1895 Landmark's of Oswego County,
NY Book
THE TOWN OF PARISH
Parish, so named by legislative
enactment in honor of David Parish, is an inland town lying immediately
east or southeast of the center of Oswego county. It was set off from Mexico
on the 20th of March, 1828, and comprises an area of 25,321 acres. It is
survey township number 23 of Scriba's patent and was called Strasburg by
that proprietor from the capital of Alsace- Lorraine. George Scriba sold
the survey township to David Parish, who disposed of it in parcels. The
Stocton tract, lying in the north and northwest parts of the town, and
the Bloomfield tract, occupying the northeast part, were divided into large
lots, while the southern half of the town was surveyed into small lots.
A tract known as the “Reservation" lies just north of Parish village.
The town of Parish, on an average,
lies about 260 feet above Lake Ontario, and was originally covered with
a thick growth of heavy timber, consisting mainly of beech, birch, hemlock,
and sugar maple. A few swamps of pine and cedar exist, and in the eastern
part is St. Mary's Lake, which contains about 40 acres. Ample drainage
is afforded by several small streams, the largest of which is the north
branch of Salmon Creek. The surface is undulating, broken considerably
by ravines, and in places rough and stony.
Down to 1860 less than half the
town was under cultivation. At that time there were twelve saw mills, four
shingle mills, and other wood manufacturing establishments in operation,
lumbering being the principal industry. A decade or so afterward agriculture
had superseded other interests, and since then farming has been the chief
occupation of the inhabitants. About 1865 dairying began to receive attention,
and so steadily has it developed that it now holds the leading place in
the business of the town. At present there are two cheese factories
in the the town, both being operated by incorporated companies. Apples
and pears are raised to a limited extent, and potatoes are grown and shipped
in large quantities. Many other products, notably grain and hay are are
profitably cultivated.
In early days, when lumbering was
at its height, the manufacture of barrels for the Syracuse salt and Oswego
flour trades was extensively carried on and brought considerable revenue
to the town.
The first thoroughfare in Parish
was the Rotterdam road leading from what is now Constantia village to Vera
Cruz (Mexico Point). This was laid out and opened by George Scriba in 1794.
About 1803 a road was surveyed through the town from the last named point
to Camden. In 1828 twenty- three road districts were formed and an overseer
was chosen for each. Many of the roads had been previously surveyed,
and a number were laid out afterward. In 1840 the town had fifty road districts.
In March, 1850, at a special meeting, the citizens resolved to aid in constructing
a plank road through Parish from Constantia to Sand Bank. In 1870-71 the
Syracuse Northern (now the R., W. & O.) Railroad was built and opened,
the first train being run over it November 14,1871. To aid this work the
town was bonded for $35,000, the most of which remains unpaid. The town
now has fifty-nine road districts. Daily stages run from Parish via Colosse
to Mexico and from Parish to Amboy.
The first town meeting was held
in the "Parishville school house," near the residence of Simeon Adams,
on the first Tuesday in May, 1828, and the following officers were chosen:
Paul Allen, supervisor; John Becker, town clerk; Thomas Nutting,
Stutely Palmer, and Marks Edick, assessors; Isam Simons, collector; Benajah
Whitney, Jacob J. Miller, and Denison B. Palmer, highway commissioners;
William Wightman and William D. Wightman, poormasters; Erastus Tyler, Samuel
Barber and Richard Cleveland, commissioners of common schools; Isaac B.
Mead, Denison B. Palmer and Charles
Gardner, inspectors of common schools; Peter Edick, George Earles,
Squire Palmer, and Chauncey Whitney, constables; Joseph Maybee, Jacob J.
Mead and Benajah Whitney, poundmasters; John Becker, sealer of weights
and measures. In the following fall Marks Edick, Luny Thayer, Paul Perry
and Jacob Slingerland were elected justices of the peace.
