The town of Schroeppel was set off from Volney by an act of the Legislature
passed April 4, 1832, and contains an area of 26,778 acres. Its boundaries
have remained unchanged. It is located in the southern central part
of the county, in the angle formed by the junction of the Oneida and Oswego
Rivers, and is bounded on the north by Palmero, on the east by Hastings
and Clay, on the south by Clay and Lysander in Onondaga county, an on the
west by Lysander, Volney, and a corner of Granby. Its name is derived
from that of George Casper Schroeppel, a business partner of George Scriba,
and the purchaser from him of nearly the whole territory under consideration.
It includes fifty-one lots of survey township 16, named “Georgia” by the
original proprietor, and forty-eight lots of township 24, or “Erlang.”
It also includes three tracts, or “locations,” aggregating 2,550 acres,
which had been granted by the State before the purchase by the Roosevelts
in 1791, and which were excluded from the land patented to Scriba in 1794,
as will be seen by a reference to his patent at pages 10 and 11 of this
volume. These “locations” are: 1. 350 acres of land, granted
to Steven Lush, and known as “Lush’s Location,” lying on the river just
below the village of Phoenix; 2. 1,200 acres of land granted to Ezra
L”Hommedieu, by whom it was sold to Alexander Phoenix, from whom it has
since been known as “Phoenix Patent;” it includes the site of the village
of Phoenix; 3. 1,000 acres of land granted to Ezra L’Hommedieu, and
known as “L’Hommedieu’s Location;” it occupies the angle at Three River
Point formed by the junction of the Oneida and Oswego Rivers.
The surface
of the town is level or gently rolling. The soil consists of a rich
sandy loam, and the clay, susceptible of high and easy cultivation, and
is fertile and productive. The underlying rock belongs to the
Clinton group, but nowhere crops out. Adequate drainage is afforded
by Six-Mile, Fish, and Bell Creeks, Sandy Brook, and other minor streams,
which have supplied numerous mill privileges and contributed materially
to the development and prosperity of the town. The Oneida River,
which flows along the southeast border of the town and, uniting with the
Seneca River at Three River Point, forms the Oswego River, also had a marked
influence upon its settlement and growth. The valuable water power
of the Oswego River along the southwest boundary of Schroeppel has from
and early day helped to maintain many extensive industries. Dating
from a period long before actual settlers arrived and continuing down to
the completion of the Oswego Canal in 1828, and afterward to a limited
extent, these rivers were the scene of great activity. After the
canal was opened, traffic, except on the Oneida River, was tranferred to
that channel. Boat building soon became an important pursuit in the
town.
Six-Mile
Creek, mentioned above, which flows through Gilbert’s Mills and the west
part of town, is properly Peter Scott’s Creek, so called from the fact
that after the close of the war of 1812-15 Col. Peter Scott was sent with
his regiment from Oswego to Albany, and arriving at the mouth of this stream,
his boats were frozen in the ice and the troops were compelled to remain
there through the winter. Northward along this creek, varying from
half a mile to a mile in width, is Peter Scott’s swamp, some of which has
been reclaimed to cultivation by artifical drainage. On April 20,
1866 Anson Spencer, Milton T. Butts, and Charles W. Candee were appointed
commissioners by the Legislature to remove obstructions from this stream,
the expense to be assessed to the lands benefited. At the mouth of
“Sidney Creek,” which flows through the Gilson D. Carrier farm, and empties
into the Oneida River, an Indian of that name was buried at an early day
by the side of a log. He was shot and instantly killed by one McGee
while paddling a canoe which he had stolen from McGee.
These streams
long abounded with trout, eels and other fish, and afforded to the pioneers
a source from which their tables were often supplied. The forests
also contributed game for their larders, and other beasts both troublesome
and dangerous.
In the Oswego
River at the head of the rifts at Phoenix is Baldwin’s Island, formerly
McGee’s Island, which contains about ten acres.
“There is a tradition extant that
at the time the French colony was broken up at Onondaga, in 1656, the colonists,
pursing their course down the river and the Indians being in full pursuit,
took refuge on this island, and after relieving their boats of a small
brass cannon, emptied the contents of their military chests, containing
a quantity of gold, which was buried in the sand; and from thence
they immediately fled down the river to Oswego and from thence to Canada.
Repeated attempts have been made to recover the cannon and also to secure
the gold, but hitherto without effect. Excavations were continued
to within a few years to secure the hidden treasurers.” [taken from the
Phoenix Register, February, 1874]
A heavy
growth of timber originally covered the entire town, and for many years
the conversion of this into lumber was the chief industry of
the inhabitants. The forests supplied neighboring tanneries with
bark and contributed quantities of staves and heading for barrels for the
Syracuse salt, and Oswego flour trade. In 1860 there were ten saw
mills, four shingle mills, and other kindred establishments in operation.
Prior to this, farming had become the principal industry of the town, and
dairying a leading branch. The chief products of the soil are
hay, potatoes, apples and other fruit, wheat, corn and other grains.
Stock raising is given considerable attention.
Roads and
bridges were laid out and constructed soon after the first settlers came
in. The earliest thoroughfares followed the rivers and small streams.
At the first town meeting in 1833 fifteen road districts were formed and
an overseer chosen for each, and at the same time $250 were voted for highways.
April 30, 1830, John Wall was authorized by the Legislature to build a
toll bridge across the Oswego River “at or near Three River
dam.” May 25, 1836, the Schroeppel and Granby Bridge Company was
incorporated for the purpose of building a similar bridge over the same
stream, from lot 92 in Schroeppel(Hinmansville), to lot 33 in Granby.
May 11, 1846, a commission was appointed to erect a free bridge across
the Oswego River and Canal at Phoenix, on the site of “Wall
& Peck’s bridge,” to cost not more than $4,000, a part of which was
to be borne by the town of Lysander. In 1847 an act was passed authorizing
the construction of a bridge over the Oneida River at Oak Orchard.
The Oswego and Syracuse plank road was completed along the east side of
the Oswego River in 1850, and for a time was a busy thoroughfare.
In August,
1858, a contract was let to Coburn & Hurst for $7,350 to build a wooden
bridge of eight spans at Phoenix; this occupied the site of the present
iron structure. In 1859-60 the bridge at Hinmansville was rebuilt
by the towns of Schroeppel and Granby, and on April 17, 1861, a special
act was passed by the Legislature legalizing the acts of the officers of
those towns in raising money to pay for the same. May 2, 1864, an
act authorized the rebuilding by the canal commissioners of the Phoenix
and Horseshoe dams across the Oswego River. May 26, 1866, Amasa P.
Hart, of Schroeppel, and Manson Rice, of Clay, were appointed commissioners
to rebuild Schroeppel’s bridge over the Oneida River above Three River
Point at a cost not exceeding $7,500, of which the two counties and the
towns of Clay and Schroeppel were to bear one-fourth each. This was
provided with a draw, and has since been replaced by the present
iron structure. In April 6, 1869, the Legislature appointed Governeur
M. Sweet, of Schroeppel, and John Pardee and James Frazee, of Lysander,
commissioners to rebuild the bridge at Phoenix. The contract was
let to Howard Soule and the cost aggregated $15,000, one-fourth of which
was borne by each town and county.
At all the
earlier town meetings provision was made for the support of the indigent
poor. Under an act passed April 18, 1859, a poor farm was purchased,
but it was maintained only until 1863, when, April 29, the Legislature
authorized its sale, directed the proceeds to be applied to contingent
expenses, and appointed Edmund Merry, Anson Spencer, and Ephraim C. Fitzgeralds
commissioners for the purpose.
The first
town meeting was held at the house of James B. Richardson in Phoenix village
March 5, 1833, eleven months after the formation of the town. Mr.
Richardson was clerk pro tem., Orville W. Childs was assistant clerk, 117
votes were cast, and the following officers were chosen:
Samuel Merry, supervisor; James B.
