREN. 41 In the town of Van Buren a saw-mill Saw-mills sprung up in other parts of first appears in the records in 1815, the town very soon after the Paddock though it may have been built much mill set the example at Bangall. An earlier. Nathan Skeels and Solomon early mill was built by John McHarie Paddock are said to have been the and Gabriel Tappen on Lot 7, outside builders of this pioneer mill. Water the present corporation line. It was power in the town was not of the best, located on Crooked brook and the old but available sites could be found and mill-dam can yet be seen. It was run those nearest to the Ionia settlement by Albert G. Wells while it beionged to were naturally the ones first used. the McHarie estate, but the dam broke The old Skeels mill was built on Lot 18 about 1-845 and the mill was abandoned. by the little brook that has furnished A few years later it was rebuilt and power to half a score of mills and shops run by the Smiths for a time and was from that time to the present. In 1816 then abandoned again. Further up a road was surveyed to the mill from the creek, on Lot 13, was built a mill the nearest highway. The old mill about 1824 by Hiram H. and James A. seems not to have stood very long, for Scoville. It passed to Charles Turner it was succeedt•d about 1822 by the Els­ in 1826 and was later owned by one worth mill Little i8 known of Pad­ Healey, by Peter Barber. John Hall dock or Skeels. The saw-mills of early and finally by Au~stus and Maynard times were little more than rough sheds Smith, its latest oi.vners. FarthPr enclosing the clumsy machines with south yet, on Lot 21, Joseph Hopkins which the work was done. In the ear­ built a mill in early years and ran it lier mills the saw was a broad blade set until timber failed. It was given up upright in a stout frame that, by a along in the fifties. crank-like arrangement, was kept slow­ On Lot 39 Isaac Bentley built a saw­ ly moving up and down w bile the log mill about 1844 and it was run suc­ was held against it by a movable car­ cessively b_v the Bentleys, Weavers ana riage. Later the heavy saw-frame was others until recent.ly. A saw mill also replaced by a lighter device and finally existed on Lot 23, about fifty yearsago, the circular saw was adopted. but has now passed away. Next after the Skeels mill came the At Baldwinsville was built about old Elsworth mill, also located on Lot 18, 1825 a saw-mill near the dam on the but a little further down the creek. It south side by James Johnson. of Salina. was built about 1822 by Reuben, Levi It was run by different owners until and Daniel Elsworth. Reuben Els­ the fifties. worth died about 1827, and his son-in­ West of Dead creek was located the law, Horace Rewey, took the mill and old Vader mill on Lot 3. It was built ran it for several years more, Ira about 1825 by Isaac Hill, the Canton Barnes being also interested. The merchant, who, when his dam broke Rewey mill-dam was an object of com­ before the end of the first year, sold it plaint in the vicinity on account of ill­ to Nicholas Vader. It was run success­ health which was attributed to the fully by Nicholas Vader and his ~on, pond. anMARTIN VAN Buren was a nart of the old town of BUREN-THE FIRST TOWN Camillus. The offices of supervisor and MEETING. town clerk have already been noted. From scattered sources are gathered The Town of Van Buren as a the following additional facts: separate community dates from 1829, Benjamin Weaver was assessor in when it was set off from Camillus. 1813. Gabriel Tappen in 1816 and 1817, For several years before that date the Phineas Barnes in 1819, 1822, 1823 and old town of Camillus had polled a 1824, John Bowman in 1824. larger vote at each successive election Gabriel Tappen was trustee of the than any other town in the county. public lots in 1816, Seth Warner in 1822, By virtue of its large population the 1823 and 1824, Cyrus H. Kingsley in town had exercised a great degree of 1824. influence, too, in county affairs, and Gabriel Tappen was commissioner of perhaps it was this latter fact that had highways in 1813, Josiah Parish in 1814, as much as anything to do with its Isaac Linsday in J 814, James Paddock di vision, since other towns were not in 1815 and 1816. Phineas Barnes in disposed to continue the existence cf 1816, 1817. 1818, 1819 and 1820, Henry their overgrown rival. The whole Cook in 1820, 1821, 1822, 1823 and 1824, western part of the state had been Augustus Harris in 1821 and 1822, Enos rapidly growing in the early part of 1,almage in 1824, 1825 and 1826, the century and every legislature was Benjamin Weaver in 1826 and 1827, concerned with the creation of new Cyrns H. King~ley in 1828 and 1829. counties and new towns to keep up HISTORY Oif VAN BUREN. with the increase of population. No therein shall be held at the house of Eleazer Dunham in said town on the last Tuesday of less than seventeen towns were created April next and annually thereafter on the third at the same time with Van Buren. 'ruesday of-April until changed according to law. The separation of the old town of It is said that a commission of three Camillus in to three parts came up men, including Gabriel Tappen and before the legislature whieh met in the John Lakin, was appointed to lay out winter of 1828-29. The town was the new town. The act of 1829 makes represented in that body by two of its no provision for such a body and if such citizens. HiramF. Mather, of Elbridge, a commission existed it was probably was state senator and HermanJenkins, appointed by the town board ·of of Jordan, was assemblyman. Within Camillus. There seems to be no record a very few days after the session was \Jf its existence. opened the bill to divide Camillus was The bill dividing Camillus gave to introduced into the senate, probably one of the new towns the name of Van by Mather, and sent to the proper Buren as a compliment to Martin Van committee. In due time it came back Buren, governor of the state, whose with a favorable report, and about the political fortunes were then in the end of January went to the assembly ascendant. He was slated for the lead­ for its endorsement. More time elapsed ing place in the cabinet of President on its passage through the lower house, Jackson at the time that the bill was but it finally went through and became introduced into the senate, and befor~ a law on March 26, 1829. its final passage actually resigned bis There was nothing about the bill to office to accept tJie new position. especially distinguish it from others There is no record, apparently, that passed for a. similar purpose. It was the governor in any way showed his entitled, "An act to divide the town of appreciation of the ·compliment, al­ Camillus in the county of Onondaga." though some sort of acknowledgement I ts first, second and third sections was doubtless made. There is no provided for the boundaries and initial evidence either to show that the town-meetings of El bridge, Van Buren inhabitants of the new town had any and Camillus respectively. The fourth share in the choice of the name. They and fifth sections for the proper probably cared little what the name apportionment of the poor fund