CHAPTER III.
FIRST SETTLEMENT - TRAILS AND ROADS.
At the close of the Revolutionary war the territory of Chenango county, which then included the present Madison county, was without a permanent white settler. It was a beautiful, forest-covered region, trackless and unmarked by man, except for the devious Indian trails and the red men's rude improvements. Chenango county was erected on March 15, 1798, with eight towns, of which Brookfield, Cazenovia, and Hamilton, now all in Madison county, were three. Brookfield then included what is now Columbus, Chenango county; Cazenovia included the present towns of De Ruyter, Georgetown, Nelson, Fenner, Smithfield, Lenox, and Sullivan; Hamilton included the present towns of Lebanon, Eaton, and Madison.
The first permanent settlement in Chenango county was not made until 1784, the year following the close of the war, when Elnathan Bush came in a canoe down the Susquehanna from Cooperstown and located in what is now Afton, in the extreme southeast part of the county. It was two years later before further settlement was made by the pioneers of Bainbridge. A few squatters had lived transiently on the Oneida Reservation earlier than this. Settlement in this favored region, however, was rapid when once begun. In 1800, two years after Chenango county was organized and six years after the first arrival, the county had a population of 16,087. By that time the pioneers of Madison county had penetrated almost to its remotest parts and were striking sturdy blows around their rude hearthstones. There was not a road across the territory of either Chenango or Madison county when the first white settler arrived in 1784, with the exception of one in the southern part extending from Bainbridge to the mouth of Page Brook, several miles south of Chenango Forks in Broome county. This was called the Chenango Road and many of the pioneers settled along its course. It was probably constructed by some part of Sullivan's army attached to Clinton's command in 1789.
There were two principal routes by which the early settlers came in, known as the north and south water routes; the north by the Hudson and Mohawk Rivers, and the south by the Susquehanna. Many, however, came over the long distance from New England on foot, carrying almost nothing but an ax. Others came with their families and small belongings on an ox sled or in covered wagons. The majority made the journey in winter, as it was easier in that season to reach remote points in the wilderness. Many who came in by the northern route, made their way from Whitestown through an almost unbroken wilderness, following such Indian trails as led them towards their destination. Clark's map of the Five Nations and mission sites, Sauthier's map of 1779, and Guy Johnson's map of 1771, indicate a number of the Indian trails, a few of which had direct bearing upon the settlement of this immediate region. One of these left the Mohawk near the site of Utica and passed southwest through Oneida and on westward through Onondaga. This crossed two trails within the limits of Madison county - one extending from the south of Salmon River along the westerly branch of Fish Creek, passing the east end of Oneida Lake and thence in a southwesterly direction to a point about midway between Ithaca and Elmira; the other passed in a northwesterly direction across the northern part of the county, passing near the point where Chittenango Creek becomes the west boundary of the county and thence to the foot of Oneida Lake, where it intersected another trail starting from the one above described. A trail also started from about the site of Utica as shown on Sauthier's map, extended through "Old Oneyda Castle,"1 called on the map "Canowaroghare," and "Canadasseoa" (corresponding apparently with the position of East Boston) and Canaseraga Castle to Three Rivers. From a little southwest of Canaseraga a branch extended to Onondaga. Another map indicates a trail extending from the site of Oneida village in a general westerly direction, passing through Canaseraga and on through Onondaga to Niagara. This and the last preceding described trail correspond, doubtless, with the trail which is well known to have crossed the northern part of Madison county, passing through Oneida Castle, Wampsville, Quality Hill and Canaseraga, leaving the county at Deep Spring. This road was improved in 1790, just as the first settlers were coming into the territory of Madison county, by William and James Wadsworth, who passed over it with oxen and cart on their way to the Genesee country. These narrow and winding trails could not long suffice for the travel of the pioneers, and local roads were opened and somewhat improved so rapidly after settlement began, that in 1800 there were forty-seven laid out in the territory of Chenango and Madison counties; this was only six years after the first settler came in.