Richardson, town clerk; Artemus Ross, for three years, and Orville W. Childs,
for four years, justices of the peace; Andrus Gilbert, Walter Peck, and
Stephen Griffith, assessors; Hiram Gilbert and James B. Richardson, overseers
of the poor; Samuel C. Putnam, Abram Vanderpool, and Leman Carrier, commissioners
of highways; Dyer Putnam, Artemus Ross, and Stephen Griffith, commissioners
of schools; George W. Turner, Abram Vanderpool and Orville W. Childs, inspectors
of schools; Joshua M. Rice, collector; Joshua M. Rice, Thomas R. Hawley,
Leman Carrier, and Alexander Ross, constables; Charles S. Sweet, sealer;
overseers of highways, district No. 1, Walter Peck; No. 2, John Dale; No.
3, Jesse Page; No. 4, Milton Fuller; No. 5, John Porter; No. 6, Allen Gilbert;
No. 7, Leman Carrier; No. 8, Andrus Gilbert; No. 9, George W. Davis; No.
10, Patten Parker; No. 11, Levi Pratt; No. 12, Asa Sutton; No. 13, John
Curtis, jr.; No. 14, Lawrence Seymour; No. 15, Henry W. Schroeppel.
The supervisors have been as follows:
Samuel Merry, 1833;
Andrus Gilbert, 1834; Samuel Merry, 1835; James B. Richardson, 1836-37;
Patten Parker, 1838-39; Barzil Candee,
1840-41; Joseph R. Brown, 1842; Garrett C. Sweet, 1843;
Samuel Foot, 1844; William Conger,
1845-46; William Hale, 1847-50; Oliver Breed, 1851-54;
Ira Betts, 1855; Seth W. Alvord,
1856-57; John P. Rice, 1858; Frederick D. Van Wagoner, 1859;
John P. Rice, 1860; Edmund Merry,
1861-63; Charles W. Candee, 1864; Edmund Merry, 1865-68;
Moses Melvin, 1869; John C. Hutchinson,
1870-71; Hiram Fox, 1872-75; William Patrick, 1876-78;
Hiram D. Fox, 1879; Burton Betts,
1880; A. E. Russ, 1881-84; W. E. Sparrow, 1885-86;
John O’Brien, 1887-91; Albert P.
Merriam, 1892-95.
The town clerks have been:
James B. Richardson, 1833-35; Otis
W. Randall, 1836-39; Solomon Judd, 1840; William Conger, 1841-42; Seth
W. Burke, 1843; Joshua M. Rice, 1844; E. W. Hull, 1845; Oliver Breed, 1846-47;
Edward Baxter, 1848-49; E. G. Hutchinson, 1850; Harvey Bigsby, 1851; Jerome
Duke, 1852; John C. Hutchinson, 1853; James M. Clark, 1854; George W. Thompson,
1855; Edmund Merry, 1856-57; Lewis C. Rowe, 1858-61; Alfred Morton, 1862;
Stephen A. Brooks, 1863; A. M. Spoonenburgh, 1864; James L. Breed, 1865;
S. A. Brooks, 1866; William M. Allen, 1867-68; James McCarthy, 1869; Harvey
Wandell, 1870; R. A. Diefendorf, 1871; Martin Wandell, 1872-77;
A. E. Russ, 1878-80; N. G. Vickery,
1881; Edward Baker, 1882-83; W. H. Conrad, 1884; H. S. Withers, 1885; C.
K. Williams, 1886-87; W. H. Jennings, 1888; W. O. Dingman, 1889;
H. S. Withers (appointed), 1890; Richard Latham, 1891-92; H. C. Russ, 1893-95.
The town officers for 1895-96
are:
Albert P. Merriam, supervisor; Hiram
C. Russ, clerk; W. H. Merriam, H. C. Breed, Edward Conrad, and R. A. Crandall,
justices of the peace; A. D. Dygert, Welcome Marsden, and William R. Cheesebro,
assessors; James Huntley, highway commissioner; Martin H. Porter, first
district, and James Nelson, second district, overseers of the poor; John
W. Dygert, collector.
The first
white settler in Schroeppel was Abram Paddock, who arrived in 1801 and
built a log
cabin at the foot of the rifts on
the site of the present village of Phoenix. He never purchased any
land,
yet he remained a permanent resident
until his death in 1821, his being the first death in the town.
Being engaged chiefly in hunting
and trapping, he acquired the familiar sobriquet of “Bear hunter Paddock.”
He was frequently visited by the Indians, who were sometimes troublesome,
and who often threatened to shoot him if he did not stop shooting
their bears. Bluff, brave and rugged, he was a unique character in
his day, and, as near as can be ascertained, enjoyed the distinction of
being the sole white inhabitant of the town until 1807. His was the
first log house in Schroeppel.
In 1807
Thomas Vickery settled permanently near Three River Point, where his son
Joseph was born September 11 of that year, which was the first
white person’s birth in town. He was accompanied by his wife and
three sons, and after a few years removed to Clay, Onondaga county, and
there became a prominent citizen. Joseph Vickery purchased a farm
one and one-half miles below Phoenix, married Abigail Hancock in 1831,
reared five sons, and died April 2, 1882; his wife’s death occurred in
1888.
About 1807 John Lemanier came in,
and in that year was married to Sally Winters, which was the first marriage
solemnized in Schroeppel. The ceremony was performed by a justice
of the peace from Onondaga county, who soon learned that he had exceeded
his powers as magistrate by going outside his jurisdiction. The next
day he got the couple on the other side of the river and retied the nuptial
knot according to law. David Winters was another settler of 1807,
and located on the river bank on lot 35.
William Miles arrived in 1808 and
George Foster in 1811. The latter also located on lot 35.
Undoubtedly
others arrived before 1812, but the precise dates can not be determined.
During the period we have reviewed, actual locations had been confined
to the river bank; the interior of the town remained an unbroken wilderness.
Settlers had come in in small numbers, and the war with England almost
wholly stopped immigration. After peace was declared an era of growth
and prosperity began.
Settlers arrived in constantly increasing
numbers, roads were laid out and opened, and various industries were established.
In the mean time, in 1813, the first school in town had been opened at
Three River Point, the teacher being Horatio Sweet.
George Casper
Schroeppel, from whom the town derived its name, settled on his estate
in 1815. He deserves more than a passing notice. About 1790,
during the Reign of Terror in France, a young and beautiful lady, allied
to a noble family, fled to America. On the ship which bore her hither
was Mr. Schroeppel, a young German. They fell in love, and arriving
in New York were married. Her fortune enabled him to embark in business
as a merchant, his partner being George Scriba and a Mr. Roosevelt, and
he became wealthy. Madam Schroeppel subsequently revisited France,
where she soon died. Mr. Schroeppel purchased 20,000 acres of Scriba,
comprising nearly all of this town, and in 1815 he took up his residence
on lots 34 and 35. He built the first frame house in town about 1818, and
in 1819 erected the first saw mill. He also commenced the erection
of a grist mill, but never finished it. He died in New York City in 1825
and was buried in Trinity churchyard. To his son and two daughters
he left large fortunes. The former, Henry W. Schroeppel, settled
at Oak Orchard on the bank of the Oneida River in 1818, and opened the
first farm upon which extensive improvements were made; he also conducted
the saw mill for many years and died in 1858, at the age of sixty.
His daughter, Mrs. Richard Pennell, is mentioned further on.
In 1818
Archibald Cook became the first settler on the site of the village of Gilbert’s
Mills. The same year Hyman and Stephen Sutton purchased land on lot
13 in the 16th township, and Stephen built a log house on his location.
In March, 1819, they became permanent settlers. They were brothers
and came from Manlius, Onondaga county. Alvin Sutton, a cousin, and
a Mr. Phelps located on lot 12, Azoe Parkin on lot 13, and one Billings
on lot 27, all in the same year. Lyman Norton settled on the farm
upon which his son Hiram was born in 1822, and which finally passed into
the possession of the latter. He died in May 1870.
