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Madison County, NY |
Weeks 5-10
Series of 26 articles describing the families of the 1802 land purchase written by William H. Tuttle for the Oneida Democratic Union, with the first article appearing January 15, 1931 and the last September 10, 1931.
February 12, 1931 Lots Nos. 4 and 9 of the "Purchase of 1802" hold unusual interest. The farms on these lots frequently sold at fancy figures in early days. and were owned by families prominent in county business and politics. Men had to be "hard" in those days. In the following sketch W. H. Tuttle tells of the fighting boatman of early Erie Canal days. Lots Nos. 4 and 9, with the 50 acres in the southeast corner of lot No. 8, were one farm till about 1850. It comprised 303acres and most, if not all, was patented by Sylvanus Smalley as soon as the State placed this purchase on sale. Sylvanus Smalley was one of the first settlers at Quality Hill and probably never lived on this farm. When the county was forged in 1806, he was one of the associate judges. Peter Smith was first judge. He was also a Justice of the peace for the town of Sullivan, which comprised the entire north end of the county. He was one of three Assemblymen from Madison County from 1806 till 1809, and State Senator from 1809 to 1812. Smalley sold to George Anthony November 19, 1814. Anthony built the Dutch barn in 1818. It is still in use on lot No. 9. Conrad Moot, Jr., was four years old at the time and remembered that his father took him see it raised. He was placed on a lumber pile and told if he got down he would have to go home. He lived near by on lot 16. Anthony sold to John Mattison, October 13, 1818. He and his wife Hadaph gave a-mortgage to the State of Connecticut, March 27, 1820, for $8,000. This mortgage was foreclosed the next year and to clear the title the State of Now York gave the State of Connecticut a deed to the premises, November 16, 1821. The State of Connecticut gave a deed to Silas Sayles, January 7, 1822, and on the 31st of the same month took a mortgage for $6,258. In 1824 another mortgage was given, when the principle had been reduced to about $4,000. The Quality Hill road was not the dividing line between lots 4 and 9, as lot 4 had 143 acres and lot 9 had 100. Now the acres are reversed. This road, till about 1820, was very much traveled, as it was the main connecting link between the Cherry Valley turnpike at Nelson and the Seneca turnpike at Quality Hill. The mail was brought to Quality Hill and then carried by stage and horseback over this road to Clockville, Peterboro, Nelson and other places south. Silas Sayles came here in 1819 from Peterboro, where he was postmaster in 1814. He was born in 1777, and died at the home of his son-in-law, Harrison Chapman, in Clockville, October 24, 1852. His wife, Phill, was born in 1782, and died on this farm, May 7, 1845. Their children were ; Abigail, wife of Isaac J. Forbes, born March 6, 1804, and died February 14, 1852; Smith, born April 8, 1806, died August 28, 1899. He was a farmer and hotel keeper at Clockville and Canastota. Oney was born in September, 1807, died July 9, 1893. William G. was born at Peterboro in 1812;Garritt S. was born at Peterboro, 1814; Mary A., wife of Harrison Chapman, born in 1815, died January 18, 1851; Dorman C., born in Lenox, 1816; Royal C., born at Clockville in 1821. When Sayles came to Clockville he brought his father and mother with him. His father, William, was born in 1740, and died February 19, 1832, and his mother, Anna, born in 1740, died September l, 1836. They are buried along the west line of Charles Argensinger's farm. Sayles was member of Assembly in 1837. His daughter, Abigail, married Isaac J. Forbes, son of Jacob, who owned lot 16. Forbes was sheriff of the county, and was very prominent in business and political circles about 1840. Forbes became involved in financial trouble and Sayles, having signed notes with him and both being unable to make the notes good, were sold out by the sheriff. Forbes had nearly 700 acres and Sayles 303 acres. Forbes was obliged to leave the state and died in the late ‘40's in Illinois. Sayles had deeded the farm to John G. Cropsey and Dana Wells January 31, 1844. This must have been set aside by the courts, as the farm was sold by the sheriff December 20, 1845, to Daniel Crouse. Wells sold his interest to Cropsey, February 28, 1845, and C. Rouse must have also deeded to Cropsey, as he was the next conveyor. John G. Cropsey was born in Vermont in 1790, and came here in 1845. His wife, Eliza, was born in New York State. Their children were Eliza A., born 1820; George W., 1822; Smith, 1829; Charles, 1839; Josephine, 1843, and Ellen, 1846. When Cropsey disposed of the farm , he made three sales. The 60 acres in lot No. 8 he deeded to his son, George W., and they jointly deeded this to Conrad Moot March 10, 1861, and this has since been part of the upper Moot farm. That part of lot No. 4 west of the Quality Hill road he deeded March 26, 1856, to Simon Harp for $6,600, and that part of lot 4 east of the road, together with lot No. 9, to John Stephens in 1852. George W. Cropsey's wife was Mary Ann, born in 1829. The Cropseys later moved to Ann Arbor, Mich. Harp sold lot 4 to Jacob Stissor, September 4, 1859, for $7,150. Stissor and his wife Ann deeded to Abraham Tuttle, January 1, 1873, for $12,000. Abraham Tuttle was born on the Durfee road in 1820, and died on this farm, August 31, 1908. He was an extensive