The supervisors of the town have been as follows:
Paul Allen, 1828-32; Alfred Phelps, 1833-40; Ephraim E. Ford,
1841-43; Luny Thayer, 1844; John Clapsaddle, 1845; Harvey Palmer. 1846;
Luny Thayer, 1847-50; Joseph Osborn, 1851-53; Paul W. Allen, 1854; Harvey
Palmer, 1855; John C. Warn, 1856; Austin White, 1857; Andrew Ashton, 1858-59;
John Becker, 1860-61; Jonathan Irish, 1862; James David, 1863-64; Jonathan
Irish, 1865-66; Frank H. Argensinger, 1867-69; Jonathan Irish, 1870; Romayne
C. Robertson, 1871; Jerry Foley, 1872; Daniel Edick, 1873; Jerry Foley,
1874-75; Romayne C. Robertson, 1876; Judson J. Taylor, 1877; John W. Northrop,
1878-79; Cornelius Edick, 1880; C. F. Trowbridge, 1881 Dr. I. J. Green,
1882; Lewis David, 1883-85; Fowler H. Berry, 1886-88; James David, 1889;
Fowler H. Berry, 1890-91; Melvin Alsover, 1892; Fowler H. Berry, 1893:
Willard C. Richards, 1894.
The town officers for 1894-95 were:
Willard C. Richards, supervisor; Frank B. Warn, town clerk;
W.. George Baxter, Cheney D. Barney, S. H. Crosby and Martin De Garmo,
justices of the peace; Horace J. Roode, Albert H. Coan and Hosea Pickens,
assessors; B. C. Purington, highway commissioner; George Thayer, overseer
of the poor; Lewis D. Rulison, collector.
Settlement was commenced in
Parish by Rev. Gamaliel Barnes and his son-in-law, Stephen D. Morse, in
1803. They came from Otsego county by way of Camden and Amboy and settled
in the extreme west part of the town on small lot 60, their guides being
blazed trees and Indian trails. Rev. Mr. Barnes had prospected here in
1802, but Mr. Morse was really the pioneer in felling the first timber
and clearing the first land, and during his life doubtless did more of
that work than any
other settler the town ever had. Elder Barnes was a Baptist preacher,
and built the first log house, the first barn, and the first frame dwelling
in Parish. He was born in Connecticut, served in the Revolution, learned
the trades of tanner and shoemaker, and became a minister of the Baptist
Church, but he supported himself chiefly by manual labor. He was
forty-six years of age when he settled in Oswego county, where he was,
it is believed, the second actual preacher of the gospel. He ministered
to the pioneers, in barns, houses, and the open air, performed marriage
ceremonies for miles around, carried on his trades in a small way, and
died at the great age of ninety-six, loved and revered by a wide circle
of acquaintances. His daughter Hannah married William Huntley and died
May 20, 1814. She was buried on her father's farm. Subsequently her remains
were disinterred and removed to Colosse.
Other settlers of 1803 were Thomas
Nutting, Elvider Orton, Amos Williams and Jonathan Bedell. Mr. Nutting,
then twenty-three years of age, came from Otsego county and located on
small lot 6. He was a soldier of the War of 1812 and held several town
offices. Surviving all the other early settlers, he died in 1873, and his
wife's death occurred one day later. He was the grandfather of Judge Newton
W. Nutting, deceased, and of Harmon D. Nutting, now a lawyer in Parish.
Mr. Orton settled on small lot 5. The birth of his son Ransom in 1805 was
the first in town. Jonathan Bedell was killed by the falling of a tree
on small lot 4 about 1806, which was the first death of a white person
in Parish. He was buried on the Charles Ford farm. His widow married Nathan
Parkhurst, which was the first marriage. Amos Williams died April 19, 1813,
and was buried on the Genney farm.
In 1804 Paul Allen, a native of
Berkshire county, Mass., came from Otsego county, N. Y., and located on
small lot 2. He became a lieutenant in the war of 1812 and was elected
the first supervisor of Parish, an office he held five consecutive years.
He was a leading and an influential man, a substantial farmer, and a prominent
member of the Baptist Church and died in 1849.
In 1805 William Wightman, William
D. Wightman and Stutely Palmer, jr., became settlers, all coming from Herkimer
county. William D. Wightman settled on small lot 3, the others on lot 61.
A few years afterward Dennison B. Palmer located on small lot 60 and subsequently
became the first justice of the peace in Parish. Harvey Palmer was born
here September 8, 1816, became a Colonel and inspector-general of militia,
supervisor, assessor, farmer, merchant, justice of the peace, and served
as assemblyman in 1863 and 1864.
Several other settlers arrived
prior to the war of 1812, mainly from the counties of Herkimer and Otsego.