The Mohawk River was of vast importance to the incoming early settlers for a number of years. It was navigated by many so-called Durham boats, a flat-bottomed oblong scow, propelled by poles thrust against the bottom of the river. The crews consisted of five or six men and ten miles up the current was considered a good day's journey. A Schenectady paper of 1803 gives the dimensions of one of these boats as follows: "She is sixty-three feet keel, eleven feet wide, and two feet three inches deep. When loaded she draws two feet of water and carries twenty-four tons. She now brought down 250 bushels of wheat and will next trip bring 800." Many of the Durham boats were smaller than this one.
The importance of Mohawk as a navigable stream led to early measures for its improvement. In 1791 Gov. George Clinton urged upon the Legislature the importance of improving the natural waterways of the State, and in that year one hundred pounds was appropriated for a survey of the portage at Rome and of the river eastward to the Hudson, with a view of constructing locks where needed and a canal around Little Falls. In the following year the Western Inland Lock Navigation Company was incorporated, with a capital of $25,000, which was afterwards increased to $30,000. The improvements were made for a number of years the region along this route was considerably benefited; but the tolls were high,2 forcing the settlers to still use the roads that were frequently almost impassable. This fact and the great cost of maintaining the locks and other improvements ultimately, and notwithstanding several loans made by the State, caused the company to fail and its rights reverted to the commonwealth. In 1791 it cost from $75 to $100 per ton for transportation from Seneca Lake to Albany; in 1796 the cost was reduced to $32 per ton and to $16 on return cargoes. These rates were almost prohibitive to very many pioneers, who toiled over the roads and at the same time made their influence felt for highway improvement.
The road over which the Wadsworths had passed in 1790, as before noted, and which crossed Madison county, was improved by the State in 1793, when $2,700 was appropriated for roads on the Military Tract (which included Onondaga county); the principal road thus improved extended westward from Deep Spring and was the extension of the Wadsworth road. In 1794 an act was passed by the Legislature appointing Israel Chapin, Michael Myers and Othniel Taylor, commissioners for laying out a highway from "Old Fort Schuyler," to the Cayuga ferry, "as nearly straight as the situation of the country will allow." This road was to be six rods wide. In several acts relating to this highway it is called the "Great Genesee Road." It generally followed the line of the road before mentioned, which was called the State Road. In 1797 the Legislature authorized three lotteries for the purpose of raising $45,000 for the further improvement of roads. Of this sum $13,900 was expended on the Great Genesee road throughout its length from Utica to Geneva. The inhabitants along the route made a voluntary subscription of 4,000 days' work in aid of the improvement. In writing to England on this subject, Capt. Charles Williamson, said:
By this generous and uncommon exertion, and by some other contributions, the State Commissioner was enabled to complete this road of nearly one hundred miles, opening it sixty-four feet wide, and paving with logs and gravel the moist parts of the low country. Hence the road from Fort Schuyler, on the Mohawk river to Genesee, from being in the month of June, 1797, little better than an Indian path, was so far improved, that a stage started from Forty Schuyler on the 30th day of September, and arrived at the hotel in Geneva, in the afternoon of the third day, with four passengers.
For further improvement of this highway by private capital the Seneca Turnpike Company was granted a charter in 1800, authorizing $110,000 capital, and appointing as commissioners, Jedediah Sanger, Benjamin Walker, Charles Williamson and Israel Chapin. An amendment to the charter of 1801 gave the commissioners discretion to deviate from the line of the old road. When it became known that they intended to straighten the line and avoid the Canaseraga Hill and Onondaga Hill there was active opposition to the westward of Chittenango, the inhabitants of Manlius and Onondaga fearing the selection of a northern route that would be to their great disadvantage. They sent a delegation to meet the commissioners at Chittenango. The clever citizens led the commissioners up the ravine to the northwest of Chittenango, which was practically impassable, and then along other equally unfavorable routes until the officials were weary and ready to return to Chittenango and allow the road to follow its own course. Eventually learning that they had been imposed upon, the company in 1806 secured a further amendment to their charter, authorizing them to "build a new road from Sullivan [Madison county] to the Onondaga Reservation near the Salt Springs to Cayuga Bridge," and $50,000 was added to the capital stock. This road was finished in 1812. The great Genesee Turnpike was completed to Buffalo in 1809.