hop grower. He owned several other farms, in all 586 acres. His first wife was Armina Snyder, born in Lenox, 1816. They were married to 1841, and had three children, J. Otis, 1842; Janette, 1844, and Stillman A., 1846. His second wife was M. Jane, daughter of Adam Clock, born in 1832, and burned to death in her home at Clockville, June 17, 1917. They had one son, De Forest, 1866-1898. Abraham Tuttle, in the early forties was a boatman on the Erie Canal. At that time many of the boats were owned by men who lived along the canal in the county. They ran the boats during the rush season after the grain had been threshed and were farmers at other times. They depended on getting loads where they were known near at home and taking them east. On the canal in the forties it was the strongest and bravest crew that survived. There were no rules about passing that were in force later. When two boats met a fight generally ensued. The victor went on, the other boat either pulled to the heel bank or their tow rope was cut and they were pushed out of the way. The same thing occurred when approaching a tavern. If there was another crew inside they had to be thrown out or the last arrivals had to proceed with their thirst unquenched. Tuttle went to California in the gold rush of ’49, going by way of Cape Horn, and returning overland. He was in California about 18 months, but did not find any gold. When the 167th New York Volunteers were organized in 1863, he was commissioned captain of Co. G. After nine months' service in Virginia, he resigned and came home. Before going to California he joined Clockville Lodge, I. O. O. F., June 23, 18_4 and Canastota Lodge, No. 231, F. & A. M., in 1877. After his death in 1908, his son Stillman A., as executor, sold the farm to Charles Argensinger, who owns the farm at present. The L. V. R. R. passes through this lot as well as No. 9, and at the railroad crossing a milk station was erected about 1900. It was operated for many years by Samuel Levy. Later by the Dairymen's League, and now by Sheffield Farms. The passenger station from Clockville was moved in 1910 from the county road crossing to a site opposite the milk station. Lot No. 9 passed from John Stephens to William G. Filmore of Sullivan, April 3, 1854. Filmore was born in Onondaga County in 1818. His wife, Harriet, was born in Ohio in 1819. Their children were Jerome, 1845; George W., 1847; William C. 1849 and Nancy M., 1853. Filmore sold to Conrad G. Moot March 30, 1858. Moot owned the south end of lots 2 and 3, and was the boy who sat on the lumber pile when the "Dutch" barn was raised in 1818. His son, Stephen G., commenced housekeeping on this farm and lived there till he moved to the large house on lot 3 to care for his parents. At the death of Stephen G. Moot the farm passed to his daughter Kathleen, who sold to Elbert M. Kelsey, who owns and occupies the east side of lot 16. February 19, 1931 Revolutionary Solders Patented Lincoln Farms Much of Lot 6 of "Purchase of 1802" in Lincoln Settled by Soldiers--Many Became Prominent in County This week the historical sketches of Lincoln farms, written by W. H. Tuttle, tells about Lot No. 6 of the "Purchase of 1802." Much of the land in this lot was "patented" by revolutionary soldiers and some of them and their families became prominent in county affairs. The 70 acres on the south side of lot No. 4 were patented by Capt. Bartholmey Forbes. He settled on this lot in 1806. The north or larger side; was settled in 1807 by George Ratnour. He also owned land to the turnpike lots, adjoining this on the north. The original buildings on both these farms were on the Calnan road, as the Stone road was not opened till 1817. At the present time only the cellar of the Forbes home remains. Bartholmey Forbes was born in Montgomery County in 1786, and died March 11, 1860. His first wife was Leah, daughter of John Anguish, of Chittenango. She was a sister of Mrs. Sylvanus Seeber, who lived on lot No. 7. Leah Forbes was born in 1789, and died August 28, 1834. Her father, John Anguish, died in 1809, and is buried in the old cemetery across from the new Chittenango High School. Forbes' second wife was Laura Keeney. born 1813, died April 2, 1880. His children by his first marriage were Laura, born 1813; Sally, 1826; Andrew J., 1828;. T. Jefferson, 1830; Austin J. 1832; and by his second marriage Margaret, 1837; Franklin, 1839, and died February 3, 1858; Josiah K., 1851, died January 13, 1863. Forbes was a court witness in 1808. He was a veteran of the War of 1813, and a lieutenant in the Militia in 1817, and captain, 1820. He resigned his commission 1822. Forbes also owned 20 acres in Turnpike lot No. 14. He sold 12 acres of lot 6, which was cut off when the Stone road was built, to Reuben Parkill on September 11, 1833. The 20 acres in Turnpike lot No. 14 he deeded to his son, T. Jefferson, on December 8, 1866. On the death of Forbes, William V: Bosworth, as referee, sold the farm to Abraham Tuttle, September 26, 1868. Tuttle sold to Uriah Polton of Augusta on March 2, 1874, for $5,087. Polton sold a one-half interest in the farm to John Polton, April 5, 1876. On March 26, 1877, Uriah and Mary and John and Emily Polton resold to Tuttle for $3,709. Tuttle sold to his son, Stillman A., on March 26, 1878, at the same price he gave the Polton's. Stillman A. Tuttle's heirs sold to the Canastota Canning Co. The lot is now owned by Harrison Hollenbeck. George Ratnour patented the north end of lot 6. He was