Chenango County NY

Physicians of Afton New York

William Knapp, who lives at Bainbridge, is believed to have been the first physician who practiced in this locality. He removed to Elmira. Dr. Nathan Boynton, who was located at Bettsburgh, and Drs. Starkey and Root, who studied with Boynton, and the latter of whom practiced in company with him at Bettsburgh, practiced here at an early day. They all removed to Elmira. Abraham Benton, brother of Orange Benton, studied medicine with Dr. Boynton at Bettsburgh and settled in the village on the east side of the river, where he practiced several years nearly fifty years ago. He was a … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Judge Joel Thompson

Judge Joel Thompson settled at Sherburne Four Corners, where Edmund Purdy now lives, and resided there till he was well advanced in years. Jonah Poyer settled at a very early day, when there were only two or three log houses in Sherburne, on the forks of the river, up which he came from Oxford. After a few years he removed to the town of North Norwich.

Hiawatha Speaks to the Tribes

At length he regained his composure and took his seat in the council, whose deliberations were participated in by the ablest counselors of the assembled nations. At the conclusion of the debate, Hiawatha, desiring that nothing should be done hastily and inconsiderately, proposed that the council be postponed one day, so that they might weigh well the words which had been spoken, when he promised to communicate his plan for consideration, assuring them of his confidence in its success. The following day the council again assembled and amid breathless silence the sage counselor thus addressed them: “Friends and Brothers: You … Read more

History of the Schools at Sherburne New York

The Sherburne Union School was organized in the spring of 1847, by uniting the two districts in the village and the districts north and south of it. The first school meeting was held in April, 1847. The first trustees were Benjamin Skinner, Andrus Benedict and E. S. Lyman. John P. Dietz was chosen clerk and served as such several years. The first teachers were Catharine Tuttle, principal, Abby Hayward, daughter of Dr. Hayward, of Columbus, and Harriet Marks, daughter of Dr. Marks, of Sherburne. J. W. Mandeville succeeded Miss Tuttle as principal after one term and remained a year and … Read more

Merchants of Surburne New York

The first merchant in the town was James Elmore. His store stood opposite the cemetery about a mile and a half north of the central part of the village, where J. R. Dennison now lives. He also kept the first inn, built the first frame house, and was the first postmaster, receiving the latter appointment from Postmaster-General Joseph Habersham in January 1801. He died April 19, 1836. Zaccheus W. Elmore was probably the first merchant in the village. His store stood just south of the Medbury House. He traded till within some ten years of his death, Aug. 10, 1865, … Read more

Town Officers of Afton New York

The officers elected March 2, 1858, were as follows: Daniel A. Carpenter, Supervisor; Edgar Garret, Clerk; Hiram Willey and Morris J. Madge, Justices; William Corbin (William Corbin did not qualify and John Carr was appointed in his place March 16, 1858), Robert M. Littlefield and Jackson W. Poole, Assessors; Albert Pratt, Commissioner of Highways; Thomas Yale and George F. Hard, Overseers of the Poor; Eli M. Shay, Collector; Luman C. Pollard, William Corbin and James Poole, Railroad Commissioners (Before the division of the town, Bainbridge had issued bonds for $60,000 in aid of the Albany & Susquehanna Railroad, and $30,000 … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Jeremiah Purdy

Jeremiah Purdy came from Dutchess county and settled at Sherburne Four Corners, where Milton Bentley now lives, and resided there till he had become advanced in years. Benjamin and Israel Ferris were brothers, though the latter settled in North Norwich, about a mile above the village, on the Dalrymple farm. Benjamin settled about a mile west of Sherburne village, where Morris Buell now lives.

Biography of Charles Roswell Hall

CHARLES ROSWELL HALL AMONG the young men of Albany, who, by a steady and unfailing devotion to the principles of professional and official duty, deserve a just recognition for representative character, is Charles R. Hall, deputy superintendent of the banking department of the state of New York. He is another example of many of those descendants of Connecticut pioneers who have helped so much to develop the resources and advance the civilization and prosperity of this country. He was born on the 17th of September, 1853, in the town of Guilford, Chenango county, N. Y., where his father, John P. … Read more

Biography of Hon. Rufus Mallory

HON. RUFUS MALLORY. – Mr. Rufus Mallory, one of the most prominent members of the legal fraternity in the State of Oregon, is of New England stock, his parents having been born and raised in Connecticut. Our subject himself was born on the 10th of June, 1831, at Coventry, Chenango county, New York, from where he moved with his parents in the fall of that year to Alleghany county, and six years later to Steuben county in the same state. In the latter place he resided until 1855, when he went to New London, Iowa, where he remained until 1858. … Read more

Schools of Afton New York

Receipts And Disbursements For School Purposes Amount on hand Oct 1, 1876 $ 14.36 ” apportioned to districts 1,926.04 Proceeds of Gospel and School Lands 102.47 Raised by tax 2,251.58 From teachers’ board 384.00 From other sources 290.36 Total receipts $4,968.81 Paid for teachers’ wages $4,184.38 ” ” libraries .67 ” ” school apparatus 10.84 ” ” ” houses, sites, fences out-houses, repairs, furniture, etc. 278.05 Paid for other incidental expenses 453.11 Amount remaining on hand Oct. 1, 1877 $41.76 The Union Free School District No. 12, of the town of Afton, was formed a joint district August 8, 1874, … Read more

Charles Todd of New York

Charles Todd7, (Chauncey6, Jonah5, Stephen4, Samuel3, Samuel2, Christopher1) born June 3, 1820, died Feb. 25, 1891, married Oct. 13, 1844, Hannah Hall Miller, who was born Jan. 30, 1819, died April 22, 1885. He lived the greater part of his life on a farm, first near New Berlin and afterwards near Sherburne, N. Y. Children: *1250. Ruth Maria, b. Oct. 12, 1846. 1251. George, b. Oct. 21, 1854, d. Oct. 16, 1862. 1252. Charles Herbert, b. Oct. 15, 1858, m. Oct. 8, 1887, Ellen Kenyon Daboll; he is in business in Edmeston, N. Y. No children.

