TALKS ABOUT POMPEY HILL

 The "Weekly Recorder," Fayetteville, August 21, 1879:

 I  am  largely  indebted  for many statements herein contained to the following  persons,  who either are the oldest inhabitants or were when I began collecting material  for  these  articles:  Mrs. Caroline Shattuck, aged  89; the late Dr. Jubial Stearns, aged 88; the late Merrit Butler, aged  88; Hon. Manoah Pratt, aged 80, and to Mr. Isaac Wicks, aged 80; also to others whose ages have not quite reached fourscore years.
 
 Every  year  brings it changes, but so slowly do they occur, they are hardly  perceptible to us that live in their midst.  A lady who settled in Pompey in 1834,  and  removed  from  here nearly a dozen years ago, while visiting her friends after a lapse of ten years, recounted the deaths of aged people that  had occurred within the decade.   The  number  was positively startling--more than twenty had passed beyond to
 
          "That undiscover'd country, from whose bourne
           No traveler returns,"
 
and several have since joined "The innumerable caravan."  And thus it is that one by one the pioneers and the second generation pass away, and soon there will be none left to verbally give the annals of our quiet village.

           To  those  who  long ago removed from here, it may afford pleasure to recall  the  event  of "lang syne."  It is not best to let the memory bells to grow rusty by the absorbing present; let them chime out the tunes of childhood, youth and  maturer  years  with their sweet variations.  Items that are of no account to an uninterested person will perhaps prove of more than ordinary interest to the old residents.  In referring to them, many  personal recollections will be awakened, for around every hearthstone are clustered ...;  still you cherish their memories and hang them in a conspicuous place in the picture  gallery of your heart.  Yes, a might flood of events, great and small, many persons, many things, the grave, the gay, the old and the young, the wise and the foolish, a kind word, a sigh, a tear, or aye a harsh word or act that took place within the old home, are not forgotten; they came in turn, and were so many strokes that have produced the imperishable character.  There were triumphs, there were failures;  there were hopes,  and fears, and disappointments; there were loving  words, and kind advice, and--alas!  there  were cruel words and deeds,  given and received,  forgotten by all others, but burning yet in your  own  heart  with intense heat whenever memory recalls them.  To those very  mistakes  and failures are you chiefly indebted for the good you have achieved.   They were so many breakers that you learned ever after to shun, and life was all the better for the bitter-sweet experiences it had met with when its sterner realities began on the passage from shore to shore.

           We  cannot  estimate in too great a measure the importance of written records.   Especially will the beneficial results be manifested to those who come after us.  Unless the reminiscences are penned, many, very many, items will be forever lost in a few years, and many noteworthy histories will be shrouded by misty recollections.  There will be none living who can definitely give the stories of our village, and when asked regarding the early  history  and growth of Pompey Hill and of the former residents, will  reply,  "I once heard my grandfather say so and so," therefore "to be accurate, write; to remember, write."
 
 I  will  therefore attempt in a measure to stay the tide of public recollections that are rapidly passing into oblivion.

           Mr. Butler had been for many years our oldest inhabitant until his death, fourteen  months  ago.  He came with his parents to Pompey in 1793, when he was three years of age, and was always able to recall every event that occurred in the early history of  the  settlement with wonderful freshness.  Indeed, his mind was as full of tombstones, venerable from the associations of the past.  Not long before his death, he gave many facts to  the  writer,  and  during the conversation related how he used to drive cattle  for  his uncle to the Philadelphia market, when he was a young man, about seventy years previous, which, though not necessary to a talk about Pompey  Hill, will subserve the purpose of illustrating how changes were brought  about during  his lifetime, and it is always lawful to step aside to  pluck a flower, provided one does not pull it up by the roots.  The journey  was  necessarily made on foot southward,  through the unbroken forest,  the guiding sign  being  blazed trees.  Where now the prosperous city  of  Binghamton  is  situated, there was one house.  The cattle forded the Chenango river,  and he and his uncle crossed in a scow.  A few years since, he  visited his  grandsons living there, and found it difficult to believe his senses. Was he dreaming?  Had a city sprung by magic!  No. Instead of one house,  there were thousands.  The magic wand of civilization and enterprise had wrought with a sure hand.
 
 The old people are in their element when relating reminiscences of things that were,  of  the people, of the buildings, of the good times in general;  they  love to dwell  upon these themes, seeming to regard those times as "The golden age of Pompey."

           And  thus  will it be with us, perchance, fifty or sixty years hence, relating  the  events of to-day with as keen a relish, and perhaps sign for things as they were  "When  I  was  a girl" or "When I was a boy."  Yes, separated, scattered or dead will be the members of our community, little as we dream it.   Some of us will visit the scenes of our childhood and youth, and tell how things need to be.  We will call upon the oldest inhabitants  who were perhaps  our  schoolmates, and live over again in memory  the events of  the present.  It is sad to think of it now, but it will be, and so gradually dawns the inevitable destiny of mankind, we will scarcely realize it until that seemingly far distant day appears.
 

           We  have  no  historic  evidence,  written to unwritten, that the red man's  wigwam  was ever situated in this immediate vicinity, but what tales might  the records of two or three centuries unfold.  Those aged monarchs of the forest which might have witnessed in their infancy events that the pen will never transcribe, are year by year falling before the woodman's ax,  thus robbing the landscape of its beauty, the climate of its health and drying up the fountains of our rivers.

           Sixteen  years are rebellious  Young America threw off the yoke of Mother  England, the first settler came to this section, Ebenezer Butler by name.  Eighty-six years ago

          "Twas then a village only in name,
          The houses and barns had not yet a frame.
          The streets and the square no mortal could see,
          and the woodman's ax had scarce hit a tree."
 
 Ebenezer  Butler erected for himself a log...saddle and bridle."  The house was  near the spring of water that now supplies the watering trough, and back of the dwelling owned by Abner Pratt.

           His  nephew,  the  late Merrit Butler, came with his parents the next year, which brings us to 1793.
 
 Mr.  E.  Butler afterward bought lot 64, and in 1797 built the first frame house,  a  tavern,  in this vicinity.  The spot where the tavern was located is where Hon. Manoah Pratt's house stands.  In 1798 he built an abode  for  his  father and sister not far from the site where the old red wagon  shop stood that was destroyed four years ago by our Chicago fire in miniature.

           Mr.  M. Butler said he did not think there were five acres cleared of the  heavy timber when his father came.  It was nothing unusual to hear the wolves  at  night  or  for them to rob the settlers of their swine.  At one period,  the  State  authorized each town to give a bounty for wolf scalps.  In  the  early  records of our own town, it is registered that at the first town  meeting  a  vote declared three pounds should be given for every wolf killed  within  the  limits of the town.  A similar vote is recorded nearly every  year until 1803.  In 1802, $5 was to be given for the scalp of every full  grown  wolf  and $2.50 for young ones.  One year the bounty is stated at  $5  and  the  next at three pounds, making it difficult for a person to judge  now whether a pound or dollar was the unit of the money then chiefly in circulation.
 
 Bears  really  gave the pioneers more trouble than the wolves.  Bruin stealing calves and pigs was not an uncommon occurrence.
 
 After  the county was incorporated the first town meeting was held at Butler's  tavern,  April  1, 1794.  Moses DeWitt was elected supervisor and Hezekiah  Olcott  town clerk.  The road commissioners, John Lamb and Thomas Olcott, at once began opening  our  main  highways,  most of which were recorded  during  the summer of 1794.  The street leading directly north to Fayetteville is registered as having  been  opened on June 26th of that year.   Others were opened when they were needed by the farmers for milling purposes.  Our Syracuse  street was then familiar as the Salt Point road.  Today we apply the name State road to that portion of the highway used as our  mail  route to Onitivia.  The  name should properly be given to the continuation of  it  east  to Cazenovia, where it branches from the Cherry Valley  turnpike,  and west through LaFayette  to  Skaneateles, where it reunites with the main road.  As its name implies, it was constructed by the  State.   The  highway leading south up the hill and through the Jerome neighborhood,  onward through Truxton to Chenango county, was well known as the  Chenango  road.   In  the  old  records  of public highways mention is several  times made of the town of Cazenovia, then in Chenango county.  The street on the south side of the square, leading east from the watering tub to  the  cemetery,  is the newest road thereabouts.  It was opened sometime between 1820 and 1825 and was for many years called "the new road."
 
 Peter  Smith, father of the celebrated Gerritt, once owned a tract of land here  which included most of the village square and portions east and south  of  it.  It is said Mr. Smith was widely different in character from his noble son, the abolitionist and  philanthropist,  and possessing a mortgage on land  that had been purchased by different individuals, among them  Judge Asa Wells and Marovia Marsh, all of whom were wholly unaware of Mr.  Smith's  claim,  he foreclosed, and the purchasers were obliged to buy the  land  over  again.   Some unknown person,  in revenge, set fire to a vacant  log  house  and  commodious barn that were on Mr. Smith's land, the latter located near where  the  Catholic  priest's barn now stands.  Mr. Smith never dared  to appear in Pompey again, as threats had been made to shoot him  if  ever he came.  His business was thereafter transacted by an agent,  Daniel  Wood, Sen.   Subsequently, Mr. Smith's land was purchased, first  by  Parson  Barrows, then by Andrew Huntington, and thirdly by Beach Beard,  he  selling  village  lots.   Perhaps a dozen different persons now owns part of the land once held by Peter Smith.

Pompey, August, 1879.
 
 

The "Weekly Recorder," August 28, 1879:

           Quoting  from Gov. Seymour's speech at the re-union in 1871 will best illustrated  the manner in which farm work was carried on  in those primitive  days.   "At  that  day,  the toil and energy of the country were given  to cutting down the overshadowing forests.  The trees were felled in the winter months.   In  the  spring, their huge trunks were piled up and burned,  filling the country  with smoke of the log heaps; in the summer, the  crop  was  cultivated with painful toil amid the stumps and roots that covered  the  ground  with  a  net  work  of decaying wood; in autumn, they gathered  the slender harvests which gave them their simple food and scanty clothing.   For these blessings  they  thanked God, and were content.  It took a life time of hard and patient work to make a cleared farm in this hill region."

           The settler who ploughs the first furrow in our great western wilds to-day  thinks  his  toils  and  privations are scarcely to be insured, but what are they in comparison with those of his great grandsire in the east?

           Although Onondaga Hill was the county  seat,  Pompey Hill by far surpassed  it  in activity.  A few years since, Uncle John, ...looking from a  window  facing  the public square and seeing no indications of activity, said  he could remember when the streets were alive with business, and were well filled with drays and vehicles of all sorts.  Ah! those were the palmy  days  of  Pompey.   Then it was that  "people came here for legal advice,  and to do their trading; and they came here for fashions, they came   here  for  military,  for  political  discussions and for general consultations of a public  nature:   they came here to engage in all the amusements and duties incident to men of a public character."  Another says,  "Pompey Hill was then a village of no inconsiderable pretentions.  It  raised  its  head  above  its rural surroundings as high socially as it stood  geologically,  and this pre-eminence was tacitly acknowledged by all the  country  people  around.   Thither  they  went  for  law, medicine and merchandise,  thither they carried to market the produce of their farms and of  their  handiwork,  and  thither  they  wended  their  way  annually  to elections,  town-meetings  and  general  trainings  and  on every Sunday to meeting."

           People  residing on the lowlands think farming on the Pompey hills is too  hard  work,  and  wonder  much  how  it happened our ancestors settled here.   Perhaps when the lots were purchased of the revolutionary soldiers, or  those  who  held  the  titles, the buyers were unaware of its elevation above  the  sea  level  of 1,743 feet, yet the hand of Providence was in it all,  we  cannot  doubt, and the constant knotty problems of life that they must  solve  or  die  had  a  wonderful  effect  upon the after generation, fitting  their  sons and their daughters for a place at the front of life's battle,  giving  the fire of laudable ambition, invincible wills that brook no  defeat,  and  above all knowing the elevating influences of a moral and religious  character while they were not insensible to mental culture.  The lives  of  the second generation have been very easy compared with those of  the    parents,    so   that   the   causes   which   produced   the   high effects... could ...generations.   Should  a great man, however, rise in this now  old town, he would be infinitely greater than a great man of the past, having by far more rivals to distance in mounting the ladder.

           It  is impossible for us to realize the bravery and undaunted courage that  filled the hearts of those early pioneers, coming as they did through an  unbroken  forest,  far  beyond  the limits of civilization to people an unbroken  country.   We read of heroism on the battle field or before men's eyes,  but  what  is  that  momentary  heroism compared  with  that of our ancestors.  They  had  fortitude and self-reliance, and  in the time of trouble  and  danger stood like a line of bluffs against tempestuous wind and waves.   The  locality was looked upon by the sturdy New Englanders as "away out west,"  and sad  indeed  was  the parting of friends who never expected  to meet again in this life.  There were no railroads in those days, not even the Erie canal, and the journey was necessarily made either on  foot or riding  after an ox team.  When my maternal great-grandfather came  in  February,  1801,  with  his family, he having previously come and prepared  a  shelter  for  them on his land two miles east of the Hill, the journey  was  made  on  a  sled  drawn by oxen.  My grandfather was then an infant  in  his  mother's arms, four months old.  We could go to almost any point  of the globe in this gilded age without the toils and hardships that then   characterized  traveling  from  the  east.   Central  New York  was literally  farther  from  Connecticut  than  the city at the Golden Gate in California is from us to day.
 