a veteran of the Revolution, having served in the New York Militia and was placed on the pension rolls, July 80, 1833, receiving a pension of $80 per year. He had a brother, Jacob, who settled south of the turnpike, near Cottons, but never took title to any real estate. Jacob served in the Revolution in the First Regiment of Tyron Co. Militia. George Ratnour was born in 1760 and died May 30, 1844. His wife, Elizabeth, born 1765, died May 20, 1846. They came here from Montgomery County. He had a son, Henry, born 1796, died August 10, 1883, and a daughter, Hannah, born 1808. who married Christian Harp. She died at Clockville, February 22, 1844. Ratnour made an agreement with his son Henry on January 13, 1833, whereby he leased his farm to his son until April 1, 1843, for one-third of the crops. After Ratuour's death his executors, William D. Henderson. Henry Ratnour and Christian Harp, deeded 77 acres east of the Stone road to Stephen Chapman, and the same day the 18-1/2 acres west of the road to the son Henry. Chapman deeded to his son, Harrison Chapman, October 16, 1860. Harrison sold his son Angelo, April 8, 1863, the north side of the lot, comprising 390 acres, keeping about 38 acres in the center of lot No. 6, which he operated in connection with his farm at Clockville. At the death of j Harrison Chapman the lot was added to the Angelo Chapman farm. Mrs. Angelo Chapman sold the farm to William Smith. Smith was a descendant of George Ratnour, the original settler. The farm is now owned by Lawrence C. Smith. That part of lot No, 6 deeded in 1845 to Henry Ratnour, being 18 acres west of the Stone road, passed to James Roantree, November 20, 1863. He deeded to John M. White, November 23, 1867. White sold to Abi A. Phipps, March 13, 1870. Abi A. Phipps and wife Diana deeded to Charles Keeney, April 1, 1876. for $2,700. Keeney was a son of Marvin Keeney and was born, in Clockville in 1836. He shot himself while living here. James Preece purchased the farm from his heirs. About four acres that was originally a part of the Reuben Parkhill farm has been added. to this farm. It has been owned since 1912 by Joseph H. Robinson. James Roantree came here , from Middlesex, Yorkshire, England, in 1851, landing, in New York after a voyage of eight weeks in. a salting vessel. He was born to 1813 and died in 1892. His wife, Ann Pickney, born 1816, died 1894. They were the parents of nine children, six of whom were born in England. Robert, 1841; James, 1842; William, 1845; Charles; 1846; Jeremiah, 1850; Mary E., 1852; A. A., 1837; Margaret, 1839, and Ann M., 1854. James Roantree was a miller by trade. He operated the upper grist mill for many years until he began farming. His son Robert served in the Civil War and on returning home taught the Clockville school for several years. Later he traveled for Patten & Stafford, moving to Canastowhen the rake factory was moved there. Another son, James, enlisted in August 1862, in Co. H, 157th Reg., N. Y. V. He was wounded at Gettysburg ;and was 1111 a Philadelphia hospital for several. months. On September 27, 1864; he joined the 43rd Reg., V. 8. C. T., as lieutenant. He was killed in an assault upon Petersburg, Va. October 27, 1864, when but 22. Another son, Charles C., was a miller and farmer. He died January 8, 1918. Jeremiah is living at Rockville Center, Long Island. February 26, 1931 Soldiers of Bridgeport Battle Settled Here Captured by British and Indians in 1871. Later Settled in Sullivan--Moved to Lincoln Sometimes historical traditions are substantiated by the facts. This is the case of the story of how some of General Herkimer's soldiers 160 years ago captured a British encampment near Bridgeport; were themselves captured in turn, carried prisoners to Canada and later returned to settle around what is now known as Sullivan, later to be driven out by Herkimer County officials and to establish themselves in what is now the town of Lincoln, or what was known as the "Purchase of 1802." This week W. H. Tuttle of Clockville writes the story of lots Nos. 7 and 8 of this purchase: Lots 7 and 8 were settled by Jacob Seeber and his sons, William, Sylvanus and David. Jacob was a vet. Bran of the Revolution, having been adjutant of the lot Reg., Tyron County Militia. He was one of a party of fifty sent from Fort Stanwix in 1781, under. Capt. Walter Vrooman, to destroy a fleet of enemy boats that had come up Chittenango Creek, near Bridgeport, from Canada. The enemy were raiding the Mohawk Valley and had left a small guard. The guard was captured and the boats partly destroyed when the British and Indians returned and surprised Capt. Vrooman and his company. Being many times outnumbered they surrendered. Several were killed by the Indians and the survivors carried to Canada, where they were kept as prisoners of war for two years. Ten years later, in 1791, Jacob Seeber, with nine others who were of Capt. Vrooman's company, decided to settle in the Indian country where they had been captured. The others were Garritt and George Van Slyke, Jacob, David and John Jost Schuyler, John and George Pickert (Pickard), ;John Posley (Pauly) of the First Reg., Tyron County Militia, and John Freemyer of the 5th Reg. of the Line. They all came from near Minden, in the Mohawk Valley. The forefathers of these settlers were from the Palanote in Germany, and were known as Mohawk Dutch. Few could speak English. When serving in the valley they were under the command of General Herkimer. Nearly all of these ten