and was so long as they had the fa.ct of school moneys and the sixth section for separate existence. It has been said the powers and duties of the towns that the choice of the name was under the general statutes. The brought about to offset locally the second section, which was the one name of Henry Clay, which had been concerning Van Buren, was as follows: given to another Onondaga town two All that part of said town included within the following bounds, beginning at the south-east years before, but there is p1·obably no corner of lot number forty-thr,:-e, thence west basis to this theory. a.long the south line of said lot to the east line of Martin Van Huren, from whom the lot number forty-two. thence south along the eas~ lin6 of said lot number forty-two to the south­ town was named, was one of the most east corner thereof, thence west along the south talented of the long series of public lines of lots number forty-two, forty-one, forty, men that the Empire State has given thirty-nine, thirty-eight and thirty-se\•tm to the south-west corner of said lot number thirty-seven. to the nation. . He was not a statesman thence north to the north~ast corner of lot in the broadest sense of the word. He number thirty-six, thence west to the north-west ·was more di8tinctively a politician, but corner of said lot number thirtv six, thence north along the east line of lot number thirty-five to even this word is not entire!y just to the Seneca river, thence along said river to the him from the modern standpoint, for north-east corner of lot number fifteen and thence while hP. was deeply skilled in the to the place of beginning, shall be and the same hereby is erected into a i-eparate town by the details of party management and the name of Van Buren: and tht> first town-111eeting scheming tricks of their manipulation, HISTORY OF VAN BUREN. 53 he at the same time showed throughout again and Van Buren's office was taken his whole career a vigor and independ­ from him, he took the nomination for ence of thought and an ever-present state senator and after a hard fight wish to build for the future with triumphed in a hostile district by a measures suited for the best good of narrow majority. While thus coming the people. His peculiar talent, to to the front as a political leader he had which he owed his success in public life, not neglected his profession, but had was his ability as an organizer of men built up an extensive practise with a into bodies to be handled by bis own reputation for clear thinking and strong strong will. He was the son of a argument that made him a very un­ Columbia county farmer. Born desirable antagonist at the bar. In December 5, 1782, at Kinderhook, he the state senate the same qualities got an education in the common which had made him a leading attorney schools, and when fourteen years old made him also a strong legislative went into the office of a village lawyer leader. Governor Clinton was at this ~ learn the profession. Here he time the "boss" of the state. He proved an apt student and took_ as courted Van Buren's fealty, but the naturally to politics as to law. It was latter, aft~r some dallying, broke with at this time that the Democratic Clinton, and with careful skill drew Republican party-it later dropped the together the anti-Clintonian elements second part of its name-was struggling to form the "Bucktail" party, of which against the dominant power of the he was the recognized head. Now he Federalists. In Columbia county, was in a position to play the politician where the Democrats were in a hopeless in earnest. In 1815 he wa.~ ma.de minority, they welcomed every new attorney-general and soon afterward worker in their ranks and so it came he engineered a scheme that showed about that Van Buren was a political he could be both bold and unscrupulous worker before he was a voter and that when necessary. The entire state when only eighteen years of age he patronage at this time was practically was sent as del~gate to a political in the hands of the state assembly, and convention. Later he left Kinderhook when the unexpected,turn of an election to pass an additional year in a New brought to the opposition the control York law oifice, and in 1803 returned to of the assembly by one majority Van his native village to hang out his sign Buren's friends were threatened with for regular practice. The fascination eviction from their offices. It was a of politics again drew -him into party desperate pass and a bold game was work. The Democrats had by this time played. Van Buren caused a seat to overthrown the Federalist power and, be contested on a mere technicality, having grown supreme and beyond t,hus breaking the majority. The rivalry, had promptly split 1n two Bucktails then organized the house, factions which fought one another chose the council of appointment and with all the vigor and venom of for­ so fixed themselves in power before gotten brotherhood. Van Buren cast they eould be blocked. It was a move his lot with the Clintonians and when that met with denunciation at the that faction came into power in 1808 he time, but Van Buren came out of it was rewarded with his first office, that succes~fully. Politicians have failed of surrogate of Columbia county, since then in similar attempts. county officers being then appointed Van Buren had not relinquished his from Albany. He was now, at the age seat in the senate when made attornev­ of twenty-six, a local leader with a general. He was in the senate from fo1lowing of his own. Five years later, 1813 to 1820, and in that time he when the Clintonians lost the state moulded the future of state politics 54 HISTORY OF VAX BCREX. more than has any man since. Until theniselves more or less at the mercy he entered state politics political par­ of its representatives. ties had been mere factions held Coming into Congress in this manner, together by the personalities of their with all the prestige of power and leaders. To Van Buren we owe the ability, he soon took a leading place in building up of that convenient system the national senate. He found there, of party ideals by which large masses just as he had found formerly in the of men may be whipped into line by New York legislature, no parties in our party managers through the magic of modern sense, but only unorganized a party name rather than by the personal factions. In 1825 Van Buren magnetism of a leader or the value of a began to organize for his own purposes platform. a party, drawing together his col­ In 1817 occurred an incident for leagues on the common basis· of which Onondaga county may look to opposition to the administration. A Van Buren with some gratitude. He re-election as senator in 1827 continued was then the acknowledged head of the his work, but when Governor Clinton Bucktail majority in the legislature. died in 1828 Van Buren left Washington Governor Clinton, his opponent, had to become governor at Albany. Van brought the Erie canal project before Buren had with his party in congress the people and the legislature was to favored the presidential claims of act upon it. The success of the scheme Andrew Jackson and, having become meant much for