Other settlers
of 1819 were Andrus and Hiram Gilbert, Israel Burritt, John Willard, and
a Mr. Phillips.
The Gilberts were the founders of
Gilbert’s Mills. Andrus Gilbert was born in Oneida county, August
30, 1799, married Sarah S., a daughter of Capt. George Macomber, one of
the pioneers of Utica, and had eleven children. In 1819 the Gilberts
erected on Peter Scott’s Creek at Gilbert’s Mills the first grist mill
in town. In 1832 Hiram became the sole owner, and in 1844 sold the
mill to Jared Shepard, who conducted it for about four years and was succeeded
by Josiah Chaffee. The latter was soon followed by Amos Mason.
Andrus Gilbert opened the first store in town in 1820, and in 1822 formed
a partnership with Samuel Merry. The store was burned in 1848.
Mr. Gilbert manufactured large quantities of pot and pearl ashes, served
as justice of the peace twelve years, was supervisor, postmaster, an active
member of the Presbyterian church, a strong abolitionist and temperance
advocate, and ever a generous and an influential citizen. In
1847 he moved on to a farm and died there. The Gilberts also erected
and operated one of the largest saw mills in this vicinity. Israel
Burritt assisted in building these mills and finally moved to a farm afterward
occupied by James Simmons, where he died. He came from Paris, Oneida
county.
About 1820
Aaron Paddock, familiarly known as “Eel-butcher Paddock,” settled in Phoenix
across the street from the old Joseph Gilbert residence, and his daughter
Jane, born in that year, was the first child born on the site of the village.
In 1824 occurred the first marriage in the place, the contracting parties
being his daughter Miriam and James Miles. Aaron Paddock was not
related to Abram Paddock, the pioneer. His log house passed into
the possession of Simeon S. Chapin, who, in 1822, erected an addition and
opened the first tavern in town. It acquired a wide reputation as
the “Double Log House.” In 1825 he built a frame addition, which
was the first structure of the kind in Phoenix village. Capt. Joseph
Gilbert, mentioned above, was born in Paris, N. Y., in 1810, came to Palmero
with his parents in 1819, moved to Schroeppel in 1828, and died in August,
1873.
In 1821
John F. Withey, a Vermonter, became the first settler on the site of Hinmansville,
where he built a log house near the east end of the bridge. Among
the arrivals of 1822 were Jonathan Hall and Samuel Merry. The former
settled on lot 20, where he died in June, 1868; the latter came to Gilbert’s
Mills, removed thence to Phoenix in 1837, and died in 1886. His son,
Edmund Merry, was born in town in 1825, and is the father of Addison D.,
a practicing attorney in the village.
A man familiarly
known as “Tory” Foster early settled and built a log house at Oak Orchard;
he soon removed, but in 1833 returned and died in Phoenix in 1834.
He possessed the characteristics of his early political associations, and
took great delight in narrating his exploits and cruelties against the
Americans in the Revolutionary war. He was present with Johnson and
Brant at the Wyoming massacre, had had both ears cropped, and wore his
hair long to cover the scars.
About 1824
George Waring came into the town and in that year married a daughter of
Jonathan Hall. He was a son of Solomon Waring, who settled
in Constantia in the fall of 1793, was born April 11, 1794, and died in
1866. About 1826 John Curtis, sr., made the first settlement on the
State road, on lot 5, in this town, and John Curtis, jr., located at Roosevelt.
In 1827 Dea. Stephen Griffith, who was born in Saratoga county in 1797,
settled on lot 26. About the same time Walter Peck erected the first
saw mill in Phoenix village, and a year later he opened the first store
there. Among the other settlers prior to 1830 were Henry Allen, father
of Henry A., whose death occurred in 1845; Olestes Jewett, who lived and
dies near Gilbert’s Mills, and whose son Cyrus was born here in 1835; Frederick
Shepard, who resides where he settled with his father, Asa, in 1826; and
Jonathan Butts, Truman Baker, Stephen Chaffee, George Conrad, I. H. Dygert,
Samuel Flynn, Charles Hubbs, Alonzo Utley, Moses Wood, Rodney S. Gregg,
and Reuben Sutton. The latter was the son of Stephen Sutton and was
born in Manlius, N.Y., in 1818. The father served at Sackett’s Harbor
in the war of 1812. Rodney S. Gregg was a farmer, carpenter, and
tavern keeper at Pennellville several years, and died there. His
son Ambrose was born here in 1833, and has held several town offices, has
long been a hotel-keeper, and was postmaster at Pennellville for thirty-five
years. Willis P. Gregg, a son of James E., was born in Schroeppel
in 1853.
The
completion of the Oswego Canal in 1828 aided the growth and development
of the town. It marked the practical commencement of the village
of Phoenix, and exerted a powerful influence upon the settlement and prosperity
of the various communities. Among the settlers from 1830 to 1840
were:
Calvin Mason, John Fitzgerald, John
A. Youmans, Daniel Phillips, Abial Snyder, Charles W. Candee (son of Barzil),
Hezekial Barnes, Simeon Chapin, Isaac Wing, Isaac Mason, Philo M. Carpenter,
Ira Davis, Orville W. Childs, Allen Gilbert, John Ingersoll, Thomas R.
Hawley, Asa McNamara, John Bottom, Isaac Like, John Haskin, Asa Gilbert,
J. E. Gregg, Dea. G. W. Turner, Michael Griffin, William Dingman, Nathan
Huntley, Jesse Page, Duncan Conger, Elias Thomas, Garrett C. Sweet, Junius
Wood, and many others. Deacon Turner came in 1831 and settled on
big lots 1 and 6 . Thomas R. Hawley, born in Lysander, Onondaga county,
arrived in 1832, located on lot 39, and died in 1894. Calvin Mason,
born in Fulton county in 1815, also came in 1832 and settled on his present
place in 1842. His parents, Isaac and Rebecca Mason, accompanied
him and died in town. John Fitzgerald, a farmer and lumberman, came
from Saratoga, N.Y., to Phoenix in 1833 and died in 1860. His son
Ephraim C., born in 1830, has been a hardware merchant there since 1865.
John Haskin was another settler of 1833, arriving in January of that year,
and locating on lot 18 in the twenty-fourth township. Coming from
Philadelphia and unaccustomed to pioneer life, his family suffered severely
from privations incident to a new country. In June following his
arrival he started for the mill at Caughdenoy, three and one-half
miles distant, and while returning lost his way in a tamarack swamp.
He was gone one night and two days and traveled in all about fifty miles
without food. Hezekiah Barnes died in 1849. Anthony Youmans
was born in Greene county in 1818 and came to Schroeppel with his parents,
John A. and Olive Youmans, in 1834. John A. died in 1873, aged ninety-two,
and his wife in 1879, at the age of eighty-four. Daniel Phillips
arrived in the spring of 1835, settled where his son Clark now resides,
and died in 1866, aged eighty-seven. He was a wagonmaker by trade.
Abial Snyder also came in 1835. He was a Methodist preacher about fifty
years. Charles W. Candee was born in what is now Palmero in 1817,
and moved thence to Phoenix in 1837. His son Charles E. was born
in town in 1849. William Dingman was accompanied by five sons.
In 1834
ninety-seven votes were cast at the annual town meeting; in 1835 the number
was 125; in 1836, 191; in 1837, 159; in 1838, 218; in 1839, 285; and in
1840, 308.
Robert D.
Ellis, father of John, settled on a farm near Hinmansville in 1843.
M. F. Butts arrived about 1845 and located where his son Frank W. now lives.
He held several positions of trust and died in 1892, aged eighty years.
Aries Williams, born in Mexico in 1821, son of Eli, has been nearly all
his life a resident of Oswego county.