settlers were present under Herkimer at the battle of Oriskany. On arriving at Chittenango Creek, north of the present village of Chittenango, they erected log cabins and began clearing land for crops. This, in 1791, was part of the Oneida Indian Reservation, and the Indians objected to their encroachment. The Indians appealed to Col. Galbraith, sheriff of Herkimer County, of which this territory was a part, to have them removed. He came with a force of 60 deputies and tried to persuade them to vacate the Indian land. They refused and he burned their cabins and destroyed what crops they had growing and was about to escort them off the reservation when the Indians relented and told them they could settle near the present village of Sullivan, and they would not molest them. Here they remained until the Indians began selling the land in Sullivan to the State, when they look up lots in different parts of the town. When the "Purchase of 1802" was made Jacob Seeber left Sullivan and settled on lots 7 and 8 in Lincoln. He did not live to complete his payments to the State, dying some time about 1808. The patent to lot 7 was taken by Sylvanus Seeber and that of lot 8 by William Seeber. Sylvanus Seeber was born October 25, 1781, and died in the house now occupied by Hascal Perkins, February 20, 1858. His wife, Catherine, daughter of John Anguish of Chittenango, was born March 14, 1785, and died February 1, 1859. She was a sister of Mrs. Bartholmey Forbes, who lived on lot No. 8. Their children were Jacob, born November 31 (sic), 1803, died at Florence, N. Y., December 12, 1825. He was a physician and had joined Lenox Lodge No. 281, F. & A. M., a few weeks prior to his death; John A., a lawyer; born March 4, 1805, died January 17, 1890; William, born August 24, 1806, died November 26, 1807; Henry, born November 18, 1807, died March 18, 1809; Silas, born August 26, 1809; Catherine (Doxtater), born May 7, 1811, lived for many years at Oneida on Lenox avenue, very near the building now occupied by the Oneida Democratic Union. Amos was born December 12, 1812, died August 8, 1881; Daniel A., born August 5, 1814, died in April, 1907, was a lawyer and resided in Wisconsin; David, born May 30, 1816, died January 11, 1817; Sylvanus, .jr., born March 1, 1818, died March 31, 1889; Austin J., born August 11, 1819, died December 30, 1849; Fannie M„ born March 1, 1821, married Randolf S. Webster, January 8, 1845, died in the present M. E. parsonage August 19, 1856; unnamed daughter, born and died December 16, 1822; George K., born January 30, 1824, died July 30, 1856, in the Perkins house, at the time of his death owned one-half interest in the upper gristmill; Caroline (Lovejoy), born February 1, 1826, died at Rumsey, Cal., January16, 1908; Nancy Amelia, born June 17, 1831, married H. H. Hathaway in 1853, died at Clockville December 6, 1894. Sylvanus, sr., was ensign in John C. Moot's company of the 74th Reg. from 1809 till 1814. He was present at the organization of the first M. E. Society at the home of Jacob Forbes, May 8, 1813, and was elected one of nine trustees. He was also present at the first school meeting held in Clockville at the home of Stephen Chapman, on January 13, 1813, and was elected district collector. He served as school trustee in 1815, 1818, 1820, 1822, 1824 and 1825. He was commissioner of common schools of town of Lenox, 1815-1820, and associate judge of Madison County, 1828-1832. Mrs. Hammond in her history of Madison County 1872 quotes from Guerdon Evans History, written 1853; as follows: "Judge Seeber relates an incident connected with the early residence of his father in Sullivan. He relates that while a barefoot boy, passing through the woods with his father, he stepped upon some sharp substance which, upon examination, proved to be a bayonet attached to a musket covered with rubbish. Continuing their search a stack of muskets which had fallen to the ground was discovered. These relies roused the recollections of Vrooman's adventures which the old man related to his son seated upon a log, with the fragments of the expedition then lying at their feet. “Alluding to the sinking of the boats, he remarked, they were sunk in the creek near this place. Let us look for them. Then rambling along the shore of the creek they found one boat near the bank nearly filled with sand." (The farm house and barn on lot 51, town of Sullivan, are very close to where these boats were sunk.) Sylvanus Seeber bought in 1816 part of lot 12, and when he sold this in 1853, he kept about 14 acres, which were added to the Seeber farm. In 1835 he sold John Betsinger one acre in the northwest corner of lot 7, and in 1840, five acres bordering this one acre. John Betsinger owned land adjoining these parcels on the north in Turnpike lot No. 14. Betsinger is buried in this 6-acre lot now part of the Calnan farm. On March 19, 1863, Seeber sold 46 acres in lots 12 and 18 acres in the northwest corner of lot 7, surrounding that sold to Betsinger, to Henry Farrington. He had previously sold his farm in lot 7 to his sons, Sylvanus, jr., and George K., on December 18, 1848. George K. sold his one-half interest to his brother, February 8, 1854. On the death of Sylvanus in 1889, his heirs sold to Charles N. Tuttle, the present owner. William Seeber, on the death of his father, Jacob, took over lot 8 and received a patent on November 7, 1835. He was born in 1780 and died November 20, 1866. His wife, Anna Maria Marsh, was born in 1784, and died