Certain classes of Indian relics are sometimes with traps, and sometimes common but a moderate distance on by spearing the fish detained in them. either side of Lake Ontario. They Not rarely they drove the fish in from extend through Michigan, on both sides above with their spears, or by drawing of Lake Erie and Ontario, down the a grape vine along near the bottom, St. Lawrence to Montreal, and along this being stretched from bank to bank. Lake Champlain. They are almost In the specifications with the Lessee absent from the Mohawk valley, and Company the Onondagas reserved the very rare in New England. Van Buren right to build and use such weirs occupies the southern limit of this early between Three Rivers and Cross lake, belt. These articles were not made by and they were an old institution. This our later Indians, nor were they all one commences in shallow water on the made by the same race. The dis­ south shore, running down stream at a tinctions of articles and sites are at slight angle for 210 feet, the returning once apparent to an exp€-rienced eye. angle being 340 feet long; thP. next wall Among these articles are stone tubes runs down 145 feet and returns 160. of varying length, perforated gorgets, The third bay was in much deeper the so-called banner stones, the amulets \vater, and is almost obliterated, but of striped slate, usually ehher bird or would probably bring the total length bar shaped, the half circular Eskimo up to 1200 feet at least, requiring much woman's stone knife, the pointed and labor from the red men. The wall is polished slate knives now used only by two feet deep, and made of field stones. that people, and articles of soapstone. In these may have sometimes been It would take long to describe all placed branches or stakes, when the these, and this brief mention must now water was high. suffice. Even flint articles ar~ not all Stone sinkers are so common all of the same period or people, no stone along the river as to show the use of perforator or scraper having yet been nets, the Indians making a good twine found on an Iroquois site. from wild hemp, as well as the inner One of the most remarkable Indian bark of trees. As will be seen, fish works remaining here is one seldom hooks were very rare, but there was an seen: the stone fish weir opposite Lot ingenious arrangement for angling 2, at Bishop's Rifts. Several such quite as effective. A short stick works are known in this and other sharpened at both ends, had the line rivers, but this is the best preserved tied in the center. The bait was which has been fully examined. 'l'he slipped over this, bringing the line to Indians used these much as we do. one end, so that it would appear as a 58 INDIAN SITES IN VAN BUREN. minnow would with us. When the rare form for land so level, although bait was swallowed, a jerk brought the the writer has examined those still stick at·right angles to the throat, and narrower on 5t_eep ridges. The only the fish was neatly taken. But the Unio bead found in this county was Indians at all times much preferred the picked up here by the writer; and here spear. This is the way in which they also was found the barbed point of a were observed taking eels near here a bone fish hook. But three such hooks hundred years ago: "They are usually are known in the State. In the same two or three in a canoe: one steersman, field w:as found the fine native copper one who spears in the bow, the third spear, now in Mr. Bigelow's collection, takes care of the fires, made from dry, and which the writer figured for Dr. easily :flaming wood, in a hollow piece Abbott's "Primitive Industries." Be­ of bark. first covered with sand." sides many common articles, others of In 1657 the missionaries wrote of the note have been obtained here. Most of river that the "savages manage so well the stone articles are somewhat rude. their dykes and their weirs that they The · process of making stockades take there at the same time the eel varied with their strength. A single which is going down and the salmon line of pickets was sometimes set up, which is going up." They give the but this was not a favorite mode until same account of spearing, '"the eel European implements were introduced. being ~o abundant there that some on account of the depth required for take with a harpoon as much as a the holes. Sometimes a bank of earth thousand -in a single night," which was thrown up, and the posts were would be called good fishing by white raised on either side of this and bound men. together where they crossed at the top. There were no earth works in the Large logs, placed end to end, often town, but-possibly there may have been took the place of the earthen bank, several stockades, as there were cer­ and had likewise a double palisade, tainly a few villages which were crossing at a sharp angle above. This occupied for some years. The circular required no holes at all. The more stockade op. L. Talmage's farm, on Lot common triple stockade had upright 13, is the best known of these. It was· posts nearly two .feet apart. with a row on the west side of the road, between on either side intersecting- at the top. his house and the small brook to the Riders of wood were placed at this north, and was about 300 feet in intersection, binding all together, and diameter. The single gateway was on even developing into strong battle­ the north side, and near the bank of ments. This form required holes for the stream. A few lodges were on the the central posts, but not for the north side of the brook, outside the others. The solitary example of the fort, and at some distance. Several quadruple palisade was that attacked persons have told the· writer that, when by Champlain in 1615. Posts were they were boys, they had stepped from supplied by burning down trees. and one hole to another, where the posts applying fires to the trunks at suitable stood, all around the fort. Like all intervals. One person could easily early forts, this affords much brown manage thirty such fires. and so such earthenware and some fine relics. work went on rapidly. Commonly a Charr~d corn is still plowed up. tree was left in the center of the fort There was also an extensive stockade for a lookout. on Mrs. Crego's farm, Lot 6. The holes A group of sites does not indicate a did not appear in this, but the plow large population at any one time. The encountered some of the posts. The Iroquois moved their village at inter­ area is about 150x500 feet: rather a vals of ten or twenty years. and the INDIAN SITES IN VAN BUREN. 59