Prominent
among other settlers of Schroeppel may be mentioned:
James B. Richardson, who died in
1844; E. B. Carrington, whose death occurred in 1845; G. H. Northrup, died
in 1876; William C. Spoonenburgh, son of Thomas (who died in 1878); Ira
Hetts, son of Smith Betts, both of whom came here in 1852, where the former
had a boat builder in Phoenix forty-one years; R. Townsend and his father,
A. Townsend, who also arrived in 1852, the latter being a soldier of the
war of 1812 and dying in 1882, aged ninety-five; James Crane, who
was born in England in 1831 and settled here in 1855; Henry Fox and his
son Hiram, the latter for thirty years a blacksmith and wagonmaker in Phoenix,
where he was long a member of the Board of Education; Hiram Parker, who
died in 1883, where his son Edward now lives; Harvey H. Smith, father of
Frank L.; Riley D. Price, hotel keeper at Hinmansville, son of Rev. Francis
Price, who died there in 1891; Oliver Breed, born in Vermont in 1810, came
to Volney in 1827, where his father, Henry, died in 1828, settled in Phoenix,
and has been a miller there since 1848;
Andrew P. Hamill, father of Dr. J.
E. Hamill, who died in 1890; Hosea B. Russ, who died in 1883; Travis Porter,
a Vermonter, whose death occurred in 1886, and whose son Charles was born
here in 1835; James H. Loomis, who was born in Onondaga county in 1817,
founded in Phoenix the business of J. H. Loomis & Sons, served sixteen
years as justice of the peace, and died in 1894; Governeur M. Sweet, who
served as assemblyman in 1884 and 1885; Wallace D. Sweet, who was born
here in 1841 and is now a general merchant in Hinmansville; and William
and Dr. Davis Conger, Orrin C. Stebbins, A. W. Schroeppel, Van Rensselaer
Sweet, C. E. Hutchinson, M. M. Carter, A. H. Brainard, Captain Amasa P.
Hart, David Porter, Joshua M. Rice, Abram Vanderpool, Benjamin Hinman,
Seth W. Burke, Dyer Putnam, Enoch S. and John H. Brooks, Gilson
D. Carrier, H. G. Vickery (son of Stephen and grandson of Thomas Vickery),
A. W. Sweet, Hiram Norton, Enoch Douglass, Artemus Ross, James Barnes,
and many others noticed a little further on or more fully recorded in Parts
II and III of this work.
The population
of Schroeppel at the periods mentioned has been as follows: In 1835, 2,191;
1840, 2,198; 1845, 2,516; 1850,
3,258; 1855, 3,749; 1860, 4,011; 1865, 3,669; 1870, 3,987;
1875, 3,250; 1880, 3,281; 1890,
3,026.
The town
of Schroeppel may well feel proud of her record during the war of the Rebellion.
About 436 of her sons joined the Union army and navy. A few remained
in the service. Those who escaped death and returned
have received fitting honors from a grateful people.
Among those who held commissions were:
Francis G. Barnes, James H. Campbell,
Augustus Diefendorf, Charles R. W. Ellis, Elias A. Fish, Wright S. Gilbert,
John D. Gifford, Thomas B. Griffin, Harrison B. Herrick, William Lapoint,
Alfred Morton, Dennis D. McKoon, Hugh McKeever, James MdKeever, M.
G. Mckoon, G. G. Pierce, George Potts, Morris F. Saulsbury, Stephen J.
Scriba, Luther D. Stanton, Harvey Sibers, and James Van Antwerp.
The New
York, Ontario & Western (Midland) Railroad was completed through the
north part of Schroeppel in November, 1869. Prior to this and until
1885 communication between Phoenix and Syracuse, Oswego and other points,
except those along the line of this route, was maintained by boat or stage,
the mails being carried to and from Lamson’s on the D. L. & W. Railroad
in Lysander from 1848 to 1885. In October, 1871, the Baldwinsville,
Phoenix & Mexico Railroad Company was organized for the purpose of
constructing a railway through this town from Mexico to Baldwinsville.
Over $25,000 were subscribed, considerable enthusiasm was manifested, but
the scheme was finally abandoned. This project, however, started
about 1873 the agitation of the Syracuse, Phoenix & Oswego Railroad,
the present Phoenix branch of the R. W. & O., but it was not until
1885 that the road was completed. The first train ran over it on
September 7 of that year. To aid in constructing the route the town
was bonded for $50,000, and Phoenix village for $20,000. Of these
sums, $9,500 have been paid by the town. The railroad commissioners
are A. W. Hawks, F. M. Breed and A. D. Merry.
Supervisors’
statistics for 1894: Assessed valuation of real estate, $1,280,102; equalized
$1,226,416;
personal property, $38,600; value
of railroads, 13.17 miles, $118,344; town tax, $5,445.88; county tax, $7,084.09;
total tax levy, $15,168.89; dog tax, $206; ratio of tax on $100, $1.75.
There are three election districts in town, in which 738 votes were cast
in November, 1894. The town audits for the year aggregated $1,223.08.
The first
school in Schroeppel, as previously noted, was taught at Three River Point
by Horatio Sweet in 1813. The first school at Gilbert’s Mills was
taught by Sophronia Spafford in 1821; the first at Oak Orchard in an upper
room of H. W. Schroeppel’s house by Phebe Howe in 1825; and the first at
Pennellville in a log house on lot 11 by Ezra Tyler in 1834. The
first school house in Phoenix was built in the forks of what are now Main
and Volney streets, whence it was moved to the corner of Jefferson and
Culvert streets. It was torn down in May, 1871. The first teacher
in it was Elvira Knapp (afterward Mrs. Thomas R. Hawley), who died in March,
1856. In 1860 there were sixteen school districts in town.
April 19, 1865, the Phoenix Free School District, comprising the whole
of old district No. 12, was formed and the following were the first Board
of Education: Enoch S. Brooks, Alfred Morton, J. N. Gillis, Edmund Merry,
M. S. Cushman and Governeur M. Sweet. M. M. Carter was chosen clerk.
The first principal was William B. Howard. His successors have been
B. F. Stanley, B. G. Clapp, A. J. Robb, Robert Simpson, D. A. Preston,
and Albert W. Dyke, incumbent. The academic department was organized
and accepted by the Regents Novermber 23, 1875, under the name of the Phoenix
Union School and Academy. The first librarian was Samuel C. Putnam,
who was succeeded by his widow. The school house, a commodious brick
structure three stories high, was erected soon after the organization was
effected. In 1883 a brick addition was built on the rear at a cost
of about $5,000. The school property, including furniture, apparatus,
etc., is valued at $17,600; the average attendance during 1893-94 was 397.
Eleven teachers besides the principal are employed. The Board of
Education for 1894-95 consists of:
J. E. Hamill, M. D. president; N.
J. Pendergast, C. F. Loomis, H. S. Van Wormer, E. H. Hastings, and M. C.
Murgittroyd; F. M. Pierce, secretary; A. W. Hawks, treasurer.
The town
has sixteen school districts with a school house in each, in which twenty-seven
teachers are employed and 713 children were taught during the year 1892-93.
The school buildings and sites are valued at $21,715; assessed valuation
of districts, $1,369,107; pubic money received from the State, $3,649.44;
raised by local tax, $4,629.84.
The various districts are designated as follows: No. 1, Stewart’s Corners;
2, Sand Ridge; 3, Cable Corners;
4, Love; 5, Gilbert’s Mills; 6, Roosevelt; 7, Pennellville; 8, Brick School
House; 9, Milton Butts; 10, Woodchuck Hill; 11, Swamp; 12, Phoenix; 13,
Schroeppel; 14, Ellis; 15, Carrier; 16, White School House.