 

The "Weekly Recorder," September 4, 1879:

           Pompey Hill was never on an established mail route until March, 1817, and  various  have  been  the ways by which  the mail reached here.  One tradition  has  it  that  Leonard Hobert carried it once a week, sometime before  1820.  Starting  from  Pompey  Hill  he  passed  through  Manlius, Chittenango, Canastota,  Lenox  and  Wampsville,  to  some place in Oneida county,  perhaps Vernon  and  possibly  Whitestown,  returning  by another route,  the  trip  taking three days.  His salary was three or four hundred dollars  a  year,  which  was  a  great deal more money then than now.  Mr. Hobert  was finally underbid by Dea. Pliny Porter, who carried the mail for a time.   Before 1830, it was brought from Manlius by a man whose name the historian  cannot  recall.   He would leave the papers at the houses on his way  hither.   In 1831, the mail contractor, Daniel Butts, employed William G.  Fargo,  who  was  then  thirteen  years  of  age,  to carry the mail on horseback  twice  a  week  from  here,  by way of Watervale, to Manlius, by Oran,  Delphi,  Fabius  and  Apulia back to Pompey Hill, a circuit of about forty miles.

           About 1832, William J. Curtis drove a stage  from  Cortland to Syracuse.   Starting from Cortland at two o'clock in the morning, he passed through  Homer, Truxton, Kinney settlement, Fabius, Pompey Hill, Jamesville and  Onondaga  Hollow;  returning by the same route, he reached Cortland at ten o'clock  at  night.  He drove four horses, and made four changes each day.   This was discontinued for a year, as the ex...to disappointment.  Capt.  Pitt  Dyer  and  a  man who resided in Truxton had interests in this stage, and  the  late Amos Gillett, of Syracuse, was for a time one of the drivers.   Still  later, a carrier  brought the mail from the stage which passed  through  Christian Hollow from Syracuse to Cortland.  Just previous to  the  completion  of  the  Syracuse & Binghamton railroad, a man named Granger, of Fabius,  brought the mail by stage every other day from Syracuse.
 
GLEANER.*
Pompey Hill, August, 1879.
 
 

The "Weekly Recorder," September ll, 1879:

           The  first  regular  schoolhouse was a frame structure built in 1798, situated  at  the  juncture of the Salt Point and the Fayetteville roads midway between Mrs. Wilson's and her opposite neighbor, Mrs. Dunham, on what is now our village green.   Leman  H. Pitcher, father of Leman B. Pitcher,  Esq.,  of Salina, and Miss Hepsey Beebe, are recorded as teachers in  that  school  building,  the latter teaching about 1801.  Mrs. Dr. H.V. Miller,  a  niece of  Aunt Hepsey,  told us in her interesting paper of reminiscences  at  the Re-union, Mr. Butler could remember that his father, who was one of  the trustees, sent him with a horse to bring Miss Hepsey Beebe from her home on Newman's hill, four miles east, and that he rode back behind her.

           At  a  later  date, the schoolhouse was removed to the site of Gott's law office.

           After  the erection of  the old yellow academy before receiving charter, or even  the  building was completed, the long room on the west side of the hall first floor,  was finished off, and the common school therein taught for many years.

           Among the pedagogues who there taught young ideas to school, were Leman  H.  Pitcher and James Robinson, the latter teaching English grammar, a  science that only  the  oldest  and  most advanced scholars aspired to study, in 1805,'6  and '7.  Then came Abraham Plaunt, who taught three or four winters.   After the academy received its charter, the common school continued in the west room four months in the year, and was taught by the "ushers"  or  assistant  teachers.  The first of these was Smith Dunham, of Madison county, who, came with Rev. Joshua Leonard, the first principal of the  academy,  and  took  charge  of the common school in addition to other work  at  a salary of $300.  Those recorded as coming after Mr. Dunham, are Harvey  Canfield  in  1814; Hugh Wallis in 1814; Miles Dunham, Jr., in 1814 and  '15;  Orange Butler in 1815; J.J. Deming, of Vermont, from the 25th of April,  1816,  to the first of October, 1817; Daniel Gott afterwards member of  the  30th  and  31st congress, in 1817 and '18; Daniel Munson Wakely in 1818;  Manoah  Pratt Jr., afterwards member of assembly in 1847, taught two successive  winters  1819 and '20; B. Franklin Chappell in 1821; and Manoah Pratt Jr., again in 1822.

           Mr.  Deming's forte was penmanship, and he instructed not only those committed  to his charge in this branch but the older pupils in the academy proper.   Hon. Manoah Pratt, who was numbered among his pupils, says of his writing,  "It was the best and most finished I ever saw."  Another of his charge,  Mrs.  Sallie  Baker  Kellogg, 78 years of age, says:  "His writing was  better  than  any  copy plate."  She shows me her copy book written in the  summer  of  1817.   Mr.  Deming  had a book of his own, and his pupils copied   from  that,  the  copies  being  poems  by  the  English  authors, "Pleasures  of  Hope,"  by  Thomas  Campbell,  "The Last Rose of Summer,"" "Burial  of  Sir  John  Moore,"  etc.  The captions were done in singularly beautiful  fancy letters, and at the endof each selection there is a fancy figure,  done also with  pen and ink.  In no two places are the titles or figuring done alike, and remarkable  as  it  may  seem, the workmanship reminds  one, and is almost equal to that on bank notes.  No such fine work have  I ever before seen done with the pen, artistic, minute, perfect.  The writing  of his pupils at the age of twelve far exceeds any I ever saw done by a boy or girl of  the same  year.   Mr.  Deming would take an old fashioned silver sixpence, cut a piece of paper its size and thereon write the Lord's  Prayer, writing in a circle, ending with the Amen in the center.   Those  possessing keen eyes could see that every letter and word, though minute, was perfect in form.

           Mr.  D. M.  Wakeley  studied  medicine  with the late Dr. Stearns.  He died, I am told in Cazenovia.

           Mr.  Pratt  tells  me he had one hundred and twenty names on the roll during  his  sway,  and  the average was one hundred a day for four months.  As he went through  the  schoolroom door in the morning, he took off his coat, as he would do in a field, and it was "tuck and jump, jump and tuck," until noon, and again the same in the afternoon.

           Between  the  years  1823  and 1845, the common school building stood just  west  of  Dr. Stearns' office, whose site is now filled by Mr. Dyer's new  house.   The  teachers there of whom honorable mention is made were my maternal  grandfather, Dea. Asa H. Wells, now residing in Manlius, teaching at some period between  the  years 1825 and '28; Calvin S. Ball, of Milo Corners,  Yates county; John Doolett, deceased; Alfred Sloan, principal of young  lady's seminary at Bergen Point,  New Jersey; and the late Harry Gifford, of Syracuse.

           Many  years  after, while a little child attended school at the brown schoolhouse  diagonally  across the way, one of my teachers related the amazing  legend  of how one of those pedagogues in the old schoolhouse once threw  a  boy  over  the  stove  pipe and caught him as he came down on the other side.

           The  brown schoolhouse erected  about 1845, burned in the winter of  '68.   Twenty-nine  years ago,  Darius Allen, who has acquired a fame as a temperance  orator  in some of our western States, taught there for a term.  Of  the  teachers  there, perhaps the best remembered are Marshall R. Dyer, our  present  supervisor,  George  E.  Wells,  of  Manlius,  and Prof. Eben Butler, superintendent of schools at Whitehall.

           Another story yet fresh in mind, which the schoolmaster of story-telling  propensity  need often to relate whenever he saw a pupil turn down the leaf in a text book the beginning of the next lesson, was, that it reminded  him of the man who in ending his day's work hoeing corn would stick his hoe into the ground by the last hill he had finished so to remember  where to begin the next day.  Some mischievous boys moved the hoe to  the  hill  that  he began with in the morning, and he, all unconscious, went  over the ground of the day previous leaving his hoe as before.  After this  was  repeated  several  times, the man began to perceive his work did not advance very  fast.  As the story was usually told several times each term, some of us must have been of decidedly dull perceptions.

           Ah!  how  time  flies!  most of these boys and girls are husbands and wives,  fathers  and  mothers, now--and, oh, how scattered!  What a picture of  the changes the years  bring  about.  Julia Anna, who always carried sunshine with  her,  is a wife and mother living on a farm in Nebraska.  Sweet  Mary Doane is a clergyman's helpmate, the mother of two little ones, and  lives  in  northern  Illinois.   Julia Adelle is a dressmaker in Ohio.  Nettie  and  Emma Celia write Mrs. before their names, the one in Iowa, the other  in  St.  Louis.   Matter-of-fact Adele Eliza and Charles W. make the journey  of life together, twenty miles away, and the fond parents of three little  daughters.   I  attended  amiable  Laura  Amelia's wedding in July, while  Ada  Sophronia, Harriet Philena and I still remain pursuing the even tenor  of  our  ways  in  single  blessedness.   Henry is dead, his brother George,  a  stenographer  in  Chicago,  Fred  a doctor in the United States marine  corps,  Lewis,  a  painter  in Ithaca, and Jim is in Syracuse.  The common  schoolhouse  of  to-day  was remodeled form the Disciples church in 1968.   The district was once divided at an early date, and a school taught in  the  house  where  Frank Porter lives.  The sub-division must have been quite brief, as very few have any recollection whatever of the matter.
 

The "Weekly Recorder," September 18, 1879:

           But  the  historian  has  given particular luster to the three select schools which  were  taught--the first by Miss Philena Haskell, afterwards Mrs. Samuel  Baker,  deceased,  in  the summer of 1818--the second by Miss Charlotte  Hopkins,  now  Mrs. Beardslee, of Syracuse, in the summer months of  1819--and  the third by Miss Rowena Wells, now Mrs. Jared Ostrander, on Mantonville,  Minnesota,  in  the  summer  of 1823.  The first of these was taught  in  the  front  chamber of what was then known as the "Joe Colton," house located where the Presbyterian church parsonage now stands.
 
 The school was especially for the instruction of infant children, and the two eldest  among  the  pupils  were  Horatio  Seymour  and Julia Ann Carlton,  afterwards Mrs.  Edwin  Bishop, deceased, the future governor of  the State being then eight or nine  years of age.  One day, after the scholars  had  been called together after a recess, it was found that these two  eldest  pupils  were  missing.  Search was made in the vicinity of the school,  but  they  were no where to be seen.  The tan vats of which I hope to  speak hereafter, were visited, thoroughly examined, no drowned children found,  and all  search  was in vain.   No one had seen anything of the missing  children.   General consternation prevailed, to which Hood's "Lost Heir"  bears  no comparison.  Two hours elapsed, when some one who had just come to the village, and  learning  of  the  alarm, reported seeing two children,  a  boy  and  a  girl,  hand  in hand a half mile south, near Mr. Doolott's.   It  afterwards  came  to  light that Dick Cuyler, uncle of the Rev.  Theodore  Cuyler,  of  Brooklyn,  and  at  that time a clerk in Henry Seymour's  store,  had  told  the children that if they would put salt on a bird's  tail they could catch it, and they, all enthusiasm, had given chase to  a  little bird of the lap-wing species, that led them on by alighting a few  feet  ahead  of  them, and on their nearer approach flew a little way onward,  constantly  deluding  them  in  the  hope "Now I'll catch him next time."

           Miss  Hopkins'  school  was  held in the northwest room of the hotel, kept  by  her father, Col. Hezekiah Hopkins.  I have heard both Mr. William Stevens, of New York,  and Dr. Charles Stevens, of St. Louis, relate how Miss  Charlotte used to punish them  for  misdemeanors.  She fastened a little penknife, partially closed, to a hair of their head, which she said would fall and cut their bare feet if they did not stand still.

           Among  the  pupils in these two early select schools were several who have  since  finely  illustrated  the  annals  of  Pompey  Hill in elevated positions,  either politically, intellectually or socially:  Charles B. and Henry  B.  Sedgwick, Mary, Sophia and Horatio Seymour, Victory J. and Ellen Birdseye, Charles, William and Richard Stevens and Cornelia Stearns.

           In  1823,  Miss  Rowena's  school was in the upper story of the house first  north  of the Presbyterian church, known to the old residents as the "Stevens'  house,"  and  later  as the "Hendrick's place."  The next summer she taught a similar school in the house just east of the academy, known as  the  Daniel  Hines'  house.  I  refer  the reader to the "Re-union and History  of  Pompey,"  page  114,  for Mrs. Rowena Ostrander's inimitable account  of  the  early schools, partially quoted in my former number about the common schools.

           At least forty-four years ago a select school was taught in the upper part  of  Dunbar's harness shop, on the north part of the site of the stone store, on  the  east  side  of  the street.  There my mother attended, and among  her  schoolmates  were  Kate  and  Fannie  Baker,  Lucinda and Delia Wheaton, and Delia and Charlotte Hopkins.

           About  twenty-one  years  ago  Miss  Lydia Wright, (Mrs. Davenport of Michigan,)  had  a  small  private  school  in  the  southeast  room of her father's  residence,  formerly  the Gott homestead, now the Hill Top house, and taught pencil drawing in addition to the common English branches.

           It  was  in the winter of '71, that Miss Ada Wheaton taught a private school  in  a chamber of her own home, and in the fall of '71 and winter of '72,  she  continued  it  in  the  southwest room of the Hines' house, then owned by Squire Smith.

           In  the  fall  of  '72  Miss  Julia  A.  VanBrocklin,  now Mrs. Chas. VanPatten,  of  Nebraska,  opened  a  similar  school in the east wing, the music room proper, of the academy house, with twenty pupils.
 