great Onondaga village has had at least There were two small hamlets, or nine removals since the beginning of apparently a series of camps, just east the 1_7th ~entury. Two villages on of the mouth of Dead creek. The relics opposite sides of Seneca river have vary greatly, as would be expected, definite relations to each other, and and one or two were very fine. Small are but a few hundred years old, but camps were occasional along the creek, the Talmage site seems to have had no and on the east side, near Col. Tappan's ·connection with these. The two old home, on Lot 4, were traces of quite villages and burial places on Seneca a hamlet. "Indian Orchard" some and Syracuse streets, Baldwinsvtlle, distance west of the creek, a~d near may have been successively occupied by the river, was one of the two places those who lived west of Mr. G. A. where glass beads have been found. Bigelow's house, on the north side of Two hamlets and some camps were the river. This connection apnears at the old "Grape Vine," on the river from a comparison of relics and charac­ bank, Lot 7, near the west line of ter of burial, as well as of the sites Baldwinsville. West of the fence there themselves. was pottery, east of it none. Just at the fence, and on the east side, was a It may be said here that one remark­ sm~ll burial place, with glass beads, able distinction appears in the charac­ which are occasional further down. ter of the lodge sites. Some have Last year one of the Jesuit brass rings accumulations of stones, often called was found there. Thence there were hearths, and these are usually quite ~ttered lodges and camps along: the old. No such collections appear in river as far as the present village those,of a later day. This may have reaches the water, at its southeast line. some relation to the modes of boiling Between Seneca and McHarie streets wate_r, for some camps are utterly was an Indian village and burial place, de':oid of ~races of pottery of any kind. and another on the east side of Syracuse This carries us back to the primitive street, on village block 54. Both these use of bark vessels in cooking, when were occupied for a considerable time water was heated by dropping hot and by the later Indians. A good many stones into it. In this way wooden skeletons have been exhumed at both vessels were easily used. Soapstone places, twenty at one time, but no vessels were all brought from a dis­ relics were found with them. The &ite tance, and the smoke and grease yet on Syracuse street had a small exten­ appear on the outside of many. sion west of the road. Quite a hamlet Earthenware could be used in a double of earlier date once occupied the point way. By fastening a cord to a stick opposite the small island. No pottery long enough to go from side to side was found there. within the narrowed rim. it could be A small hamlet existed on Mrs. suspended, but the vessel is usually Lamerson's farm, Lot 41, a little south­ blackened within instead of without, east of the house. It was an earlv oc­ as though heated by hot stones. These cupation, without pottery, and· the several modes were used by different neighborhood seems to have been a races. favorite with hunters. There was a small early hamlet just A site on a hill on the Somes' farm west of Dead creek and not far from Lot 16, is said to have been probably ~ the river, but not long occupied. This stockade, but has not been critically was on Lot 4. Almost all the Van examined. Relics once abounded there. Buren sites are prehistoric, and those There are lodge sites on the same lot will be called early which antedate the near the river. On one of these was middle of the 16th century. found a fine and unique banner stone, 60 INDIAN SITES IN VAN BUREN. with two lateral holes besides the usual another site on the opposite side of the long perforation. No other hke this river. All other sites, excepting the has met the writer's eye. camps yielding beads, are of an earlier Lodge sites occur on the old fair date. But three shell beads have been grounds, and further down the river. found here, as the interior inhabitants Some unique pottery was found at the knew little of these until the Dutch mouth of Crooked Brook. In fact, any trade began. One of these was of a spot of sandy land near the river was Unio shell, another of a marine uni­ apt to have its Indian camp. The red valve, and another of a bivalve shell. man was not partial to a stiff clay soil. The former two came from the Crego Not long since Mr. H. B. Odell found a site, where was also found a curious broad stone with a large central de­ shell pendant. The other bead is of pression made in sharpening tools, and uncertain age. Probably less than rude pestles are common. half a dozen shell beads have been Mounds are rare in this part of the found in the whole county as old as the State, but two of earth having been year 1600. known in the county. Two large stone Without going into detail, a brief heaps, however, in E. L. Talmage's summary of other articles may be given. woods, Lot 21, covered human bones. Stone gouges were earlier than the Such heaps were more frequent farther Iroquois occupation, and mav be broad, east, and were usually of recent date. or long and tapering. Arrows and Sometimes they marked spots where spears are of every age and form. The