Many of
the early burials were made on private property in various parts of the
town, but as soon as settlements had increased sufficiently cemeteries
were established. About 1830 Mrs. Richard Pennell donated a site
for a public burying ground about half a mile from Pennellville, and a
few years later a plat was laid out for the Pennell and Schroeppel families
in the rear thereof and on the brow of the hill which slopes down to the
little lake called by the Indians Ah-in-ah-ta-na-ga-nus, signifying “big
fish water.”
Thither the remains
of her father, George Casper Schroeppel, were removed from Trinity church
yard, New York, and a beech tree marks his grave. Henry W. Schroeppel,
her brother, died in 1858, aged sixty; Dr. Richard Pennell, her husband,
in 1861, aged sixty-five; and she in 1867, aged sixty. The Phoenix
Rural Cemetery Association was incorporated April 27, 1863, with these
officers, who constituted the board of trustees: M. C. Cushman, president;
D. D. McKoon, secretary; Oliver Breed, Charles W. Candee, William Leslie,
G. G. Breed, Edmund Merry, Amasa P. Hart, Davis Conger, Governeur M. Sweet,
Samuel Avery, and William Hart. A little more than three acres were purchased
from G. M. Sweet, and later about four acres were bought by Ephraim Maxfield,
making the present grounds nearly eight acres.
Phoenix
village.------- In 1653 Simon Le Moyne, the French missionary, writes in
his journal:
“Finally, a good league lower down
[from what is now Three River Point], we meet a rapid, which gives the
name to a village of fishermen. I found there some of our Christians whom
I had not seen.” Many years afterward the Paddocks and Aaron Gilbert
(who settled in Lysander opposite Phoenix in 1818) discovered evidences
of a burying ground, indicating that a settlement existed on either side
of the river at this point mor than two centuries ago.
The village
is pleasantly and advantageously situated about two miles below Three River
Point, on the southwest border of the town, and in early days was known
as Three River Rifts. In 1828 it received its present name from Alexander
Phoenix, who purchased what is now known as the Phoenix patent from Ezra
L’Hommedieu, the original proprietor.
In 1836 it was laid out into village lots. The first settler, Abram Paddock,
the first tavern and frame building of Simeon S. Chapin, the first saw
mill of Walter Peck, have already been noted. In 1828 Walter Peck opened
the first store in a building, since remodeled, now standing near the river
bridge and occupied by Eugene Russ. The same year Seth W. Burke became
the first blacksmith, manufacturing edged tools, and in 1829-30, as agent
for Alexander Phoenix, he built the first grist mill. Charles S.
Sweet was a clerk for Walter Peck. In 1832 he started mercantile
business near the lock and finally sold out to Oliver Breed and Orange
Chappel. The hard times of 1836 found some here unprepared for a
financial depression, and among them was Seth W. Burke, who had embarked
in extensive real estate transactions, and at one time owned considerable
land within the present corporate limits. He lost all, studied law
and was admitted to practice, went to California in 1851, and died there
in 1871. In 1837 Charles S. Sweet erected a store on the site of
H. G. Vickery’s establishment, and about this time Joshua M. Rice had a
store where that of F. A. Carter now stands. Mr. Rice also built
the present residence of Harvey Wandell. In 1835 Hezekiah Barnes
acquired the ownership of the grist mill erected by Burke, the entire water-power
on this side of the river, and about the same time a large part of the
village site. Marshall and Wilburn Hale had a store on the canal
on Lock street, and also a boat building establishment. E. G. Hutchinson,
their clerk and overseer, afterward engaged in trade and milling, and became
wealthy. His brother J. C. was for a time his partner. E. F.
Gould had a heading mill on the site of the old casket factory, and later
became interested in mercantile business.
The following
item, though intended as a contemporary description of the whole town,
applies more directly to the village of Phoenix, and is taken from “Historical
Collections of the State of New York,”
published in 1846:
Schroeppel, taken from Volney, in 1832; from Oswego centrally distant southeast
twenty-one miles.
Phoenix, about eighteen miles from Oswego, is a thriving village recently
built, having two churches
and about fifty dwellings, on the Oswego River and canal. Roosevelt
is a post-office. Population,
2,198.
The village
was incorporated in 1848 and the first election was held in March of that
year, but the records prior to 1863 have been burned and it is impossible
to give the names of the earlier officers. The charter was amended
May 6, 1868, and the corporate limits enlarged.
The act
directed that the charter election should be held on the first Tuesday
in March, 1869, at the house of N. C. Alvord The presidents since 1863
have been as follows:
William Waite, 1863; Adoniram Hart,
1864; Hiram Fox, 1865; Samuel Avery, 1866; Rufus Diefendorf, 1867-68; Niles
Streever, 1869; Henry H. Smith, 1870; Rufus Diefendorf, 1871; Niles Streever,
1872; Dr. John E. Hamill, 1873; E. J. Vickery, 1874; Dr. John E. Hamill,
1875; Martin Wendell, 1876; Dr. J. E. Hamill, 1877; W. H. Allen, 1878-79;
N. J. Pendergast, 1880-82; S. A. Brooks, 1883; Prosper Tracy, 1884; George
C. Withers, 1885; J. M. Williams, 1886; Dr. J. E. Hamill, 1887; F. M. Breed,
1888; Dr. J. E. Hamill, 1889; F. K. Avery, 1890-91; F. M. Breed, 1892-93;
H. G. Vickery, 1894; A. B. Merriam, 1895. The treasurer is Erastus
C. Scott.
In February,
1850, the tannery of Hart & Bentley was burned, but was speedily rebuilt.
In October, 1859,
the Syracuse and Phoenix steamboat
line, formerly owned by A. P. Hart & Co., passed into the possession
of Snediker & Smith. At this period boating was an important
factor in the commercial and business life of the village, and boat building
had assumed extensive proportions. Boat yards sprang into existence
along the canal and flourished for many years. In 1872 there were
five in operation, owned respectively by Harwick & Breed, Joseph Gilbert,
Merry & Breed, E. J. Vickery, and Betts & Pierce, which turned
out during that year fifteen new boats and rebuilt and repaired many others.
Among the merchants at this time were Governeur M. Sweet, from 1850-1865;
John C. Hutchinson, since 1866; and Ralph O. Barnes, in the old Hutchinson
building. The first drug store was opened by Drs. Davis Conger and
C. E. Lee. Seth W. Alvord was a harnessmaker here from 1837 to 1877,
and died July 30, 1894. In September, 1870, A. P. Hart’s tannery
was burned. In 1871 the Windsor Hotel was rebuilt by N. C. Alvord.
It was partially destroyed by fire December 21, 1894. Two earlier
occupants of this house, the first of whom was the original builder, were
James B. Richardson and Adin Breed. Another tavern formerly occupied
the site of the present Baptist church, being torn down in 1878 to make
room for that edifice.
The grist
mill erected by Seth W. Burke, and purchased in 1835 by Hezekiah Barnes,
and for many years known as the “old red mill,” was owned at various times
by the following persons: Job C. Conger, November 14, 1837; William Conger,
one-half interest, in 1841; Rensselaer Northrup, one fourth interest, and
Solomon Judd, same portion, in 1843; Oliver Breed, one-half interest, in
1853; Joseph Breed, one-third interest, in 1856; William Sprague, one-third
interest, in 1858; Joseph G. Glass bought Sprague’s interest in 1860; Edwin
P. Hopkins purchased Joseph Breed’s portion in 1863; and Charles J. Glass
acquired the latter’s interest in 1867. In the fall of that year
the mill was burned. It was rebuilt in 1868 by Glass, Breed &
Co., the present proprietors, uses the full roller process, and has a capacity
of 200 barrels of flour daily. A grist mill was built by Pliny F.
Conger in 1858, and immediately thereafter he formed a partnership with
Edmund Merry. Later G. G. Breed became part owner, and in 1866 the
establishment was purchased by H. Wetherbee & Co., who rebuilt it after
it was burned in 1867 and continued as proprietors until July, 1876, when
they assigned. Amasa P. Hart & Co. then leased the property,
which subsequently passed to Payne Bigelow, of Baldwinsville. In
May, 1881, Pierce & Breed purchased it, and in November, 1883, N. J.