Mail was first carried through Madison county territory in 1797 or 1798, by a Mr. Langdon, who traveled on horseback from Whitestown to Genesee. He was succeeded by a Mr. Lucas, and by 1800 the mail had become so large as to require a wagon for its transportation. The first four-horse coach with mail was driven through by Jason Parker, who removed in 1794 from Adams, Mass., to Utica and found employment as a post rider between Canajoharie and Whitestown. He began running a stage between those places in 1795 and thus announced his enterprise:
The mail leaves Whitestown every Monday and Thursday at 2 o'clock p. m., and proceeds to Old Fort Schuyler the same evening; next morning starts at 4 o'clock and arrives in Canajoharie in the evening, exchanges passengers with the Albany and Cooperstown stages, and the next day returns to Old Fort Schuyler. Fare for passengers, $2.00; way passengers, four cents a mile, fourteen pounds of baggage gratis. Seats may be had by applying at the post-office, Whitestown, at the house of the subscriber, Old Fort Schuyler, or at Captain Root's, Canajoharie.
On the 31st of March, 1801, the Oneida Turnpike Company was incorporated by the Legislature, with the purpose of constructing a turnpike road from the "dwelling house of Jonathan Dean, in the town of Augusta," thought the Oneida and Stockbridge Reservations to the "dwelling house of John Lincklaen in the village of Cazenovia."
By 1810 daily stages were running over the Genesee turnpike line and travel was extensive. In 1804 Parker and Levi Stephens were granted by the Legislature the exclusive privilege for seven years of running stages for the conveyance of passengers between Utica and Canandaigua. The fare was five cents per mile. In 1803 the Cherry Valley Turnpike Company was chartered and a road was constructed from Cherry Valley to Manlius, passing through the towns of Madison, Eaton, Nelson and Cazenovia. Prior to 1804 the so called Peterboro Turnpike was constructed, which extended from Vernon through Peterboro to Cazenovia. The Hamilton and Skaneateles Turnpike was laid out in 1806, but was not completed until a few years later. It extended from Richfield through Brookfield, Hamilton, Eaton, Erieville, and New Woodstock, and on westward to Skaneateles. Joseph Morse, a resident of Eaton, was largely interested in this road and had at one time $30,000 of the stock. To these various avenues of travel and transportation, which were of immense importance in the early times, was soon to be added the Erie Canal, which crossed the northern part of Madison county and gave the inhabitants greatly improved facilities for reaching the markets and for travel.
By this time (1806) Chenango county had a population of not far from 30,000, the census of 1810 giving it and Madison county nearly 47,000, and the annual influx of settlers was large. The local highways and bridges were being rapidly improved and extended; saw and grist mills had been built on many of the turbulent streams, and the homes of the pioneers were raising on every hand. Chenango county was a large one, more than fifty miles in length from north to south, and the time had arrived when the convenience of the inhabitants in reaching the courts demanded a division.
1 - Referring to the present Oneida Castle. A village situated near Oneida Lake is designated the "New Oneida Castle." The Documentary History, I, 526, alludes to the line of this trail in 1757, which had then become a passable road, as follows: "The road goes to the Great Oneida Village, about two leagues from the Lake. A picket Fort with four bastions, had been constructed in this village by the English. It was destroyed by the Oneidas in observance of their promise given at a council held between them and the Marquis De Vaudreuil. Each of its sides might have been one hundred paces. There is a second Oneida Village, called the little village, situated on the bank of the Lake. There is no fort in the latter." In this connection the accompanying ancient map is of great interest and is self-explanatory.
2 - In his Origin and History of the Erie Canal, George Geddes wrote; "The high tolls and other expenses of this navigation were so onerous that land carriage on the poor roads of that day still continued to be the usual mode of communication between the interior and the seaboard."
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