Yates County

William EDDY having made the firstsettlement in Starkey, the pioneer community which soon after clustered aroundhim was very properly known far and wide as Eddy Settlement. It was the political and social center of the old town of Reading, and 10years after the erection of Yates County was more of a business center than PennYan. It never became anincorporated village, and lacking water power, was outgrown by Dundee. It had in fact been previously blighted by the overweening expectationsof those who owned the land within its limits and refused to sell lots at pricesthat men of enterprise were willing to pay. Had the early opportunities of the place been seconded by a wiseliberality, the village might have gained a foothold sufficient to maintain asuccessful rivalry with any of the surrounding centers of business. Its chief importance consists now in being the location of StarkeySeminary. The village came to itsname after outliving repeated attempts to give it some other title. Spafford�s Gazetteer in 1824 called it �Reading Village, orDecatursville.� It was finallyand justly concluded to commemorate in its name the pioneer whose axe firstassailed the forest where it stands.

Isaac LANNING�s picture of the settlementin 1806 describes it as a neighborhood of log houses, with adjacent clearingsdotting the forest. These logdwellings were the homes of an excellent community of pioneers, transplantedfrom New England and New Jersey, daring hazards and privations that would provevery discouraging to their descendants. Wildanimals were abundant, though wolves troubled that vicinity but little. Deer were numerous, and venison furnished the larders of the log cabinhousekeeper with much of their meat. Thedeer were largely caught by being driven to the Lake. As a man could row a canoe or skiff faster than a deer could swim, thedeer would soon be overtaken and captured by having a green hickory withe thrownabout its neck. The ruthless hunterwould cut the victim�s throat on the water, and tow its body to the shore. Bears vexed the settlers by carrying off their pigs. Matthew ROYCE commenced a clearing about 40rods from his house, and there his sow and pigs wandered one evening, just atdusk. Hearing the sow squeal he ranto the spot, and was confronted by a large bear standing on its hind feet,frightened at his approach. Theystared at each other a few moments, when one of the pigs darted out of a largebrush heap. The bear seized the pigand hastened off, while the sow and remainder of the pigs, with their owner,made a quick retreat for home. Anotherreminiscence given by this venerable pioneer illustrates the self-denials andhardships of the early days. Hesometimes went to dances when his shoes were so worn and dilapidated that he hadto bind them on his feet with twigs of hickory. This man, whose span of life covered almost an entirecentury, chopped and corded five cords of wood on his 71^st birthday.

Mrs. Betsey QUIN, who moved with her husbandto Eddy Settlement in 1813, says it was a hard-looking country to her at thattime, �the trees standing girdled for two miles north and three south. There were about 20 families and three framed buildings. Samuel BIGELOW was the principal preacher there. A miniature store was kept in a little room of Timothy HURD�s tavern. Judge NORTON had a carding machine and cloth-dressing establishment onRock Stream. Simeon ROYCE andAndrew HARRISON had each a pocket distillery. Timothy HURD was captain of a uniformed company. They went to the Niagara frontier a few days after we moved into thesettlement.� A man who found ahome on the opposite shore of the Lake in 1815, says that on the west side asviewed from the east, all looked even then like an almost unbroken forest.

At a considerably later period Eddytown hadfive stores selling general merchandise, two asheries, two taverns, two or threeshoemakers� shops, a blacksmith shop and foundry, a tailor shop, hatter�sshop, cabinet shop, and other mechanical industries.

In 1816 Dr. John L. CLEVELAND commenced hispractice at Eddy Settlement, and built a house in the village. He was succeeded a year later by Dr. Simeon H. GOSS, and he in 1818 byDr. Walter WOLCOTT. It is aremarkable fact that these three young men were all students of Dr. Joshua LEE,and they with Morris BIRDSALL, another student of Dr. LEE, and Jesse YOUNG, astudent of Dr. Anthony GAGE, were licensed in one class by the Ontario CountyMedical Society in September, 1816. Dr. James CARTER of Geneva was President of the Society, andDr. Richard WELLS of Canandaigua Secretary. The censors were Drs. Nathaniel JACOBS of Canandaigua, Erastus B.WOODWORTH and Joshua LEE. Dr. GOSSmarried Cynthia SMITH, daughter of a stone mason of Penn Yan. After leaving Eddytown he practiced some time in Bennett�s Settlement,and finally moved to Canada. Dr.Jesse YOUNG lost an arm in the War of 1812. He lived and died at Burdett in the town of Hector, a noted free thinker,a conspicuous Whig politician, and a man of superior ability and intelligence. He grew up from childhood in the family of Capt. Eliah HOLCOMB of Benton. Morris BIRDSALL was an able physician, and moved to Texas, where he diedmany years since.

In 1824 Dr. WOLCOTT purchased of TimothyHURD for $95.50 a � of an acre of land, directly opposite the tavern of JoshuaMAPES, and lying between Benjamin CHEEVER�s store and Dan TOMPKINS� houseand shoemaker�s shop, on the east side of the road, and in that year built adwelling house in which he resided until he removed from the place to Dundee in1846. In 1834 he built an office orstore on the same lot which thereafter served as his medical office and drugestablishment. He also laid aflag-stone sidewalk in front of this lot, and later, one in front of the DanTOMPKINS lot, which he purchased in 1842. Inthis office or store, DeWitt C. LAWRENCE, about the year 1838, had a law office. Dr. WOLCOTT�s village property was always kept up by him in the neatestorder, and his office was the prominent social center in the village.