Pendergast acquried Breed’s interest and the firm became Pierce & Pendergast.
In 1863 Ira Gould built the Oswego River cheese factory, and in 1868
sold it to Hart & Carrier, who were succeeded in 1875 by Kimball &
Martin. The present proprietor is A. B. Merriam. In 1868 A
W. Sweet established the Phoenix Coffin and Casket Works, and in 1872 G.
M. Sweet became his partner, but subsequently retired. The factory
was finally discontinued and in 1891 converted into a paper mill by Frank
Dilts, of Fulton.
The planing
and lumber business of J. H. Loomis & Sons was started by J. H. Loomis
and Joseph Gilbert in 1865 as J. H. Loomis & Co. Mr. Loomis subsequently
became sole owner, and about 1870 admitted his son Judson W. as partner.
In 1880 another son, Charles F., was admitted under the firm name of J.
H. Loomis & Sons. He died January 5, 1894. From twelve
to twenty men were employed. Indirectly connected with this
business is that of the Phoenix Sliding Blind Company, which was incorporated
in March, 1894, with a capital of $10,000, and with these officers: C.
F. Loomis, president; F. F. Wright (deceased), secretary;
J. W. Loomis, treasurer. They
employ about forty hands and manufacture sliding blinds, veneer doors,
and interior trimmings.
The Phoenix
Bank was incorporated under the State law March 1, 1869, by:
Samuel Avery, president; E. G. Hutchinson,
vice-president; Edmund Merry, cashier; Milton T. Butts,
Joseph Gilbert, H.T. Sweet, Moses
Wood, G. G. Breed, Amasa P. Hart, S. O. Howard, Ephraim C.
Fitzgeralds, Calvin Youmans, H.
H. Smith, Davis Conger, J. H. Loomis, Elmanson Chesebro, R. A. Pritchard,
Rufus and J.H.I. Diefendorf, Moses Melvin, Adoniram Hart, J. S. Pierce,
Enoch S. Brooks, E. J. Vickery, J. L. Breed, Samuel Merry, N. P. Eno, Levi
Carrier, Martin Chesebro, Ira Betts, Samuel Flynn, and S. M. Parsons.
The bank ultimately had a paid-up
capital of $100,000. January 13, 1874, Samuel Avery resigned as president
and G. G. Breed was elected. He served until his death in December,
1879, and on January 13, 1880, E. G. Hutchinson was chosen president and
M. T. Butts vice-president. January 11, 1887, Amos Dean was elected
president and on January 14, 1890, A. W. Hawks was chosen vice-president.
Mr. Dean died in December, 1893, and on January 23, 1894, A. D. Merry became
president. October 31, 1894, the bank was re-organized, and the following
officers were elected, all being re-elected January 9, 1895: C. W. Avery,
president; C. E. Hutchinson, vice-president; A. W. Hawks, cashier; E. G.
Hutchinson, assistant cashier; directors, C. W. Avery, J. C. Hutchinson,
Mrs. Libbie Tracy, C. E. Hutchinson, A W. Hawks, E. G. Hutchinson, and
J. E. Hamill. The capital stock is $35,000.
The first
newspaper, the weekly Phoenix Gazette, was started in 1850 by Jerome Duke,
who took in as partner and finally sold out to George E. Williams.
In 1853 the latter moved the paper to Fulton and changed
its name to the Oswego County Gazette.
The Phoenix Democrat was started by an association of Democratic
citizens in November, 1852.
After repeated assessments to sustain it the stockholders sold out to Capt.
Amasa P. Hart, who, in 1854, disposed
of the paper to James H. Fields. In 1855 the name was changed
to the Phoenix Banner, and
a few months later to the American Banner and Oswego County Times.
Before the end of the year its publication
was discontinued. In 1856 it was revived by Mary Frances
Tucker Tyler as the American Banner
and Literary Gem and eight months later passed to Levi Murrill, who
changed the name to the American
Banner. It ceased publication in 1857. Early in 1858 the material
was
used by Joshua M. Williams for the
Phoenix Reporter, which soon became the property of Dr. M.M. Carter,
who enlarged it, changed its name
in 1865 to the Phoenix Register, and sold it February 17, 1870, to J. M.
Williams, the present editor and
proprietor. Mr. Williams is one of the oldest journalists in the
county.
He is an able writer, a prominent
and influential citizen, and has held several positions of trust, having
been
postmaster, village president, etc.
The Register is Republican in politics, and ably and conscientiously
represents the best interests of
the village and surrounding country. The latest newspaper venture
was the
Phoenix Chronicle, which was started
by John Harrison, sr., John Harrison, jr., and C. C. Harrison in
July, 1885. It was continued
by them with more or less regularity until March, 1892, when it ceased
publication.
Prominent among
the more recent manufacturing and other enterprises in the village the
following may
be mentioned: The Phoenix Knife
Company was originally organized in 1880 as the Central City Knife
Company with these officers: C.
W. Avery, president; B. G. Clapp, vice-president; J. I. Van Doren,
secretary; A. W. Hawks, treasurer.
Business was carried on across the river until 1887, when J. I. Van
Doren erected the present plant.
In 1892 the organization of the Phoenix Knife Company was effected
with H. C. Breed, president; H.
A. Dygert, vice-president; J. I. Van Doren, secretary; and Edmund Merry,
treasurer. As many as 100
hands have been employed. The present officers are: A. E. Russ, president;
S. B. Babcock, vice president; J.
C. Hutchinson, treasurer; A. D. Merry, secretary. The Phoenix Electric
Light Company was started as a private
enterprise by J. I. Van Doren in May, 1887, the present plant having
been completed in 1886-7.
The company was incorporated in 1888 with a capital of $20,000 and with
the
following officers and trustees:
Edward P. Bates, president; G. L. Van Doren, vice president; Van R.
Sweet, secretary; J. I. Van Doren,
treasurer. August 22, 1887, as the result of a special election held
August
19, the village trustees granted
a franchise to A. J. Belden, R. B. True, J. I. and G. L. Van Doren, L.
J.
Carrier, Ralph G. Barnes, and Van
R. Sweet to construct a system of water works. An organization was
effected that year under the name
of the Phoenix Water Company with J. I. Van Doren, president;
L. J. Carrier, vice-president; and
Van R. Sweet, secretary and treasurer. The capital was $40,000.
A large
well was sunk and a stand-pipe erected,
and the system was put in operation in 1888, water being pumped
from the river above the dam.
The Phoenix Hardware Manufacturing Company, originally started in
Syracuse, and was moved here in
1888, the name at that time being the Moore & Barnes Company.
In
1890 it was changed to the Barnes
Manufacturing Company with a capital of $30,000, and in 1894 a receiver
was appointed. In March, 1895, the present concern was incorporated
with $20,000 capital. In 1892 the
foundry of John O”Brien and the
table works of L. S. Wilson were established; in June, 1894, the Syracuse
Storage Battery Company was organized
with a capital of $300,000; and recently the Phoenix Hot Water
Heater Company has been successfully
started. The Chiquita paper mill, the saw mill of A. P. Hart,
Kimball’s cider mill, and the Smith
Murgittroyd machine shop were burned July 23, 1894.
The first
record of a fire department occurs in January, 1852, when Enterprise Hose
Company No. 1
was organized with Thomas Freeborn,
chief; T. J. Davis, fireman; O. H. Smith, first assistant; E. Conger,
second assistant; and Jerome Duke,
secretary. In 1867 the Eagle Hose was formed from Company No. 1,
but subsequently the two were reunited.
On September 3, 1879, the Van Doren House was organized, and on May 16,
1881, it was voted to raise $1,500 for the erection of a new engine house,
which was not
completed, however, until 1886.