The "Weekly Recorder," September 25, 1879:

           The  older  inhabitants  of  retentive  memory and the early students recollect  the  old building.   It was a large structure for that time and place,  made of wood and painted yellow, being nearly square, fifty feet by forty;  the gable fronted south, two stories, and with a hall ten feet wide through the middle of the first floor.  At the front, on each side of the hall, was a study room ten feet by fifteen.  Behind each of these rooms was a long room extending to the back of the building, each of them forty feet by  fifteen.  The academy proper was taught in the east room.  It had a broad  fire-place at the south end.  The entrance door from the hall was about a third of the distance from the south end.  The preceptor's chair and table stood at the north end.  The sloping desks were fastened to the wall on either side with long benches before them; both the benches and desks  were  of  the  finest white pine, well whittled and marked by the "mute,  inglorious Miltons."  Behind the door on the west side of the room, and at the master's right hand, sat the girls, the boys occupying the rest of  the  seats.  The youngest juveniles sat nearest the teacher and rising by  age, till the oldest  pupils  were trusted farthest from sight.  The favorite  seats  were those on each side of the projecting chimney.  After the  common  school  moved  into the district  schoolhouse, the west room became  the chemical and philosophical laboratory and lecture room.  On the second  floor  was  a  large  room used for chapel and for a town hall when occasion  required  it.  It occupied nearly the whole of the story, and was forty  feet  square.   The stairs leading thither were at the extreme north end  of  the  hall  below.   At  the south side of the chapel was a broad platform  three  feet  from  the  floor.   On each side of the stairs was a study room  occupying the southeast and southwest corners of the floor and of  the same size as  the study rooms directly underneath.  The roof was supported by four columns of turned  pine  at equal distances from the corners  and  center  of  the  room.   (This  description  in much the same language  may  be found in the Pompey book).  There are many yet living who retain   vivid   remembrance of the chapel with its bare walls  and uncomfortable  high-back  pine  benches.  Until the Presbyterian church was ready  for use, about 1819, that society held services there.  The Baptists also held service there prior to the erection of their church.

           The  preceptors of the old academy were, it would seem, men of remarkably  strong  characters, if we may judge by the eulogiums paid to their  memories in the speeches made at the Re-Union, also from the letters addressed  to the corresponding secretary at that time and by the anecdotes frequently  told  of  them.   Ah, it is an easy matter to heap roses on the tombs  of  the  departed,  to tell of  their  exceeding  great worth, yet nevertheless  the  faults  of  strong  characters are  made  all  the more prominent  by  their  very  strength throwing their errors into relief, and were  a just estimate made of them respectively, one should delineate their faults  as well as their virtues, else a false impression would be made and the  heroes  seem  of a different clay than the rest of mankind.  It is not for us who know  them only by tradition to defer from the memory of Ely Burchard,  Rev. Joshua Leonard, Edward Aikin, Falvius Josephus Littlejohn, Henry  Howe and  Rev. Andrew  Huntington.  They  were graduates of Yale, Middlebury and Hamilton colleges.

           It  is related of Mr. Leonard, familiarly known as "Uncle Jock," that he  always  prayed  with  his eyes open.  One morning, during the prayer, a new student  stood by the fire-place, his head bowed and hands behind him, with  his back to the fire.   The teacher's roguish son, Charles, slyly dropped a live coal into the pupil's hand, when Uncle Jock broke off his prayer,  gave deserved punishment to his offending urchin, and then resumed the  broken  thread of his devotions, and concluded as if there had been no interruption.

           It  should  have been mentioned  that as the academy waxed strong, assistant  teachers  were employed,  and the upper room occupied by the preceptress and  the  young  ladies.   Sometime  in 1815 or '16, some fun-loving boys placed a lumber wagon in the preceptress' department, leaving a card on the mantle bearing the words, "Go it, old maid."  It is also a tradition that the preceptress was wont to sit with her feet elevated to the top of the stove.  More than sixty years have passed, but such things are  not  forgotten;  thus is she remembered by many.  And thus it is, our every  act,  trifling  as  many may seem, can never be recalled; they go on their way whether for good or for ill.  Remorse is useless.  We would give--oh,  how  much  we  would all give! to take back acts, the memory of which causes  severe  mental  anguish.   "Look  not  mournfully into the past; it comes not back again; wisely improve the present; it is thine."
 
  I am not informed whether it was in the old or new academy where some of  the  students  at various times stuffed the stovepipe, filled the attic with  chairs  to  prevent  the  teacher  ringing  the bell, and deluged the school-room  floor  with  water,  it  taking a half day to restore the room suitable for occupancy.   I am inclined to think both the old and the new may claim a share of the tricks.
 
 In August, 1874, occurred an event that brought golden memories ...to those  who had walked the classic halls of old Pompey academy, the building whose walls once resounded the footsteps of Charles Mason, in after years governor of  Iowa and judge of the supreme court, and Seabred Dodge, the mathematical  giant  and noted engineer, aside from many others whose names are engraven on fame's gilded heights.  The occasion was no less than the presentation  of a model of the old academy building to the trustees of the institution  by  Wm. Stevens, of New York.  Too much cannot be said in praise  of Mr. Stevens' laudable act.  We have words, words, words, fraught with great love and veneration  for  Pompey and  this  time-honored institution of  learning,  but few fruits.  The model is an unmistakable fruit,  unembellished with sweetly  flowing  sentences,  a  practical illustration of affection that will outlive mere words.
 

The "Weekly Recorder," October 2, 1879:

           Samuel  S. Stebbins was the first teacher in the new academy.  "A man severe  he  was  and  stern  to view."  His success is authenticated by the fact  he  retained  his  position  for  nine  years,  dating  from 1834, to January,  1843.   Mr.  Stebbins was a native of Montrose, Pennsylvania, and now lies sleeping in the Chenango valley.  The late Dr. Amos Westcott, of Syracuse,  at  one time mayor of that city, was assistant to Mr. S. for two years,  from  the fall of 1836 to the fall of 1838.  Succeeding him was Wm. E. Mason.

 In  1843,  Ensign  Baker  became  principal,  a man "renowned for his hobbies,  successively, of elocution, agricultural chemistry, and--circular swings!"   He  remained  six  years.  Dr. H. V. Miller, of Syracuse, was the assistant of Prof. Baker during the last year of his sway.

           T.K.  Wright,  eminent  as a drill sergeant, came in 1846, and stayed until  July,  1852.   Prof. Wright still pursues his avocation as principal of  Monroe  collegiate institute at Elbridge, having been a resident of the county  thirty-three  years.  Following came Charles Payson in 1852.  Delos Wells in 1854,  the  latter  pastor  of  a Presbyterian church in Fulton, Illinois;  Rev. John F. Kendall in 1855, now preaching at Laporte, Indiana; William  W.  Waterman  in 1856, S. Marshall Ingalls in 1857, Theodore Beard in  1856,  (deceased;)  Daniel  P. Baldwin, of Madison university, supplied Mr.  Beard's  place  in the latter part of '58 during an illness; George W. Kellogg  came  in  1859, Joseph Dow in 1860, Lorenzo Fish in 1862, Orson G. Dibble  in  1864, now our resident physician; Edwin S. Butterfield in 1867, now a promising  young lawyer of Syracuse; P.V.N. Myers in 1868, about to take  his seat as  president  of a college in Cincinnati; and Rev. Samuel Pomeroy,  1869,  (deceased.)   Then  came  successively  five students from Hamilton,  teaching a term each to help themselves through college; Charles E.  Haven  fall  and  winter  of '70 and '71.  Mr. Cook winter of '72, Geo. Payson  summer  of  '72,  now  preaching  at  Oneida; Fred M. Dick fall and winter  of '72 and '73, now practicing law; H. H. Henderson, Benj. Sargent, Geo.  E. Ryan, and Prof. James M. Brinamaid, the present preceptor, are the last four who have taught in this renowned institution.

           Yale, Middlebury, Williams, Hamilton and Madison university have furnished  a  quota in educating these instructors.  Twelve of them were either  graduates or students  of Hamilton, the students teaching a short time  to defray college expenses.  Now that Pompey academy has done so much for  Hamilton  college  in  a  financial way, it is about time matters were reversed,  and Hamilton help Pompey academy in its time of need.  As newer institutions of  learning have multiplied about us, with larger endowment funds,  and  introducing  newer  modes  of  instruction, Pompey academy has languished,  yet  it is certain matters have mended of late, and would some of the early students  lend  a  helping  hand, there is no reason why it should not regain its ancient renown.

           I  must  not  pass  without recording the lady teachers who have done efficient  work as preceptresses.  Miss Anna Hopkins, in 1835, assisted for a  time  by  Miss  Mary S. Hascal.  Miss Hopkins was afterwards the wife of Prof.  Kendrick, of Rochester, Miss Margaret Sayles in 1836; Miss Elisha E. Randall  was the music teacher at the same time; "Sweet, saintly Harriet Rand,  whose  blessed  influences have not yet ceased to echo in the hearts of  her  pupils,"  from 1837 to 1840; Miss Charlotte Buttrick in 1841, Miss
Elizabeth  H.  Stone  in  1842,  who  Mrs. H.V. Miller told us is now "Mrs. Niven,   whose  dignity  and  rare  culture  still  grace the society  of Syracuse."   Miss  Algenia  Knox until April, 1844; Misses Giffing, Hoskins and  Whipple  during  1844 and '45; Miss Julia E. Reynolds in 1846 and '47, "magnificent  physique,  winning  ways  and  charming conversational powers secure  for  her the admiration of all who know her;" Miss Marcia Doolittle in  1848,  Mrs. T.K. Wright from 1849 to '52, most of the time; Miss Adelia M.  Payson  in  1853, "who a few years since left a large circle of friends and  pupils  to  bear  the  tidings of a free gospel to the women of China.  Miss  Charlotte  A.  Birdseye  until April, 1855, now Mrs. Dr. H.V. Miller, from  whose reminiscences the above quotations are made respecting the lady teachers,  and those also regarding professors Baker and Wright; Miss Ellen Hunt  until  1856.   I  have heard some one speak of Miss Hunt as "the most intellectual  lady  that  ever  sojourned  for  a  length of time on Pompey Hill."   A  graduate  of  Mount  Holyoke, she brought the impress of that institution  away with her.  She is now Mrs. Bacon, of Champaign, Illinois, and  a  member of the board of education in that town, where her genius and judgment  are  fully  appreciated  and acknowledged.  Miss Mary S. Griffith came in 1856;  Miss  Pamelia  Beard  in  1858; Miss Lucy Dow assisted her father early in the sixties; Minerva Adams, of Fabius, the winter of 1864; Miss  May  Birdseye  the  winter of '65; Miss Laura J. Reddy the winter of '66;  Miss  Elizabeth  M.  Hayden  the winter of '67 and '69, (Mrs. Richard Stevens,  of Danforth); Miss Annie Carroll for two months in 1869, married, living  in California; Miss Clara Pomeroy, of Cortland, from December, 1869 to  April, 1870, married, living in Binghamton, I believe.  Now we have the esteemed  wife  of  Prof. Binsmaid doing most excellent work; coming as she does  from  a  family  of  teachers,  her discipline and efficient modes of imparting instruction prove that teaching is her forte without a doubt.
 
  In  the  first eighteen years of the stone academy's existence, there were  educated  in  its  honored  walls men, who are really the boys of old Pompey,  and  now have high positions in their respective callings and wide influence  where  they are located.  Many who have become doctors, lawyers, ministers  and  eminent  civilians  date their academic course during those years,   but   there  are  fewer  who  have  attained  particularly  marked distinction than of the students in the old academy.
 
 The   heroic  struggles  of  ex-Attorney--Gen.  Williams  are  well remembers,  coming  as  he  did  a distance of three miles each morning and performing the janitor's work for his tuition.

           The  effects of Pompey academy cannot be justly estimated, but it may rightly  be  demanded  that  it has been of national importance, for in the higher  positions  of  political responsibility, in the religious bodies of the country,  in  honored  professions  and useful walks of life have been many  whose  future destiny  was  early shaped within her halls.  The high educational  standard  marked  out at an early  date has had a wonderful influence  wherever the children of  Pompey have located, and of the distinguished  men in the State and nationwide who reverence Pompey academy for  the wholesale instructions received therein in boyhood days, I hope to write  hereafter.   Yes, the academy left its stamp on almost all who have gone forth from the town to positions of trust.  It cannot be doubted that more  men who have become  celebrated  in the highest seat of the State, legislators,   judges,  disciples of  Blackstone, eminent  M.D.'s, army generals,  clergymen,  foreign  missionaries,  poets, eloquent speakers and distinguished  civilians  have been educated within these walls than in any other school of its kind in our own State or any other.

           A tribute of grateful respect to the early...ere I cease:  We bow our heads...to  the  memory  of  those who...Pompey academy amid all the trials and  privation of border life.  They were a noble race of men, founding and sustaining  it  as  they  did, and there are none among the pupils who ever walked  the halls that will not pay the token of real affection and respect to  the  wisdom and farsightedness of  those men that in some instances mortgaged  their lands to raise  funds toward founding the now far-famed Pompey  academy.   It was when their own homes were log cabins and their real  estate  small  clearings in the thick wilderness, that they put their shoulders to the  wheel,  and both the visible and invisible results will outlive all written records.
 