Among them was the Hatch family, of whom Jarvis Hatch, born in 1806, subsequently
resided in Mexico. The exact date of the coming of many others cannot be
determined. The war and the celebrated "cold season" of 1816, materially
checked immigration and caused much suffering, while the miasma arising
from the marshes added to the general discomfort. Those who had arrived,
however, braved the privations of frontier life with fortitude. Among the
settlers during this period and down to the year 1825 were Jacob J. Miller,
Luman Brockway, Benjamin Whitney, Joseph Maybee, William Avery, J. W. Scriber,
Simeon Adams, John Miller, Joseph Edick, Abram Hoose, Erastus Fyler, Milo
M. and Asahel Coan, James David, C. Edick, Daniel Edick, J. H. Miller,
G. Rider, and J. Sampson. Asahel Coan died here January 1,1895, being at
the
time df his death the oldest correspondent of the Parish Mirror and
one of the oldest citizens of the town. Milo M. Coan died in October, 1891.
Jacob J. Miller furnished the first accommodations to travelers, though
he did not keep a regular tavern. Joseph Storer was the first blacksmith
as early as 1815; he remained until 1822, when he moved away. Abram Hoose
died in Mexico, August 14, 1889. Simeon Adams died January 29 and his wife
February 25, 1817, in a log house which stood about on the site of the
store of H. F. Graves in Parish village. Prominent among those who were
born in the county prior to 1825 and became honored residents of Parish
were M. Avery, R. Burnham, A. M. Gillespie, George W. Moore, Edwin Palmer
and J. R. Smith. The Edick family has been prominently identified with
the town from an early day and many of its members are still respected
residents and active business men.
Of the settlers prior to 1830 were
Joseph Brown, John Becker, Ephraim E. Ford, Paul W. Allen, Isam Simons,
James A. Burnett, John De Garmo, R. H Orton, and Luny Thayer. Mr. Thayer
was a member of assembly in 1845. Mr. Ford opend the first store in Parish
in 1829, and Mr. Simons built the first regular tavern the same year.
Between 1830 and 1840 the following
came in: John Simplot, Alfred Phelps, John.C. Warn, Dr. Austin White, H.
M. Bliss, C. Cummins, William O. Comstock, C. H. Edick, C. H. Ford, J.
W. Harter, Leonard House, Jonathan Irish, Ransom H. Orton, Melzar Richards,
A. Smith, C. and F. Tisdale, and Dr. Judson J. Taylor. Dr. White settled
in town in 1832 and remained until his death in 1876. He was the first
physician in Parish. Melzar Richards was born in Steuben county, N. Y.,
Christmas day. 1822. At the breaking out of the Rebellion he organized
Co. D, 24th N. Y. Vols, and went out as captain.
In 1863 he was commissioned major, and on April 5, 1865, at Amelia
Springs, while pressing Lee's retreating army; he was mortally wounded
and soon after died. He was buried with Masonic and military honors on
the 25th of that month. Some of those mentioned were natives of the
county.
Prominent among the settlers from
1840 to 1850 were John Clapsaddle, Dr. Tobias J. Green, Archibald N. Ludington,
E. C. Buell, C. Baldwin, W. G. Baxter, P. Finster, H. E. Holden, H. Jones,
G. B. Mosier, W. B. Parkhurst, and F. Simmons. Dr. Green was born in Rensselaer
county, was graduated from the medical department of the University of
New York, settled in Parish in 1847, and a few years ago removed to Mexico,
where he now resides. He was a director and vice-president of the Syracuse
Northern Railroad Company prior to its incorporation with the R. W. &
O. corporation.
Among other prominent residents
of the town may be mentioned S. T. Parsons (a lawyer), Dr. Cornelius S.
House (deceased), J. H. Hoose (born here and subsequently the principal
of the State Normal School at Cortland), Romain C. Robertson, Hon. Newton
W. Nutting, a brother of Harmon D: Nutting, both lawyers, the latter still
in practice here, Edwin G. Lynch (a practicing attorney in Parish), John
Osborn, Andrew Ashton, Dr. C. D. Barney (dentist), J. W. Bliss (died March
11, 1895), William Carley, Jerry Foley, W. T. Seymour, L. D. Snell, Daniel
White, Charles Le Clair (died in November, 1894), George R. and Hamilton
A. Mosher (brothers), Rev. A. P. Phinney, Fowler H. Berry, C. Sayles Talcott
(prominent in Masonry), George Luddington, and Melzar H. Thayer (brother
of Luna). The latter died October 10,
1894. William Edick owns a grist mill on Little Salmon Creek about
one mile east of Parish village. Two centenarians at least have died in
the town, viz.: Mrs. Sarah Herrick in September, 1877, aged 100 years and
four months, and James Pete October 5, 1893, at the age of 103 years, five
months and five days. Other prominent settlers and residents of Parish
are noticed more fully in Part III of this volume.