In 1818 James TAYLOR bought of Elisha CLARK,for $51.50 a village lot directly opposite where the Presbyterian meeting housewas erected in 1825, and the next north of the brick school house, which waserected before 1818, and built a house and law office, and resided there untilhis removal from the place to Penn Yan, in 1832.

The house built by Dr. CLEVELAND afterwardsbecame part of the public house first kept by Joshua MAPES, who was followed byIsaac P. SEYMOUR, William R. KELSEY, Alexander HEMIUP, Philip L. DRAKE,Valentine WORDEN, Thomas S. PAGE, Ira CHAMBERLAIN, Lewis M. EATON, Elam A.HOGEBOOM, Abram R. DAINS and Joseph L. BELLIS. The house was finally purchased by Prof. Edmund CHADWICK, and is now aboarding house, known as Schuyler Hall.

Harry C. LEONARD had a tavern at the northend of the village, which was established about 1828. He and his brother Seth kept it together at one time. It was also kept by Col. John J. SMITH, and by Philip L. DRAKE, whodiscontinued it.

Among the merchants at this place have been,since the time of James & Jabez PEASE, and Henry NEWTON, William HUSTON,William PEASE, Isaac P. SEYMOUR, Benjamin CHEEVER, James HUNGTINTON, John NOYES,Frederick A. KING, John BOGART, Dennis K. ROYCE, James HOLDEN, Calvin TAYLOR,Harvey G. STAFFORD, George W. SIMMONS, Peter M. SUTPHEN, and Ashbel HOLLISTER.Hezekiah LEONARDSON has a store there now, and Nicholas MILLSPAUGH another. William HUSTON was born in Coleraine, county Antrim, Ireland, in 1787. He came to Eddy Settlement as early as 1816, opened a storeand built a large frame house. Hedied in Starkey in 1858.

Although the oldest village or businesscenter in the town, many years an important stage route where the stage horseswere changed, this village had no Post Office till 1849, Isaac LANNING being thefirst Postmaster; the office having first the designation of Starkey, and takingthe place of the one at Starkey Corners. Before1861 the Postmasters were Isaac LANNING, William ANDREWS, Philip ROOF, James M.HALL. Since 1861 the office has been held continuously by IsaacLANNING, the name was changed from Starkey to Eddytown while Andrews wasPostmaster.

In 1809, Richard HURD and sons built a largestore at Hurd�s Corners, which was the initial enterprise that made that placea business center. They kept up alarge mercantile business there a number of years--how long is not remembered,nor whether they had any successors in that building, which is said to havestood directly west of the present store of Charles W. BARNES.

In 1831, Alonzo SIMMONS built a storeopposite that of Mr. BARNES, and carried on a large trade there till 1842. His successors are named in his personal history, and theirs in that ofThomas ROSS.

About the time SIMMONS started there,Gilbert HATHAWAY built a store near where the Presbyterian Church now stands. It had stood vacant some years when Charles W. BARNES and William L.SHARP commenced trade in it in 1845. CharlesW. BARNES erected the store in which he is now doing business.

The first tavern was kept there in 1817 bySimeon HURD, son of Richard HURD, Sr. In1821 the same house was kept by Elijah CARVER. He was succeeded by Samuel HALE, who was also a merchant and a stirringbusiness man. His son Samuel P.HALE was also a successful merchant, for a considerable time resident in Albany,and a member of the firm of Williams, White & Co., of whom many of the oldermerchants in this county bought their goods. He lived several years after retirement from trade in Dundee, and finallydied in Tyrone, at the former residence of his father-in-law, Judge Henry S.WILLIAMS, Peter BACKER succeeded HALE in the tavern, and he was followed byGilbert HATHAWAY, who kept a popular house there till about 1840.

Another tavern was first kept by RufusHENDERSON at the fork of the roads on the east side. A Mr. WEBB followed HENDERSON, who was succeeded by Philip WARD, he byDaniel G. HUNTER, and he by Benjamin E. JONES, who discontinued it about thesame time that Hathaway�s was closed.

Samuel F. EMBREE had a boot and shoe shopthere several years. Joseph BROOMhad a tailor shop there some time.

Bradford G. H. HATHAWAY, an ingenious andnoted inventor and mechanic, manufactured carriages and cutters and agriculturalmachinery at this place for a long period. The place was known first as Hurd�s Corners, then for many years asHathaway�s Corners, and finally as Rock Stream, to correspond with the name ofthe Post Office, which was established about 1830. Dr. Enos BARNES was the first postmaster, succeeded by Alonzo SIMMONS. After his removal, Hiram A. NEWCOMB was appointed, and succeeded byWilliam L. SHARP; he by Charles W. BARNES. Reuben B. HENDERSON followed, and is succeeded by Alvah M. NEWCOMB.

This noted Point was wholly unoccupied tillafter 1815. Some of the changesthat occurred there are mentioned in the sketch of Larmon G. TOWNSEND. Silas BEERS moved there in 1816, and occupied a log house near the end ofthe Point. He aided in building asaw mill there. This mill in 1818was carried away by a memorable freshet, which bore the water wheel and crankinto the Lake. The same freshetbroke away all the dams on the stream, and carried off other mills besides theone at the Point. This catastrophedrove Mr. BEERS from the place. Hewent there as a partner of William W. FOLWELL and Romulus and the enterprise wasnot successful.