Pompey, Sept., 1879
 

The "Weekly Recorder," October 9, 1879:

           There  are many persons living who were eye-witnesses to a scene that transpired  when  the  steeple was completed.  Smith, the builder, ascended to  the  very  top  of  the spire and twining his limbs in the tines of the fork,  hung  with  his  head downward, suspended only by his legs, at which dominie Chadwick strode out in front of the church and cried loudly to the reckless  architect,  "In  the name of Jehovah, God Almighty, I command you to  come  down."  It has been said by one who professes to have watched the daring  man  that  he  came down head foremost, like a squirrel.  Within my own  remembrance,  when  the  church  was  repaired  in '59, a hair-brained youth,  the  worse  for  liquor,  climbed the rod and seated himself on the large  ball.   Many of the villagers assembled to behold his daring exploit and  in  breathless  silence,  every  eye alert, they watched his slightest movement.   When  he had ascended half-way up the steeple he stopped within the  little  railing  and  removed  his boots, at the same time shouting in derision  at  the  fears  of those on terra firma.  The fearful suspense of those  below  was  not allayed until he safely landed.  Last fall, when the church  was  repainted,  there  was  a terrible fascination in watching the bold  young  painter at work on the steeple and weather-vane.  The head man asserted  that  his  assistant really seemed to prefer working on the giddy height  than  on any other part.  The vane was made by Merrit Butler at his
blacksmith  shop  and  gilded with gold leaf by Hezekiah Stevens, and there their  work  has  stood a hundred feet from the earth for over sixty years, higher than any other piece of handicraft in the town or county.

           When  the  contractors who built the church had finished their work they  sold  the  pews  to  the  highest  bidders;  the prices paid aided in lifting  the  debt.   In  order  to  stimulate  the  liberal spirits of the buyers,  a pail of punch was placed on the pulpit stairs.  The deacons and worthy church  members had naught to do with this stigma and the memories of  the act are as wormwood to their souls even unto this day.  Governor Seymour,  in  his Re-union speech, made a sad mistake in stating it was the deacons  instead  of  the  contractors who were  guilty  of the deed.  My authority  is  one  who  is the governor's senior by ten years, and who for forty  years  was  deacon  of the church, following in the footsteps of his father, who was deacon before him.

           Mrs.  Henry  Seymour presented the large folio bible to the church at the  time  of  its  dedication.   Although  it  is still in a good state of preservation  it  has  given  place  to  one  more  modern.   The  handsome communion  service  was  the  gift  of the late Mrs. Hannah Williston.  The pewter cups belonging to the first communion service are yet extant.  They passed  to  deacon Porter, who used them for different purposes in his shoe shop,  and  when  his family vacated the place they were left as worthless.  Miss  Emma  Knight  utilized  them  for  house plants, and they may be seen hanging by her south window.

           The  first  bell  was a present from Henry Seymour; unfortunately, it was  broken,  and two others have since replaced it.  Wherever I have been, in  city or village, no church-going-bell ever sounded so clear-toned, far-reaching  and  inviting as our own; it "fills all the air, inspiring joyful awe."

           The  oldest female member is Mrs. Elizur Seymour, who joined in 1819.  At  the  time  of  his  death  in October, 1878, Dr. Stearns was the oldest living  male  member;  he joined in 1825.  The clergymen who have dispensed the  gospel  from  this  venerable pulpit since the church was built are as follows,  together  with  the  year  they  began  their  duties here:  E. S. Barrows  became  pastor in 1822; Rev. B. B. Stockton in 1829; Rev. Mr. Clark for  a  short period previous to Rev. James B. Shaw, who came in 1832; Rev. Ethan  Smith  in  1834;  Rev.  John Gridley in 1836; Rev. Asa Rand in 1837; Rev.  Mr.  Wheelock  in  1842;  Rev.  Clinton  Clark  in  1845; Rev. S. P. M. Hastings  in  1848; Rev. E. P. Smith for six months after Mr. Hastings left; Rev.  A. A. Graley in 1856; Rev. J. H. Moran in 1862; Rev. Nathan Bosworth in 1864;  Rev. E. S. Eggleston in 1866; Rev. Alvin Cooper in 1870, and Rev. Mr. Petrie  in  1872,  who yet remains, and to whose centennial sermon I am indebted  for  some  facts.   During  Mr. Hastings time several who are now rising  ministers in the west united with the church on profession of their faith -- Rev.  H. H.  Heyden,  D.D.,  of  the  First  Presbyterian  church  in Cleveland,  Ohio; Rev. Delos Wells, of Fulton, Ill., and Rev. Carlos Swift, a  growing  clergyman  of  the  Baptist  denomination.  Other of the church members  than  those  just  mentioned  donned  the  armor  of the Christian ministry   at   an   earlier  date;  they are Rev. Jared Ostrander,  of Mantonville, Minn., and the late Charles Jerome, of Clinton.

           About  the year 1810, the late Rev. Artemas Bishop, born and educated in  Pompey,  was sent  by the American board as missionary to the Sandwich Islands.   Mrs. Julia Ostrander Crane went with her husband on a mission to India in 1836.   Those  whose memories take them back many years, usually speak of the early ministers as priest Wallis, dominie Chadwick and parson Barrows.

           The  first deacons were my paternal great grandfather, Daniel Dunham, and Levi  Jerome;  and  those who were most active during their periods of service  were Levi Jerome, Israel Woodford, my maternal great grandfather, Elijah  Wells,  the late Samuel  Baker,  and  Asa H. Wells, now living in Manlius.   After  faithfully  filling  the office here for forty years, the latter was ordained deacon in the church at Manlius in 1877.

           All  hail  to  the  old  church!  Let us reach across the intervening hills  and valleys and clasp hands with the other mother church of Onondaga county  on  the  Otisco  hills.   From these two pioneer churches have gone forth  members  into  nearly  all  the younger Presbyterian churches in the county  and border counties.  The off-shoots of both have carried with them the  stamp of  high morality  and genuine Christianity wherever they have located  in  life,  and exerted an influence that is far-reaching in its religious  effects.   Old  age  has  settled  firm upon thee; 'tis sad but true.   Year after year thy  pillars crumble to dust, and there are none left  to rise  up and fill the aching voids.  Thou hast past the meridian and  art nearing the sunset, but the gracious light of the afternoon sun is still  upon  thee  and  thou  shalt  receive  this humble token of grateful adoration before thy light is extinct and thy head bowed low forever.
 

The "Weekly Recorder," October 16, 1879:

           Sometime in the thirties the Roman Catholic church was organized through  the influence  of David Dodge, who, with his wife, were the first converts  from Protestantism to Catholicism in Central New York.  For many years  they  worshipped  in  a private dwelling, purchased for the use, now remodeled  and  occupied by Capt. Jones.  Services were held monthly, until their  new church, remodeled from the old Baptist, has enabled them to have worship every Sunday and also have a resident priest in their midst.
 

The "Weekly Recorder," October 23, 1879:

           The  farther  I advance in my notes, more and more perplexing becomes the  task  on  account of contradictory statements.  The reminiscences as given by the oldest  inhabitants often differ materially from what has already  been incorporated in print.  It is very difficult to discriminate, but  I  am inclined to give the preference to corroborated verbal authority unless  some  published  record  gives a previous date.  Occasionally it is impossible   to   reconcile discrepancies, and therefore under  the circumstances  I do the best that lies in my power.  Owing to this state of affairs I perhaps make mistakes through the uncertain memories of persons who have kindly done what  they could to furnish material.  I cordially invite  those who are positive their recollections serve them aright to communicate  to me and I will cheerfully make corrections or supply missing links in the chain.

           It  is  really amusing to note the changes and the many occupants who have  lived in these historic mansions and I challenge any other village of like  size  to produce a record of more worthy details and of interest to a great number of people than the annals of this highland village.

           Capt.  Ansel  Jones  came from Delphi to reside on Pompey Hill on the 6th  day of July, 1842.  He recently informed the writer that there is less accommodation  in  the way of house room at present than when he first came here.   At  that  time nearly every dwelling contained two families and now there  is  not  a house with more than one.  The houses at that period were usually  better  fitted  for the convenience of two families than now.  Old homes  have  burned and new ones replaced them, many old frames, especially of  shops, have been moved and fitted suitable for habitation, but only two new houses  on  sites  where never dwelling stood before have been erected since  he  became  a  resident,  thirty-seven years ago, until this summer.  Think of that once!  Amazement silences all ejaculations.  The two are the houses owned by Horatio  Birdseye and  D. E. Hayden, the former built by Capt. Jones  himself  in 1845, and the latter by Homer Crandall in 1854.  Although new buildings are so seldom erected, the old have improvements constantly  made so that no neater, prettier little hamlet can be found.   By  no  means  does  it present the patched up appearance its history would seem  to warrant.  It is a noteworthy fact we are free from the dilapidated structures such as may be seen in nearly every village.

           In  these articles the course I intend to pursue, is to start at Mrs. Kellogg's  residence  on  Syracuse  street, cross to the west side, passing south  through  the  main  part of the village until all the histories have been  given,  then cross the State road to the east side and there continue until  the  dwellings  cease  that  form a part of this hamlet set upon the high  hill-top.   Coming  back  on  the  same side of the highway until the  place  of  ex-governor Seymour's nativity is reached; thence up the hill on the  west side of Jerome street and back on the east side, then turning the corner  pass  up the street from the drinking fountain toward the cemetery, taking  the  landmarks  either  on the right or the left as they come in my way.   After  finished  those  histories,  turn  the corner to the left and complete  the  narration of the next three dwellings.  Having gone half way  around  the square, I shall continue down the street either on the right oron the left, and on reaching the corner make the tour of the east side of our  Broadway.  The square will then be finished, and it only remains to traverse the street toward Fayetteville,  when  a complete chronicle of Pompey Hill will then be made.

           Each  house is a landmark in its way.  Let us then gather the woof of history  clinging  about  each,  so  far as memory can supply, and weave it into a warp, thus forming a fabric which will be lasting after those who supply the figures have crossed the Jordan to the other shore.
 

The "Weekly Recorder," October 30, 1879:

           Mrs.  Kellogg's  present residence was erected in the summer of 1845.  The space  occupied  by  the  large  barn was once upon a time the village pound, where  stray  members  of domestic flocks were placed.  Mischievous youngsters  were wont to collect all the geese they could find in the night and  put  them  in  the  pound,  where they were found by the owners in the morning.   Anything  for sport.  Back in the field, opposite Mrs. Kellogg's and  beyond  that  graceful  elm  and  the pretty thorn-tree, mounds may be seen.   Those are nothing more or less than grass grown ash heaps, all that marks  the  spot  where  Samuel Baker's ashery stood.  Wood ashes were then converted into potash.

           Mr.  Henry  H. Baker's house was built by his father, the late deacon Samuel  Baker,  in  1823,  and  is  well  known to everyone  as the Baker homestead.   There were born deacon Baker's four younger children, Talmadge Baker,  State treasurer  of  Connecticut,  residing in South Norwalk; Mrs. Fannie  Sherwood,  of  Kalamazoo, Michigan; Daniel Kellogg Baker, wholesale grocer  and  commission  merchant  on  Greenwich  street,  New  York  city, residing  in  Brooklyn;  and  James  Baker,  wholesale  bookseller on Grand street, New York city, residing in Orange, New Jersey.

           Previous to the erection of Mrs. Jane O'Donaghy's abode, the location was  occupied  by  what  is  now  spoken  of  as "Uncle Nat Baker's old red house."   There,  about  1801,  a store was built by two gentlemen, Russell Clarke  and  a  Mr.  Emmonds;  they only remained for a year or two and the building  was  fitted  for  a  dwelling-house,  which  was purchased by Mr. Nathaniel  Baker,  who  came  from  Ballston, Saratoga county, in 1806.  He also  at  that time bought the farm which has remained in possession of the family  ever  since.  A portion ... was purchased by Ammi Butler.  The house contained  six rooms on the ground floor and parts were rented to different families.   In  fact,  there  were  always  two or three families living in portions of  it at the same time, and like a stage coach, there was always room  for one more.   At an early date Lewis Baker, brother of Nathaniel, rented the two south rooms for a period.  The late Dr. Stearns rented a part  in 1816, and it was the birthplace of his son, J. Hascall Stearns, of San  Francisco.   Samuel  Baker, son of  Nathaniel,  was  married to Miss Philena  Hascall  in  1819,  and  they  resided in his father's house until their  residence  was built in 1823.  Their two older children were born in the red  house, Henry  H., of this place, and Kate, wife of Judge Lucien Birdseye, of  Brooklyn.   William  J. Curtis lived there in either 1831 or '2.   Authorities differ as to the date when Dr. Rial Wright came from  LaFayette  to  Pompey Hill to practice his profession, but certain it is he was  a  tenant  in  that house, living therein in 1834, how much earlier or later  the  writer  is  uninformed.  Dr. Wright was the father of Mrs. Mary Elliott,  Mrs.  Dr.  Marlette,  Mrs. Sanford, Charles Wright and Mrs. Judge Noxon,  several of whom are residents of Syracuse.  Several of Dr. Wright's children  were born on Pompey Hill and one or more in the red house.  There also  in  1834  lived Horace Butts, the father of George and Charles Butts,  of  Jamesville,  while  he  was building the house farther up the hill, now owned  and  occupied  by  V.J.  Birdseye.   About 1837 Miss Juliett Rust, a tailoress,  William  Heath,  an  Englishman, a shoemaker by trade, recently arrived  from  the  motherland, and William Wilby, all lived therein at the same  time, Heath occupying the two north rooms.  Among other dwellers have been  Mrs.  Lydia Gillett, Archibald Colby, who married Rowena, daughter of Willard  Hayden  Sen.,  Messrs. Carlton, Cooley and Bolston.  Ehraim Hays, now  of  Delphi,  bought  the  house  of  Mr.  Baker early in the '50's and  demolished  it,  building  the present dwelling in its place.  A portion of the old house was moved some distance south of the village and fitted into the habitation occupied by Mrs.  Strahn.   Mr.  Hayes  sold to the late Stephen  L.  Crofut  early  in  the '60's, and Mr. Crofut sold to Rev. A.S. Hale,  now  of  Iona,  Michigan,  in 1872.  Mr. Hale made many improvements during  the  period  of  his  ownership.  He sold to Mrs. Jane O'Donaghy in  1874.
 