The population of Parish at different
periods has been as follows: In 1830, 868; 1835, 1,295; 1840, 1,543; 1845,
1,456; 1850, 1,799; 1855, 1,675; 1860, 2,027; 1865, 1,814; 1870,1,929;
1875, 2,058; 1880,1,817; 1890, 1,770.
During the war of the Rebellion
the town contributed nearly 100 of her citizens to the Union forces and
raised about $9,000 for bounties to volunteers. Among those who received
merited promotions in the service were Lt.-Col. Melzar Richards, Capt.
R. W. Slayton, Chaplain A. R. Wells. Capt. S Beaulin, Surgeon T. J. Green,
and Regimental Postmaster C. H. Edick. The survivors now residents of the
town are fraternally banded together in the G. W. Simons Post, No. 599,
G. A. R.. of which Truman Redington is the present commander.
The first school house in town
was a small log structure which cost only $ 15, and which stood on the
site of the present town hall in Parish village. Samuel Phileo was the
first teacher and one of his successors was Joseph Torrey, subsequently
surrogate of the county. This primitive building was erected in 1808 and
served its purpose until 1816,
when it was replaced by a frame structure. The first frame school house
was built on small lot 60 in 1814. It cost $150 and was situated in what
was called district No. I of Mexico. In 1828 the town was divided into
five whole and four joint school districts, and since then local educational
movements have kept pace with the excellent school system of the State.
May 15, 1883, the Parish Union Free School and Academy was organized with
James S. Luddington, Hosea Pickens, C. S. Tallcott, Hamilton A. Mosher,
and Edwin Palmer as members of the first Board of Education. The site upon
which the school house stands had been purchased in 1878 at a cost of $100,
and a frame school building erected thereon during the same year for $2,400.
The structure has since been enlarged at an expense of about $ 1 ,000.
The Board of Education for 1894-5 consists of C. D. Barney, president;
W. B. Harter. clerk; H. M. Mosher, P. D. Edick, and Dr. J. B. Todd. The
principal is Prof. W. F. Canough.
The town now has thirteen school
districts with a school house in each, in which schools were taught in
1892-3 by seventeen teachers and attended by 477 scholars. The school buildings
and sites are valued at $11,085; assessed valuation of districts, $380,212;
public money received from the State, $2,076.55; raised by local tax, $1,824.04.
The districts are designated: No. I, Parish; 2, Fritts; 3. Churchill; 4-
Searls; 5, Bidwell; 6, Laing; 7, Getman; 8, Jennings; 9, Old Dutch Hill;
10, Devendorf; 11, Miller; 12, Red Mills; 13, New Dutch Hill.
Pleasant Lawn Cemetery, situated
near the village of Parish, had its origin in a half acre of ground which
was set aside for burial purposes by Rev. Gamaliel Barnes soon after the
death of his daughter Hannah (Mrs. William Huntley), which occurred May
20,1814. This plot comprised a part of Elders Barnes's farm, ad Mrs. Huntley
was the first person interested therein. Her remains were subsequently
removed to Colosse. The second burial in the Parish graveyard was that
of Allen Mead and the third that of an infant grandchild of Elder Barnes.
The oldest tombstone marks the grave of Uriah Tracy Orton, who died July
reside 15, 1825. The cemetery was enlarged to accommodate the increasing
number of burials, and in 1890 it was incorporated under its present name.
Supervisors' statistics for 1894:
assessed valuation of real estate, $329,593, equalized, $405,121; personal
property, $18,450; railroads, 2.69 miles, $27,500; town tax, $3,412.48;
county tax, $2,372; ratio of tax on $100, $1.92; total tax levy, $6,668.09;
dog tax, $108.50. The town has two election districts and in November,
1894, polled 398 votes.
Parish village was for many years
called Parishville, but as a post office and railroad station it has always
borne its present designation, derived from the name of the town.
