in 1797; he brought his family, and drove an ox-team. He first settled
on the farm now owned by Enos Thayer, where he lived until 1808, when
he exchanged his farm with Asa Thayer, another of the early comers,
for the property at West Oneonta where the hotel now stands. He
enlarged the house that then stood upon the ground, took out a
license, and opened "Strait's Tavern," on the Oxford turnpike, one of
the old landmarks for many years; he died in 1822. Two of his sons,
Rufus and Alvinza Strait, are now living. Before this property had
come into the possession of Thayer, it had been occupied by Daniel
Lawrence, father of Lewis Lawrence, of Utica, and where Lewis Lawrence
was born.
Robert Cook settled early upon the farm owned at present by Hammond
Cook. At the time of his coming the Indians were yet frequent
visitors. One day, as the story is, Cook was at work in the field, his
wife being alone in the house, an Indian called, and finding her
alone, brandished his knife, and made some terrible threats,
frightening her almost to death. Just at this time Cook appeared; the
Indian took his departure precipitately. Cook seized his gun and
pursued him. He returned after a little time, and the Indian never
troubled them more.
The place where Daniel Hodge now lives was first occupied by Samuel
Stephen. His father John Stephen, made a settlement at Laurens before
the Revolutionary war.
The Sleepers were from near Burlington, New Jersey. During the war
they became alarmed at the inroads of the tories and Indians, and
returned to New Jersey. On their way back, they passed through Cherry
Valley the day before the massacre. They returned to the settlement
after the war. John Sleeper had several sons. One, Nehemiah Sleeper,
built a mill below Laurens on the Otego creek, which was afterwards
known as Boyd's mill. Samuel Sleeper took up several hundred acres of
land, of which the farms of Daniel Hodge and Horace White formed a
part. He built a grist-mill and saw-mill on the Otego creek, just
below the covered bridge, this side (east) of West Oneonta. He was
said to have been an active business man, and was quite a noted
surveyor. He sold his property after some years to one David Smith,
and went to Stroudsburgh, Pa., and thence to Ohio. His oldest son,
Ephraim Sleeper, married Jane Niles, daughter of Nathaniel Niles, and
remained in the neighborhood. The latter died about twelve years ago
at West Oneonta, at an advanced age.
Other persons are mentioned by the old residents as being among the
early settlers. Samuel Green occupied a part of the farm now owned by
Joseph Bull. A man named Ticknor, another part of the same farm. One
Ogden lived where Joseph Taber now lives, about whom a few stories are
current in the neighborhood. At one time a company of Indians was
encamped at the mouth of the Otego creek, engaged in making baskets
and trinkets of various kinds. Ogden visited them for the purpose of
getting a pair of silver shoe-buckles made by an Indian who was
skilled in the art. It so happened that he had not silver enough to
make the buckles. Two or three of the Indians left suddenly, and
after having been absent a short time, returned, bringing a handful of
silver. Ogden inferred from this that there must be a silver mine not
far away, but he was never able to find it.--A deer[A] often came
around his house; he shot at it repeatedly, but was unable to hit it.
An old woman lived not far away, who was called a witch; he finally
suspected that she had something to do with the deer; he procured a
silver bullet, which he put in his gun, and next time the deer
appeared he fired at it, wounding it badly, but it escaped; he soon
learned, however, that the old woman was badly hurt.[B]
[Footnote A: The same story is told of other hunters and other
witches.]
[Footnote B: The author is indebted to Mr. N.N. Bull for the sketch
relating to West Oneonta.]
_CHAPTER V._
The first church organization in town was effected by the
Presbyterians. The first meeting was held at the house of Fredrick
Brown, January 24, 1800, when John Houghtaling, Henry Scramling, John
VanDer Werker and James Dietz were chosen elders; William Morenus,
David Scramling, Aaron Barnes, and James Quackenbush were chosen as
deacons. The following are the names of the ministers of the church
with dates of service: Wm. Fisher, 1823-33; Wm. Clark, 1833-37; Jos.
W. Paddock, 1837-42; Fordyce Harrington, 1843-45; Gaius M. Blodgett,
1845.--[Reorganization.] Eliphalet M. Spencer, 1849-52; Wm. B.