treaties had been made, or commemo­ Iroquois arrows were mostly triangular. rated som.e other reJ11arkable event. Scrapers are ::flat on one side, but ex­ More commonly they indicated the tremely variable. One of t1le most gra1'e of some person of note. Those remarkable known was found just east who passed them usually added a stone of Dead creek. Drills or perforators to the growing pile, so that on fre­ are slender, and the Iroquois made quented trails they often acquired neither of these in stone. Hammer large dimensions. In this county, stones and mullers were used in every however, graves are more commonly period. Soapstone vessels and earthen­ marked by depressions than elevations. ware do not occur on the same sites, Those in Baldwinsville have no partic­ and the former are much like those ular arrangement. except the usual used by the Eskimo. They are the feature of drawing up the knees and only people who now use the semi­ crossing the arms. This is an economic circular stone woman's knife, which is practice, in order to make the body occasional here, or the pointed slate compact, thus requiring less digging. knife, here called slate arrows. Pestles The faces turn in every direction, and are usually early, as the Iroquois pre­ the skeletons lie upon the side. In ferred the wooden pestle and mortar. those dug up on the line of the Pottery is ornamented. and sometimes Syracuse and Baldwinsville rail­ with much taste. Pipes are of clay or road, the only thing found with them stone~ usually the former, which was in the pure sand loam, was asmall peb­ the customary material of the early ble under the head. Iroquois. Stone pipes both preceded Beyond the visits of hunters and and followed these. Deer skin net"s, fishermen there bas been no Indian otherwise celts or stone axes, are of occupation of the town since A. D. 1600. every period and finish. },or a few There is some reason to suppose that exceptional relics of minor importance the village on Mrs. Crego's farm was we have no time now, but it mav be occupied not long before that time. It remarked that the Iroquois articies of seems to have been removed from bone and horn are quite rare along the INDIAX SITES IN VAN BUREN". Seneca river. Perhaps a word may be river in its downward course, as it said on the Indian name of Bald wins­ means flowing out. In ascending it ville, which is Ste-ha-bah, Stones in took the name of the nation to which the water. McHarie's Rifts were not it led. free from stones, and at Bishop's Rifts In 1723 the Eng-lish observed that they are yet conspicuous, but two im­ Seneca river would be useful in the mense bowlders in the river, one at western fur trade. for canoes would be the western edge of the corporation safer there than on Lake Ontario. and one a mile beyond, may have given Previous to this, in 1700, Col. Romer its Indian name to the place. had examined part of the river with a The earliest mention we have of the view to building a fort at Three River river which forms the northern Point. His map is a curious study. boundary of Van Buren is in Simon le Although he pa~sed down from Onon­ Moyne's journal, of Aug. 17th, 1654, as daga lake, he made the Cayuga or he passed north ward through the outlet Seneca river a small stream, a few of Onondaga lake: "We enter into miles long, while the true Seneca he their river, and at a quarter of a league made tributary to the Oswego near we met on the left, that of the Lake Ontario. On this map, however, Sonnontouan (Seneca), which increases Cross lake conspicuously appears, as it this; it leads, they say, to Onioen does on the French map of Raffeix, in (Cayuga) and Sonnontouan in two 1688. Its Indian name is Teunento, nights' lodgings." The missionaries, ''At the cedars," in allusion to the however, most commonlv took the land cedar swamps south of it On Guy route. In the Relation "'of 1669, Seneca .Johnson's map, 1771, it appears as Glass river is again mentioned. ' 4 The quan­ L., probably an error, while the river tity of rushes which is upon this river, is called the Great Seneca. The ear­ has given the name of Tiohero to the liest accessible mention of the lake was town nearest to Oioguen, (Cayuga.)" by Rev. Samuel Kirkland, Sept. 29, The river is on the map of 1665, with 1788. He was going westward by Cayuga lake under this name, but it is canoe, and overtook a party of Senecas usually given as Thiohero, otherwise on the Oneida river. They had been the place of rushes. detained by sickness. and were short of A missionary, writing from Cayuga provisions. He gave them what he in 1672, mentioned another name which could, and said he "encouraged them is better known. "'The river of to come on the next day with their Ochoueguen (Oswego), which issues light canoes. and overtake me at the from this lake, is divided in its com­ Cross lake, and I would see them safe mencement into different channels to Kanadasegea, (Geneva.)" The lake, surrounded by prairies, and from place however, lies entirely west of the limits to place are deep and agreeable bays, of Van Buren, but is a great expansion which maintain hunting." This is the of the river which partially bounds it. earliest appearance of the name of The river itself was an early highway Oswego~ formerly only applied to the for the Indian and his white successors. ADDENDA.