August 6, 1838. Their children were Jacob, 1808; Nicholas, 1812; Andrew, 1813; Phillip, 1814; Dolly, 1816. William Seeber purchased 12 acres of Gerrit Smith, March 1, 1834, which is that part of the Goff farm south of the road. He also received a patent to 60 acres in lot 3, east of the "1802 Purchase," near Lenox Furnace, from the State, February 24, 1817. After his death in 1866, by the terms of his will, his daughter Dolly received 90 acres on the west side of lot 8, and the 12 acres in lot 13. His son Phillip received 73 acres on the east side of lot 8 and 50 acres of lot 3, together with a parcel bought of the Lenox Iron Co., March 26, 1853. Dolly Seeber never married. At her death the farm left her passed to Willis and Adelbert Gott. They sold to Clarence Goff, who occupies the farm. Phillip’s farm passed to his son, Frank J. Seeber, who is the fourth generation to own it, having been in the same family for 128 years. March 5, 1931 Deer Once Pillaged Lincoln Farmers' Grain Clark Farm in Family 140 Years--Large Rock Marks Old Horse Race Course Lot No. 10 of the "Purchase of 1802" had an especially vivid history. Here is the Clock farm, descended from father to son for 140 years and still in the Clock family. Here the early settlers had to guard their crops 24 hours a day so that deer would not eat them. Here, as a girl, came the wife of John Clock, who settled here in 1792. Mrs. Clock's hand was crippled as a child when an Indian in the Mohawk Valley chased her through the woods and struck her with his tomahawk. The story of Lot No. 10, written this week by W. H. Tuttle will be of unusual interest. Lot No. 10 was settled by John Clock, son of Conrad, in 1792. He did not receive his patent until November 13, 1815. He was born at "Kloch’s Field" in the Mohawk Valley in 1763 and died April 11, 1816. His wife Upalona died January 6, 1836. They are buried on the knoll west of the present farm. Mrs. Clock had a crippled hand. When a girl she lived in the Mohawk Valley and her home was surrounded by a low palaside or fence. Wandering away from the house one day during the revolution she was chased by a skulking Indian who was so close that when she jumped over the palaside he struck her hand with a tomahawk before she could withdraw it. John Clock made a will in June 1813, stating that his heirs could not sell to an outsider, but if they wished their share in his property they must sell to their mother or one of his sons. There is one peculiarity about his patent. It covers lot 10 and includes 9 acres in lot 17 without mentioning the last lot. Joseph Ammin, who surveyed this purchase, boarded at Clocks and it is presumed these nine acres were cleared before the "Purchase of 1802" was made, probably because of the creek at the bottom of the hill. Where the line of lot 10 comes to the N. E. corner of Frank Pankhurst's door yard it turns south and then east to include this nine acres in lot 10. When the will was made Nicholas I. Forbes was building a house where Frank Pankhurst now lives, and Stephen Chapman had already built the saw mill (Reynolds), it was the duty of the Clock children to keep the deer which were then very numerous, from destroying the grain. Some times they had to take turns, keeping a 24 hour virgil (sic). Clock had seven sons and five daughters. Peter, born 1795, died August 22, 1862; Adam born 1802, died December 6, 1877; Henry born 1806; Conrad born 1809. died March 3, 1864; George born 1812; Christian and John Jr. The daughters were: Peggy who married John Remin Snyder, Polly born August 29, 1784, died May 19, 1857, married Elder Silas Spaulding; Lana married John P. Yorton; Betsy born 1807 married Jacob Ratnour; Mariah married John J. Young. John Jr. was the first to dispose of his interest, selling to his mother January 10, 1817 for $200. John P. Yorton and his wife, Lana, sold to Christian August 24, 1819 for $200. Peter also sold to Christian June 5, 1820 for $200. Christian and wife, Nancy sold to Adam February 24, 1825 for $600. John J. Young and wife, Mariah, deeded to Adam and Henry September 13, 1829 for $300. John I. sold in 1827 for $40, Rudolf in 1829 for $50, and Peter R. in 1831 for $250. Sons of Perry Reminsnyder, deceased, sold their interests to Adam, and Henry. Conrad and Elisabeth sold to Adam and Henry October 7; 1829 for $550. Henry and Elizabeth sold to Adam and George December 10, 1833 for $1,800. Adam and George gave $1,300 December 10, 1833 for the share of their sister, Polly, wife of Silas Spaulding. Adam bought out his brother, George, about 1840 and became solo owner. Adam married Malinda, daughter of Bartholmay Forbes, born 1810, died April 23, 1857. They had four children: Elizabeth (Hale) 1831; Jane (Tuttle) 1832; Catherine (Moot) 1837; Charles Duane, 1855. His second wife Harriet, was born in Herkimer county in 1819 and died January 26, 1901. When the Baptist church was erected in Clockville in 1828 he bought a pew for $24 and received a deed for the same forever. He soon changed and was a Methodist Protestant and; when the Methodist Episcopal church was reorganized in 1848 he was a trustee and one of two that advanced the money for the payment of the same. On the death of Adam Clock in 1877 the farm passed to his son, Duane. He married Grace, daughter of George B. Cady in 1878. She died June 18, 1911, leaving three children, Fred A., Kathleen and Martha. Duane Clock died in October, 1925, and his son Fred A. purchased the interest of the other heirs. In the 