SPAFFORD - was erected into a town in 1811, from portions of the townships of Sempronius, Marcellus and Tully. The boundaries have since been materially altered. At present, it is comprised of eight lots lying east of Skaneateles Lake, being part of the original township of Sempronius; sixteen lots of the north-west part of the township of Tully, and thirteen lots of the south part of the township of Marcellus. It is about ten miles long by three broad, running from north-west to south-east. This town received its name from Horatio Gates Spafford, L.L.D., author of the Gazetteer of New York. The first settler within the present limits of the town, was Gilbert Palmer, who located himself on lot seventy-six, township of Marcellus, in the fall of 1794. He was a Revolutionary soldier, and served for the lot on which he settled. He came from Duchess or Westchester County, and died about ten years ago.
In the fall of 1794, soon after his arrival, Mr. Palmer and his son, a youth of some sixteen years of age, went into the woods to chopping, for the purpose of making a clearing. Sometime in the afternoon, they felled a tree, and as it struck the ground, it bounded, swung around and caught the young man lying under it. The father at once mounted the log, cut it off, rolled it over and liberated his son. Upon examination, one of his lower limbs was found to be badly crushed and mangled. He thereupon carried the youth to his log hut close at hand, and with all possible diligence made haste to his nearest neighbors, some three or four miles distant, desiring them to go and minister the son's necessities, while he should go to Whitestown for Dr. White. The neighbors sallied forth with such comfortable things as they thought might be acceptable in such a case; but amidst the confusion, the dense forest and the darkness of the night which had just set in, they missed their way; and after wandering about for a long time, gave over pursuit and returned home, leaving the poor sufferer alone to his fate. Early the next morning all hands again rallied, and in due time found the young man suffering the most extreme anguish from his mangled limb, and greatly benumbed with cold. They built a fire, made him comfortable with such palliatives as could be procured in the wilderness, and waited in patience the return of the parent. In the mean time he had proceeded rapidly on his journey on foot, and found Dr. White at Clinton. Here he engaged an Oneida Indian to pilot them through the woods by a nearer route than to follow the windings of the old road. Dr. White and Mr. Palmer were at sundry times fearful the Indian would lose the way; and upon every expression of doubt on their part, the Indian would exclaim "me know;" and told them he would bring them out at a certain log which lay across the outlet at the foot of Otisco Lake. The Indian took the lead, and within forty-eight hours after the accident had happened, the Indian brought them exactly to the log, exclaiming triumphantly, "me know." Here Mr. Palmer arrived on familiar ground, and at once proceeded to the cabin where he had left his son, whom they found greatly prostrated, and writhing under the most intense suffering. No time was lost. The case was thought desperate - the limb was amputated at once, half way from the knee to the thigh. The youth bore the pain with heroic fortitude, recovered and lived many years afterwards, always speaking in the highest terms, in praise of Dr. White.
The first settler in that part of town taken from Tully was Jonathan Berry, and is still living a resident of the town. He first settled a short distance south of the village of Borodino, in March, 1803. In April the same year, Archibald Farr located himself on the south-west corner of the lot number eleven.
To facilitate the progress of Mr. Farr's immigration, Berry sent his teams and men to clear out a road, that Farr might proceed to his place of destination. This was the first road attempted to be made within the limits of the town, and is the same that now leads from Spafford Corners to Borodino. The next year (1804) Isaac Hall settled on the farm now (1848) owned by Asael Roundey, Esq., near Spafford Corners. This year the road was cleared out from Farr's on lot number eleven to the Corners, and the next year (1805) two men from Scott cut and cleared a road from the town of Scott to Spafford Corners. They moved their goods on sleds, over logs and through the brush as best they could. The following year, 1806, several families took up their abode in this town and scattered themselves over its whole extent. On the road from Borodino to the town of Scott, lived Peter Knapp, Isaac Hall, John Babcock, Samuel Smith, Elisha Sabins, Otis Legg, Moses Legg, Archibald Farr, Jethro Bailey, Elias Davis, Abel Amadown, Job Lewis, Daniel Tinckham, ____ Whiting, and John Hullibut. In other parts of the town were Levi Foster, Benjamin Homer, James Williamson, Cornelius Williamson, Benjamin Stanton and John Woodward. James Bacon and Asael Roundey settled at Spafford Corners in 1807, by which time the town became generally settled. In September of 1806, Isaac Hall drove a wagon from Spafford Corners to Scott Corners for a load of boards, being the first wagon that had passed over that road. Elias Davis first made his way to his new home in this town from Skaneateles in a skiff, by rowing up the lake. He located a little south of the center.