Silas BEERS was from New Jersey, and was thefirst blacksmith at Bath, about 1794. Hemoved from there to Seneca county, and built a mill in Fayette. In 1815 he moved to Shannontown, and after his misfortune at Big Streammoved back to Shannontown, and died there in 1829 at 59, a farmer. His wife Mary BEACH died in Ohio in 1842, at 69. Their children were, Joseph, Ezekiel B., Miriam, John, Jabez B., DanielS., Lucy and Teresa. All thesemoved west except John, born in 1802, who married first Eliza LEONARD of Ovid. He sold the farm at Shannontown and moved to Barrington, 2 � miles fromDundee, in Sunderlin Hollow. Helived there till 1854, when he removed to Emporium, Pa., where his wife died in1857, leaving two children, Mary E. and John L. He married there a second wife, Mary A. BEACH.

Silas BEERS, while residing at Shannontown,joined a Baptist Church in Chubb Hollow, which held its meetings in a log schoolhouse. Its minister was ElderFERRIS.

BEERS and FOLWELL had a schooner and a ferryboat, and began large operations. GeorgeS. SHELMIRE of Philadelphia took the place of Silas BEERS with FOLWELL, andoperated for some time, with ambitious designs. They had a saw mill, started a distillery, and commenced building a largestone grist mill. SHELMIRE soonfailed for want of capital, and FOLWELL lost heavily by the enterprise. William W. FOLWELL was a wealthy farmer, owning 700 acres of land inRomulus. He died in 1858, at 91. He was the father of Sarah M., wife of Dr. Claudius C. COAN of Ovid, andMary P., wife of Rev. Samuel M. BAINBRIDGE, formerly a Baptist minister in PennYan.

After the failure of the foregoingenterprises at Big Stream Point, the writer cannot learn that much wasaccomplished there till Larmon G. TOWNSEND came on the scene. He made it a lively place until his failure in 1852. Since that time the business of the place has been comparatively limited. James W. MORRIS conducted a profitable business there some time. George W. WILMOTT was a grain buyer there, doing a considerable business,and George ROBERTS is now a grain buyer there, and owns the saw mill. James PECHE owns and runs the grist mill, and William TOWNSEND theplaster mill. Royal LINCOLN keeps astore in the old TOWNSEND store building. Ithas always been a steamboat landing, and for a long time was an important one. Larmon G. TOWNSEND had a post office established before 1840, and waspostmaster while he lived there. Afterhim, Eli TOWNSEND, Nathaniel TOWNSEND, Alonzo MARSHALL, Henry B. GARDNER andJared SLEEPER were successively postmasters till 1865, when the office (calledBig Stream Point) was discontinued.

In 1867 Joshua K. INGALLS, then resident atthat place, obtained its resuscitation, and was Postmaster till 1870, when hewas followed by Abishai SCOFIELD, who was succeeded by Frank NEWCOMB in 1872. Mr. INGALLS had the office named Glenora, intending to signify �mouthof the glen.�

Joshua K. INGALLS is a reformer andinventor, connected with the land and labor reform organizations of the city ofNew York. He married in 1866 OliveH. FRASER, residing at Glenora. Sheis an accomplished wood engraver, and a woman of worth and intelligence.

In 1829 a Ferry was chartered by theLegislature for 15 years, in behalf of Terah CARPENTER, to run from the cove onthe south side of Peach Orchard Point, in Hector, to Big Stream Point. No other charter was ever granted for a Ferry at this place although aFerry was kept up by Larmon G. TOWNSEND. JohnDICKINSON, who lived on the Hector side, run the boat many years, and when hequit the ferry was abandoned.

Among the important enterprises of Larmon G.TOWNSEND, at Big Stream Point, was a Woolen Factory, which was operated a numberof years much to the advantage of the place and the surrounding country.

Among the characters worthy of note,connected with Mr. TOWNSEND�s supremacy at Big Stream Point, was David D.SMITH, a respectable colored man, who in days when men of his race were few andfar between, was an object of curiosity and interest. David and his wife Dolly were general favorites. And when David drove the family carriage, drawn by a span of large sorrelhorses, to Eddytown to church, it was regarded as the most peculiar turn-out inthe town.

John STARKEY was the first man to carry intoeffect the conception of making a place of business at Starkey Corners,previously known as Reeder�s Corners. Starkeycommenced operations about 1816, and built a store in which Halsey SANDFORD andWilliam D. KELLEY commenced trade in 1821, as the successors of Clayton SEMANSand Abraham DeMOTT, Jr., Kelley remained one year and SANDFORD 10 years. Halsey SANDFORD was the first town clerk in Starkey. He left in 1831, returning to Seneca county where he has been a man ofmuch prominence and influence. Hewas succeeded by Adna TREAT, who was still later associated with Gilbert R.RILEY. They were followed by Riley& Snow, Silas MANN, Charles G. TUTHILL, Demary & Hollister. In 1855 the store was moved to Starkey Station.

Burgess TRUESDELL built a store on thesouth-east corner about 1830. Hekept a store there a few years and moved west.

A millinery establishment was kept there byAlletta and Elizabeth PRUDEN sometime after 1830. Charles CHANDLER was a tailor there. Homer W. DUNN and Joel DORMAN, now of Jerusalem, were a firm of tailorsknown as Dunn & Dorman. ThomasSWARTHOUT was an early shoemaker there. JosephPierson HOWELL was a blacksmith there, followed by John W. HYATT, who remainedtill about 1860.

