Chenango County NY

Early Settlers of Sherburne New York

The surface of the country and the disclosures of the plow revealed to the early settlers of this town evidences of its occupancy prior to their advent, and partially indicated the character of its occupants. On the farm originally settled by Timothy Hatch, on the west side of the river, about a mile and a half north-west of the village of Sherburne, were the remains of caches, where corn had been buried; while in the field adjoining it on the north numerous arrow heads, stone chisels, hatchets and pestles have been disclosed by the plow. About four miles north of … 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

Iroquois Towns

The Indian towns were generally but an irregular and confused aggregation of Indian houses, clustered together with little regard to order, and covering from one to ten acres. They were often fortified, and a situation favorable to defense was always chosen–the bank of a lake, the crown of a difficult hill, or a high point of land in the fork of confluent rivers. These defenses were not often constructed with any mathematical regularity, but made to conform to the nature of the ground. Frequently a precipice or river sufficed for a partial defense–and the line or embankment occurred only on … 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

Biography of Jonas H. Brooks

JONAS H. BROOKS A LEADING, representative young man of Albany – a banker by profession – who is identified with the commercial interests of the city, is Jonas H. Brooks. He was born at Rutland, Worcester County, Mass., on the 5th of January, 1848. He comes from a long line of New England ancestry, which dates back to the formation of the Massachusetts colony in 1630-1. He is of the eighth generation of this strong and sterling old race in this country. The parents of Jonas H. Brooks are Moses Brooks and Sophronia Greenwood. His grandfather was Jonas Brooks of … Read more

Mary Helen Todd Sprague of New Berlin NY

SPRAGUE, Mary Helen Todd8, (Jared7, Chauncey6, Jonah5, Stephen4, Samuel3, Samuel2, Christopher1) born July 20, 1845, died Jan. 17, 1896, married July 7, 1868, James Munroe Sprague, who died Oct. 8, 1893. He was principal of a school in Afton, N. Y. Mrs. Sprague has lived in or near New Berlin, N. Y. all her life. Children: I. Jared Asa, b. May 20, 1873, m. Jan. 15, 1896, Gracia B. Austin. Issue: (1) Mary Elizabeth, b. Jan. 25, 1897, m. Dec. 5, 1917, Wilbert Layng; (2) Helen Seely, b. April 27, 1907. II. Henry Dewayne, b. Feb. 26, 1877, d. July … Read more

Manufactures of Afton New York

The grist and flouring-mill is located one-fourth mile north-west of the village, and is owned by Asa Pixley. The saw-mill is located about one-fourth mile up the river, on Kelsey Brook, about seventy rods above its mouth, and is owned by George Landers. It was originally built about 1809, and the mud-sills in the present building are the same as were used in the construction of the first. The water from the creek is conducted to the mill by a race about forty rods long. Wright & Hinman’s sash and blind factory was built in the fall of 1869 by … Read more

Biography of Hezekiah Stowel

Hezekiah Stowel, to whom reference has been made, was a Vermont sufferer, and came in from Guilford in that State in 1786, and settled at Bettsburgh, on 220 acres on lot 63, on the east side of the river, and was the pioneer settler on the site of that village. He subsequently removed to the west side of the river, where he is buried, probably at the time he made the exchange with Elnathan Bush. He lived and died in the locality. It is not known that he lived on the place exchanged with Bush in Bainbridge. His children were:–Asa, … Read more

Biography of Oliver Easton

Oliver Easton came in from Wilmington, Vt., in 1809, and settled on Long Hill, where Matthew Long, from Vermont, with a large family of grown-up children, was the first settler at an early day. Easton settled on the farm now occupied by his grandson, Henry Devillo Easton, about three miles north-west of-Afton. He leased 60 acres of gospel lands, which he occupied till his death December 11, 1839, aged 74. Delight, his wife, died January 5, 1860, aged 86. He carried on farming and lumbering, mostly the latter. His children were eleven in number: Chauncey, who married Lucinda, daughter of … Read more

Ruth Maria Todd Harrington of Sherburne NY

HARRINGTON, Ruth Maria Todd8, (Charles7, Chauncey6, Jonah5, Stephen4, Samuel3, Samuel2, Christopher1) born Oct. 12, 1846, married Sept. 21, 1871, Adelbert Harrington, who was born Sept. 16, 1846, died March 22, 1902. They lived in Sherburne, N. Y. He was a farmer. Children: I. George Todd, b. March 4, 1873. II. Emily Adelaide, b. July 13, 1875. III. James Alexander, b. June 4, 1879, m. Feb. 2, 1905, Fannie Maude Cutler, and had issue: (1) Helen Ruth, b. April 10, 1909; (2) Louis Adelbert, b. Aug. 24, 1911, d. March 24, 1912; (3) Hubert Alexander, b. July 26, 1914; (4) Howard … Read more