The first frame dwelling was erected in 1807 by Samuel Conkling, on lot seventy-six, Marcellus.
The first town meeting was held at the house of Elisha Sabins, 1812, at which John Babcock was chosen Supervisor, and Sylvester Wheaton, Town Clerk; Benjamin Stanton, Asael Roundy, Elijah Knapp, Assessors; Asael Roundy, Adolphus French, Jonathan Berry, Commissioenrs of high ways. Annual meeting April, 1813, at the same place; Asael Roundy, chosen Supervisor, and Asa Terry Town Clerk.
A Post Office was first established at Spafford Corners in 1814; Asahel Roundy, first Post Master. James Knapp, Joseph R. Berry, Thomas B. Anderson and Doctor Collins, have been successors to the office, in the foregoing order. The mail was first carrier in a wagon through the town in 1827. Contract held by James H. Fargo, the route from Jordan to Homer. Previously carried on foot and on horseback.
Jared Babcock was the first merchant in 1809, and Lanson Hotchkiss the second, 1810. Dr. Archibald Farr was the first practising physician in town, and also kept the first tavern, on lot number 11, Tully, in 1808. Other physicians have been Jeremiah B. Whiting, Zechariah Derby, John Collins, and some others. Never a lawyer located in this town.
The first school house was built of logs on the north-west corner of lot number seventy-six, Marcellus, in 1803; the first teacher was Miss Sally Packard. The first school at Spafford Corners was kept in a log house in 1808, by Miss Hannah Weston, (Mrs. Roundy.) There were no wagon roads at that time from Skaneateles, and she came out from that place and returned, after the close of her school, on horseback.
The first stated preacher was Elder Harman, who organized a Methodist Church and Society at an early day. The Baptist Society and Church was organized in the Tully portion of the town in 1816; this organization was broken up in 1832. A Society and Church was organized in the Marcellus portion of the town in 1800. Methodist and Universalist Union Society house of worship, was erected in 1838, and Freewill Baptist the same year; both were dedicated in 1840. Elder Kimberly, first preacher, Elders Benjamin Andrews, Boughton, Jacob W. Darling, &c., have been ministers. John Babcock was the first Justice of the Peace in this town, and Asahel Roundey, the second.
The first grist mill in town was erected by Dr. Archibald Farr, in 1808, and a saw mill by Josiah Walker, in 1810. Judge Walter Wood built a saw mill in 1811. The principal stream is called Cold Brook, the largest tributary of the Otisco Lake.
There is an excellent quarry of gray limestone in this town, suitable for building. It is the highest elevation in the county where that most excellent building material is found. This town in the main, may be termed hilly. The central portion has an extensive valley of fine fertile land, but the eastern and western portions are uneven. The soil is principally a strong and productive loam. The timber consists of heavy maple, beech, basswood, butternut, hemlock, and some pine. It is well watered by springs and small brooks, and is well adapted to grazing.
In the north-east part of the town is a weak salt fountain, on the shore of the Otisco Lake, where salt has been made. There are extensive beds of what are termed horn rocks, along the shore of the Skaneateles Lake. There are also several sulphur springs in town, none of which afford any very great quantity of water, although highly impregnated with foreign substances. From the highest hills, the Skaneateles Lake may be seen stretching itself far away in the distance, on the west, to the north, and the Otisco on the east, both of which are beautiful bodies of water, five miles apart, and bound the town on the west and east. Borodino is the principal village, containing a Post Office, two churches, several stores and about eight hundred inhabitants.
Statistics from the census of 1845, respecting the town of Spafford:-
Number of inhabitants, 1,977; subject to military duty, 220; voters, 484; aliens, 8; children attending Common schools, 498; acres of improved land, 14,560; grist mills, 1; saw mills, 7; carding machines, 1; tanneries, 1; Churches-Baptist, 1; Presbyterian, 1; Methodist, 2; common schools, 10; taverns, 4; stores, 5; farmers, 278; merchants, 7; manufacturers, 6; mechanics, 46; clergymen, 8; physicians, 3.
Submitted 22 May 1998