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January 15, 1931
Early History of the Town of Lincoln

First Election District Comprised 46 Lots--Purchased
From Oneidas in 1802--W. H. Tuttle
Writes History
 
During the period between 1798 and 1817 several tracts of land in
and around what is now the township of Lincoln, were purchased by the
State of New York from groups of the Oneida Indians who occupied it.
At the same time Peter SMITH of Peterboro was carrying on his 
extensive land transactions. During this period there came into this 
territory many families who acquired various lots in these tracts of 
land and developed farms. They were strong, hardy people, they took 
an active part in the development of the immediate section and of the 
county and in its agricultural and industrial growth.
 
One of the most important of these land purchases was the "Purchase 
of 1802," a map of which is shown above (click here). Concerning this "Purchase 
of 1808," William H. Tuttle of Clockville writes as follows in the 
first of a series of interesting historical sketches which will be 
published in this paper:

The "Purchase of 1802"
 
The "1802 Purchase" was made by the State from the Oneida Indians
and comprised 46 lots. All these are included in what is now the
first election district of the township of Lincoln.
 
This purchase was bounded on the west by the "Two-Mile Strip,"
purchased in 1798; on the north by the "Seneca Turnpike Lots,"
purchased also in 1798; on the east by the Oneida Indian reservation.
A strip off this reservation, adjoining the "Purchase of 1802" was
purchased in 1817. The present township of Smithfield and Fenner
adjoined the "Purchase of 1802" on the south.
 
At the time of its purchase this tract was already occupied at
Clockville on lots Nos. 10, 11, and 18 by Conrad CLOCK and his sons,
John, Joseph and Conrad, jr., who had settled there in 1792. Lot No.
23 was occupied by Jehiel TUTTLE and his family of eleven children,
who came in 1796. Conrad MOOT, jr., was on lot No. 15; Conrad KILTS
was on lot No. 20, and John BUYEA on lot No. 27. About 1798 Jacob
SEEBER and his sons, William, David and Sylvanus, settled on lots Nos
7 and 8. They had gone into the township of Sullivan in 1791, in
company with ten others who settled there, coming from the Mohawk
Valley. Jacob SEEBER and a family of VAN SLYKES came later to
Clockville. Jacob FORBES, also from the Mohawk Valley, was on lot No.
16 prior to 1800.
 
This "Purchase of 1802"  was surveyed in the fall and winter of 1802-3
by Joseph AMMIN. While doing this work he boarded with John CLOCK on
lot No. 10. He also surveyed the "Two-Mile Strip Purchase" for the
State.
 
Three groups of Indians were occupying this territory during this
time. One was known as the "Pagan Indian" and the other two groups
respectively as the "First" and "Second Christian Indians."
 
The Pagan Indians resented the sale of these parcels of land by the
groups of Christian Indians.
 
In 1795 Surveyor Joseph AMMIN was surveying for Peter SMITH some land
he had purchased and what is now Peterboro village, and he was
attacked by a party of the Pagan Indians. One of them threw a hatchet
at him and in warding off the weapon from a more vital spot he was
struck in the hand and seriously injured. The hand was mutilated for
the rest of AMMIN's life. Later he made his home in the western part
of the State.
 
A detailed history of each farm on each in these 46 lots, as far as
their history can be traced, will follow this introduction, one farm
being described each week.
 
If this map is preserved for reference each farm described can be
easily recognized.
 

January 22, 1931
Tragedies Marked Early Days of "Purchase of 1802"
Poison Roots and Machinery Prove Fatal-- Early
Settlers Were Active In Business and Politics
--W. H. Tuttle Continues Story
 
Beginning last week this paper published the first of a series of
historical sketches, prepared by William H. TUTTLE of Clockville and
describing the early history of "The Purchase of 1802," now embraced
in the First Election District of the township of Lincoln.
 
This week the second of the series is published and deals with the
history of several of the well-known farms in that section, as well as
relating two tragedies which befell the early settlers of this land.
 
Lot No. 1 was set aside by act of Legislature, April 6, 1803, for the
use of Sarah DOXTATER, an Oneida Indian, who already occupied the lot.
She was granted 100 acres on the south part, bounded on the west by
the "Two-Mile Strip" and intersected by the Clock road, even then
called "old," of which more will be said later.
 