Biography of Richard Church

Richard Church came in from Brattleboro, Vt., in the fall of 1788, and settled on the east side of the river, one-half mile below Afton, on the place now owned by the heirs of Levi Church and Andrew Johnston and Joseph Angell, the latter a son-in-law of Billings Church. He was a son of Col. Timothy Church, a Vermont sufferer, who did not settle here, but acquired land as such, on 300 acres of which Richard settled, and which, after the latter’s death, in the spring of 1813, was divided between two of his sons, Billings and Levi, Billings’ portion … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Nathaniel Gray

Nathaniel Gray was born March 17, 1736. He returned here in the winter of 1793, and located a mile and a half north of Sherburne, and resided there till his death, June 24, 1810. He had two children by his first wife, who died in Connecticut, where he married for his second wife Bethiah, widow of Benjamin Newcomb, who was born Feb. 26, 1735, and died on the same farm August 19, 1811, and who had five children by her former husband, all of whom came here. The children by his first wife were Elijah and Bethiah. Gray’s second wife’s … Read more

Onondaga Council Fire

All business between other nations and the Iroquois was brought to the council fire of Onondaga,(*) and the conclusion there reached carried with it all the weight of a kingly edict. The deliberations of the sachems were conducted with the utmost decorum, and a rigid adherence to their notions of parliamentary usage which challenged the admiration of civilized nations. No speaker interrupted another. Each gave his opinion in turn, but not until he had stated in full the subject of discussion, to prove that he understood it, and had repeated the arguments pro and con of previous speakers. Thus their … Read more

Iroquois Feasts

Prodigality was as much a characteristic of their feasts as their dances and other amusements, with which they were often associated, and like them are supposed to have had their origin in religion. They were often participated in by whole villages, sometimes even by neighboring villages, and in this way a vain or ambitious host applied all his substance to one entertainment. Br‚beuf relates an instance of this kind which occurred in the winter of 1635, at the village of Contarrea, where thirty kettles were over the fires, and twenty deer and four bears were served up. The invitation was … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Capt. William Newton

Capt. William Newton was born in Colchester, Conn., Oct. 15, 1786. His father, Asahel Newton, had served several years in the army of the Revolution. He was in straitened circumstances and had a large family of children, of whom William was the oldest, and on him devolved a large share of the burden of supporting his brothers and sisters. Having learned the trade of a clothier he came to Sherburne in 1806 and worked with Landon & Mills at Bullocks Mills. He took a factory in New Berlin in 1807, and went to Camden, N. Y., and worked in 1809. … Read more

Iroquois Social Interactions

Family discipline was little resorted to. Filling the mouth with water and spurting it over the refractory urchins, or denuding and plunging them into cold water, were the principal means employed. The children were always considered the property of the wife, and in case of divorce followed her; though those who had grown up might stay with the father if they chose. Both parents were very desirous of gaining the affection of their children, and hence never opposed their inclinations, that they might not lose it. Their education therefore was not much attended to. The father generally gave the child … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Samuel Stebbins

Samuel Stebbins came from Hartland, Conn., in 1804, with his family, consisting of his wife, Sarah Boardman, and six children, Eleanora, Sarah, Harlow, Sophia, Melissa, and Jerusha. Mr. Stebbins came here first in 1803 and built that year the rear portion of the Medbury House on the site of which he settled, and where, in company with Bela Scoville, he kept tavern till about 1809. He died March 6, 1833, aged 74, and his wife, September 4, 1833, aged 70. He was a Revolutionary pensioner.

Fire Department Sherburne New York

The first recorded meeting was held at the house of Linus R. Hopson Oct. 12, 1850, by the “Sherburne Fire Engine Company.” Ira P. Barnes was called to the chair and B. W. Fay appointed secretary. A constitution and bylaws were then adopted and the following named officers elected: Isaac Plumb, Foreman; Deloss Burch, First Assistant Foreman; George Y. Knapp, Second Assistant Foreman; Byron Marks, Secretary; Sidney L. Starr, Treasurer. This company was disbanded June 7, 1858, and another organized under the same name June 9, 1858, of which T. H. Matteson was elected Foreman; L. N. Beers, First Assistant … Read more

Hotels of Afton New York

Cook’s Hotel was opened in December, 1878, by Nathaniel M. Cook, the present proprietor, who in that year converted it to its present use from a saloon which he had kept there since 1872. The Central House is owned by Richard Munson and kept by Miles Parsons, who became the proprietor in April, 1879. The Sullivan House was built about fifty-six years ago by Josiah and Alfred Wright, brothers, and is now owned by Erastus Sullivan, who has kept it since March 10, 1869. He came here from Oneonta, his native place, in 1845. A hotel which stood on the … Read more