Biography of Abijah Stevens

Abijah Stevens came in from Connecticut, and settled on the east side of the river, about one and one-half miles above Afton, on the farm now occupied by the widow of John Carr, where both he and his second wife, Esther, died, the former May 9, 1844, aged 87, and the latter January 1, 1832, aged 76. His children were John, who married Clara Landers and settled where Jonathan Farnsworth now lives, and died there, he and his wife, the former March 9, 1861, aged 73, and the latter November 11, 1877, aged 84; and Harvey, who removed to Ohio, … Read more

Biographical Sketch of John Gray

John Gray’s land extended from the river east to the quarter line and included all that part of the village of Sherburne lying north of the State road now known as State street. His log house stood near the site of the Upham block, on the north-east corner of the business part of the village. He was born in Windham, Conn., in 1793, was a revolutionary soldier, and married Elizabeth Skeel, who was born in New Milford, Conn., in 1745, and died in Sherburne in 1824, aged 79. He had six children, all of whom were born in Connecticut: John, … Read more

Village of Sherburne New York

Sherburne is a pleasant little village with broad and handsomely shaded streets, and in some measure supplied with good substantial flag walks. It is situated a little south of the center of the town, east of Chenango River, on the line of the Utica, Chenango & Susquehanna Valley railroad. It is distant about 10 1/2 miles from Norwich and five from Earlville. It contains six churches, (Congregational, Baptist, M. E., Universalist, Catholic and Episcopal) a Union Free School, with academic department, one newspaper office, (The Sherburne News) a National bank, a cotton factory, sash and blind factory, a carriage factory, … Read more

Physicians of Sherburne New York

The first physician was D. Lacy, who remained, however, but a short time. Dr. Asa White, a Vermont sufferer, having received a medical education in Vermont, removed from Putney in that State to the town of Bainbridge, where, about 1794, he married Sarah, daughter of Samuel Corbin, also a Vermont sufferer and an early settler in Bainbridge. About 1796, Dr. White removed to Sherburne, where he practiced till his death, Dec. 18, 1819, aged 47. His certificate of practice is signed by Joab Enos and bears date of Jan. 16, 1797, two years previous to which he had been in … Read more

Iroquois Domestic and Social Life

We purpose giving in this chapter some of the more prominent features of Indian domestic and social life, which furnish the best index to their true character. The Indian, viewed as a distinct branch of the human family, has some peculiar traits and institutions which may be advantageously studied. They furnish the key to those startling impulses which have so long made him an object of wonder to civilized communities, and reveal him as the legitimate product of the conditions attending his birth, his forest education, and the wants, temptations and dangers which surround him. They show him also to … Read more

Biographical Sketch of David Pollard

David Pollard came in from Norwich, Conn., in 1790, and settled on the east side of the river, one mile below Afton, on the place now occupied by William Landers. He made a small clearing and built a log cabin and then sent for his family, consisting of his wife Polly, and six children. He died here December 30, 1830, aged 85, and his wife June 9, 1821, aged 69. His children were Polly, who married Richard Church, Lucy, who married William Olden, Cynthia, who married Heman Kelsey, Thomas, who moved to Seneca Falls some fifty years ago and died … Read more

Jay Morris Todd of New Berlin NY

Jay Morris Todd8, (Chauncey7, Chauncey6, Jonah5, Stephen4, Samuel3, Samuel2, Christopher1) born July 9, 1876, married June 27, 1900, Pearl Ames. They reside in New Berlin, N. Y., where he is in business. Child: 1961. Francis Russell, b. May 28, 1906.

Lodges and Societies of Afton New York

Afton Lodge, No. 360, F. & A. M., was organized as Nineveh Lodge, January 11, 1855, at which time the first communication was held, and was chartered June 20, 1855. The name was changed June 24, 1862, when it was decided to remove the lodge from Nineveh, where the meetings had formerly been held, to Afton. The first officers were Harvey Bishop, Master; Platt Bishop, S. W.; C. G. Northrop, J. W.; Fenner Brown, Secretary; W. H. Scott, Treasurer; T. C. Healy, S. D.; J. Kelly, J. D.; Jesse Brown, Tiler; E. M. Brown and E. Badger, Stewards. Meetings are … Read more

Chauncey Todd of Otsego County NY

Chauncey Todd6, (Jonah5, Stephen4, Samuel3, Samuel2, Christopher1) born March 24, 1784, in Cheshire, Conn., died July 26, 1855, in New Berlin, N. Y., married Sept. 13, 1812, Susan Hotchkiss, of Bethany, Conn., who was born July 18, 1792, died April 20, 1854. There must have been some Horace Greeley in those days telling young men to “Go West”, for he set forth for the unbroken wilderness of Central New York in 1805. He returned later to Connecticut to look for some young woman also anxious to “Go West”, and found her in the person of Susan Hotchkiss to whom he … Read more