She had a son Cornelius, who deeded his interest in the property, on
the death of his mother, to Peter SMITH, December 9, 1807, for $50.
SMITH lost on this deal, for the Legislature passed an "Act of
Assistance," March 11, 1808, ordering that the property should be
sold for the relief of Sarah DOXTATER. Simon DeWITT, surveyor-
general, sold the property to Sylvester BEECHER March 14, 1808, for
$1,000, BEECHER giving a mortgage for $600, payable six months after
demand, or at the death of Sarah DOXTATER. BEECHER also purchased
the south part of lot 2. He built the large MOON residence.
 
It was on this farm, in the spring of 1810, that a singular and fatal
affair occurred. BEECHER had two young men, John ALLEN and John HARP,
working for him. While plowing they found what they thought was sweet
sicily, but what was in reality the deadly cicuta, and ate some of its
roots. In a very short time they became ill and were unable to reach
a neighboring house. One of them succeeded by shouting in bringing
assistance, and they were carried to Judge BEECHER's house. The whole
neighborhood was aroused and Drs. HALL and PRIOR called.
 
Every effort was made by the physicians to save the young victims, but
before the sun set they were both dead. The sad affair created intense
excitement. The house was thronged with almost, the entire population
of miles around, and the funeral was the largest this part of the
county had yet known.
 
They rest in the little cemetery on the old BEECHER farm, but without
headstones.
 
Sylvester BEECHER was born at Wolcott, New Haven County, Conn.,
January 6, 1771, and died at Canastota, August 19, 1849. His wife
Sally was born in 1783, and died December 23, 1849. A daughter Sally,
born in 1807, married Calvin FLINT. She died March 2, 1850. Another
daughter married Nathan S. CADY. She was the mother of George B. CADY
and was killed on the HESLIN farm in the '80's by having her dress
caught in the tumbling rod of the first horsepower threshing machine
that had come to this town. CADY later married her sister. Another
daughter married Daniel W. CROUSE, a prominent merchant of Canastota,
and later of Utica.
 
BEECHER was a grand juror from Lenox almost continuously from 1809
till 1840. He sued Michael KERNS, his nearest neighbor, in County
Court in _______offices, having been elected constable in 1811,
associate justice of Common Pleas in 1822, just of the peace November
11, 1828, over Sylvester PETTIBONE by 360 votes to 310; Member of
Assembly, 1827; Supervisor of town of Lenox, 1820-23; also in 1828-29,
when he was chairman of the board, and again in 1834-5. In 1814 a
regiment was raised in northern Madison County for service on the
Canadian border. Zebulon DOUGLASS of Sullivan commanded the regiment.
One company was raised in what is now Lincoln, and BEECHER was the
captain.
 
When the Madison County bank was organized in 1832, BEECHER was one of
the directors. The same year, on July 18, the First Methodist
Protestant Society of Lenox was organized at Clockville, and he was
elected trustee. He had also been present and elected a trustee at
the organization of the Congregational Society of Quality Hill in 1809.
 
Sylvester BEECHER was counted a rich man in his day, owning at one time
or another most of lot No. 1 in the "Purchase of 1802," the south part
of lot No. 2, the whole of lot 20; also the WILCOX farm, lots 18 and
10, and the HESLIN farm, lot 11, besides property at Canastota and
elsewhere. His picture adorns the Court House at Wampsville. He was
a charter member in 1817 and a past master of Lenox Lodge, No. 281, F.
& A. M.
 
BEECHER sold some of lot No. 1 to George HARP, June 7, 1814; also about
this time the site of the school house. On March 25, 1841, he sold 75 and
a half acres to Simon HARP and moved to Canastota. Simon HARP sold
to his son, William W. HARP, February 3, 1866. William W. HARP sold
to Abraham MOON about 1869. Later owners have been Mrs. Emmet MOON,
Claude MOON and Harry HOLDRIDGE, the present occupant.
 
The northwest half of lot 1 was owned very early by Edward LEWIS,
father of Harvey and Yound LEWIS. This farm faced the Bruce road. It
was sold by referee, January 25, 1845, to Asa B. CLARK, 66 acres.
Clark sold to Bloom D. MOOT, April 1, 1865. MOOT sold to Horce SHAW
of Boonville, April 2, 1866. MOOT ran a hotel at Oneida for many
years. SHAW sold to William W. HARP, April 8, 1869. On the death of
Mr. HARP, Mrs. Emmet MOOT bought the property and it is now united
with the old BEECHER farm.
 