140 years that this farm has been occupied it has not been out of the Clock family. Fred Clock is tilling the soil cleared by his great- grandfather in 1792. The present house was built by Adam Clock, this being the 3d house. The first was a log house east of the present house. The second occupied the site of the present house and was moved off and used for a horse barn when the present house was built. There was a large Dutch barn on this farm that burned about 1912. It was a counterpart to the barn on lot 9 and was probably built by John Clock before his death. A large rock rests beside the road near where the old barn stood in the 30's and 40's, horse races used to be run between this rock and Kelsey's Corners. Three of John Clock's children were living at or near Wampsville in 1860. First Henry, born 1806, wife Elizabeth 1808, children Stephen C. 1831, a veteran of the Oneida Independent Cavalry, died March 31, 1891, Harriet 1833, Oscar 1836, Angenette 1839, Henry 1841, Armanda 1844, Emogene 1846, Romaine 1849. Second--George born 1812, wife Nancy 1816, children, Louise 1836, Darwin 1846. Third--Conrad born 1809, wife Elizabeth, born 1802, children, Lorenzo 1830, Cynthia 1832, George 1835, Newton 1838, Abraham 1842. Fourth--Peter born 1795, wife Anna 1796, children, Marie, 1824, died 1848, Henry 1826, Catherine 1832, Michael 1834, Margaret 1836, Harvey 1838 were living north of Canastota in the late 40’s. Christian moved to Sullivan. It is not known what became of John, Jr.
March 12, 1931 Conrad Clock Pioneer Settler of Old Lenox Came from Mohawk Valley in 1792--Violent Deaths by Fire and Drowning Marked Lives of Early Residents. There were many tragedies to the lives of the early settlers of the "Purchase of 1802." One man lost his grandmother, mother, wife and daughter within a year, his grandmother burning to death. A promising boy was drowned in a mill pond. Life was hard and too often dangerous. Yet out of it came the men and women who settled and developed this locality. Of Lot No. 11 of this purchase Mr. Tuttle writes: Conrad Clock was the pioneer settler in what was the old town of Lenox. He came from the Mohawk Valley, near Clock's Field, with his sons, John, Joseph and Conrad, Jr., and located on what became later Lot No. 11, in 1792. His son John was west of him on Lot No. 10, and Joseph on Lot No. 13. The old Clock homestead stood on the site of R. D. Webster's residence. Conrad Clock, sr. patented all of lot No. 11 except some few acres in the southeast corner, which were bought of the State by Col. Stephen Chapman in 1813. Chapman purchased 5-1/2 acres of Clock, May 12, 1815, and proceeded to lay this out in building lots, which were sold between 1815 and 1817. Conrad; sr., sold the balance of his farm on the same day, May 12, 1815, to his son, Conrad, Jr., for "Love and Good Will." Conrad, jr., and his wife, Coriah, on August 14, 1815, sold to John D. Nellis 23-1/2 acres along the east side of the Seeber road. This is the present Asche farm. On August 8. 1817, they sold Reuben Parkhill 5 acres in the northwest corner of Lot No. 11 for $100. This is the lot in the Hollenbeck farm that extends south beyond the rest of the farm. The Canastota road had been opened this same year and passed along the east side of this 5 acres. When the roadbed was changed in 1851, it passed through this lot and cut off nearly two acres, which were sold by Parkhill to W. S. Cady and are now a part of the Heslin farm. On July 3, 1831, Clock sold Col. Chapman one acre east of the mill dyke, comprising the old Clock homestead and including the corner to the Lockerby store. Conrad and his wife, Coriah, sold the farm May 29, 1823, to Sylvester Beecher, 105 acres, for $2,125. The farm homestead was now the old Adam Buyea house. Beecher sold the 20 acres west of the stone road and north of the county road to Richard G. Imerson, May 7, 1825, for $622. In a will made June 2, 1842, Beecher gave the farm to his grandson, George B. Cady, when he became of age. Nathan S. Cady was one of the executors of the will. He occupied the farm after it was purchased by Beecher until his son George became of age in 1852. It was while Cady was occupying the farm that the accidental death of his wife occurred. George B. Cady built the brick house soon after becoming of age and the horse barn in 1855. George B. Cady married Nancy, daughter of Frederick H. Way, who was living on the Dowling farm, Lot 26. Cady began keeping house in what is now the Odd Fellows' building. His son, Charles N. Cady, was born there. Cady bought the Brookes woolen mills and made woolen cloth for several years, later buying the Lenox Iron Co.'s property at Lenox Furnace and carrying on the same line of manufacture. In the '80's he became involved in financial difficulties and his farm on Lot No. 11 was sold by S. H. Stafford as referee on February 15, 1888, to B. F. Chapman for $7,990. The sale was held at the Allen House in Oneida, The farm comprised 85 acres. Chapman sold to De Forest Tuttle, February 27, 1891, for $8,000. De Forest Tuttle was the son of Abraham and M. Jane Tuttle. He married Flora, daughter of Jacob Bellinger. They had three children, Harry M., Carl and Ruth. Carl and Ruth died in infancy. De Forest Tuttle; died in 1898. His widow conducted the farm till 1911, when Harry Tuttle took it over. His grandmother burned to death in a house he erected for her south of the brick house. His mother, who had married George Lawrence, died very suddenly, and