TOMPKINS COUNTY Navigating A Sea Oe Resources PUBLIC LIBRARY Title: History of Tioga, Chemung, Tompkins and Schuyler counties, New York. With illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers. Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) Peirce, H. B. (Henry B.) Call number: LH-CASE 974.77 Peirce Publisher: Philadelphia, Everts & Ensign, 1879. Owner: Ithaca - Tompkins County Public Library Assigned Branch: Ithaca - Tompkins County Public Library (TCPL) Collection: Local History (LH) Material type: Book Number of pages: 687 Digitization of this material was made possible with a 2009 grant from the Park Foundation /' 7 h/4t-> c CENTRAL LIBRARY FINGER LAKES LIBRARY SYSTEM ITHACA, N.Y. a^S let' a V,t *\sxy -OF- m m Hr-r u emung, Tompkins, and Schuyler Counties, NEW YORK. <L_^=iWITH^S-' I l if0gr*phtoil sketch*; L^OF%J SOME OF ITS PROMINENT MEN AND PIONEERS. PHILADELPHIA: a _E_V___:R,TS &c EITSIG-NT. 1879, W- PRESS OF J. B. LIPPINCOTT & CO., PHILADELPHIA. & & # PREFACE The province of the historian is to gather the threads of the past ere they elude forever his grasp, and weave them into a web which harmonious to the art preservative may give immortality. There he who would rescue on fore, from fast-gathering oblivion the deeds of a community, and send them tale," to futurity in an imperishable record, should deliver a "plain, unvarnished "Nothing extenuate, Nor set down aught in malice." In such a spirit have the compilers of the following pages approached the work of detailing the history of the four counties embodied herein, and trust they have been fairly faithful to the task imposed. The design of the work embodying the four counties of Tioga, Tompkins, Chemung, and Schuyler, the peers of any within the boundaries of the Empire State, was adopted, after much deliberation, as the one best adapted to produce a satisfactory record and avoid repetition. Tioga, the original county, and, next to Ontario, the pioneer organization carved out of Montgomery, the prolific mother of counties for nearly half a century, included the greater part of our territory within its limits. Three thousand square miles was its first grand domain, from which six counties have been wholly or in part erected. The interests of all have centered in that old primary municipality, and its history, for a time, is that of the four counties which we have under consideration. This common interest we have endeavored to trace under the general history of the four counties, and in that of Tioga. We have glanced at the dis covery of the Western Continent by the Norsemen and subsequent explorers; have given a brief history of the rise and decline of the celebrated league of the Iroquois Indians, who inhabited this section prior to the advent of the white settler. A chapter is devoted to land titles, giving a succinct account of the various Indian treaties, and the subsequent conflicting claims to territory within the present boundaries of this State. The geology of the four counties is next presented, followed by a history of the various railroads and canals, closing with an elaborate history of Tioga, Tompkins, Che of rebellion. in the general an mung, and Schuyler in the war the Next, arrangement, follows exhaustive with all their varied presented in a concise we history of the four counties, interests, "and, trust, pleasing endeavor trace the of the of manner. It has been our honest to history development this section from that period when it was in the undisputed possession of the red man to the present, and to place before the reader an authentic narrative of its rise and progress to the prominent position it now occupies of State. among the counties the That such an undertaking is attended with no little difficulty and vexation none will deny. The while neighbor ao-ed pioneer relates events of the early settlements, his sketches the same events with totally different outlines. Man's memory is ever at fault, while Time paints a different picture upon the historian has to and while it has been our aim every mind. With these contend; to compile an 3 PREFACE. accurate history, were it devoid of all inaccuracies then perfection would have been attained which the never could be reached. writers had not the faintest conception of, and which Lord Macaulay once said From colonial and other documents in the State archives, from county, town, and village records, we have en family manuscripts, printed publications, and innumerable private sources of information, deavored to produce a history which should prove accurate, instructive, and in every respect worthy of the counties represented. How well we have succeeded in our task a generous public, jealous of its must now the judge. reputation and honor, of its traditions and memories, of its defeats and triumphs, be The following volumes were consulted in the preparation of this history: Morgan's "League of the Iroquois," Indians" " Brant," Iroquois" " " Life of ; Schoolcraft's Notes on the and American ; Stone's Jacket," " "Life of Red and "Life of Sir William Johnson"; Lossing's Field-Book of the Revolu tion"; Thatcher's "American Revolution"; Barber's "History of New York"; "Documentary History York" ;" Williams' " of Spafford's Gazet of New York Register ; Hammond's Political History New ; teer, 1813; French's Gazetteer, 1860; session laws, State statutes, State and national census reports, adjutant-generals' reports, muster-in rolls, muster-out rolls, and innumerable pamphlets. We desire to acknowledge our sincere thanks to each and every one who has assisted us in the compilation of the work, and would cheerfully make personal mention of each, but it is impracticable, as the number reaches up among the thousands. D. H. H. Elmira, N. Y., Oct. 8, 1878. CONTENTS. HISTORICAL. PAGE HISTORY OP TIOGA, CHEMUNG, TOMPKINS, AND CHAPTER Societie: XLVL The City of Elmira (continued) SCHUYLEK COUNTIES, NEW YORK. 259 Schools, etc. 290 of Elmira I. XLVII. The Town Voyage and . 9 Discovery XLVIIL- 304 Town of Ashland II. Pre-Historic 10 Occupancy XLIX. " 310 III. The Revolution Baldwin Sullivan's Campaign . ]3 L. " 317 IV.Land-Titles Flats Colonial Grants and Charters 19 Big EL- " 324 Catlin . V. of the Four Counties 27 Geology LI!. " 327 VI. Internal Improvements 29 Chemung LIIL 335 VII. Erin . 32 Military History " 339 VIII. LIV. Horseheads continued 37 LV. " Southport 349 IX.- 42 LVL " Veteran 356 X.- 45 LVIL " Van Etten 368 XI.- 51 XII.- 59 COUNTY. XIII.- 66 TOMPKINS LVIIL 373 TIOGA COUNT Y. The First Settlements . LIX. Organization of 373 XIV.- Coun'y -Settlement and Progress 72 LX. 377 Political and Civil . XV.- HUtory -Civil 74 History 380 LXI. Educational and Religious . XVI.- -The Law Courts . 76 LXILThe Tompkins Press 381 XVIL- County -The Seat of Justice 82 County LXIILThe Bench and Bar 385 XVIII.- -Political History . 85 LXIV.Societies 390 XIX.- -The Tioga List . 87 LXV. 392 Statistical . XX.- -Educsitional and Religious 91 LXVI. The Town and Village of Ithaca 394 XXI.- -The Learned Professions 94 LXVILTown of Caroline 453 XXIL- -The Press of the Past and the P -Authors LXVIIL " 466 Danby . and Books " 103 LXIX. Dryden 475 XXIII.- -Societies 111 LXX. " 493 Enfield . XXIV.- < -Town of Barton . 113 LXXL 498 Groton . XXV.- Village of Waverly 119 LXXII. " 510 XXVI.- Lansing Town of Berkshire 124 LXXIIL " Newfield 527 " XXVII.- Candor . 129 LXXIV. " 534 Ulysses . " XXVIII.- Newark Valley 141 " XXIX. Nichols . 149 SCHUYLER COUNTY. " XXX. Owego . 156 LXXV. Settlement and Organization 552 XXXI. Village of Owego 169 Early XXXIL- LXXVLThe County-Seat and Public Buildings 555 -Town of Richford 187 LXXVIL 564 XXXIIL- " Spencer 191 Political and Civil History LXXVIII. 565 XXXIV.- " The Bench and Bar . Tioga . 196 LXXIX. 568 The Press . CHEMUNG COUNTY. LXXX. Educational and Religious 569 > XXXV.- LXXXI. 570 Settlement and Progress 205 Societies LXXXIL 572 XXXVI.- Statistical . Civil History 206 XXXVII.- LXXXIILVillage of Watkins 574 Public Buildings . 211 XXXVIII.- LXXXIV.Town of Catharine 594 Political History . 221 LXXXV. " 603 XXXIX.- . The Civil List 223 Cayuta Chemung " XL.- LXXXVL Dix 606 Educational and Religious . 224 LXXXVIL " 616 Hector . XLL.^The Learned Professions 227 " XLIL- 239 LXXXVIIL Montour 638 The Press of Chemung County XLIIL- LXXXIX.Village of Havana 643 Societies .... 245 663 XLIV.- XC. Town of Orange . -The City of Elmira 247 XCL " 670 XLV.- . The City of Elmira (continued) Ecclesiastical Reading XCIL " Tyrone . 677 History .... 253 ILLUSTRATIONS. Newark Valley. Map of the Counties of Tioga, Chemung, Tompkins, and Schuyler, N. Y facing of Anson Higbe . 142 western Portrait facing Map of Military Lands and Twenty Townships in the Jonas . between 142, 143 of of New York .... 19 Muzzy part the State facing " " John C. Tappan 143 of the Pour Counties in 1836 206 142, Map Territory comprising " " R. C. Tappan . 142, 143 of ..... 66 Portrait J. W. Robinson " " William Slosson 145 " Wm. 144, M. Gregg " Frederic H. Todd . 144, 145 " TIOGA COUNTY. Royal W. Clinton . 144, 145 Portraits of Elijah Curtis and Wife facing 146 Barton. Residence of Isaac L. Raymond, with portraits facing 114 " Nichols. Portrait of Arthur Yates 120 " " Daniel Bensley .... 121 Portrait of G. H. Barstow . 155 Candor. Portraits of Orange F. Booth and Wife facing 130 Owego. Portrait of Edwin A. Booth 131 " Lorin Booth between 132, 133 View of Owego .... facing 156 (steel) " " 133 Portrait of Lyman Truman 167 Horace Booth . facing (steel) " 134 AVilliam Smyth . 168 Abel H. Booth . " between 135 Residence of T. I. with portrait 170 Orange Booth . 134, Chatfield, facing " " " Anson H. Booth 134, 135 Stephen B. Leonard between 170, 171 " " Ephraim Comstock facing 135 C. H. Keeler . 170, 171 " " Jerome Thompson between 136, 137 Portrait of Stephen B.