The "Weekly Recorder," November 6, 1879:

           In  1817, Dr. Stearns rented this abode of Hon. Henry Seymour, father of  our  ex-Governor  Horatio  Seymour.   Samuel Baldwin held the title for some  time  after  1817.  Miss Hepsey Beebe bought the house about 1822 and lived  therein  until  her mother's death in 1836.  Priest Barrows and wife here  boarded  with  Miss Beebe for a time.  Miss Beebe rented parts of the house.   In  1829 or '30, William J. Curtis lived in the chambers, and Mrs. Curtis'  brother,  Abram Bartlett, late of Fayetteville, occupied the front room below stairs.  Sometime early in the '30's, Misses Willard and Beard had  a  milliner's shop in the front chamber.  Dr. Rial Wright it is said lived  here for a time.  Hon. Charles Sedgwick, now of Syracuse, purchased of  Miss Beebe,  living  here as late as 1840, and it is the birthplace of his  eldest daughter,  Mrs.  Ellen  Tracy.   When  Mr.  Sedgwick  moved to Syracuse  he rented to William Webb, now of Syracuse.  Miss Juliett Rust also  rented  a  part  at  the same time.  About 1842, it was sold to widow Wheelock,  who owned it until her death, then her daughter, Sallie, who was afterwards  the  late  Mrs. Emerick, of Baldwinsville, held the title until 1857.   Both  Mrs. and Miss Wheelock rented parts of the house; among those that were their tenants were Capt.  Ansell Jones, Charles Beach, civil engineer  of  Binghamton, a Mr. Lord in 1853, Charles Cable, of Jamesville, Mrs. Woodward,  of  Manlius, the late Alanson Smith, of  Portville, Cattaraugus  county,  and  a Mr. Rhodes, Charles Webb and Alva Shattuck, of Grand  Rapids,  Michigan, rented parts at  dates  unknown to the writer.  Deacon  Asa  H.  Wells and Mrs. Dunham bought of Miss Wheelock in 1857, and have owned  it  longer  than  any previous possessor.  After Mrs. Dunham's removal  here,  Mr. Smith continued  to live in the back part for several years.   She  rented portions to different families for some years previous to  1863--Henry  L.  Porter,  of  Tiffin,  Ohio, Mrs. Wordin, of Cleveland, Ohio, and to Mrs. Sophia Sloan, of Jordan.

           The  maple tree midway between Mrs. O'Donaghy's and Mrs. Dunham's was set  out  in  1809  by the late Merrit Butler the same summer Mrs. Dunham's house  was  built.  It is lamentable that the tree is unsound, otherwise it might  last  many  years  to come.  The cavity on the south side will admit into  its  capacity  a  good sized juvenile.  The boys doubtless think it a very  funny  thing  to stand inside a tree.  Every effect has its cause and the cause for this  woody  recess  is that once a certain boy, more than sixty  years  old now and living in San Francisco, gashed the tree with his little hatchet.  He asked the late Col. Daniel Kellogg if he might cut the tree down, and Col. Kellogg,  with  his  mind  on something else and not thinking  what  he  said,  replied  "Yes," and the urchin taking him at his word  had the tree a third cut before the damage was discovered.  Boys will be  boys, nevertheless if parents and teachers would impress upon them some lessons in tree culture the results would prove salutary in many instances  where  mere thoughtlessness produces dire effects.  Seven years ago a large number of  young maples  were  set  out  on the green by Mr. Lewis Pratt, bidding  fair to become a beautiful grove in the coming years.  Look at them now.  Six remain.  Boys, where are the rest?  These six will soon die too unless you  bstain  from notching and swaying them to and fro.  Just imagine once how nice they will be twenty years hence, to say nothing of fifty or sixty  years.   Consider yourself called upon to do your part in protecting trees in their youth and they will in turn shade you when you are old.

           About four feet from Mrs. Dunham's residence, on the north side, once stood  a  modest  two-story  dwelling  owned  by  one David Hine, a harness maker.  His  family  had once occupied it, but at a date previous to 1834.  He used  the upper story for a shop, access to it was gained by a stairway upon  the  south  side exterior.   When  Mr.  and Mrs. Harry Beach came to Pompey  in May, 1834, they began housekeeping in this structure.  A portion was  rented  by  milliners at various periods.  The  names  of  Emeline Hutchinson,  now  Mrs.  Edward  Hine, of Weedsport, and two cousins, Delina and  Mary  Benton,  the  former  now  Mrs. Cable,  of  Phoenix, the latter deceased,  are  mentioned  as there following the business of making lady's head-gear.  James  Cobb  occupied  the  house for three years early in the '40's.  The Hine house now forms David  Cable's  wagon-shop  near the watering  tub.   Adjoining it on the north side was a small taylor's shop owned  and  used  by  Col.  Daniel Kellogg.  It is now the wing on the east side of Paddy Welch's house east of the Methodist church.
 

The "Weekly Recorder," November 13, 1879:

           Between  Baker's  store and the next building south once stood Squire Wood's  law-office,  where  the postoffice was located at one period.  Col. Daniel Kellogg once had his tailor-shop in a portion of it.

           Seymour  Marsh,  father  of Mrs. Edward S. Dawson, of Syracuse, built the stone store on the west side of our main street, upon the site of Hon. Henry Seymour's old store.  Hon. Horace Wheaton, of Syracuse, owned it for years  and carried on the mercantile pursuit.  He purchased in about 1830 or 1831, and soon after his brother, Hon. Charles Wheaton, now editor of the  "Rice County  Journal"  at  Northfield,  Minnesota,  entered  into partnership  with him.  In time, the building passed into the hands of Hon. Daniel  Gott,  of  whom the present holder, Capt. J. J. Taylor purchased it.  Before  it  was  sold  to Captain Taylor, it was rented and a store therein kept  by William O'Donaghy,  by  Eben  and  Wells  Butler,  (the  former superintendent  of  schools  at  Whitehall,)  and  by  John  Miller, now of Canastota, successively.

           Reference was made  in a former number to Butler's tavern, that was located  where Hon. Manoah Pratt's house now stands.  The inn was famous in the  early  annals  of the town, being the place of meeting on town-meeting occasions and the headquarters on general training days.  In later years it  passed in succession to Major Catlin, he being landlord in 1816, but how much  earlier  or later the historian fails to recall; to Ammi Butler, Seely Castle,  and to John Handy.  After Mr. Handy's death his widow continued as landlady,  after  whom  his  son-in-law,  Henry E. Sturdeyvant, was the proprietor.   Messrs.  Seymour  Marsh and Horace Wheaton took the place for debt;  one authority states they rented to Charles Webb.  They finally sold to  Marovia  Marsh.   The  tavern  gave  place  to the present residence in 1851.   A  portion of the timbers of this tavern, built in 1797, were rebuilt  into  the present structure, and is, therefore, one of the oldest, if  not  the  oldest frame, anywhere about.  The wood-house once formed the north  end  of  a  tavern  stand  that stood on the location of the present hotel at a very early date.  Traces of its fancifully painted walls may yet  be  discerned.   Harry Beach did the carpenter work when the house was rebuilt.   Homer  Crandall,  of  Danforth,  bought  of the heirs of Marovia Marsh  in  '60 or '61, and sold to Hon. Manoah Pratt in '63.  Merrit Butler said  a  short  time  before his death:  "It seems but a few days ago since Handy's  tavern  stood there."  It gave place to the new house twenty-seven years  before Mr. B. made the remark.  Where Elsworth Hayden's house stands was  once  the barn and red shed belonging to Handy's tavern.  The barn was moved  to  the east part of the village, and stood on the north part of the land  owned by Mrs. Maria Hills, directly south of and on the opposite side of  the by-road by the Wood homestead until it was destroyed by fire in the summer  of  1868.   Mr. Hayden's house was built in 1864 by Homer Crandall.  Norman  Johnson  purchased  of  Crandall  in 1870, and Mr. Hayden bought of Johnson in 1871.

           The  Presbyterian  parsonage  has been owned by that society for nine  years.   It  was  purchased  by  O.J. Wheaton, who bought it of Mrs. Joseph Beach.   The  old house burned after Mr. Beach's death, and the new one was built  by  his  widow.   Mrs. Beach rented to John Miller before selling to Mr.  Wheaton.  There, in 1806, lived Steward, the blacksmith, a brother-in-law  of  Luther Marsh Sr.  Dr. Stearns bought the place of Henry Seymour in 1818.   It  was  once  occupied  by Joseph Colton, previous to the doctor's
ownership.   Mr.  Colton  was  a  clerk  in  Seymour's  store,  and the old dwelling  is  often spoken of as the "Colton house," but some doubt is cast as to whether Joseph Colton ever owned it.

           The  Birdseye  homestead  is the same as when erected by Hon. Victory Birdseye  in  1817.  Timothy Butterfield was the builder.  In after years a wing  was  added  on  the  south side, and occupied by Miss Hepsey Beebe, a sister of  Mrs. Birdseye's.  This wing was removed a few years ago and now forms the wing on the east  side of  Capt.  Jones' house opposite the academy.   This homestead was the birth-place of Mr. Birdseye's ten younger children:   Ebenezer,  deceased;  Miss  Emma, of Danforth; Judge Lucien, of Brooklyn;  Henry  Clay,  deceased;  John,  of  Lowell;  A. Franklin of this place; Charlotte,  now  Mrs.  Dr.  H. V. Miller, of Syracuse, whose name is conspicuous  as a temperance worker; Horatio, of this place; Julia, now the wife  of  Rev.  John F. Kendall, D. D. of Laporte, Indiana, and Miss Eunice, of  Danforth.   Squire  Birdseye's law office stood in the northeast corner of  his spacious yard; it was long ago moved from the village and now forms the  main  part  of the small habitation on the brow of the hill, a mile or
more west on the State road.

           Dr.  Tibbuls built the house where Carmi Hayden now resides.  He sold to  Orlando  Frost;  Mr.  F. to Samuel P. Hayden, and Mr. H. to his brother Carmi  about  1870.  Mr. Hayden's place is familiarly known to Syracusans as a  popular summer boarding-house.  In the northeast corner of the lawn, Dr. Tibbuls  had  a drug and variety store for a time.  Later it was removed to the  site  next south of Beard's stone store, where, in later years, Calvin Ball's  jeweler's  shop was located, and was destroyed by the fire fiend in 1874.
 

From the "Weekly Recorder," November 20, 1879:

           Mrs.  Shattuck said Jimmie Cobb's modest mansion was built in 1806 by Ebenezer  Handy, the same year that she came to Pompey.  For three years it was  occupied  by  Hezekiah W. Stevens, probably before 1820.  Joseph Beach owned  it  for ten years perhaps, and before the '30's; he sold to the late Miss  Hannah  Williston  of  whom Mr. Cobb purchased.  Dr. Lucien Wells, of Utica,  William  Webb,  of  Syracuse,  and  the  late  Rev. Mr. Gridley, of Kenosha,  Wisconsin,  rented  a  part at different times of Miss Williston.  Mr.  Beach  had  a  shop  for  blacksmithing purposes directly south of the
house.

           The  next  house south of Mr. Cobb's  built by widow Pomeroy in 1806.  One  authority states that Lewis Baker lived there as early as from 1820 to '25.   Another  says  that sometime before 1834, it was the home of a wagon maker  named Charles Clark.  He had a partner named Crane.  Elan Hobert was the  incumbent  in  1834.   It was once owned by Hon. Horace Wheaton now of Syracuse,  who  rented  to  Henry  Woodin,  of  Syracuse, and afterwards to William  Robbins.   Charles  Wilby has been the occupant for a quarter of a century at least.

           The  dwelling  where Charles Wells lives is owned by the heirs of the late  Samuel  P.  Hayden,  of  Danforth.  It was built by Pliny Porter, and became  the  property of David Porter, now of Phoenix, through inheritance, none  of  the family ever living there.  Among those that have occupied it,  whether  as  owners or tenants the writer is uninformed, are Jimmie Cobb in 1840,  and Rev. Wesley Fox, a Methodist preacher, lived in a portion at the same  time.   Dr. Lucien Wells, James Van Brocklin, and an Englishman named Shade  deceased.  Carmi Hayden owned and occupied it for some years; it came into  his brother's hands by an exchange of property.  Before Charles Wells took  up  his  residence  therein, Harry Beach rented for two years and Ed. Pomeroy  for  one  year.   On  the  same  spot  was once another habitation wherein  lived  Dorcus  Porter for a time.  He had a cabinet-shop located on the grounds belonging to the place.

           Where Mrs. James Welch  lives Virgil  Little once owned.  Leonard Hobert,  a  tanner  by  trade,  who  has already been mentioned in a former number  as  a mail carrier, was perhaps the first resident, living there as early  as  1815.   One of his daughters, now Mrs. Dr. Chapin, is a resident of  Liverpool in this county.  Mr. Hobert carried on an extensive business; his  tan-yard  joined  that  of  Deacon  Pliny Porter, for a time they were partners,  and  in  the two yards might have been seen many large deep vats in  which  there  was  usually two or three feet of water, and consequently these  vats  were a constant source for anxiety to all the mothers of young children  in  the  neighborhood,  thinking  her  darlings  would  surely be drowned  therein.   Tanning  in those days was an all important occupation, for  the tanner supplied the leather for all the shoemakers and wooden shoe pegs  as  well.   Elan  Hobert lived there as late as 1837.  There Augustus Tibbuls  married  Miss Morehouse, her brother-in-law being the dweller, and there  they afterwards kept house themselves.  A Mr. Curtis, who afterwards moved to Fabius, lived there at one period.

           Near  where Shubal Knight resides, Daniel Gillett settled and built a log  house.   Mr.  Knight's  house was enlarged from a shop built by Deacon Porter.   There  James  Cobb  lied  for  five years and a half from 1844 to '49.   Near  Mr. Knight's barns, back from the highway, was once an ashery.  For a long time after it ceased to be a very high ash bank remained.