his, wife, Laura Rankin, and his daughter Ruth all passed away in less than a year. He sold the farm in 1920 to Edward Heslin and moved to Fayetteville. The 28 acres along the east side of this lot, being in the shape of a triangle and extending to the Furnace road, was held by John I. D. Nellis until 1836. Nellis also owned the D. L. Betsinger farm. He built the Express Mills in 1820. Nellie sold both farms and mill to Zachariah Link on May 10, 1836, reserving a small parcel of land east of the cemetery. This parcel he deeded September 28, 1836, to Alanson Wilcox, Lucius Brooks, John T. Parkhill, Ichabod K. Averill and Jaspar Blair as trustees of the Clockville cemetery, as an addition to the cemetery, reserving forever a small plot surrounded by an iron fence, which is still standing, where two of his children are buried. One of these, a son aged eight, had been drowned in the Nellis mill pond in 1828. This pond extended from the road leading to the old rake factory to the rear of the Charles Kilts house, and covered the entire flat now owned by William V. Bosworth. The road leading to the rake factory was a private road, built on the bank of the dam. Nellis was a son of John D. Nellis of Whitestown, N. Y., and very prominent here till he went west in 1836. He built the farm house on the D. L. Betsinger farm. Link sold the 23 acres in Lot No. 11 to John T. Parkhill, April 24, 1843, and Parkhill sold to W. C. Cady March 14, 1855, for $1,538. George B. Cady as executor of the estate of W. S. Cady, deceased, sold March 23, 1864, to Thomas Lawrence for $1,900. Mary Ann Nourse, Phillip and Libbie E. Hallam, Mary Jane Watson, Margaret Mitchell, Fred R. and Martha Earl, George and Martha Lawrence, Thomas Spencer and Margaret Lawrence, Nicholas N. and Eliza Lawrence and Amos Lawrence as heirs of Thomas Lawrence, deceased, deeded on March 22, 1882, to Norman L. Stafford. Stafford, in company with William H. Patten, was manufacturing wheel rakes and plaster sowers in the old Brooks mill. He built the present house and barn. When the firm moved to Canastota he sold to John Wesley Foster, who sold about 1895 to Barney Asche of Oneida. When the rake factory first started an old lady came to town from the hills of Fenner and wanted to know what that "Patent stafford" was that they had at Clockville. John I. D. Nellis' wife's name was Nancy. He was a veteran of the war of 1812, serving in Capt. Beecher's company, he was present at nearly every school meeting from the first in 1813 till 1830, and was elected trustee at the first meeting. Zachariah K. Link was born 1790 and his wife Sarah in 1800. Their children were William, 1826; Norman, 1831; Stanton, 1834; Permilia, 1839, and Sarah, who married Simon New. Link went in Wampsville in 1843, where he purchased property of William Cobb. John T. Parkhill was the son of a brother of Reuben Parkhill. He was born in 1804 and came here in 1830. His wife was born 1808. Their children were Eliza, 1831; Delia S., 1833; Margaret, 1835; Helen P., 1838; John R., 1839; Ezra R., 1841; Emogene, 1844; Alice, 1849. Parkhill was a very prominent Methodist. When the Methodist Episcopal Church was repaired in 1848, he furnished all the clapboards. He was its trustee for many years and acted as janitor. He owned the six acres in the point between the county and Blygh roads and said off the George King house and lot from that parcel. Later in life he owned the Old William Hallock farm on the road in Canastota, which farm was in the turnpike lots and adjoined the 1802 purchase on the north.
March 19, 1931 Englishmen Settled on Lincoln Lot No. 12 Old Plaster and Express Mills Centers of Early Activity. Large Families Were Usual Thing. W. H. Tuttle finds that many early settlers on Lot No. 12 of the "Purchase of 1802" were Englishmen. They became American citizens as time went on. Lot 12 was patented about 1804 by Myndert H. Wemple. Previous to 1806 he sold the west side, comprising 80 acres, to John Stinford, and 30 acres in the southeast corner to Charles Kern. On December 22, 1806, he sold 50 acres in the northeast corner to William Lawrence, late of England. It was in the southeast comer of these 60 acres that the plaster mill was built. William Lawrence's wife was Ann. They had eight children, Moses; Stephen, Benjamin, Thomas, Mary, Frances, Patty and a daughter who married William Smith. On May 28,1817, William Lawrence purchased 20 acres in the southwest corner of lot No. 13 of George and Barbary Pickel. William Lawrence and wife Ann, sold to their sons, Moses and Stephen, a three-fourths interest in the plaster mill on August 9, 1820, and to their son Thomas one acre below the mill on March 18, 1828: William Lawrence died about 1830. On July 21, 1831, Hiram and Frances Sherman deeded their interest in the estate to Thomas Lawrence. February 2, 1832, Ira and Patty, Bartholmay of New Albion, N. Y., deeded their interest to Stephen Lawrence, being one-third of 84 acres set off by William Lawrence to three of his daughters. Daniel Furgeson deeded about the same time the interest of Mary to Thomas Lawrence, Moses Lawrence Smith and wife Susan, and James K. and. Charity Smith deeded to Stephen Lawrence, October. 