The present department, known as the Enterprise Fire Company, consists
of thirty members divided into two
hose companies. The officers are W. H. Warner, president; F. H.
Hooker, secretary; H. C. Breed,
treasurer; Charles K. Williams, chief engineer; A. M. Burgess, first
assistant; and D. R. Thompson, second
assistant. The village possesses an adequate sewerage system, most
of which was constructed during the year 1886.
The Phoenix
post-office was established January 29, 1830 with Seth W. Burke as postmaster.
His
successors have been:
Joshua M. Rice, appointed July 3,
1841; Joseph R. Brown, December 19, 1844; Edward Baxter, December
14, 1848; Joshua M. Rice, June 9,
1849; Wilburn Hale, May 16, 1853; Uziah Conger, May 21, 1855;
Andrew Baird, December 14, 1855;
Francis David, June 2, 1856; Joseph Hanchett, March 12, 1861;
Davis Conger, May 10, 1869; C. E.
Hutchinson, November 28, 1871; H. A. Dygert, April 21, 1874;
Fred W. Alvord, September 21, 1885;
J. M. Williams, June 21, 1889; and Frank K. Avery, February 21,
1895, incumbent. In 1860 the
village had 1,164 inhabitants. In 1880 its population was 1,312,
and in 1890,
1,466.
Gilbert’s
Mills, so named in honor of the Gilbert family, is a post village situated
on great lots 11 and
25 in the sixteenth township of
Scriba’s Patent. The first settler was Archibald Cook in 1818. In
1819
Andrus and Hiram Gilbert came and
in that year erected a grist mill. In 1820 Andrus Gilbert opened
the
first store and in 1822 took Samuel
Merry into partnership. The first birth was that of E. S. Cook and
the
first marriage occurred in 1820,
the contracting parties being Alanson Bradley and Mary Hubbard. The
first death was that of one Taylor
in 1821. Among other pioneers in the vicinity were Dea. G. W. Turner,
Hyman Sutton, Josiah Chaffee, Samuel
Allen, Mr. Carver, Stephen Griffith, a Mr. Brownell, Patten
Parker, and Ezekiel Gardner.
The Gilberts also built a saw mill at this place at an early day, which
was a
very large affair for the time.
The grist mill, which stood on Peter Scott’s Creek, was burned in 1848;
it
was rebuilt and is still in operation.
The post-office was established April 12, 1847, with Andrus Gilbert
as postmaster; his successors have
been E. S. Cook, appointed June 22, 1849; Thomas I. Putnam, October
8, 1853; Stephen Griffith, January
31, 1855; P. S. Fuller, December 28, 1858; Stephen Griffith, May 30,
1862; and S. P. Mason, June 21,
1875, incumbent. Blynn Tyler also held the office for a time.
Mr. Mason
has been a merchant here since 1872.
In 1864 Capt. E. S. Cook inaugurated the business of boring for salt,
which created no little excitement
in the place. A well was sunk to the depth of 340 feet, a strong
brine
was obtained, and six kettles were
built into an arch for manufacturing salt. In 1870-71 a salt well
was
developed from an ancient deer lick.
The business proved unprofitable and was soon abandoned. The
place now contains about 200 inhabitants
and the usual complement of stores, shops, artisans, etc.
Pennellville,
a postal village and station on the N.Y.O.& W. (Midland) Railroad in
the north part of the
town, derives its name from Dr.
Richard Pennell, of New York, whose wife was a daughter of George
Casper Schroeppel, previously mentioned.
Among the early settlers in and around the place were Stephen
Sutton and a Mr. Burritt in 1819,
Luman Norton on lot 6 in 1820, Artemas Ross in 1822, David and
Daniel Perry in 1824, John and Robert
Parker in 1835, and Z. P. Sears and Reuben Sutton. In 1833, Dr.
Pennell, through his agent, Lauren
Seymour, built a saw mill on Fish Creek, which he sold in the spring
of 1836 to Hugh Gregg, who came
here from Onondaga county in 1833. R. S. Gregg moved in from Scriba
about the same time and opened the
first tavern. The post-office was established prior to 1866; the
first
postmaster was Ambrose Gregg, who
served in that position many years, and was followed by Amos B.
Sherwood and the present incumbent,
Mortimer Stevens. The place contains about 225 inhabitants.
Hinmansville
is a postal hamlet on the Oswego River about two and one-half miles below
Phoenix in
the west part of the town.
The first settler was John F. Withey, who came from Vermont and built a
log
house near the bridge. The
first frame dwelling, which occupied a site between the canal and river,
was
erected by Benjamin F. Sweet in
1827, and the first house east of the canal was that of Moses Withey in
1831. About 1827 John E. Hinman,
of Utica, conceived the idea of founding a village here and caused
buildings to be erected with that
purpose in view. His wife was one of the Schroeppel heirs, and from
him the place derived its name.
She caused the erection of a church, and contributed to the building and
maintenance of a school house, but
both have long since disappeared. Out of the high bank at the head
of
Horseshoe rifts, a spring, called
by the Indians Te-tung sat-a-yagh, meaning “a deep spring,” formerly
issued, but it has disappeared since
the construction of the canal. Tradition asserts that its existence
was
due to a subterranean water course,
which began at a bend in the river, called “Fiddler’s Elbow,” half a
mile above. The village at
one time was a popular stopping place for canal boats and other craft,
and owed
its existence largely to this fact.
Among boatmen it long bore the name of Horseshoe Rifts. In 1860 it
contained twenty-five housed. Its
present population numbers about 150. The postmaster is William H.
Keller, who succeeded Laura W. Fralick.
Oak Orchard,
or Oak Orchard Rifts, is a small hamlet on the Oneida River about seven
miles above
Three River Point, and was the favorite
fording place of the Indians. Near the river bank evidences of
an extensive Indian burial ground
have been discovered. Here a root called by the redmen Ga-ren-to-quen,
or ginseng, signifying “legs and
thighs separated,” was extensively dug for medicinal purposes. The
first
settler was David Winters in 1807.
In 1811 George Foster, better known as “Tory” Foster, settled on the
same lot (35) and in 1815 George
C. Schroeppel took up his residence on his estate. The first birth was
that of Betsey Knapp in 1822, the
first legal marriage was that of Henry Schroeppel and Annie Knapp in
1820, and the first death was the
accidental killing, while raising a barn, of John Warner in 1821.
A lock
of the Oneida Slack-water Company
was located at this place, and around it some business sprung up,
notably that of the grocery of A.
McCarthy, which was burned October 22, 1873. At one time the hamlet
contained about 100 inhabitants.
Within recent times ti has become a summer resort.
Three River
Point is a summer resort on the Phoenix branch of the R. W. & O. Railroad
at the junction
of the Oneida and Seneca Rivers
and the head of the Oswego River, and is situated partly in this town
and partly in Clay, Onondaga county,
the station being in the later.
Roosevelt
is a small rural hamlet near Pennellville, and as long ago as 1846 was
dignified with a
post-office.
The Methodist
Episcopal Church of Gilbert’s Mills began in a class which was formed
there in 1826,
under the leadership of Hyman Sutton,
who served in that capacity for five years. In 1831 a successful
union revival occurred. Among
the worshipers at that time were Hyman Sutton and wife, Asa Bailey and
wife, Artemas Ross and wife, Elias
Newton and wife, Patten Parker and wife, Ira Sutton and wife, and
Mrs. W. B. Coy. Services were held
in private dwellings and in the school house until 1837, when a church
building was commenced, which was
completed in 1839 and dedicated early in 1840 by Rev. Isaac Stone,
presiding elder. Of the earlier
ministers the names of Rev. Mr. Densmore, Elisha Wheeler, and Charles
Northrup are recalled. A union Sunday
school was formed about the time the church was organized and
continued as such until 1861, when
the different denominations began the maintenance of their own
schools.