It commenced with the rude log school house of 1808. As early as 1815 Joseph
Storer established a blacksmith shop inside what are now the corporate
limits and remained about seven years. In 1828 Joseph Brown set up his
anvil and forge, and during the same year Paul Allen and John Becker erected
a grist mill with three runs of stone on the north branch of Salmon
Creek. This was the first mill of the kind in town. It was subsequently
remodeled by Almeron Thomas, of Mexico, and January 26, 1872, it was burned,
causing a loss of about $8,000. On the site the present structure was erected
the same year by Jesse A. Slawson and Romaine C. Robertson at a cost of
$18,000, and named " Ceresco Mill" by Edwin Palmer. It is now owned by
Romaine C. Robertson and managed by J. W. Bliss. The first store was built
and opened by Ephraim E. Ford in 1829, who kept it until 1856. For a time
Mr. Ford was in partnership with Paul W. Allen. The building was eventually
enlarged and occupied by the Mosher Brothers. Isam Simons erected the first
regular tavern in 1829 and kept it until 1857. It was burned in 1871, and
on the site the Ludington block was erected, burned. and rebuilt. In 1830
a tannery, the first regular establishment Qf the kind in town,
was built near the grist mill by a Frenchman named John Simplot. John
C. Warn became proprietor about 1833 and in 1859 it was burned. Mr. Warn
rebuilt it and in 1865 sold the plant to Robertson & Co. It was materially
enlarged and for a time employed a capital of about $150,000. A few years
ago it was torn down and on the site the Crandall typewriter factory, now
vacant, was erected.
In 1832 Dr. Austin White, the first
physician in town, became a resident, and the same year a post route was
established from Camden to Colosse, passing through Parish. Mail was carried
each way once a week, the carriers being Cyrus H. Harvey and Dexter Howard.
Ephraim E Ford was appointed the first postmaster and held the office until
his removal in 1856. Among his successors were Charles H. Edick, Charles
F. Trowbridge, W. H. Baker, E. D. Edick,William B. Harter, and Burr J.
Morgan, incumbent. The first lawyer, Archibald N. Ludington, settled in
Parish in 1848 and remained three years. Among the old time merchants were
the Mosher Brothers, G W. Ludington, William Carley (still in business
and the oldest dealer in town), C. D. Edick & Co., G. G. Houghton,
Ludington & Brown, B. C. Purrington & Son,
Slayton, Slawson & Le Clair, Lewis Rider, E. E. Blinn, George Paddock,
Charles Casler, Wightman Brothers, J. J. Taylor, J. W. Harter (furniture
and undertaking), Philip Fellows (shoes, succeeded by Willis Fellows, where
Jocelyn & Owen now are), and Hathaway & Vroman (cabinet makers).
C. D. Barney, dentist, and C. C. Barrett, shoemaker, have been in business
here many years. There are now about sixteen stores in the village, besides
a meat market, and harness shops. The merchants now are Jocelyn & Owen,
Frank Butler,W. H. Baker,William Carley, George J. Pitcher, and Albert
Alger (at the depot), general stores; Edick & Edick, and Dayton R.
Fritts, hardware; R E. Borst and Forest Houghton, groceries; Herbert F.
Graves, jewelry; C. S. Tallcott & Sons, liquors; W. B. Harter, furniture;
Burr J. Morgan and Emmett Lewis, drugs and notions. There are two hotels:
The Snell House, L. D. Snell, proprietor, and the Commercial House, kept
by the Ackley Brothers. Twenty years or more ago the former was known as
the Boyd House from its landlord, D. Boyd, The present owner, Mr. Snell,
has long been in charge and is one of the oldest and best known hotel-keepers
in the county. There are also two public houses at the depot, one of which,
the Railroad House, was built by William Pickens in 1873, over a well dug
by the pioneer, Paul Allen. The village also Colltains four blacksmith
shops; the town hall, which was purchased in 1857; a Masonic lodge organized
May 14, 1874, with Samuel Porter (first master) Avery Skinner, Hiram Walker,
John B. Ackley, and Samuel T. Parsons as charter members; two saw mills,
one of which is owned by L. C. Brockway; the Parish Exchange Bank, Potter
& Marsden, proprietors; and a large canning factory near the depot
owned by Louis Windholz, of Syracuse.
May 14, 1874, John W. Northrop
issued the first number of the Parish Mirror. He continued as editor and
proprietor for several years. Among his successors were Galen Oderkirk,
Arthur White, Prof. J. M. Moore, Burton M. Hicks, and since March, 1894,
Fred H. Gee. Mr. Gee was born in Cortland county March 8, 1854, and has
been engaged in the printing business since he attained the age of fifteen.