John STARKEY had a Post office establishedat the corners in 1820, and was the first Postmaster. Halsey SANDFORD succeeded him, and was followed 18 years by Benj. TUTHILL. During the administration of Zachary TAYLOR, Isaac LANNING was appointedPostmaster and had the mail route changed to run to Dundee by way of Eddytown,to which place the office was moved. Aboutthe same time a new office was established called North Starkey, located atShannontown, William R. BRIGGS being appointed Postmaster. BRIGGS deputized Ira FOWLER to keep the office, and he finally took it tothe Starkey railway station. It wasnot there long before the name was changed to Starkey again, and Mr. LANNING�soffice was called Eddytown. ThePostmasters since have been Ira FOWLER, Andrew J. KRESS, George W. DENSE,William OVENSHIRE and Cornelius F. BENJAMIN.

In 1820 Dr. Walter WOLCOTT located at thecorners and remained about three years. Noother Physician has resided at that place.

In 1857 Ira FOWLER began improvements at theStarkey Station. Thomas J.VANDERLIP erected a public house there in 1866, having first owned and kept theone previously built.

Two hotels are now kept there, besides astore and the post office. Much ofthe grain formerly drawn to the Lake at Starkey Landing is now shipped atStarkey Station. Egbert GULICKerected a malt house about � a mile south-eastward from the Station, in 1860,and it has made since that time a large barley market at that point.

The first charter granted by the Legislaturefor a Ferry at Goodwin�s Point was granted in 1820, to John GOODWIN, for 10years. Previous to that time JohnGOODWIN operated the Ferry under a license from the Court of Common Pleas ofSteuben county. In 1826 JohnSTARKEY procured a charter from the Legislature for 15 years, to operate thesame Ferry. The next charter wasenacted by the Legislature in 1845, giving the privileges of the Ferry to IraFOWLER and Alfred GOODWIN, for 15 years. TheFerry has been principally managed by the GOODWINS from the first.

At Starkey Point, previous to theconstruction of the Elmira and Canandaigua railroad, there was for many years agreat grain market, controlled first by Eddytown merchants, and finally morelargely by Ira FOWLER than by any other man.

Subsequent to the original work accomplishedby Daniel SHANNON at Shannon�s Corners, the fulling mill was changed into agrist mill by Jonathan ANDREWS, from Penn Yan, and Daniel D. VAN ALLEN. This was in 1836. David B.BARTHOLOMEW was the mill wright. Amongthe workmen were Abel F. TERRIL, Lewis CULVER and Joseph BARTHOLOMEW. Two years later William ELLIS bought the share of VAN ALLEN,and four or five years later William R. BRIGGS bought ELLIS� interest. Andrew & Briggs continued in partnership 20 years or more. They also had, during some years, a distillery. John B. ACKLEY succeeded BRIGGS in the mill, and five years later ElijahCASTERLINE succeeded ANDREWS. Threeyears later Abel F. TERRILL succeeded ACKLEY. CASTERLINE & TERRILL run the mill in 1872. The millers there have been Aaron BROOKS, Nehemiah LONGCOR,John HUMPHREY, Thomas RICHARDSON and Elijah CASTERLINE.

William R. BRIGGS had a distillery on hisfarm, now owned by Daniel S. ELLIS, at an early date, the apparatus of whichwas, about 1840 moved near Shannontown and became the property of Andrew &Briggs. The distillery wasdiscontinued five years later.

William R. WILKIN, a wagon maker, started ashop about 1830, and has wrought at that business ever since. About 10 years ago he added to his shop a cider mill and turning lathe,both propelled by horse power, applied to a horizontal wheel.

Elijah DENSE was for many years a shoemakerat Shannontown. There was a coopershop operated by Alexander H. TOOKER, a brother-in-law of Henry A. BRUNER. A blacksmith shop by one Sheldon, and later by James BEARD. Delos ANDREWS was a cabinet maker there 10 or 11 years. FOWLER & WARD were succeeded in the mercantile business by George H.ELLIS, he by Denis K. ROYCE and Clayton SEMANS. Jehiel H. MONTGOMERY succeeded Mr. SEMANS. John D. WOLCOTT was the clerk of ROYCE and MONTGOMERY in 1843. Mr. MONTGOMERY bought out ROYCE and carried on the store alone. Samuel H. STAFFORD succeeded MONTGOMERY, but did not stay long. Harmon B. SOPER was the last person who did mercantile business atShannontown. This was about 1848. Ten years later the store building was removed by Ira FOWLER to therailway station at Starkey. It hassince been sold to the Catholics for a church.

Robert L. SHANNON had an oil mill � a mileeast of Shannontown which was conducted effectively several years and was burneddown about 1848.

It may seem singular to relate, but is saidto be the truth of history, that the plain whereon Dundee is located, wasthought by the pioneers to be too poor to be worth settling upon. Hence its obvious advantages of location were not immediately improved.

Dense forests of pine which surrounded thatlocality were full of wolves and other wild game. As late as 1812 George PLUMMER shot two deer, on the space between thetwo taverns, in Dundee. The Indianscame there to make salt, and the early settlers were familiar with the Indiantrail which passed through that place, leading from Catharine northward toKanadesaga. Isaac STARK�s sawmill was the first improvement made there so far as now known, and gave its nameto the place until it became known as Harpending�s Corners. It bore the latter name many years, during which time it was attempted togive the village the title of Plainville, a name which did not seem to becomepopular. In 1833 James T. GIFFORDgave it the name of Dundee which was readily adopted, and the village wasincorporated in 1848, under that designation. The name of the Post office was also changed fromHarpending�s Corners to Dundee. Theincorporated limits embrace 650 acres on McKnight�s Location, extending eastand west from the Old Preemption Line to the New Preemption Line, aparallelogram, nearly 1 � miles east and west, and 2/3 of a mile north andsouth. The vote taken, June 24,1848, to determine the question of incorporation, stood 73 Yes and 40 No.