Christopher, 1852-54; Wm. Baldwin, 1854-62; Geo. O. Phelps, 1863-69;
H.H. Allen, 1869--.
The next church organization was by the Methodist Episcopals. The
first steps towards forming the society were taken by Nathan Bennett,
Silas Washburn, David T. Evans, David Fairchild, and David T. Clark.
This society had no house of worship for many years, and held their
meetings in the village school house. The first church edifice was
built in 1844. In 1868-69 a new and large meeting house was built and
finished at a cost of $12,000. Rev. George Elliott and Rev. Wm.
McDonald were the first preachers. Subsequent ministers have been:
Rev. C.G. Robinson, 1854-56; Rev. W.G. Queal, 1856-58; Rev. S.M.
Stone, 1858-59; Rev. D.L. Pendell, 1859-61; Rev. Geo. Parsons,
1861-63; Rev. P.Y. Hughston, 1863-65; Rev. H.N. Van Dusen, 1865-67;
Rev. R.W. Peebles, 1867-70; Rev. Austin Griffin, 1870-72; Rev. I.N.
Pardee, 1872-75; Rev. W.B. Westlake, 1875-78; Rev. Y.Z. Smith,
1878-79; Rev. A.B. Richardson, 1879-82; Rev. D.C. Olmstead, 1882--.
The First Baptist society was organized April 6, 1833. At a meeting
called for that purpose, David Yager was chosen moderator and James
Slade clerk. April 24, 1833, a council was held, of which Elder Alex.
Smith, of Franklin, was moderator, and Elder Kingsley, of Meredith,
clerk. The pastors have been Rev. D.B. Crane, 1833-35; Rev. John
Smith, 1836-48; Rev. H. Clark, 1848-49; Rev. A.B. Earle, 1849-53; Rev.
E. Westcott, 1854-57; Rev. John Smith, 1858-65; Rev. A. Reynolds,
1865-70; Rev. Geo. R. Burnside, 1871-74; Rev. H. Brotherton, 1874-80;
Rev. P.D. Root, 1880-82; Rev. E.D. Clough, 1883--.
The Free Baptist church society was formed at the Emmons school house
Feb. 25, 1856.[A] The council consisted of Rev. A. Wing, D. Green,
O.T. Moulton, and laymen Joseph Jenks and Harvey Mackey. The meeting
house was built in 1857. The pastors have been, Rev. O.T. Moulton,
1856-61; Rev. H. Strickland, 1862; Rev. E. Crowel, 1864-68; Rev. G.P.
Ramsey, 1868-72; Rev. O.T. Moulton, 1872-75; Rev. Peter Scramling,
1875; Rev. M.C. Brown, 1875-78; Rev. D.C. Wheeler, 1878; Rev. David
Boyd, 1880-83; Rev. C.A. Gleason, 1883--.
[Footnote A: A Free Baptist church had been built at the Plains many
years before.]
The first Episcopal services were held in 1839, by the Rev. Andrew
Hall, a missionary to Oneonta and Otego. At first the society met in
the school-house of the village, and afterwards built a chapel on the
lot now occupied by a part of the Central Hotel. The clergy have been
as follows: Rev. Andrew Hall, 1839; Rev. Stephen Parker, 1855; Rev.
D.S. Tuttle, 1864-65; Rev. E.N. Goddard, 1865; Rev. Mr. Foote and Rev.
Mr. Ferguson, 1866-67; Rev. Mr. Lighthipe, 1870; Rev. Mr. Fitzgerald,
1873-74; Rev. J.H. Smith, 1874; Rev. J.B. Colhoun, 1875-78; Rev. J.B.
Hubbs, 1880-81; Rev. C.D. Flagler, 1882.--The society was organized
under the name of St. James church, April 7, 1870.
The "First Universalist Society of Oneonta" was formed Dec. 12, 1877.
The meeting house was built in 1878-79. The pastors have been Rev.
L.F. Porter, 1877-81; Rev. H. Kirke White, 1882--.
The Catholic society now numbers about three hundred. Services have
been conducted heretofore by Rev. J.J. Brosnahan, of Cobleskill, till
July, 1883, when the Bishop created a new parish at this place and
appointed Rev. James H. Maney (of St. Mary's Church, Albany), who is
now the resident pastor. The parish under the charge of the Rev. Mr.
