He came from Massachusetts to Pompey about 1800 and from the hills saw the top of the forest to the north; he at once started straight ahead this way in company with another man, and was so well pleased with the section that he went to New York to find the owner and purchased six hundred acres, but afterwards found it had fallen short about fifty acres. He sold two hundred acres on the east side to Mr. Otis and the same amount on the west to Mr. Burke. Our family is the only one of his descendants who still hold an inch of the same land.
The first winter his family lived here, they kept their fire in a potash kettle. He built the first frame house between the two creeks, that where Mr. Safford lives. The second frame erected was just below William Reals.
When I came here in 1815 there were two acres cleared where Mrs. Osborne owns and twenty where Mrs. Adcook lives. I do not remember whether it received the name soon after. At any rate there were four taverns and two cake and beer-shops here. The first tavern was where J. H. Smith lives, the second near Dr. O. R. Wilcox place, the third opposite his house, and the fourth was that old wood-colored house just beyond the toll-gate. There were two more taverns at Orville, then called Youngsville, two more beyond and then the one kept by Cossett on the site of the Empire house in Syracuse. The first cake and beer-shop was located where Mr. Jones lives, and the second near William Reals. There was another one out toward the city whose sign read "Cake and Beer Bread." These inns were always full of travelers, there was so much teaming in those days; it was no uncommon sight to see loads drawn by seven horses.
"Yes," interposed Mrs. Babcock "I was raised in Herkimer county. When I was twelve years old my father went to Salt Point for a load of salt, and I came far as here to visit my grandparents. I would stand at the window and watch the teams -- the road was full of them, -- and my grandfather laughed when I said I should think they would wear the road all out."
"Four stage-coaches passed every day," resumed Mr. B. "The change of horses was made at Manlius Four Corners, now Fayetteville.
A man lived where Mr. Oxner does who wished to keep tavern; a license had to be granted by the town board, and if a man could swear he had three spare beds, he had no difficulty in procuring a grant. This man made three beds in his garden and left them without seed. His brother-in-law appeared with him before the board and testified that C. had three spare beds whereupon a license was granted and no questions asked.
Jesse Worden lived where Dr. Wilcox does and his brother Jonathan kept tavern just this side. One night "Uncle Jonathan" went to his brother Jesse after some honey saying "I want the very best you have. I want to get up a big supper, for there is a man stopping at my house who is smart enough to be governor of the State of New York." Later in the evening "Uncle Jonathan" discovered that the smart looking stranger was DeWitt Clinton, governor of the State of New York.
You inquire about the sign on the red barn, "Drover's Domicile," -- the former owner placed it there intending to accommodate herds of cattle and swine over night, but I guess never much came of it.
Oh, yes indeed! the toll-gate was just where it is now when I came in 1815. Toll-gates were placed all along the turn-pike from Albany to Buffalo, ten miles apart, but they were just like a field gate, no roof over them.
The road to High Bridge has been changed; it used to begin near Mr. Smith's. I drew every stick of timber for the original high bridge; my brother had the job. It must be over sixty years ago.
The road over the canal was not laid out, but there was another road leading north, up by Mr. Worden's which led to Briton's Settlement, now Collamer, thus named in honor of the Postmaster General.
Bears, panthers, wolves, wild-cats and rattlesnakes abounded in the north part of the town, but I do not remember that they ever molested us here. One Sunday, during the first or second year after I came, a bear was started up between here and the canal, all the men and boys gave chase. He was shot at, but escaped. I had been having the fever ague for two months and did not think myself able to work, but started with the rest. Father said "If you can chase a bear all day, I guess you can hoe potatoes" Ha! ha! ha! "Well I really lost the ague in that pursuit and did not have it any more.
There was a man in the neighborhood who considered himself better off than his neighbors; he could afford to eat all the pork he wanted, and said "no one would have the ague if they ate plenty of pork" but in spite of all he was taken down with it whereupon someone for a joke tied a piece of pork to his latch where he found it on opening the door in the morning. That man had a brother move here from Clinton who settled where ex-sheriff Edwards lives and was much disliked. He had been "disappointed." One day he had three raisings, a wood-house, a corn-house and a shed. It was then the custom after the frame was up, for a man to stand on the high beam, wave a bottle of spirits, hurrah three times, then throw the bottle and give a name to the building. The man that performed the act on this occasion, gave to the wood house the name of "Clinton's Relief," to the corn-house "Manlius Grief" and to the shed "Bachelor's Disappointment."
There was a son in one family who was something of an imbecile. He was fishing one day down by the aqueduct, fell in and was drowned. When found, his line was on the ground with a sucker attached. One of the neighbors wickedly remarked "He has paid every debt he owes and has a succor."
Yes, there was a school-house when I came; it was near the brook on the road leading to Mr. Carpenter's. The second one was situated in Mrs. Osborn's garden, the third was cobble-stone and stood on the same site as our present brick one.
Mr. Kellogg lived where Mrs. Osborne now owns. He had twelve children, eleven of them were sons; there were three pairs of twins in the family. His land was a strip extending a mile westward. He divided it among the sons.
I remember the second year I was here bending that old elm in Mr. Campbell's yard; it was a sapling and I bent it with my ox yoke and if I had an ax at hand I should have cut it down. The proportions of that kingly elm are estimated as follows by Mr. J. E. Holbrook, partially from actual measurement. Three feet from the ground, said tree measures ten and a half feet in circumference, three and a half feet in diameter, height about seventy feet, diameter of the branches seventy feet, and one large branch bends north from the center of the tree, forty feet.
The plaster-beds were worked in 1812, and plaster sold at two dollars a ton right at the bed. During the late was it sold at one dollar and a half a ton at the canal. The guide-board at the forks of the road used to say "200 Rods to the Plaster-beds." The beds were originally owned by Wilcox & Kellogg.
I well remember the cold summer of 1817, frost every month and no corn. On the 17th of June there was a snow flurry. When we heard men had surveyed the route for the Erie canal, we went down to see it, and traced its course for some distance by the blazed trees. We wondered that its course should lie through a cedar swamp. My father said "Boys perhaps you may see a canal put through here, but I never shall." He did, however. The first boat which passed through "Clinton's Ditch" was the "DeWitt Clinton." Every body must get on and ride a little ways. I rode far as Manlius Centre. Then the boats could not carry more than forty or fifty tons, now perhaps two hundred and fifty tons.
I went down by Headson's to see a train of cars; one or two trains had already passed over the new railroad. The cars and the locomotive did not look much as they do now, they have improved as well as everything else. No, I do not recollect that any remarkable events ever occurred hereabouts. I guess I have told you everything I know." Edelweiss.