Among the first settlers on this territorywere Isaac STARK, Aaron STARK, Isaac HOUGHTALING, Hendrick HOUGHTALING, EliasFITZWATER, William DURLAND, John WALTON, Lazarus REED, Benjamin POTTER, JosephGREEN, Jonathan BOTSFORD. For many years the inhabitants chiefly resided along thebanks of Big Stream, where John WALTON had a store, POTTER a tavern, and ablacksmith shop, the STARKS a saw-mill, and Jonathan BOTSFORD, (son of AbelBOTSFORD) an ashery.

In 1813 the east and west road were opened,now known as Union and Seneca streets, and the first framed house built in theplace was erected on the corner where the ELLIS House now stands. One ROOT, kept a tavern there before 1817 and left in 1820. In 1827 Burgess TRUESDALE enlarged the house and kept a hotel there,being succeeded by John J. SMITH in 1832, Marvin BYINGTON followed in 1835,Reuben COMPTON in 1841, James SPICER in 1846, Fletcher PATTEN in 1848, OrangeHOLLLISTER, Peter M. SUTPHEN and Lorenzo BARKMAN followed before 1853, JustusELLIS succeeded that year. It wasburned in 1859 and rebuilt by ELLIS on a much larger scale. It was again burned in 1861, and rebuilt by ELLIS, who kept it till hisdeath, in 1870. His widow kept ittwo years longer, and still owns it. FrankMITCHELL is keeping the house in 1872. Harpending�stavern, built on the opposite corner in 1817, has always been retained in thatfamily, Abraham V. and Andrew HARPENDING having rebuilt it after it was burnedin the disastrous fire of 1861, which swept away a large share of the businessportion of the village.

The Union House, located near the UnionMill, at the west end of Union street, was opened in 1838 by Thomas Clark SMITH,who left in 1840. Among those whosucceeded him were George HERDICK, James G. BAILEY, Benjamin LEFURGE, ErastusCASE and Anthony H. RARICK, who discontinued the house soon after 1861.

Myron HAMLIN opened a store on thesouth-west corner in 1830, and sold his stock to Newell F. MURDOCK, in 1832. MURDOCK lived in this village, a merchant till his death in 1862, at 71. He built a store in 1833, a wooden block of stores in 1835 directlyopposite his own place of business on Main street, a house on the west side ofthe same street, another standing near it, both of which constitute the presentresidence of Marvin T. MURDOCK, his son. In1846 he and his son Marvin built a brick block of three stores opposite wherehis own place of business had previously been; in 1848 a brick block of threestores on the spot where his first store had been; in 1853 the block on thenorth-west corner; in 1859 a dwelling house between his store and Stafford�sbanking house. His business careerwas eminently successful.

William B. HAMLIN came to this place in 1835and succeeded Samuel KRESS, Jr., and Edwin W. LEWIS, and has remained inbusiness on the same spot, on the south-west corner till 1872.

In 1857 he erected a brick store which wasburned in 1860. The same year hebuilt of wood a block, which cost $5,000 and was burned in 1861. He then rebuilt of brick, making a large and elegant structure. He did a constantly advancing business, and during three years previousto 1868 his business amounted to $350,000 a year in merchadize and banking. The goods sold amounted to $125,000. He is now succeeded by Cyrus P. McLean & Co., and Augustus Maltby& Son, the building being divided into two stores. Mr. HAMLIN was born in 1811, in Connecticut, and married in 1836 Mary,sister of Harvey G. STAFFORD. Hisbusiness has been far the largest of any merchant in Dundee.

Samuel HUSON and George W. SIMMONS had astore on the north-west corner, and William B. HAMLIN says they were competitorsof no mean pretentions. Anthony C.HARPENDING was long a successful merchant in this place, and also built theblock known as the Harpending block, west side of Main street. James D. and Henry F. MORGAN had a hardware store in this place manyyears. Henry D. MORGAN and JohnCATON followed a number of years, and John CATON afterwards carried on thebusiness. Newell F. MURDOCK and hisson Hiram have each had hardware stores.

Some of the merchants now doing business inthis place are, Charles H. MARTIN, Reuben S. VOSBURG and John T. ANDREWS,comprising the firm of Martin, Vosburg, & Co., and Wesley Benedict Dry GoodDealers, John BACKMAN and Dr. George Z. NOBLE, Druggists, Egbert WOODWORTH andJohn DEMARY hardware dealers, Ashbel HOLLISTER dealer in Clothing, Beekman &Co., dealers in Furniture.

Jefferson T. RAPLEE established a State Bankat Dundee with a capital of $50,000 in 1857, which he moved to Penn Yan in 1858. Lewis J. WILKIN started a Banking House in 1868 in connection with UriahHAIR. He is, in 1872, in the samebusiness, in a banking house erected by himself, and is associated in businesswith Anthony C. HARPENDING. HarveyG. STAFFORD succeeded J. T. RAPLEE as a banker at Dundee, and kept up a bankingoffice till 1871.