           A  few  years  ago  there might have been seen an old structure a few feet  from Mr. Knight's house on the south side; it was familiarly known as Deacon  Porter's  old red house.  During the last years of its existence it  was  rented  to  different  families;  among them were a Methodist minister named  Rhodes,  Mrs.  Jane Heath, the late Alanson Smith and the late Harry Beach.   A portion of the timbers now form the wing on the southern side of Mr.  K's  abode.  Children retain such lasting recollections of very little things.   I  now  recall  the cow's horns that were fastened to the peak of the  barn  belonging to this place, and how they used to excite my childish amazement.   A  very  fitting  sign  they were of the tanner's trade, still there  they  remained  long  after  the  tanner's demise and his family had scattered.  Indeed, that had happened long before my earliest memories.

           Of  one  more mansion will I write before retracing the course to the main  portion  of  the  village again.  Passing on to just beyond where the State  road bends to the west, we come to the farm where Dr. Walter Colton, the  first  resident physician located, and had at the time, before 1800, a house  a  little  north  of  the one now owned by Deacon George Wells.  Dr. Colton  sold  to  a  silversmith  named Edward Boylston, who carried on his trade  there for a time.  Mr. Boylston sold to Rev. Hugh Wallis, the second settled  clergyman of the Presbyterian church.  A man named John Leech, who afterwards  moved  to  Clay  or  Cicero,  resided  there  "for  a good many years."   He had a cider-mill on the place, and did a good business in that line.   He  purchased an organ for his children which was the first musical instrument  of  the  kind  in  the  town  and  rendered  the family of more importance  in  the  minds  of their neighbors.  The church choir met there frequently  to  sing, as no where else could such fine music be found.  Mr. Leech  was a strong Baptist, and once upon a time, having been worsted in a theological  controversy,  started  to  beat a retreat, but wishing to give his  antagonist  to  understand  how faith was in nowise shaken, turned and remarked,  "According  to  the scriptures,' every tub must stand on its own bottom.' "

           Hezekiah Hopkins Jr. owned the farm for many years; it was there that he died,  and  it  was  also  the last earthly home of his father, mother, Hezekiah Hopkins Sen. and  his  wife.   This  is  the birthplace of Mrs. Charlotte  (Hopkins) Upson, of the First ward, Syracuse.  Seymour Marsh was the next owner after Hopkins, Charles Wilby working the farm.  Hon. Horace Wheaton  held  the  title next and then Mr. O.J. Wheaton, his brother.  The house  was  old  and  red,  and Mr. O.J. Wheaton rebuilt in 1849.  In after years  it  became the property of Willard Hayden Sen., and then of his son-in-law,  Salmon  P.  Bishop.   During  the  period Mr. Bishop owned it, the abode  burned  and he built a new one on the site.  He sold to his brother, Edwin Bishop, and his son Richard, and they to Mr. Wells in 1867.

Pompey, Oct., 1879.

From the "Weekly Recorder," November 27, 1879:

           From  1816  to  1819,  and  again in 1822, it will be remembered that Henry  Seymour  was elected State senator from that part of the State, then called  the  western  district.   In  fact,  he  always  held  an important position  in  the  State until he resigned his office of canal commissioner in  1833.   He  was chosen president of the Farmers' Loan and Trust company in New York city, and continued in that capacity until his death in 1837.

           The  family  moved from Pompey to Utica in the fall of 1819.  An aged resident  of  the  town  once told the writer that he remembered seeing the future  governor  sitting  on  the  top of a load of household goods as the family  was  taking  their  departure,  leaving the hills of Pompey behind.  Hon.  Henry  Seymour  sold  both his residence and his store to his nephew, Moses  Seymour Marsh, who had been his clerk, and in turn Mr. Marsh sold to his  brother-in-law,  Hon.  Horace Wheaton.  He sold to Norman Johnson, and Johnson  to  the  present  holder, O. J. Wheaton, about nine years ago.  The long,  old-fashioned  hair-cloth  sofa  in  the  parlor  was originally the property of Henry Seymour.

           In  the  year  1806  there  stood  in  the  northeast  corner of O. J. Wheaton's   lawn,   a   law-office,  where  Samuel  Baldwin  practiced  his profession;  he  was  a man of rare natural ability, and gained an enviable repute  as  a  follower of Blackstone.  The office was afterward removed to the site of the Gott office.

           Near  the  little  rill  in the garden, a little south of east of Mr. Wheaton's   house,  once  stood  a  small  abode,  inhabited  by  Gibbs,  a shoemaker, of which mention will be made hereafter.

           Near where the streamlet runs under the highway, Moses Wood, the grandfather  of Hon. D. P. Wood, of Syracuse, fell from his horse on his way home  in  a  state  of  intoxication, in 1816, and was killed.  There, too, eighteen  years  later,  his  son,  Daniel  Wood  Sen.,  fell dead from his carriage while  driving with his wife.  The cause of his sudden demise was heart disease.

           William  Lathrop, the architect, who drew the plan for and framed the old  yellow  academy,  built the house where Frank Porter resides, in 1806.  Priest  Chadwick  lived  there  a  good  many years, certainly in 1816, and perhaps  as  late  as  1822,  for  he  did not end his pastorate until that date.   During  his  residence,  a  workman  named Potter, while engaged in digging  a  well, was killed there by the ropes breaking.  Dr. Isaac Dubois Sherman was the dweller  in  1825.   Among others who have inhabited the place  are  James  Marsh,  Frank  Miner,  L. B. Pitcher, of Salina, the late Harry  Beach,  the  late  Henry  Snow, Matthew Sharp, John Kean and Ephraim Hays, now of Delphi; the latter sold to Frank Porter, in 1861.

           What  we  knew  as  the Dean place, now no more, farther up the hill, south  of  Mr.  Porter's,  is  incorrectly  recorded  in the Pompey book as having  been  the  home  of  Nathaniel  Brace.   The Brace place was on the opposite  side  of the road.  Several trustworthy authorities state that it was  always  known  as the Chauncey Jerome place, and Mrs. Shattuck says it was  built  by  him in 1806.  For many years it was owned by Calvin Dean, a shoemaker.  His heirs sold to Frank Porter, who demolished the house.

           Where Thomas Welch lives, was once the home of a bachelor named Peck, and  the  boys  used  to say he never ate salt pork without molasses on it.  It  was once owned by Henry Seymour; he presented a dead of the house with nine  acres of land to Miss Sophia Ramson, who had been a seamstress in his family.   She  afterward  married  Col.  David  Mallery.  It is said Reuben Cooley  once held the title; also, Mr. Pitkin, from whom it passed to Judge Asa  Wells,  to  his  son  Hyde,  and to his son Charles, then to Samuel P. Hayden, of whom Welch purchased.

           Farther south, and where a few apple trees may be seen, lived George, afterwards  Major  Catlin,  who  came  from "the land of steady habits," in 1793.   He  was  a  brother-in-law  of the Butlers.  On this spot, where he located, he opened the first public house in this vicinity.
 
Pompey, Nov. 12, 1879.
 

From the "Weekly Recorder," December 4, 1879:

           In  the  spring  of 1796, Elizur Brace purchased of Ebenezer Butler a tract  of  land  entirely  covering  the  summit  of  the hill south of the present  village.   On  this  he began a log house, but did not complete it until  in  the  latter part of October.  The house was located in the field south  of  James  V.  Butt's  place  was the home of Titus Rust at an early date,  perhaps  as  early as 1805.  He was a shoemaker.  He sold to Marovia Marsh,  who  resided  there  many  years,  and  finally sold to his brother Daniel  Marsh.   Marvey Snow rented it of Mr. Marsh.  Mr. Marsh sold to Mr. Lord,  a  shoemaker, and he to Nathaniel Foster, father of the late Charles Foster,  of  Cortland.   Mr.  N.  Foster  and  Henry  Snow were drovers, in partnership,  their  families  living  together.  It was here that Mr. Snow died.   Mr.  Foster  sold  to Henry H. Baker, he to Mrs. Horace Heyden, and she  to  her  son-in-law,  the  present owner.  "Uncle" 'Rovia Marsh" was a hatter,   and  did  an  extensive  business,  supplying  not  only  his  own townspeople  but  those  of  neighboring towns as well.  At an early period his  shop  stood  in  the southwest corner of Mr. Butt's garden.  This shop was  the  theater  of acts by no means intended to be brought before public  notice,  but  "murder  will out."  The medical students called it scientific investigations;    the   people   were   up   in   arms,   denouncing   the resurrectionists who dissected stolen bodies.

           Samuel  Johnson  bought  land  and made a clearing where Daniel Marsh lived.   In  1805  he  sold  to Asa Wells, who erected an abode and lived a little  east  and  back  from  the highway.  Mr. Wells exchanged lands with Judge  Ebenezer  Butler, now the Ryan farm, a mile east of "The Hill."  The house  where  Mr.  Marsh resided for thirty-seven years before his death in 1874,  was  built  in  1835  by  Horace Butts, a wagonmaker, who soon after moved  to  Syracuse.   He  was  the  father of George and Charles Butts, of Jamesville.   In  1875  the  house  passed into the hands of V.J. Birdseye, Esq.

           We  come  now  to  the  east corner at the foot of the hill where the shops  are  situated.   In  conversation  with  elderly people they usually speak  of  the  street  leading  eastward  as  the "new road."  In my early school  days  we  children  used to facetiously call it Pig street or Goose avenue,  and  the farther end Cork; since that time the dwellings have been improved  and  none  of the squalor that then characterized the east end of the street can be seen at present.

           The large red blacksmith's shop owned and occupied by Frank L. Porter was  built  by  Joseph  ...wagon-shop,  in  which  business...engaged.  The building...used  for the purpose it was...intended, or for blacksmith work, except  for  a  short  time  when  Harry  Beach  had  his  carpenter's shop therein.   Among  others  who  have owned it were George Seager, A. Squires and  L.  Mathews.   Mr.  Porter  purchased  it  of  Mathews  in 1874.  Some authority  has told me another shop stood upon the site before the erection of  this  one,  and  that  Merritt  Butler carried on his trade there for a time.

           The  shop  just  south  was moved to the location by George Seager in 1864,  it  having  formerly  been  the barn back of Beard's store.  A small wood  colored  shop  not  long  since  stood  next east of the red building between  that  and  Mr.  Cable's.   Mr.  Porter  used  it until unfit for a shelter.   It was owned and used by Joseph Beach for blacksmithing purposes previous  to  his  erection  of  the  red shop, and after that was built he continued  to  use  it for casting the irons necessary in his wagon-making.  Porter  purchased it of Seager in '64.  It has already been stated that Mr. Cable's  wagon-shop  was  once  the  Hine house, located next north of Mrs. Dunham's.   An  addition  has  been made on the south end.  Alfred Campbell and  son  used a part of the building for a paint shop before their removal to Ithaca.

           The  red  shop  that  was  burned on the opposite corner was a wagon-shop.   None  seem  to  have  any  distinct  memories of those who owned or worked  therein.   Within  my  own  recollection A. Blanchard worked in the  lower  part,  his  family  living  in  the upper story.  At the time it was burned an English family named Burt was occupying it.

           William J. Curtis' home was built by Horace Butts in 1828.  Mr. Butts sold  to  Mr.  Curtis  in 1833 or thereabout.  The majestic pine tree which graced  the  lawn  west  of  the  house  for so many years, was planted and tended  by  Mrs.  Curtis herself long ago.  Unfortunately, it was killed by the  fire  that  wrought  so  great a change in that part of the village in October, 1874.

           For  many  years  the next place east was the Presbyterian parsonage.  The  framework  formerly  formed  Henry Seymour's store, where now is Capt. Taylor's  stone store.  I am informed the frame was purchased and the house completed  by  Edward  Dunbar,  a  relative  of  David Hine, of whom Dunbar learned  harness-making.   He  sold  to Henry Woodin, and from his hands it became  the  manse  of  the Presbyterian society.  Ed. Dunbar had a curious habit  of  using  tobacco; he would take a little nub between his thumb and forefinger  and  after lighting it, he would moved it back and forth before his  mouth  and  nose,  thus  inhaling  the  smoke;  consequently, he might usually be seen with the lower part of his face of a yellow hue.

           In  1842 Joe Dyer began the upright part of Peter Parslow's house; it remained  in  an unfinished state for some years; and was finally purchased by  George  Seager,  he  finishing  it  off and adding the wing on the east side.  Mr. Seager sold to Chas. Webb, and he to Mr. Parslow, in 1869.

           Joseph  Beach  had  a  good  many  workmen  in  his shop and found it necessary  to  provide  house-room for them; he accordingly built the house where  Abner  Pratt lives, opposite Mr. Parslows, in 1842.  His son Charles afterward  kept  house there.  The well-known Mabie sisters, milliners, now of  Syracuse,  carried on their business there for some time.  Charles Webb there  resided  for some years.  A widow named Goodwin, who, with her sons, afterward  moved  to  Cazenovia,  resided there for a period.  The widow of Josiah  Butler  occupied  it for a term of years--her brother, John Miller, owning it at the end.