The Free
Baptist Church of Gilbert’s Mills dates its legal organization from
February 26, 1831, but prior
to that meetings and baptisms of
this denomination had occurred in the neighborhood under the ministrations
of Rev. Benjamin McKoon, who was
the first settled pastor. The constituent members were Jonathan
Babcock, Josiah Chaffee, Percy Ayre,
Charles Smith, Albigence Chaffee, Clarissa Dayton, Johanna
Chaffee, Polly Gardner and Mrs.
Albigence Chaffee. Stephen Griffith and Harlow Merrill were the first
deacons and Dea. G. W. Turner was
the first church clerk; the latter served in that capacity for about
fifty consecutive years. In July,
1837, the frame of the first edifice was raised; the structure was com-
pleted and dedicated by Rev. Robert
Hunt, pastor, in the spring of 1839. In 1875 it received extensive
repairs and was rededicated in October
of that year by Rev. R. L. Howard. Among the pastors who
succeeded Rev. Mr. McKoon were Revs.
Ansel Griffith (brother of Dea. Stephen Griffith), John R. Page,
Stephen Krum, Joseph Wilson, William
Russell, William C. Byer, David J. Whiting, H. A. Baker, William
A. Stone, Amos E. Wilson, S. W.
Schoonover and others.
The First
Congregational Society of Phoenix was organized and incorporated in
April 1837, and on
June 14 of that year the church
was legally formed and constituted by Rev. John Eastman at the house
of Hezekiah Barnes, with twenty
members, viz:
Hezekiah and Caroline Barnes, Catherine
and Elizabeth Barnes, Delia Budd, Anna Burke, Mrs. Hulda
Candee, Julia Candee (Mrs. Charles
Sweet), Simeon Chapin, Mrs. Charity Davis, Ira and Deborah Davis,
Mary Ann Hill, Dea. Samuel and Martha
Merry, John and Bertha Squire, Theodosia Wall, and Isaac and
Teressa Wing.
A frame
edifice was built and dedicated the same year on the site of the present
parsonage. Rev. Mr.
Dada, of Volney, occasionally preached
to the society until November 3, 1841, when Rev. Mr. Lathrop
became stated supply. January
26, 1842, a connection was effected with the Presbytery of Oswego under
the “plan of union,” but the church
remained Congregational in government. Rev. G. N. Todd became
acting pastor February 3, 1843,
and served until June 7, 1846. About 1845 a Sunday school was
organized, and from November 26,
1846, to August 19, 1848, Rev. Dada, “of Granby,” officiated at
communion seasons. February
23, 1849, Rev. H. S. Redfield was installed the first pastor, serving as
such until January 27, 1853. His
successors have been:
Revs. Stephen Vorhes, May 15, 1853,
to May 2, 1857; J. V. Hilton, August 14, 1860, to May 9, 1865;
Ovid Minor, A. S. Bosworth, E. Perkins,
and J. H. Munsell, supplies, 1866 to 1875; J. H. Munsell, March
16, 1875 to February 21, 1876; H.
P. Blake, July 16, 1876, to July 1878; James Deane, acting, November
18, 1878, to February 18, 1881;
T. H. Griffith, March 21, 1881, to March 28, 1883; H. L. Hoyt, July 31,
1883, to August 1, 1885; G. F. Montgomery, September 1, 1885, to 1887;
Mr. Butler, 1887 to 1890; and
H. L. Hoyt, incumbent, since spring
of 1890.
January
3, 1863, they dissolved connection with the Presbytery of Oswego and on
September 18 united
with the Oswego Congregational Association.
In 1876 the present brick edifice was erected at an expense
of $13,000, and on January 31, 1877,
it was dedicated by Rev. Mr. Robinson. The old structure was
removed and is now a cabinet storehouse
in the rear of Baker & Ott’s furniture store, and on the site a
frame parsonage was built in 1885
at a cost of $3,500. The society has about 195 members and a Sunday
school with an average attendance
of 150 scholars under the superintendency of Dea. C.E. Candee. The
deacons are C. W. and C. E. Candee,
Van R. Sweet, C. E. Hutchinson, and Edward Hastings; trustees,
C. E. Candee, C. E. Hutchinson,
J. I. Van Doren, Newton Hughes, F. W. Alvord, and F. A. Carter.
The Methodist
Episcopal church of Phoenix was organized at the school house in that
village by Rev.
L. Adkins in 1838 with the following
members: I.N. Butts and wife, Liberty Worden and wife, Harvey
Loomis and wife, Thomas Flower,
J. R. Names and wife, and Mrs. Davis. At the same time the first
Methodist sermon was preached in
the place, and that year an edifice was commenced, but it was not
completed and dedicated until 1856,
the pastor then being Rev. W. L. Lisdell. It cost about $4,000 and
was begun under the pastorate of
Rev P. H. Willis. The first trustees were William Gilbert, Thomas
Flower, I. N. Butts, M. Chesebro,
Dr. Cobb, and G. Morehouse. In 1885 the present brick church was
erected around the frame of the
old structure at a cost of about $10,000. It was built under the
pastorate
of Rev. Loren Eastwood, and was
dedicated the fall of that year by Rev. B. I. Ives, of Auburn, assisted
by
the pastor in charge, Rev. Silas
Ball. During the ministrations of Rev. J. B Longstreet the society
purchased
the present frame parsonage.
The pastor is Rev. Wesley Mason. The society has 200 members and main-
tains a flourishing Sunday school
of which Robert Simpson, jr., is superintendent.
The Freewill
Baptist church of Phoenix was organized September 2, 1846, with these
members: Walter
Peck, Thomas Clough, Albert Clough
and wife, Almira Clough, Harvey Hollister and wife, Stephen Bachelder and
wife, G. W. Oakes and wife, Sally Ann Rice, Charles Higby and wife, Joel
Morseman and wife, and John G. Hull and wife. The first officers
were Walter Peck, deacon; Harvey Hollister, treasurer; and John G. Hull,
clerk. In 1851, under the pastorate of Rev. W. W. Sterricker, and
with Walter Peck, the pastor, David S. Tabor, John P. Rice, and Josiah
Chaffee as building committee, a frame edifice was erected at a cost of
about $2,000. It is now used as a soap manufactory. In 1878
the present brick structure was built on the site of an old hotel, which
was purchased of Sylvester Rugg for $1, 850. It cost about $5,000
and was dedicated early in 1879, at which time Rev. J. H. Durkee was pastor.
The
various pastors have been:
Revs. J.B. Page, O. W. Smith, W.
W. Sterricker, S. Bathrick, B. H. Damon, C. Putnam, D. Jackson, C.
Cook, S. Aldrich, E. Crowell, William
McKee, J. H. Durkee, J.P. Linderman, Hanscom, Ward, A. D. Bryant,
and E. E. Morrell, incumbent. The
deacons are S. M. Parsons, William Blakeman, and Elmer Patchin;
trustees, S. M. Parsons, William
Blakeman, M. J. Chaffee, Eugene Emmons, and George Hazelton.
The First
Universalist society of Schroeppel, at Pennellville, was organized
in 1870, and in July, 1871,
a Sunday school was started under
the superintendency of Rev. S. Rice. An edifice was commenced soon
after the formation of the church
and completed and dedicated by the pastor, Rev. Mr. Rice, in June, 1871,
at a cost of $3,500.
Emanuel
church (Protestant Episcopal), of Phoenix, was organized April 11,
1871, by the election of
Bonville Fuller and E. C. Fitzgerald
as wardens and Ira Betts, Francis David, William H. Rice, and B. F.
Denton as vestrymen. Services
were held in the Y.M.C.A. rooms by Rev. Almon Gregory, the first
missionary in charge, but after
a brief existence the parish ceased it work and disbanded.
A church
of the Adventists at one time had a small membership in town, but never
acquired much
strength.