On the northeast side of this lot, facing the road leaving the
turnpike at Quality Hill school house, was another farm owned by
George HARP, sr. Some 25 acres he patented and the rest was purchased
in 1814 of BEECHER. HARP died in 1817, and the farm was divided into
six sub-divisions for his widow and children. His children were George,
jr., Simon Christian, Nicholas and Caty, wife of George ANTHONY. His
widow, Cornelia, afterwards married John SMITH. The John HARP who died
in 1810 was a son. These sub-divisions had many owners, among whom
were Nicholas W. BERT, Benjamin BERT and George ANTHONY.
 
Royal W. SAYLES bought up the south sub-division and after occupying
these some years sold to William W. HARP, June 24, 1865. The north
end, containing the old George HARP homestead, is now a part of the
Albert YORTON farm.
 
There were at least seven houses on this road in 1850. Now there are
three.
 

January 29, 1931
Connecticut Money
Early Invested Here
Many Owners of Land in "Purchase of 1802," Mortgaged
and Sold to New England Capital--Early
Methodist Church Built--William H. Tuttle Continues
Story of Lincoln Farms
 
Lots 2 and 3 will be described in one article, as the north end of
these lots comprise one farm and the south end another.
 
The north end of lots 2 and 3 was settled by Deacon Nathaniel HALL and
his wife Jeremina. HALL was a veteran of the Revolution from
Connecticut and came here about 1806. He was born in 1742 and died
June 4, 1818. His wife, Jeremina, was born the same year and died
June 5, 1834. HALL was elected deacon at the organization of the
Quality Hill Congregational Church in 1809.
 
On January 1, 1811, he purchased 12 and a half acres of lot 2 of Ahell
and Desire FIELDS, which Fuller had purchased on January 1, 1811. The
remainder of HALL's farm he is supposed to have bought of the State.
 
On the death of HALL the farm passed to his son, Dr. Nathaniel HALL,
who occupied it till his death. Dr. HALL was born in Connecticut
August 10, 1781, and died January 21, 1870. His first wife was Polly
WALTON, born May 15, 1785, and died June 21, 1816. His second wife,
Lydia KASSON, born December 9, 1779, died October 10, 1866. They are
all buried in the HALL family plot at Quality Hill.
 
Dr. HALL was surgeon in Jebulon Duglass' regiment in the War of 1812,
and was one of the members of Assembly from Madison County in 1816.
 
At the death of Dr. HALL the farm passed to his daughter, Ella B.
STROUD. She deeded the same to her husband, Seward H. STROUD,
December 31, 1884, and he to Daniel and Prudence A. JOHNSON, April 10,
1885. Mr. JOHNSON died some years ago and the farm is now owned by his
son-in-law, Adelbert YORTON.
 
Mr. YORTON is the grandson of Paul P. YORTON, a very early settler and
veteran of Captain Beecher's company in the War of 1812.

The south end of lots 2 and 3, except 50 acres in the southeast corner
of lot 3, was settled by Michael KERN and his wife Margaret. He sold
on January 11, 1809, for $100, 12 and a half acres on the north end of
his farm to Aheil FULLER. This was later added to the HALL farm. On
the same day he sold 100 acres of lots 2 and 3 to Sylvester BEECHER
for $1800.
 
KERN had 51 acres left which he sold to George W. KERN, April 25, 1809.
BEECHER purchased this of George W. KERN, March 29, 1814, for $800. He
now owned a farm of 150 acres on the south end of lots 2 and 3.
 
BEECHER sold to Conrad MOOT, jr., who was born across the road on lot
15, in 1814. MOOT was just past 21 when he made the purchase, May 28,
1835. This was the first MOOT holding on the north side of the Clock
road. He married Mary Ann, daughter of Col. Stephen CHAPMAN, born in
1816, died June 23, 1897. They had two sons, Stephen G., born in 1837,
and Romain T., born in 1840, who met death while a young man by being
kicked by a horse.
 
Stephen MOOT married Catherine, daughter of Adam COOK. They had one
daughter, Kathleen. They are all dead and the farm is owned by J.
Leslie CRAIG.
 