From the "Weekly Recorder," December 11, 1879:
 

           The house that was formerly on the ...tion of David Cable's residence on  the  north  side  of the street, burned early in the '50s, owned at the time  by  a  Mr.  Lord.  Kingsbury bought the ground and moved the frame of Uncle  Marovia  Marsh's  hat  shop to it, making a nice place thereof.  The main  portion  of  Mrs.  Kean's  abode on the south side was built three or four  years  ago.   The  wing  has  long stood on the spot and was for many  years  occupied  by  an  old Irish woman, familiarly known as "Granny Kean." Without  doubt  this  wing  is the most traveled of any structure anywhere about.   It  was  originally built by Daniel Butts for a cooper's shop near the  point  where  the  road  forks,  opposite Virgil Woodford's, two miles southwest  of  the  village.  It was moved across the fields that intervene to  a  corner  of  the  yard  where  James  Conan lives, a mile west of the village  on the State road, owned at the time by Hon. Victory Birdseye.  It was  again  moved  to the east part of O.J. Wheaton's garden, standing near the  brook.   Edward  Hine  bought it of Gibbs, the shoemaker, for his aged father,  who had met with adverse circumstances, and for the third time it was  moved,  that  time to its  present location on land purchased of Dr. Stearns  for  the  purpose.   The frame of Mrs. Kean's barn was formerly a part of a house on another street, of which I am yet to write.

           Tom  Cahill's  house purchased of Mike Gordon, was the frame of Beach Beard's  old store, occupying the south part of the site now covered by the stone store.   While  the  new store was building in 1836, the old one was moved out into the street and there used until the new one was completed, then  the  old building was moved to its present location and fitted into a dwelling.

           John  Mahar's  dwelling was Dunbar's harness shop; the location where it stood is now occupied by the north portion of the stone store.

           The  cottage  on  the  corner  was  built by Beach Beard for a tenant house.   Afterward  it  became  the property of Rodney Johnson, who, on the marriage  of  his  daughter  Mary  Catherine to S. L. Crofut, sold to Orange Hopkins,  he  to  John Sullivan, he to another John Sullivan and the latter to Miss Wallace in the spring of 1879.  She rents to Victory Birdseye Jr.

           The habitation on the opposite corner near the cemetery, which burned in  the  summer  of 1873, owned at the time by Mike Welch, was purchased of Thomas  Welch.   One  of  the  Welches  had converted it into a hotel for a period,  and  later  a grocery was kept in the west new part.  Welch bought of  Hon.  Manoah  Pratt,  Mr.  Pratt  of  his nephew, Charles Pratt, he of Charles  Cooper,  and  Mr.  Cooper  of the builder, Orrin Frost.  It is not often  we  have  a  fire in our upland town, but when one does...man, woman  and  child,  resident  and  un-resident, ...learn the story.  Never shall I forget  the  scene  that  pictured  itself  the night this building burned.  "Fire!  Fire!  Fire!"  was  the  sound of alarm that rudely aroused us from midsummer  dreams  one  Saturday  night  in  the  summer  of  '73.  With an indescribable  thrill we sprang from our couches and soon hastened forth in scanty  apparel,  breathless  with excitement.  Two alarms had already been given  that  season  which  amounted  to  little.  The wise heads predicted there  would be no more alarm, and the third, they said, would certainly be a  fire.   And  so  it  proved.   The scene was most beautiful.  The starry heavens  were  partially  veiled  by fleecy clouds that reflected a roseate hue  from  the flames.  The full moon rose slowly, partially concealed by a sombre  cloud  that  gave  it  the  form  of crescent.  The fire gilded the church  spires  on  one side only, leaving the other in midnight blackness, and  where it illumined the house roofs and tree tops, it softened downward to  a  subdued  light and was gradually swallowed in darkness.  The harmony of  light  and  shade was exquisite.  The wind was in the west, so the blue and  bronze  smoke  thick with sparks, floated over the cemetery.  Then too the  light  enhanced  the  view;  every  white slab and monument showed for itself  on  the  dark   ground  and against the deep blue sky.  As we stood back  at some distance, the dusky forms flitting about near the flames gave a  weird  effect  to  the  whole.  Throughout the village a painful silence reigned,  save  in the vicinity of the fire, and even there the quiet which prevailed was surprising under the circumstances.

           Miss  Wallace's  house, the first north from the corner, was built by Garry  Cole,  a  stonemason  who  overworked  in building Beard's store and thereby  lost  his  health,  never  recovering from the effects.  Among the subsequent  owners  were  Garry  Hotaling who sold to George Doolett, he to Orr,  Orr  to  McGee.  Later Pat Corcoran owned the place, and after moving to  Fabius, rented to Richard Bishop, afterwards selling to "Tip" Holbrook; he  rented to Daniel Birdseye, a carpenter, now in Leadville, and then sold to  Martin  Clear.   After  Clear  moved away, he rented to Harry Beach and finally sold to Isaac Wicks.  Mr. Wicks sold to Miss Wallace in 1877.

           Peter Cole, brother of Garry, built the house opposite Miss Wallace's in 1842.   Cole  was a stone-cutter by trade and a good workman.  He could earn $1 a  day  at  the business, but that did not satisfy his avaricious desires  to  get  rich faster, and before his dwelling was completed he was arrested  for  horse  theft  and sentenced to five years imprisonment.  His wife  lived there for sometime carrying on millinery.  Lawyer Gott defended Cole  in his trial, and as the place passed into his hands, it was believed it  was for law fees.  Mr. Gott sold to Orlando Frost.  Marvin Wicks rented it  of  either  Mr.  Gott or Mr. Frost for a period.  Frost sold to Willard Hayden  Sen.;  he to Edwin Bishop, he to Capt. Jones, he to Henry Holbrook, and the latter to Mrs. Maria Hills, the present owner, in 1869.

           Mr.  Hendricks,  a carpenter, was the builder of Mr. Martin's mansion on  the  corner.   From  him  it  passed  to  Salmon Bishop, next to Alfred Campbell  and then to Mr. Martin in 1877.  Almost every one remembers it as a  cottage,  but  Mr.  Martin  raised it and made more commodious chambers, producing  a  more  marked  change  than  is  usual  when  an  old house is remodeled.
 
Pompey, Nov. 1879.
 

From the "Weekly Recorder," December 18, 1879:

           On  the  site  of  the  Daniel Wood homestead lived the first settled lawyer,  a  Germany  by  birth, by name John Keedar; he came to Pompey Hill about  1800.   He and a brother kept bachelor's hall.  He was a first-class lawyer  for  his  time, but on failing to receive some appointment from the State  government,  he  left  the  country.   There lived and practiced Dr. Hezekiah  Clarke  soon  after  Keedar  vacated.   In 1806, Daniel Wood Sen. bought  the place, and continued to live there until his death, in 1836; he was  very  successful in his practice as a lawyer.  Daniel Wood Jr. sold to Capt.  Daniel  Dodge  about  1858.   The  fame  of  Capt. Dodge as a man of extensive  reading,  active  mental capacities, argumentative turn of mind, and  as  the  first  in  central  New  York  who renounced the faith of his ancestors  and  embraced  the  religion  of  the  church  of  Rome, was not confined  to  the  limits  of  his  town,  but spread abroad throughout the county  and  regions beyond.  The place descended to his daughter, the late Mrs.  Mary  D.  Wheaton,  whose  children  still  reside  there.  The house  purchased  by  Esq. Wood gave place to the present mansion about 1834.  The former  dwelling is spoken of by those who remember its aspect as "old, old and red."

           The habitation on the point between the State road and the Manlius or Pratt's  Falls  road  was  known, certainly as early as 1816, as the Hine's house.   Three  generations  named David Hine made this their home for many years.   It  is  said  Horace Wheaton held the title at one period.  Josiah Butler,  son  of  Merrit, owned it previous to the time it was purchased by Squire  Smith.  Mrs. Robert Ellis, daughter of Mr. Smith, thinks her father owned  it  about  thirty  years  before his death.  The place is now in the hands  of  Robert  Ellis.   Of  the  academy  house  erected  in  1832,  or thereabouts, I have spoken in connection with the academy.

           About the year 1810 or '12, Henry Seymour erected a windmill near the Roman  Catholic  church, formerly the Baptist.  It proved a failure, and in a  year or two he built another, which was used only in preparing grain for distilling.   These windmills form a prominent feature in the recollections of  many.   The  memories of several are at strife as to the date they were demolished,  but  of late I learn from a source not to be doubted that they were torn down in 1834.

           In  the  southeast  corner of the garden east of the residence of the late  Dr.  Stearns,  once  stood a house, the home of Miles Dunbar early as 1815.   Somewhat later, Samuel Sloan was the incumbent, and still later, it was  occupied by Mr. Hendricks, the carpenter.  The frame afterwards formed Edwin  Bishop's  house, located just east of the Disciples church, of which nothing  marks  the  site.   A portion of the frame is still extant in Mrs. Kean's barn, on the opposite site of the village.

           The  late  Merrit Butler built the residence of the late Dr. Stearns; those  are  the  only  ones  who  have held the title until Messrs. Doolett purchased  last  June.   The  doctor  built  the office for the practice of medicine.   He  had  acquired  an  enviable  fame throughout the section of country,  and  wherever Pompey people located at a distance he was known by reputation.   At the time of his death, in October, 1878, he was the oldest practicing  physician  in  the State, and it is scarcely to be doubted that he  was the oldest in the United States as well, having sixty nine years of successful  experience.  On these facts he rather prided himself during the last two years of his life.

           The  pleasant  mansion  with large grounds opposite Dr. Stearns', was built  by  the  Presbyterian  society  for  a parsonage, on ground owned by Parson  Barrows.  It afterwards became a bone of serious contention between the  church and the reverend schemer, he taking it for unpaid salary, it is said.   Mr. Barrows sold to Andrew Huntington, principal of the academy; in succession,  it  passed  to Beach Beard Sen., Henry Beard Sen., Capt. David Dodge,  Capt.  Ansel  Jones,  Augustus Chappell and Homer Pratt, the latter selling  to  the  Roman  Catholics  for  the  residence  of their priest in November, 1874.

           Just  west  of the doctor's office once stood an old schoolhouse, and three  or  four  feet west of that the Edwin Bishop place, the east portion of  the timbers having formed the Dunbar place, as just recorded.  The west and  original  part was built perhaps by Mr. Carlton, the paternal ancestor of  Mrs.  Edwin Bishop.  It is well authenticated that Mr. and Mrs. Carlton dwelt  in the west half, and after the east portion was added, Mr. and Mrs. B.  therein  resided.   After  the death of Mr. and Mrs. C., Mr. Bishop and family  lived  in  the  original  part  at one period, and rented the east.  There  it  was  that  Mr.  and  Mrs. Josiah Butler began housekeeping.  Mr. Bishop  sold  to  Mrs.  Shattuck,  and  there  she  lived with two or three  unmarried  daughters,  and her son Alva, with his family ,n the east rooms, at  the  earliest recollection of the writer.  later, her son-in-law, Henry Porter,  occupied  these  rooms.  Mrs. Shattuck sold to Seymour Sturdevant, and  he  to William Porter.  About 1863, Mr. Porter rented the east half to Mrs.  Jane Heath for two years.  When Peter Parslow first became a resident of  the  village  he  rented of Porter for a few months, and then exchanged places  with Seymour Sturdevant, who had tired of his position of landlord in  the  hotel.   Porter  held  the  title  until  1868, when the Disciples purchased  the  property,  they desiring the location for their new church.  That  portion  of the framework originally the Dunbar house was used in the fabrication of Mr. Kean's barn, of which mention has just been made.

           Also, on the ground now embraced by the Disciples church, and west of  Mrs.  Shattuck's,  was  a very small abode owned by Mrs. Orr.  It was built  from  timbers  taken from a small tavern that was erected previous to 1800, on  the present tavern stand, a portion of the same having been used in the fabrication  of  Hon. Manoah Pratt's house, as heretofore stated.  The work of  construction  was  done either by Merrit Butler or his father.  Without doubt,  Mr. M. Butler was the first resident.  At a more recent date, early in  the  forties,  Beach  Beard was the owner, and he rented to Harry Beach for  a  short  period.   Merrit Butler again became an occupant for a short time.   Gideon  Morley,  a  cabinet maker, owned the house previous to Mrs.  Orr, the last dweller.

           A blacksmith shop once stood west of this small house, owned and used  by Butler.

           Mrs.  Lydia  Gillett built Paddy Welch's house, the wing of which was Col.  Kellogg's  tailor shop.  Mrs. G. lived therein many years.  After her death, it was sold by her heirs.

           The  shell  demolished by Paddy a few months ago, has already found a record  in  the  Syracuse  "Journal"  from  my  pen, yet I will re-write it here.   It was built by Jesse Butler, father of the late Merrit Butler.  It is  recorded  that he built a frame house in 1798, on the site now occupied by  the M.E. church.  There is scarcely room to doubt that this is the same structure,  or  a  part of it, having been moved to its late location.  The house  was  rented  by  one  Linson  Beard, a shoemaker, from about 1831 to 1846.   It  then  became the property of Margaret Anderson, who occupied it until  1866, when she sold it to a dame of color named Cooley.  Mrs. Cooley died  not  long  after.   One  or two tenants have occupied it for a little time,  but  for the greater time it has remained vacant.  Mr. Butler became the  possessor  by  paying  the unpaid taxes, and used it for storage.  Not long since, Paddy Welch bought it of Wells Butler.  Welch receiving a quit-claim  title.  Mr. Merrit Butler could remember when the first well was dug in  the  settlement;  it was the one belonging to this place.  Dr. Stearns, who  came to Pompey in 1815, informed me that since he lived here this well was  dug deeper.  The workmen came to a stream of running water, from which they  caught  fishes  without  eyes,  measuring  six inches in length; when brought  to  the  light  of  day  it  was found they were transparent, they survived only a little time in the new element.