9, 1834, the interest of their mother. Stephen and wife Nancy deeded the property left the daughters to Thomas Lawrence, August 20, 1834. Moses and wife George also deeded their interest to Thomas in 1834. Thomas Lawrence sold James HalIan on May 20, 1845, one-third acre, and on May 26, 1846, one acre. This was sold by James to William Hallam March 26, 1851, and by William to Samuel Law, January 29, 1862. This is the house and lot long occupied by Spencer Lawrence and now by William Betsinger. Moses Lawrence bought ten acres of lot No. 13 on March 18, 1816. This was sold by Moses to Thomas, August 9, 1820. Thomas Lawrence bought and sold several parcels off the west aide of the farm while he owned it. He deeded 75 acres to his son Amos, April 13, 1864. Amos and wife, Angeline L:, deeded the 20 acres in lot 13 to William Tuttle, March 13, 1867, for $1,750. Amos sold Elizabeth Vincent five acres in lot 13, and 7-1/2 acres in same lot to Albert B. Vincent, March 30, 1866. He sold the remainder of the farm, 42 1/2 acres, to Elijah Morse on March 13, 1867, for $4,165 Mores sold to James Minor, April 1, 1871 for $3,500. From Minor the farm passed to Judge G. A. Forbes. It was occupied for many years by Jacob Mason while owned by Forbes. C. Eugene Miller purchased the farm about 1900. He sold one-half to Mrs. Inez Hoyt and the remainder to S. Herbert Near, who sold to Jay Wilcox, except the stone house, which Near sold with about two acres to Andrew Wilcox. The 80 acres on the west side was sold by John Stinford to John W. Sliter of Lakeland, N. Y., who sold to Sylvanus Seeber, February 12, 1816, for $1,000. Seeber sold 36 acres in the southwest corner on May 2, 1817, to John I. D. Nellis, reserving one-half acre on the Furnace road sold by Seeber to Phillip Moon. This is the house and lot occupied by Clarence Devann. Nellis built the Express Mill in 1820, and later bought the one- half acre of Phillip Moon. He also purchased, June 13, 1817, the 30 acres sold to Charles Kern. Nellis sold to Zacharla K. Link, May 10, 1836, his 66 acres in lot 12, with the Asche farm of 22 acres, in lot No. 11, for $7,000. Link sold to Peter Betsinger, April 24, 1843, 55 1/2 acres, excluding the mill and nine acres. Betsinger sold three acres to Marvln Keeney, which is now owned by Walter Grumback. Betsinger's heirs sold to his son, Daniel L. Betsinger, February 1, 1877. Daniel L. Betsinger died January 24, 1911, and at the death of his widow the property passed to his daughter, who sold to Kenneth Smith in 1929. The northwest corner of lot 12 was kept by Seeber. He made several small sales and purchased near the Express Mills, and sold the balance, about 45 acres, to Henry Farrington, March 19, 1853. Anna Farrington, widow of Henry, sold one acre to John McCartney, November 30, 1857. This was on the Jay Wilcox farm at the foot of the hill on the Seeber road. McCarty built a house on the property and occupied it until he resold to Mrs. Farrington, April 2, 1866. The house has disappeared and its exact location cannot be ascertained. Aiva and Lucinda Helmer, Frank Helmer, Anna, Henry F. and Irene Helmer, Royal and Lola Helmer deeded the property to D. F. Chapman, January 12, 1891. Chapman deeded to William H. Getman, February 8, 1892. Since the death of Getman the farm has been owned by S. H. Near, Hiram H, Betsinger and Jay Wilcox. It is now owned by Mrs. Edith Wilcox. Thomas Lawrence was born in England in 1793, the youngest son of William Lawrence. His wife, Margaret, was born in 1799, daughter of Jacob Forbes. Their children were Martha, 1827; George, 1829; Thomas Spencer, 1832; Newton, 1836, and Amos, 1838. Thomas and Moses both joined Lenox Lodge No. 281, F. & A. M., in 1825. They were both prominent in, the Methodist Church, Moses being a local preacher. Moses, Stephen and Benjamin left this locality about 1836. James Hallan was born in England in 1802, and died December 29, 1879. Phillip, a brother, was born in 1799, and died at Clockville, January 6, 1870. His son William, born in 1823, was a clerk. He died May 24, 1854, leaving a wife, Catherine Jane, daughter of Thomas Lawrence. She was born in 1824, and died January 4, 1858, leaving three small children, Phillip, born 1850; Mar J., 1852, and Margaret, 1853. Peter Betsinger was the son of John and Hannah, who are buried on the Calnan farm, Peter once owned 50 acres in the turnpike lots now owned by Herman New. He was born in this town, January 13, 1801, and died at Oneida, November 6, 1876. His wife, Catherine Forbes, was born in 1803, and died March 9, 1857. Their children were Colina, born May 12, 1825; Catherine (Randall), May 21, 1826; Harriet, February 4, 1828; Diana (Palmer), June 6, 1829; Henry, February 24, 1831; Clarissa (Palmer), April 18, 1833; Melissa, May 4, 1835; Sarah, March. 29, 1837; Peter R., March 13, 1839;. Daniel L., August 7, 1841, died January 24, 1911; Nicholas, July 27, 1843; Charles L., March 13, 1848, died January 16, 1887. Peter Betsinger also owned the John Kilts house and lot which he sold to Seth Pettit in 1832, and the Roderick Wormouth farm that he sold to Harrison Rouse in 1866. Henry Farrington was born in 1799 and died April 20, 1867. He joined Clockville Lodge, I. O. O. F., No. 155, October 19, 1850. His wife, Anna, born 1807, died in the eighties. On June 20, 1821, at a term of County Court, Moses, Thomas and Stephen Lawrence, aliens of England, having resided ten years in New York State, took the oath of allegiance. John McCarty was born in Ireland in 1836. His wife, Mary, was also born in 1836. They had three sons John F., born 1855; George, 1858, and Hiram H., 1859. ------------------------------------------------ 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.
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