Maney extends from the Cooperstown Junction to the Harpersville
Tunnel. This society is about to erect a church edifice on a lot
already purchased for that purpose.
The "Oneonta Union School" was organized in 1867. The sum of $5,000
was first voted for the purpose of building a schoolhouse, and
afterwards the sum was increased to $7,500. The building was finished
and school opened in 1868 with Wilber F. Saxton as principal. Mr.
Saxton resigned his position in 1870, and was then succeeded by
Nathaniel N. Bull as principal. In 1873 the needs of the school were
met by the building of a smaller schoolhouse in the lower part of the
district. In 1874 and in 1880 the main school building was enlarged to
accommodate the increased attendance of scholars. An academic
department was organized in 1874. The school is attended by about six
hundred pupils, and twelve teachers are employed. Mr. Bull is still
the efficient principal, and his labor is shared by competent
assistants.
The business industries and enterprises of the village consist of a
number of large dry goods and clothing stores, several shoe stores,
nearly a dozen grocery and provision stores, two or three bakeries,
confectionery establishments, flour and feed stores, several builders'
machine shops, three saw mills, three grist mills, furniture stores,
three large hardware stores, the railroad machine shops, round-houses,
carriage factories, coopers' and blacksmith shops, three drug stores,
two well-equipped printing offices, each of which issues a carefully
edited and well patronized newspaper--_Herald and Democrat_ and
_Oneonta Press_. There are two banks--the "Wilber National" and "The
First National"--both of which are doing a large business and are
under prudent management. There are a dozen or more lawyers and as
many physicians. Three roomy hotels care for and furnish entertainment
to the way-faring public, and another hotel is in course of
construction.
The village is rapidly growing, and new industries are multiplying. A
desirable water power could be furnished to drive the wheels of a
large manufactory--a subject that must sooner or later attract the
attention of some capitalist. Well-shaded streets and well-kept
roadways add to the attractions of the village, while its
surroundings of cultivated fields--of hill-side and plain--of wooded
slopes and mountains--render the scenery as grand and diversified as
can be found in the Susquehanna valley.
[Illustration]
* * * * *
ESTABLISHED 1853.
HERALD AND DEMOCRAT.
ONEONTA, N.Y.
A REPUBLICAN NEWSPAPER,
Devoted to the interests of Otsego County, of the Second Assembly
District, and of Oneonta in particular.
The most thorough local and general newspaper in the county.
PUBLISHED WEEKLY AT _$1.50 Per Year!_
BY
YAGER & FAIRCHILD.
* * * * *
W.L. & R. BROWN,
--DEALERS IN--
HARDWARE!
STOVES, RANGES,
_ENGLISH, GERMAN & AMERICAN_
CUTLERY,
Tin, Copper and Sheet-Iron Ware.
PLUMBING AND GAS FITTING.
* * * * *
Edwin P. Chapman,
_THE JEWELER._
Diamonds, Watches, Clocks,
JEWELRY, SPECTACLES,
SOLID SILVER AND PLATED WARE,
GUNS, REVOLVERS, CARTRIDGES,
CUTLERY, MUSICAL GOODS,
Toys, Fancy Goods, &c., &c.
Fine Watch, Clock and Jewelry Repairing a Specialty.
EDWIN P. CHAPMAN,
ONEONTA AND UNADILLA.
* * * * *
WILBER NATIONAL BANK
ESTABLISHED 1874.
DAVID WILBER, President,
D.F. WILBER, Vice-President,
GEO. I. WILBER, Cashier,
E.A. SCRAMLING, Ass't Cashier.
_AUTHORIZED CAPITAL_,
$300,000.
Capital Stock Paid in, $100,000.00
Surplus Fund, 49,000.00
Amount of Deposits reported for Quarter ending October 2, 1883,
$452,948.10.
While the business of this Bank is conducted in a safe and economical
manner, the managers aim to please and protect their customers.
The patronage of the public is respectfully solicited.
BANKING HOURS: From 10 to 12 a.m., and from 1*
[*Transcriber's Note: remainder of text missing from original.]