Fifty acres of this farm were once a part of the SAYLES farm, which
comprised of 303 acres and included lots 4 and 9 and this fifty acres
of lot 3.
 
These 50 acres in the southeast corner of lot 3 were patented by
Sylvanus SMALLEY. He sold to George ANTHONY for $1,000, November 19,
1814. ANTHONY sold to John MATTISON October 13, 1818, for $1,200.
 
MATTESON at this time owned lots 4 and 9. He and his wife, Hadaph,
gave the State of Connecticut a mortgage on the whole 303 acres on
March 27, 1820, for $8,000. This mortgage was foreclosed and the
State of Connecticut gave a deed to Silas SAYLES, January 7, 1822.
George W. and John CROPSEY, subsequent owners of lots 4 and 9 deeded
the 50 acres to Conrad G. MOOT, March 10, 1851, for $2,500, and it has
since been a part of the MOOT farm.
 
On this 50 acres, while owned by George ANTHONY, was erected the first
Methodist Church in northern Madison County. It was near the southeast
corner of lot 3.
 
This building was purchased in 1832 by the Protestant Methodist
Society, which had just been formed. The building was taken down and
made into what is now the old church owned by W. V. BOSWORTH in
Clockville. The Protestant Methodist Society disbanded about 1846,
and the Methodist Episcopal Society, reorganized in 1848, purchased
the building and conducted services there till the new church was
built in 1894.
 
The first Methodist Episcopal Society in Lenox was organized at the
home of Jacob I. FORBES on lot 16 on May 8, 1813, and the church
across the road built soon after.
 
From 1815 to 1830 it was the custom for the State of Connecticut to
send agents through this section to lend money on real estate. They
were here twice a year and many real estate transactions were made
with Connecticut money.
 
It might be interesting to know that in 1850 there was living on the
road between lots 1 and 2, beginning at the north end, Dr. Nathaniel
HALL, aged 68, and his wife, Lydia, 70, and with them Mary Ingersol,
aged 26.
 
Next south, Abraham RATNOUR, 40; his wife, Barbary, 39, and their son,
Barney, aged 12. On the old George HARP farm were George ANTHONY,
son-in-law of HARP, 75, and his wife, Caty, 54. ANTHONY came here in
1799 and owned many different farms at last settling in 1799 on the
LAVERY farm in the "Two-Mile Strip," which he sold to Deacon John HALL,
about 1806. Next south of ANTHONY, on a farm which later became a part
of the William HARP farm, and whose buildings have entirely
disappeared, lived Royal SAYLES, 29, and his wife, Margaret, 32, with
their son, Clarence, aged 3.
 

February 5, 1931
Lincoln Farms Passed Through Many Hands
Story of "Purchase of 1802" Shows How Ministers,
Soldiers, Blacksmiths and Farmers Bought and Sold
 
Continuing his series of historical stories about the "Purchase of
1802," W. H. TUTTLE of Clockville this week gives interesting facts
about "Lot No. 5" of that tract as follows:
 
Lot 5 comprises the HATHAWAY farm and the west ends of the HOLLENBECK
and ROBINSON farms on the Stone road.
 
The HATHAWAY farm was first deeded by Henry BORT to J. D. NELLIS of
Whitestown, 120 acres, on November 24, 1811. NELLIS sold 50 acres to
Nicholas N. BORT May 1, 1816, and 66 three quarter acres to Solomon
BORT December 15, 1816. Barnhardt NELLIS took a mortgage on the same.
This mortgage was foreclosed and Barnhardt NELLIS sold to Nicholas N.
BORT November 22, 1822, he now owning 116 and a half acres.
 
Nicholas N. BORT sold to John and Daniel CROUSE July 20, 1839, and
they deeded to John MOOT September 21, 1839. MOOT gave a mortgage
when he purchased the farm and not paying this, the farm reverted to
Daniel COURSE, who sold to John FORBES March 22, 1848. MOOT gave
$6,426 and FORBES $3,2000. FORBES sold to N. S. CADY March 19, 1855,
for $4,000. CADY is supposed to have built the present barn. He sold
to his son, George B. CADY, January 6, 1859, and he to Stephen FREEMAN
April 1, 1867, for $7,000.
 
FREEMAN sold to Austin A. WATSON for $8,000 April 1, 1871. H. H.
HATHAWAY purchased of WATSON February 24, 1873.
 