The villiage of Parish was incorporated
in 1883 and the first meeting of the trustees occurred October 5 of that
year. The corporation comprises a square mile. The first officers were
George R. Mosher, president; William H. Baker, Lester D. Pickens, and Lorenzo
D. Snell, trustees; J. S. Ludington, clerk. The presidents have been
as follows:
G. R. Mosher, ;1883-4; C. S. Tallcott, .1885-6; Dr. John B.
Todd, 1887; C. D. Barney. 1888-9; G. D. Houghton, 1890-91; George R. Mosher,
.1892; L. D. Pickens, 1893: H. A. Mosher, 1894; L. D. Pickens, 1895.
The village officers for 1894-5 were:
I. B. Niles, P. P. Ford, A. A. Davey, trnstees; W. G. Baxter,
clerk; George Gray, A. M. Seley, police constables; W. E. Mc.Allister,
collector; B. J. Morgan, treasurer; Henry A. Davey, street commissioner.
The village has been visited by
several serious conflagrations, among the number not already noticed being
those of May 1, 1886, loss $25,000; August, 1887, loss $6,000; September
30 and October 1, 1888, loss about $10,000 each time. With commendable
energy it has in every instance quickly recovered, and now presents the
appearance of a healthy, thrifty village of about 540 people.
East Parish was formerly a post-office,
and at one time about 1852, Guy C. Comstock was postmaster there. It is
now merely a rural settlement.
Wrightson is a post-office three
miles east of Parish village. It contains a scattered collection of houses
and one saw mill. The postmaster is Richard Hakes, who succeeded John Stagner,
jr.
Churches.-As early as 1815 a class of the M. E. church was formed
at the school house in what was then district NO.1, Mexico, with Richard
Ford as leader. Several other classes were afterward organized in the town
all of which have long since ceased to exist. During the winter of 1840-41
a revival occurred, which resulted in the erection of a frame church edifice
in Parish the following summer at a cost of $1,800, the site being donated
by John Becker. It was called Congre- gational, but its supporters were
Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Baptists, and Lutherans, all of whom,
except the Baptists, united in the Congregational discipline and selected
Rev. S. W. Champlin (Lutheran) as pastor. John Wright and Nicholas Oxner
were elected deacons. This form of worship continued about five years.
The church, however, was occupied by the Baptists almost alone for several
years, yet other denominations were free to use it. The edifice was dedicated
in October, 1841, by Rev. Ralph Robinson (Congregationalist) and Rev. Mr.
Van Alstyne (Lutheran). Down to 1869 it was used alternately by the various
religious organizations and classes of the town; since then it has been
occupied by the Methodists. This latter society was formed as a class in
1855 with Archibald C. Garrison as leader. In 1869 the edifice was purchased
by the M. E. Society, who repaired, refurnished, and rededicated it December
8 of that year, at which time Rev. A. J. Cowles was their pastor. The cost
of remodeling the structure was about $ 1 ,800. It was again enlarged
and repaired and rededicated on October 24, 1888, the expense being $3,200;
it is now valued, includ-
ing a parsonage, at about $5,800. The society has 115 members with
Rev. G. W. Gardner as pastor. The first Sunday school in town was organized
about 1830 and one of the earliest superintendents was John Becker, who
held the position most of the time until his death in 1862. The society
now maintains two Sabbath schools in Parish whose combined membershjp is
about 275.
A Freewill Baptist Society was
organized with some twenty members in school district No.2 about 1858 and
another was formed with twenty three members in district No.6 March 14,
1869. Of the latter Rev Albert P. Phinney was the first pastor and George
C. Brown and Austin Smith were the first deacons. Neither society ever
erected a house of worship. In the eastern part of the town two or three
Methodist Protestant classes are maintained and supplied from Dugway.
The First Presbyterian church of
Parish was organized in August, 1889. The first trustees were: J. L. Davis,
Hosea Pickens, L. S. Crandall, J. W. Harter, Frank Mills, and Arthur White.
The earlier meetings were held in the town hall. The church society was
legally organized March 28, 1893, with eleven members, to take charge of
the frame church edifice that had been erected in 1892 and dedicated November
22 of that year by Rev. A. H. Fahnestock, of Syracuse. The
structure cost about $2,000. Rev. E. W. Twichell, who is still in charge,
became the first settled pastor May 1, 1893. He is also superintendent
of the Sunday school, which has an average attendance of seventy pupils.
The society has about twenty members.