PAGE 15.-William Lakin is said to have settled in "\Vashington county by rea­ son of being given a grant there located on account of his military services.

PAGE 16.-The Molby family came into the town soon after the coming of John Tappen, which fact substantiates the date of 1797 given them in Mason's History.

PAGE 18.-Alexander Crum, Sr., came to the town from Rockland county abont 1815. The Weaver family was also early in the region.

P .AGE 23.-Mortimer Brown was the full name of the inn-keeper at Van Buren Corners. The inn was abandoned about 1840. Harris settled in eastern (not western) Van Buren, and died about 1858. The store at the Corners was started about 1830 by one Scoville, and was later kept by John D. Norton and H. R. Dow, being given up about 1840. Russell Ladd, "botanic," and Oliver Magoon~ .. allopath," were early physicians near tl1e Corners.

P .AGE 39.-Altbough there is no evidence of slavery in Van Buren, there were, in early years, a few colored men. who may have at some time been slaves. Such were "Yat," who worked for James ,vnliams, and

H Hector/' who worked in the Ladd pottery at Memphis.

PAGE 41.-Two saw mills formerly stood on Lot 23. One was built by .Josiah Hodges early in the twenties, and the other probably by Oliver Go.ff about the same time. They were abandoned about 1830.

PAGE 42.-Tbe Goodrich distillery near Bangall was located east of Dead Creek on a small brook close by the road running south. Before he took the Bangall property, C.H. Toll had managed a small"' still" at Ionia near his tavern from about 1818 to 1825. · ADDENDA.

PAGE 43.-Small industries unmentioned are the pottery conducted at Memphis by Cyrus Ladd, the ashery at the same place owned by D. C. Lytle, and the shop near the Bostwick place on Sorrel Hill where Abel \Veaver made grain-cradles, all in early years.

PAGE 44.-Records of the Cayu~ Baptist- Association show that the Second Baptist Society of Camillus. was organized some time within the twelve months ending Sept. 20, 1815, thus corroborating the date claimed for the Memphis church and making it the first church in the town. The society changed from the Cayuga to the Oswego Association in 1825 and later joined the Onondaga Association.