           A blacksmith shop was located somewhere on this corner, near the M.E. church,  and  later  one was moved from here to a spot west of Mrs. Kean's, owned  by  Merrit  Butler,  and was destroyed by fire.  It is recorded that one  was  nearly  opposite  the  present M.E. church, owned by either a Mr. Stewart  or Smith, at a date early as 1804 or '5, doubtless on the site now occupied  by  the  new  portion of the hotel.  After Stewart moved to Ohio, Chester  Howard  worked  at  the business.  Merrit Butler and Harry Hopkins  learned  the  trade  of Howard, and the three then entered into partnership  and  together  conducted  the business for three years.  Butler then bought the shop,  and  carried  on  the trade for forty years, not however in the same  shop.   Horace Butts and Mrs. Butler were partners at one period, and they  were  somewhat  engaged in the manufacture of wagons.  About the time  the  partnership of Howard, Hopkins and Butler was dissolved, Harry Hopkins and   George  Merritt  entered  into  co-partnership  for  the  purpose  of manufacturing  "thirty-toothed  harrows,"  a  patent  for  which  had  been obtained  by  Jacob  Pratt and Hopkins.  They built the long shop which was nearly  opposite  the  Disciples  church,  and  where the brown schoolhouse ...at  a late period.  Mr. Butler described the shop as long and low, about sixty  feet  long  and ten high, and as having ten forges in use at a time.

          About  1827,  a  blacksmith  shop  owned by Butler burned.  Memory fails to located the place.
 

From the "Weekly Recorder," December 25, 1879:

           Hon.  Chas.  Sedgwick  and Daniel Gott Jr. were born here, and it was their  home  through childhood, youth and early manhood.  After the removal of  the  family  to  Syracuse,  Mr.  and Mrs. Harry Beach rented it for two years  and  kept  boarders.   The  place,  comprising  about ten and a half acres,  was purchased by the late Ozias Wright for $1,500, April, 1855.  It remained  in  his  possession  until the spring of '68, when it was sold to Robert  Ellis  for  $1,800,  he,  in turn, selling the buildings and garden alone,  to  W. W.  Van  Brocklin, Esq., in 1874, for $2,500.  Rev. J. Petrie and  his son, J. F. Petrie, purchased of Van Brocklin in November, 1878, and converted  it  into the Hill Top  house, for the accommodation of summer boarders.

           Next,  on  the  right,  rises  Wells Butler's modest mansion.  It was built  in  the summer of 1812 by his father, who sold it to Dr. Stearns; he to  Mrs. Cuyler, the mother of Mrs. H. Holland Duell and Mrs. Chas. Foster, of  Cortland,  and  Glen  Cuyler,  of  Brooklyn.  Mrs. C. sold to the Maybe sisters,  and they to Mr. Butler, the first builder, and there he continued to  reside  until  his  death  in  the  spring  of  '78.   It is said David Hinsdell,  of  Manlius, and L.B. Pitcher, of Salina, rented rooms of Mr. B. at different periods.

           The  owner  of  the  next house, as far as the writer can glean, were Messrs.  Hine,  Davis,  a  blacksmith,  Joshua  Leonard,  principal  of the academy,  Calvin  Ball,  the  goldsmith,  and the present proprietor, Isaac Wicks.   A few years ago, an aged son of Joshua Leonard came to revisit the scenes  of  his  boyhood.  No one knew him, and he would not tell his name, simply  saying  he  lived here many years ago.  Mr. Merritt Butler was sent for,  but  even  he  could not recognize Chas. Leonard, until by hints from the  old  man,  saying he was once his nearest neighbor, Mr. B. guessed his name.   Mr.  Leonard  visited  the  green in front of the academy, where he found  the  schoolboys  playing  ball.   He spoke to them in a kindly way, telling  them  he  used  to play ball there sixty years ago, to which Young Impudence  cruelly  retorted,  bringing  tears  of  sorrow to the old man's eyes.

           Directly  across  from  Mr.  Wicks  is the birth place of Hon. Luther Marsh,  a  New York lawyer, whose spicy speech at the Re-union abounding in so  many  rich reminiscences will not soon be forgotten.  Hon. Manoah Pratt  says  this  is  the  first  house  painted  white he ever remembers seeing. Steward,  the blacksmith, resided there at one time, and Dr. Rial Wright at another  date.  Later, the widow of Hezekiah Hopkins Jr. lived therein with her  children  Delia, Charlotte, Robert and Fannie, until her death.  While the  academy  house was in process of construction, in 1832, Prof. Stebbens rented  this  place  of  George  Merrill.   Gideon Morley owned it for some years;  he sold to the M.E. society for a parsonage about 1858.  About 1867 it was purchased by John Coleman, the present owner.

           Next  north  of Mr. Wicks is a house that was built by Capt. Jones in 1845;  he  occupied  it  five years and then sold to Isaac Higby, Mr. H. to the  late  Lyman Morgan, father of Judge Leroy Morgan, of Syracuse, and his widow sold to Horatio Birdseye, the present incumbent.

           The  Re-union book states that when Jesse Butler first came to Pompey he  built a log house on a knoll, thirty rods north of the M.E. church.  On the  west  side  of  the  street,  below  Coleman's  barn, is a field where circuses  were wont to pitch their tents, but such a thing has not unfurled its banners on these heights for more than a score of years at least.

           The  last  house  on  this street, just beyond the circus ground, was built  by William Webb, now of Syracuse, about the year 1843.  A portion of the  frame  was  in  the first place a shop standing in Deacon Porter's tan yard.   David  Hinsdell  rented of Webb sometime about '55 or '56, and Mrs. Dunham  in 1857.  Mr. Webb sold to the Disciples in 1858; they used it as a parsonage  for  a  few  years  and  then  sold  to a widow named Hill, who, however, soon sold to Mr. Squires, whose widow still resides there.

           But  we  will  retrace  our footsteps and review the histories of the dwellings  and  buildings  on  the  east side of Main street, and when done will  have recorded many an item that is unknown to the rising generations, and  many  that  have  been  forgotten  by  nearly every one whose personal interests have never centered about the time-honored structure.

           On  the  corner, where the public house, "Union hotel," is standing, Truman  Lewis  had  before  1800  built  a  small  frame house and opened a tavern.   From  that  day till this there has been a house of entertainment kept  at  that  place.   For  a short time Mr. Lewis kept a few goods, but most  of  the trading at stores was done at Manlius Square.  Tea, sugar and coffee could  be procured at Log City, a rival settlement a mile north on the  Salt  Point road.  The tavern was purchased by Col. Hopkins, and in it one  John Meeker opened a store in 1802 or 1803, where a general assortment of  goods was kept.  Col. Hopkins' son-in-law, Sheldon, succeeded Meeker as village  merchant.  About 1834 a man named Redfield was the proprietor.  He was  succeeded by Capt. Pitt Dyer, of poetic fame.  George Stager was owner and  landlord  early  if  not earlier than /57, and there he remained until the  spring of '64, when he sold to Henry Pratt, who sold to twelve buyers, they  renting first to Seymour Sturdervant for sixteen months, and secondly to  Peter  Parslow  for  four  years,  then  falling to Henry Holbrook, who rented  to  William  Smith  for a time and then sold to Lewis Pratt in '71.  Pratt  sold to Peter Ooley in '75, and Ooley to Andrew Colemon, the present landlord, the next year.

           Homer  Smith's  house  was  a  shop,  fitted  up  by Samuel Frost for tailoring  purpose.   later,  Hyde  Wells bought it together with the house adjoining,  and used it for a grocery.  His brother, Dr. Lucien Wells, used a  part  for  a  medical  office,  and  the late Squire Wells had a justice office  in the second story, access thereto was gained by a stairway on the north  side  exterior.  Mr. Wells sold both houses to Carmi Heyden, and Mr. H.  sold this one to Albert Collins, who there carried on the business of a tailor  for  some  years.   On his removal from Pompey, Mrs. Ballard bought the  place, and on her death the widowed mother of Homer Smith purchased it of Mrs. B.'s heirs.

           Hezekiah W. Stevens built the adjoining house, the first north of the Presbyterian  church,  and  there  his  youngest son, Richard P., was born.  Mr. Stevens had a cabinet shop in the northwest corner of the yard, and prospered  finely  in  his business.  It is said Jeremiah Carhart, in later years a benefactor to his fellow-men by his invention of the melodeon, worked at his trade as a cabinet-maker, assisting Mr. Stevens in this shop.   Mr.  Carhart  sleeps  in Greenwood.  Mr. Stevens died in 1828, from injuries  received at the burning of Merritt Butler's blacksmith shop.  His widow  married William C. Hendricks, and they continued to occupy the house for  many  years.  The house was sold, first to George Merrill, secondly to Hyde  Wells,  thirdly to Carmi Heyden, fourthly to Ely Beard, and lastly to Urial Wilson in 1867.

          On  the  Presbyterian church, next on our way, that proudly lifts its head  higher  than  any  other building in the town and county, and without doubt  higher  than  any  other  church  edifice in the State, and with few rivals,  if  any, located amid the mountains of our country, I have already written.

           The ground now taken by the store and Carrell's and extending back embracing  the north half of  Mr. Curtis' grounds, was once a fine apple orchard.   There, on gala  days,  such as general trainings and Fourth of Julys,  mine host of Butler's tavern, opposite, would spread the tables and serve dinner, as the capacity of the man was no wise equal to the demand on  these  festive occasions.   Marsh's hat shop stood where Carroll's new cottage  is  seen.   Uncle  'Rovia  is said to have carried on the business there  for thirty years after he transferred from his shop on the hill to a more  central  part  of  the  hamlet.  As hitherto stated, the shop's frame still is in the fabrication of Mr. Cable's house, in the yellow addition, now  Mr. Jones'  wood-house,  and  the  present  cottage was still another portion,  standing  farther back.  For a long time this structure was owned and  occupied  by  Holloway,  a  rich  English  shoemaker.  He made himself notorious  when  sixty  years of age by  marrying a girl of fourteen.  Holloway  finally  sold to Messrs. H. H. Baker and Ansel Jones, and there they carried on harness-making  for a short time.  Jones sold to Mrs. Frost, and she to Calvin  Ball, he carrying on his jeweler's business.  Mr. Ball sold to John Carroll, he carrying on a grocery for a brief period.  Carroll yet lives there, and the number of his family is such as to forcibly remind one of the Mother Goose tale: "There was an old woman who lived in a shoe; she had so many children she didn't know what to do."  Taking the facts together centering about the abode, it may fittingly be styled "the shoe."

          Dunbar's two-story  red  harness  shop occupied the north end of the site now filled  by  the  stone  store,  previous  to the building of the store.  A stairway on the north side exterior led to the upper rooms. The old  store, next south, first  known as Bartlett & Curtis, was purchased  by  Beach Beard, and gave place to the present stone store in1836.   Its solid walls of masonry and tin-roof were wise forethoughts of Mr. Beard;  had it been of wood it must likewise have fallen before the devastating  fire-fiend that wiped out that corner five years ago, and from thence  would  the  flames have rushed northward devouring the Presbyterian church, hotel and three dwellings,  and perhaps the M. E. church and the three  houses  beyond.  Henry  Beard succeeded his father as merchant.  He sold  to the late Samuel P. Hayden, and Mr. Hayden to Henry L. Porter.  Mr. Porter  finished off the pleasant rooms over the store and resided there as long as he was  proprietor.  He sold to Mr. Hayden, of whom he purchased it.   Mr.  Hayden's  son-in-law,  Homer Crandall, carried on a tin-shop and cabinet-making  in a part of the building, living in the second story until his house was completed across the way.   Mr.  Hayden  sold to Lemuel Pomeroy, who came from Otisco in the fall of 1869, and his son carried on the  business,  living over the store.  Mr. Pomeroy sold to Homer Pratt in 1873.  Mr. Pratt lived over the store until he purchased Mrs. Chappell's house.  Pratt then rented the upper rooms to Mrs. O'Donaghy for two years.  Pratt sold to Rev. J. Petrie in the spring of 1875.  J. F. Petrie & Co. carry on the mercantile pursuit at present.  James V. Butts, undertaker, cabinet maker and tinner, has a shop on the ground floor.  In the days when Beach Beard was the merchant, a paint shop was in the second story, and in it  Sanford  Thayer, the eminent artist of our county, was employed  for a time.  It was while he was in Pompey that he discovered his real talent.

           The  structure  adjoining  the stone store, that burned in '74, was a frail  looking  building.  Dr. Tibbals settled in Pompey about 1800, and at one date had a drug store on this site.  In after years it was a tailor shop,  and  for  many a  year,  at a later date,  Calvin  Ball  had his goldsmith's  shop there.  Joining it was another part which, seemingly, was moved  on  rather than built with the rest. Knickerbock lived in some part of  the  building,  and  when  the  family finally cleared out to return no more, the cannon was fired as an act of rejoicing.  Calvin Dean had a shoe-shop  in  the  south chamber, and at one time, Campbell had a paint shop in the north.  A stairway,  partially  enclosed,  separated the two parts of the building.   Mary  Burns had a little store in the south part for a time.  Ed  Pomeroy and  Peter  Parslow a meat market in what had been the jeweler's shop.   John Kean, and after his death his widow, possessed the building for several years before it burned.

           Dr.  J.  Dublois Sherman who settled in Pompey in 1825, had an office on the site of this store.

           Kind  reader,  these talks are at an end.  The author is far from satisfied with the last nine parts.  The original plan was to thoroughly revise them, taking special care with the manner of expression, and introducing more anecdotes pertaining to the people and places, but overworked nature constantly cries out that the abused eyes must have a long and perfect rest.  My hopes usually prove to be delusive ignis fatal.  Indeed,

*Gleaner was the pseudonym of the Pompey Hill correspondent to "The Weekly Recorder," a.k.a. Luella Dunham, who also was a teacher in Fayetteville, NY for many years.
 

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10 November 1998