A foundry was established on Union street,opposite the Methodist church, in 1835, by David HULBURT. Harry S. DUNN succeeded him in 1837, and Robert FERRIER became the ownerand operator of the business in 1838, and continued to control it till his deathin 1872. Simeon DeWITT, Martin WHEELER, and Major Charles ORWIN, underthe firm of DeWITT, Wheeler & Co., succeeded Simeon DeWITT and FrancisGILBERT, who established in 1841 a Foundry on Union street, near the mill. It was discontinued in 1849, DeWITT leaving Dundee penniless. Afterwards atRochester he retired from the firm of Dewitt & Galusha with a large fortuneamassed in the same business.

In 1850 Abraham BYINGTON and John E. BLIVENestablished a Foundry adjoining that of Robert FERRIER. After two year or partnership BLIVEN became the sole proprietor andremains so in 1872.

Chilion STOLL did a large business as acarriage manufacturer for many years, and also started the first Livery Stablein the place. John J. HOLLETT &Son are now carriage manufacturers.

The physicians of the place have been JohnWARNER, James W. WARNER, Daniel GILBERT, Simeon H. GOSS, Partridge PARSONS,Benjamin NICHOLS, Hervey SMITH, Hosea PALMER, Alexander S. PALMER, Richard HUSON,Martin DUNN, Walter WOLCOTT, Hiland G. WOLCOTT, John D. WOLCOTT, Roscius MORSE,Emerson W. ROGERS, William S. PURDY, John H. SHAW, J. H. CHAPMAN, George Z.NOBLE, G. Z. DIMOCK, D. D. BARTHOLOMEW, Ashbell R. OTIS.

In 1824 a Masonic Lodge was established inthis place and named Reading Lodge. Among its early members were, Samuel KRESS, Jr., John J.SMITH, Nathaniel HUSON, Dr. Hosea PALMER, John SPICER, Jonathan BAILEY, SamuelHARPENDING, Ichabod ANDREWS, John T. ANDREWS, James TAYLOR, Dr. Enos BARNES,Samuel L. BIGELOW, Harry C. LEONARD, Elisha WARD, Rev. Samuel WHITE, JamesNORTON, Timothy HURD, Jacob WOOD, Patrick QUIN, Patrick BRODERICK, John DOW,Amherst ANDREWS, John and David CULVER, George REEDER, William HUTCHINSON, JesseS. LAYTON, Richard and Philo HURD, Dr. Henry SPENCE, ElderJohn B. CHASE, Joseph C. LEWIS, John S. SUTPHEN, Sherlock and Dr. Anson ANDREWS,Daniel and Sylvenus ARNOLD. In 1848it was organized as Dundee Lodge, and now consists of about 200 members. Among those who were Masters of Reading Lodge, are Dr. HoseaPALMER, Samuel KRESS, Jr., Ichabod ANDREWS, John DOW, Samuel HARPENDING, John T.ANDREWS, James TAYLOR, Dr. Enos BARNES, Harry C. LEONARD. The Masters of Dundee Lodge, have been Dr. Hosea PALMER, Samuel KRESS,Jr., Edward HOOGLAND, Dr. John H. SHAW, Dr. J. H. CHAPMAN, Dr. Emerson W.ROGERS, James SPICER, Uriah HAIR, John T. ANDREWS, Samuel K. HUSON, DariusPERRY.

The Postmasters of this place have beenSamuel HARPENDING, who wasappointed in 1825, Nehemiah RAPLEE, appointed in 1827, holding the office till1841, when Anthony C. HARPENDING was appointed, and under the John TYLERsucceeded by Edward HOOGLAND. Afterhim came Lucien C. MURDOCK, and Samuel S. BENHAM. Harvey G. STAFFORD was appointed and held the office under TAYLOR andFILLMORE; Harmon B. CHURCH was appointed under PIERCE, and succeeded by SamuelS. BENHAM. In 1861 James HOLMES wasappointed and holds the office in 1872, James C. LANNING held the office sixmonths, during the administration of Andrew JOHNSON.

The first Board of Trustees in Dundee wereJames L. SEELY, Alvah WRIGHT, Samuel S. BENHAM, Elam A. HOGEBOOM. Edward HOOGLAND was the first Clerk, Joseph B. GANO, Treasurer, JosephIRETON, Collector, Nehemiah RAPLEE, James HOLMES and Anthony C. HARPENDING,Assessors. James L. SEELY was the first President of the Board. At the first election but 47 votes were cast, all for one ticket. The succeeding Presidents of the Board of Trustees have been John T.ANDREWS, Alva WRIGHT, James L. SEELY, Herschel W. PIERCE, Dr. Roscius MORSE,Jefferson T. RAPLEE, Horace DEXTER, James HOLMES, James SPICER in 1858, JamesHUNTINGTON, James SPICER in 1860 and 1861, Hiland G. WOLCOTT, DeWit C. BEEKMANin 1863 and 1864, George W. KINGSLEY, James KING, William H. HARRINGTON in 1868and 1869, Lyman BALLARD, Smith SHOEMAKER, James M. SHOEMAKER in 1872.

The fire of September 14, 1859, in Dundee,destroyed property to the amount of $25,000, including the ELLIS House, andseveral other places of business. The loss was but slightly covered by insurance. The fire of November, 1860, caused a loss of $60,000, including theHarpending block and several stores, with the Record office; insurance, $37,000. By the fire of March 1, 1861, there was a loss of $76,000, insurance$42,000. The last fire consumed alarge share of the business portion of the village.