Index 0$ names Soi••o I e Ristoli7" o-r Van 3uren ' ' Cl.ay Henry 5 2 0llnton,DeWitt, 8 !linton,George, .53,54 x, ,a.John D. 9 ~ollins,Zoseph, 6 9. Jonnoll.7.-)lichael., 6 23,32 ::onant, John, 50 s. 19,20 Jonover,Andrew B. 22 22 Cook• »eWitt, . 42 Cook.-Keary, l.9 ,,o ,51,55 , 1.8 Coo-k,81dney· K. 9 ,..2 .50 Cook.Theodore, !J.2 .50 Coo-per. John L.19,36.49 19 Qoo!)er,Willimn, 9 if.9 c\~rldms •Der':l~ Jf.f. 55 50 s~~ &L4'o Callt1ns 4·9· · Co~nell • Abram, 41. Co~ell, laniel., 36 . 1 Cor~ell.Jaavid, 19,34,3f.50: C:Ornell, Nolder• l. ,.,o · Oo-rnell, Zohn, 19.50. Co~nell, l'ustin -s. 33 Cornen,xathanie1,19,30 Cornell»R&th11..:tr. 50 Cornell. Pel.ea. 11,,0 Co-rter. Zohn• 6 See al.so · Cart er Cotton,Garret m... 2f Oox-,l'ohn, lf.6 Crego,M.!'B. 58 Oreg o, Stephen, · 1 T, J.8 Cronkhite,Hosea, 28 Crossman, Asa, ~o Orouse, ~enry, 22 C:mmb.AJ-ex. Sen. 62 .Crumb,;rohn, 50 'Culver,Assaium, ~9 ~~1ngham,3ohn,6,f,18, · _ 34,50 Ch:nninghaa,!tobert, .50 Cu.nrnmgham famiJ.7 U hlrtis, Medad, 21,31 nunn,~ohn, 14,11 '. ·-... ;_,(). ,_,. fur-tis ,ru.ies E. 21 Dunning,Jtos~es_. 50 .., ' -µ·rtis,Zohn, 51 Du.nnimg, Dr• ,JW µrt.1s,!hoa .. w. 19,42 3 ,41.,50 h.lsbmn,seth, 20 Duldtng & ia.ugluin, t,J.yier,John I. 9 r,wight ,Ab;!l,, ,anks,~noni,E 33,50 Dw'ight,:rosiah, -~nks,JSenon1, 19 tan:tor th,Asa, 3 Earll ,A113heus , .50 _.. r-..i-els, Ethan, 19,31 Earll,Ira, 49 niel.s , Stephen, lfi6 Farll, Isaao,11,23,36,50 ~ rr~w,J".& son, 43 51,5~ :v-enport,Rev.John, 4o Eari.1.,Narous, 50 > . vis,Geo.w. 22 Ea:ton,&mue:t~ .50 ~avis• Patrick, 6,8,1T Ed:wards,Edward, 9 :vis, :P~t~r, 6,8,11 _ Edwa.rds ~:!'ierpont. 9 , aton_.lzor, 50 E1dre4,c1ark, : .. ~9 _e yton.• Amon• 43 :EJ..sworth.J;a.niel • ~.,.50 -__ y.11\enja.m-;.n 13 EJ..sworth,-~eT~:,21~1Jr.1.44 . -· eeker & Crego-,: Jft9 !i~worth.Jleuben, 41 l.ano :fmnily : 19 EJ.y ,lll.nbtm, . . lf.9 -·. ePa:,at:er ,Jlred1k. : 9 ~ton,:Benjam.in,6,f,25 ·-iepuy ,l!enjarnin,_ 18 ,26 E-vans ,Sherebiah, 3lf._i eWitt ,Simeon, 11- il.tz,»aniel, --9 J'airlle,~ames, · 9 :, ltz,Zohn• . · ..9 lrinck,J'ohn C~; 36,t1i9.;~ . ltz,Jlorris ,. "+9 Finok,7ost c. ;19 oJ.ph,Ia.vid,_ . .51• . Foot .orvis, \·,;. 55 . , Hezeki~ R.22.23,62 Ford.,Ca1Tin, -,· 33 · owns, Fa.trick,. - o _.·- -- :rord·,John, · ~1,5R·-, __ ·,, 01rld.tt ,.!e~.JS 4.5 1' J'orm,n,.Toshua, 9 __ ·· frake ,J'hil~:,, 32· J\o~ick,Miss, 2l ._ ~-frew, Zs.mes.. 51 Foster ,Aaron, 1g ·, -;E,er;Wi111an, _ 9 Foster ~~gus t"t.ls , 50 : •· nham,Anson,. 22 . Foster,~oe1, 11.~1,50~­ ,unm.m,EJ,:eaz~er, 16 ,19, 21, Foster Del.anson,18 ,36,ltr-o -,~- ' , lJ.7 ,50 ,.55 ' i;.y ,51 1 · _ nharn,,;Dr.Rutus c. 21 Foster,Jonathan,18,~9,50 nham -&Mil.1er_., .50 Foster,Ril.a.s, fl.2 Foster,l'tuftls, 23 J'oster ,ltussell, 33- l'rank11111 Amaziah• IZL,31Hart, Eber, 11,1.s • .50 razee,Jaro.e~, 29 mrt,Eber,Jr. 50 a,yetty ,:rohn A. 41+ Hart• lard.on, 19 • .50 eddes, Jame,;, 3~ lh.rt. Stephen,16,50 .. i11ett ,AbrFi-harn, 1+8 Kawl.ey, George, 33 •111ett,Nathan, 49 Hl.wl.ey,=a:mes, 21 Gi11ett ,· ~11.y Ray, Danie1, 51 •i1111am , Wm. 9 Kaw1ey & l'at ch 49 l1a,ss, Joseph :r. 21.,29 Xa.y, Luth6r, J.:lf. !Odd.a.rd, Ebel.,1T ,26 fi.qnes,Dii:iid!. 8,:tT ,12,13 ,l.lf ~ 1d,Hezekr1a.h, 9 18, . 9 ~o1d, Thoa.l\. 