The Canastota and Cazenovia (L. V. R. R.) runs along the east side of this farm,
dividing it from that part of the lot that has been joined to farms on the Stone
Road.
 
Henry BORT, the first owner, was born 1783. His wife, Ester, was born
in 1784. He was a court witness in 1808, 1809 and 1812. He was
sargeant of BEECHE'S company, 74th Reg., War of 1812, and was probably
a brother of Nicholas BORT, who was born in 1788 and died 1872.
Nicholas' wife was Catherine, daughter of John KELLER, born in 1788,
and died Augugst 6, 1843. BORT was elected constable at the first
election held in Lenox in 1809, and was on grand jury in 1811, and
lieutenant of the 74th Regiment in 1816, and school trustee at
Clockville,1820-1825. He was a local Methodist preacher and preached
at Canastota, 1817-1818, and was a local preacher of the Clockville M.
E. Church when it was situated west of Kelsey's corners and was one of
the founders of the Methodist Protestant Church which bought the church
and moved it into the village in 1832. BORT joined Lenox Lodge, No.
281, F. & A. M., November 25, 1820, and was master of the lodge
December, 1824, to December, 1825. He and his wife moved to Hastings,
Oswego County, about 1840 and are buried in the Hastings Cemetery.
 
Solomon BORT was another brother. His wife was named Betsy.
 
John FORBES, who owned the farm in 1848, was born in Lenox in 1810.
His wife, Cathy, was born in 1811. Their children were Jerome, born in
1834; Nicholas, born in 1838; Abraham, 1840; Eliza, 1843; Ann C., 1847.
His father, John, was a pioneer settler before 1800. John Sr., was
born in the Mohawk Valley in 1779, and died October 26, 1831. His
wife, Hannah, was born 1783, and died November 26, 1854. Other children
besides John, jr., were Jacob C., born 1820; Sally, 1809, and Betsy,
wife of Lyman GOFF, 1813.
 
John sr., was a blacksmith and had a shop where Webster's shop now
stands in about 1815. He ran a trip-hammer shop over the creek at C.
E. MILLER's at the time of his death.
 
The farm now owned by Harrison HOLLENBECK is a part of lots 5, 6 and
11. That part of lot 5 was sold by Solomon BORT on March 24, 1818, 20
acres, to Barnhardt N. Nellis, and 20 acres to Cabel N. SHERIDAN.
SHERIDAN was adjudged a lunatic and his 40 acres were sold by Sylvanus
SEEBER as a committee on March 12, 1828, to Nicholas N. BORT. SHERIDAN
had previously bought the 20 acres deeded to NELLIS. This property
passed some time after to John I. D. NELLIS, who sold most of this to
Reuben PARHILL, February 1, 1827. Some of it was sold to George
RATNOUR, who occupied the north side of lot 6.
 
Reuben PARHILL also sold to John T. PARKILL 3 and one-quarter acres
June 21, 1841, which later became part of the RATNOUR farm.
 
Reuben PARKILL purchased 11 and three-quarter acres of lot 6 of
Bartholmay FORBES September 11, 1833. PARKILL's first purchase had
been five acres off the northwest corner of lot No. 11, which he
purchased of Conrad CLOCK and his wife, Corah, August 8, 1817. This
joined his later purchase and was acquired at the time of Clockville-
Canastota Road was opened.
 
PARKILL was a veteran of the War of 1812. He was born in Massachusetts
in 1783, and settled here in 1806. His wife, Margaret, was born in
Herkimer County, 1786. Their daughter, Marie, was born in 1827,
and married N. M. CHAMPNEY.
 
PARKILL sold to William R. REESE April 1, 1864. REESE sold about 1880
to James WILLIAMSON.
 
Harrison HOLLENBECK bought the farm of WILLIAMSON's heirs. He has
also lately acquired the Capt. Bartolmay FORBES farm of 50 acres,
which will be described in the next article on lot 6.

------------------------------------------------

Weeks 1-4 provided from copies at the Madison County Historical Society by Douglas J. Ingalls; and
transcribed by Jo Dee Frasco. Appeared previously on "A Bit of the Past," Mike Hollingsworth's site.

Weeks 5-26 provided by Donna Dorrance Burdick, Town of Smithfield Historian, from copies of the Oneida Democratic Union at the Madison County Historical Society.