James T. GIFFORD, who gave Dundee its name,came from Binghamton in 1832, and built a race and saw-mill, near the UnionGrist Mill. He was a man of simplehabits and sterling character, as well as thorough enterprise. He left the place in 1835, and founded the city of Elgin, Illinois, whichplace he also named.

The population of Dundee by the census of1855 was 732; 1860, 733; 1865, 733; 1870, 730. The altitude of Dundee above Seneca Lake is 507 feet.

The Dundee Record was established inJanuary 1844, by Gifford J. BOOTH, son of Elder Elisha BOOTH, at an early perioda Baptist preacher, in Wayne, (now Barrington). The old type on which it was first printed, had been first used at Ithacaby Mack & Andruss, afterwards at Hammondsport, by David FAIRCHILD, and laterstill at Addison, where Oliver DENISON printed a newspaper edited by ElishaBOOTH, his father-in-law. With anold Ramage press, and Oliver DENISON to take charge of the office, the Recordwas started, the office being located in the second story of Dr. RichardHUSON�s office. The sheet was 22 by 19 and �� in size. Its original articles were chiefly contributed by citizens ofthe place. After a few monthsWilliam BUTMAN, another son-in-law of Elisha BOOTH, became one of itsproprietors. BOOTH retired somemonths later, leaving BUTMAN sole proprietor, but in 1846 took it back again andbecame full owner of the establishment, which he sold to Edward HOOGLAND, in1848. HOOGLAND conducted the paperwith much spirit till 1854, when he sold to John J. DIEFENDORF.

Under the management of HOOGLAND, who was avivacious editor, the paper attained a circulation of upwards of 1,000. Among his enterprises was the publication of biographical sketches ofleading citizens with portraits. Amongthose noticed in this way were Samuel HARPENDING, Abraham WAGENER, William M.OLIVER, John DOW, and HOOGLAND himself. DIEFENDORFwas a lawyer, but a man of much less force than HOOGLAND, and he made a paperless interesting. In 1858DIEFENDORT sold to David S. BRUNER, a young man of character and fair ability,educated at Starkey Seminary, and a brother of Henry A. BRUNER. In his hands the paper was prosperous. In November, 1860, the office was burned, and was nearly a total loss. Mr. BRUNER immediately replaced the office and commenced anew thepublication of the Record, when in March 1861, in the great fire than desolatedthe village, on that occasion the office was again destroyed. In June of the same year he was again able to commence its publication. In October, 1862 he sold the concern to George D. A. BRIDGMAN, whoreduced it in size, and conducted it six months, with a political tone notadapted to the locality, which reduced its circulation. He then sold it to James M. WESCOTT, who conducts it still in 1872. Mr. WESCOTT has made the paper decidedly Republican though not strictlypartizan in its sentiments, and a vehement organ of Temperance.

David S. BRUNER after leaving Dundee, unitedwith his brother, Henry A. BRUNER, in the publication of the Orleans American,at Albion, NY. He died ofconsumption in 1868, leaving a widow and one child.

The Dundee Herald was established in 1867 byOliver DENISON and T. Wm. HODSON. Itwas a paper of little worth, and the following year was sold to Thomas ROBINSON,who changed its name to that of Dundee Expositor. ROBINSON traded the paper with G. D. A. BRIDGMAN for the Penn Yan Expressin 1869, and BRIDGMAN finding the publication of the paper unprofitablesuspended it in the Spring of 1870.

The Dundee Telegraph was established in thelatter part of 1871, by William DRYSDALE, a young man, son of Rev. Walter S.DRYSDALE, the Presbyterian Pastor now resident at Dundee.

On an island of eight acres in Big Stream,at Dundee, there is a Salt Spring which is believed to be of considerable value. The Indians had resorted to it for making salt, and about 1850 George P.ROSE undertook to develop the Spring and test its qualities. He obtained a considerable flow of brine, and boiled it for some timewith a block of about 20 kettles. Hemanufactured several hundred bushels of salt, but the need of more capital toovercome the difficulties of the situation, deterred him from prosecuting thework. Edward HOOGLAND endeavored toobtain aid from the State, but without success. In 1865 Jefferson T. RAPLEE organized a company to bore atthis point for petroleum, afterwards including the manufacture of salt in theobjects of the charter. About$5,000 was expended in this enterprise. Oneboring at the depth of 300 feet gave a copious flow of salt water, from which asuperior quality of salt was made. Anotherwell, 800 feet in depth gave no better brine than the former one. There was a great flow of gas, sufficient in volume, it was believed, forvery extensive illuminating purposes. Thedifficulty of keeping out the flow of fresh water caused the work to beabandoned.

How Rock Stream and Big Stream came by theirrespective names, has come down to this day in no record or tradition. The first will all its affluents is principally confined to the town ofStarkey. The second has twobranches above Dundee, one of which rises in Tyrone and flows through SunderlinHollow; the other and lesser, takes its rise in South Milo, and flows throughChubb Hollow. They form a junctionabout one mile west of Dundee. Thestream thus formed furnished until recent years abundant water power for verynumerous saw-mills and several grist mills, all of which found eligiblelocations on its banks. It isimpossible now to tell when all the earlier mills were erected, or how many havebeen built, on this remarkable stream.