9 Ra.ynes,eol..The1ddeus, 15,36 ~oo drieh,Ca.J.vin, ~2 Haynes ~amiJ.. y 15 Goodrioh,Chancey > 1i-2 Kea:Ley, 41 :-Oodrich distillery Heath, J"oseph w. 2l ~o~, Oliver, 4! , lienderaon,F-Aze.. ei, 19 ~reen, Archiba1d, 50 Henderson·• Wm. _ 9 l-reen1it~ ld• tl.C. 28 t!enry ,J'ranoi'/• 9 •rtit:,en,jabez, ~3, · lierr14.J'olw~• 39,~9 s . ~rldley, dOhn, -· •. it-v· Herriek.~~igin :B. 21 ,33.43. friswold, John, 33, ii-9 \·. l!erriclc,W"~J.ter. 21 lriswold~ Eora1i1o, 49~ \~ _!:e?Ti~~;1;en_j·an in~ ·6 ~ley, l'i~. 6,8,~r Higgi:?a"9,Sea'bttry M. 22 )i,ll. • -Amos, 33 • 50 , i Xi¢ns , 1-h-~Jf. . 51. kll, ?Iimr:.i, 21 ; , Hill, Isaac ,21,43.,~5. ,50 ,.55 · ta11, J"ol1n, 11-l. lii tchcoak: ,AbneT, l.lr,~2 . [all~ -William, 22 ·\; Roat• Samue1, ~o ram. ~ohn ~-. 27., •; ... Hodges, 1"osial1,1.9,33,62 ramblin, Abram K. 36, !-f-9 Rodges , Jh:tllp • · 18 ,~ tami11.- ~ ...... ~Ji_,..w'., . 2i., ' '; - Hodges ,S,J1va.nus, 51 Bmnond ,·-, Ephrai1c., 31+- _:;_--- Kot:rJm.n,Jos.iah Osden t randy, ·. Timothy J • l\.~-, :,,: ~~oomb,Emtnd, 33 ~rder. 21 ·-~: Hooper,ltobt.,~. 9 Dr. J"oslv..a. !:.. 21 hrdy, 5c1. Ho:pld?lS ,~!'a,, 3 2 rdy, L.Ieitris, 56 Kopkins ,Jo'.~e:,b 41,30 6 ring,. 3acob, r Y H~rner J'ra.'1ois, 6 Err1s,Dr.Augutstus4 , e12.~?~;h. T:otailng, · 2l a~ris, Augus 'US, 10 ,.:J' ,.;,> '""' Kou.gh,Zames .T. 23 lf.9 ,.5J., 62 , Rough,ll.ev. s 4,5 Keto .,FJ.1, 1.9 lCetchu:n,Eli s. ~9 1Cii1, Georee, . 49 llingsJ. ey ,Amhe1, 49. 50 . Xings1ey,Cyrus H. 19,36,,0 51i55 XirkJane.ceo.w. 9 Xirk1and.!tev,Sam~ei,6J. !;add .c1!Pr--1s ·, 1~1.50~ 62 ~a.4d .Dr.:Huss~ll, 62 , 1-~id potter:r, 62 ~kin,John~15,?.1,50,51 . . .5'-•'='" -- ,- .. ·· ~al:in • Wi:tlia.I!l, 1.5 , 18 .34, ~ '· · -z. 1 62 _ .7 c J ~s~1.rd,Je1m~ .50 !;a.mer.son, JohnK.19 .33 ,.50 ·· --. Lamers,~n.!.awrence • 48 ~erson,Nicholas,19.23 lia.nterson,}!rs, 59 '8,.Iene,n.l'Mneis • 9 lamb,Gen. ·- 4 t.&11si:ng .Abra.ham G. 9 - JAugluin,:9r.Wm. 21 · ~-, &arkin.J....J.bion :I. 42 ~-~ku-i.AJ.bert Z. 43 "a\Tl~~oe, Grove __ , 33 1.awrel-ice-, ~ohn •. __ - 9 !aawren·oo.~,s; Isaac, 9 liawrenoe·~ Thos. 9 laea:vi tt , 2? Lee,Wil11a.2~. 6 ~eMoyne,3imon, 61 lieonard.0]4"8T 1 49,.55 Lewis.~anes, 6 i.indsa7,Elij~~, 301~9 ~ind say• EJ.i za , 48 ~indsay,I8ac~c, 36,31,50 Lindsay .u.1r1am:·, 48 &indsay,Wm..Jf,50 &indsa.-r ~a1t11ly & t;,i)te, Abraha~. 21,50 Ma1by, Ci1ester, tittle ,Jw.:rr~d, 1.9 J,!a1by ,Isaac, see al.so :!..ytl.'! 1it1by ,Jrycob, . 'P' mia -r;,,.,.~ 50 :uOO ~, .b~.J.~, 15.a.J.by, Wi1J.i@}l t.oomi..a, Dr • .Ja.cob o. 2~ 6 S2e--, ...al.9D Mal.by I-ovejoy, D .50 r.ovel.ess ,1hnie1, .5~' ~ !,usk,:R1ct.e-..rd, 3 ,, .5(1 · Ly-oil. Ate1,. 20 • 5~ . . Lyt1e, Dr.vid c. 21.,38 ,50 50 62 !iO 16,33 Jj~- 33 22, 51. 22 ,55 '" 50 21

Veeder,Nioho1as, ~9

V er:mi:L:ra , Th 01-uc:-1..s; ii ,r. f1r .,...,.r _a.nc.t: ~ • .c-.:.11'T'n • l 1.p,~ 9 Visscher ,:r.!at hdv1, 9 V:r~denbur[!l1., twi. I. 9, 2.5 Voo rhee r-, ,co1.is.:r1 es, ltl. t'\Ta'1 sworth.J azrtes J'r. 9 Wallter, 19 Ue.. ~e,A.bijah, 50 Ware, P.il.1iam~ . 50 Warne-r· ,Aaron : 19 ·W8,rner ,~cs .it.11 .1.8 ,32 ,33 . - 50,55'~ W~rn/!31'·,DWi~t\Y.• 22 , V7arner _.Ezra.. .,. 11,50 : Warner,Setr.. , 51, 1.8,50 'Vis.. rner ,SiYtlo11~ .. 41 · Yiarn~r~·R~al....,1 .1s.22,ll-6.it.T,, Yu'tl!lg .Jro.es, You.ng,Cori1e11us 1