The first was a saw-mill, erected by Abnerand Timothy HURD, in 1805, Dr. Jacob PEASE built the second, and Isaac STARKprobably the third. The first gristmill on this stream was built in 1807, by Wickham & Murray, and not by Gen.Timothy HURD, in 1811, as inadvertently stated on page 899. He however, built a mill in that year, which was the first one built byhim. The third grist mill on thestream was built in 1812, by Griffin B. HAZARD, about one mile below Dundee. James NORTON built in 1817 the mills known as Norton�s Mills, and thesame year Richard and Philo HURD & Co. built a mill a short distance belowthe Hazard mill which was called the second Hurd mill. It was long known as Carmichael�s mill, James H. CARMICHAEL beings itsowner and operator many years. Itis now sometimes called the Red mill. TheStone mill, which is considered one of the best on the stream, was built in 1836by Clarkson MARTIN on a site previously occupied by a mill owned by John C.SHANNON Sr., and erected in 1813.

James M. WESCOTT gives the followingstatement of mills in operation on Big Stream in 1839. At the lake were a saw-mill, plaster mill, flouring mill and woolenfactory operated from one dam at the head of the falls, which are said to be 100feet high. Next was the carding andclothing dressing establishment of Gen. Timothy HURD, erected by James NORTON. Above this, and at the road crossing near Gen. HURD�s flouring mill, asaw-mill and a plaster mill, operated from one dam, next was Ira CRANDALL�ssaw-mill, and above this David PETERSON had a gun shop, with a turning lathe. Then came the Stone mill, at which there was also a saw-mill,and next the Carmichael mill and another saw-mill; still further up James P.HAZARD had a wool carding and cloth dressing establishment, a grist mill,plaster mill and saw-mill run from one dam. Next was the Dundee mill, and another saw-mill, and next the Union mill,and three saw-mills, the grist mill drawing its water from a dam, above thatwhich supplied the saw-mills. Therewas also a tannery at this point, built in 1837 by Alva and Joseph WRIGHT. On the Old Preemption Line Daniel HUSTED had a saw-mill and woolenmanufactory, which did a good business in their day. This property is now owned by Clinton RAPLEE. The woolen factory is gone, and its place is occupied by a steam gristmill, a cider mill with eight presses, and a saw-mill. On the south branch John SPICER had a new saw-mill, above him DennisSUNDERLIN, John WRIGHT, and Benjamin SACKET had saw-mills. On a lateral of this branch, known as Gravel Run, which rises in thevicinity of �Six Corners,� in Barrington, and enters the main stream nearthe confluence of the two branches, is a saw-mill known in 1839 as Detro�smill, and now owned by Alonzo WINTERS. Another lateral rises near William OVENSHIRE�s and discharges into the mainstream near the SHOEMAKER farm. Onthis were two saw-mills in 1839, one owned by John BEERS, the other by BenjaminCOOLBAUGH. On the Chubb Hollowbranch was a saw-mill on the main stream, one near it on a lateral, and anotheron a second lateral. All these wereoperated profitably in 1839. Theonly one now kept up, above Clinton RAPLEE�s is the mill of Alonzo WINTERS. The Union mill, the Dundee mill, the Stone mill, the Red mill, and themill at Big Stream Point, are the only grist mills now operated below RAPLEE�s. Saw-mills are now kept up at the same points where the grist mills are. There is little else done by water power now on Big Stream.

In 1817 Silas WICKES built a grist mill onRock Stream below the farm now occupied by Reuben B. HENDERSON. It was not long kept in operation.

The law erecting the town of Reading waspassed in 1806, the first town meeting was held at the house of Abner HURD, onthe 24^th day of June following, and the officers elected were asfollows.

Commissionersof Highways--Elisha BENEDICT, Philemon E. FRENCH and Daniel DeWITT.

John DOW was re-elected Supervisor and heldthe office during the first 13 years after the organization of the town. John ROBERTS was then Supervisor one year, Timothy HURD six years, whichbrings us to the erection of the town of Starkey. Abner HURD was Town Clerk five years, Harry SMITH three, James NORTONeight, and Timothy HURD two. DanielDeWITT was Justice of the Peace and Commissioner of Highways until his death. Dr. John WARNER was Overseer of the Poor and SchoolCommissioner seven years. JamesTAYLOR, Dr. Walter WOLCOTT, Silas BEERS and John O. COOK were also Commissionersof Schools. Dr. Enos BARNES, JamesTAYLOR, Dr. Walter WOLCOTT, Benjamin CHEEVER, Dr. John WARNER, and WalterDICKINSON, were frequently Inspectors of Common Schools.

The last town meeting held in the town ofReading, including the territory of Starkey, was held in the Spring of 1825. The act erecting the town of Starkey was passed the year before but didnot take effect till 1826. The townmeeting was held in 1825, at the inn of Isaac P. SEYMOUR, in Eddytown, and thefollowing officers were chosen.

Constables--MelvinSCHENK, Garret HARING, William PLUMMER. Collector--GarretHARING.

FenceViewers--Drs. Walter WOLCOTT, Enos BARNES, Hosea PALMER, Moses C. KELLOGG, HenrySPENCE, John WARNER.

The first town meeting in the town ofStarkey was held April 4, 1826, at the house of Stephen REEDER, at StarkeyCorners, and the officers chosen were the following.

Constables--HoraceHENDERSON, Porter P. VAN VALKENBURG, William PLUMMER. Collector--William PLUMMER.

Inspectorsof Common Schools--Burgess TRUESDALE, James H. WICKES, Walter WOLCOTT.

FenceViewers--Benjamin E. JONES, Nathaniel HUSON, Samuel L. BIGELOW, William BASKIN.

PoundMasters--Calvin TAYLOR, Samuel HALE, Richard TORRANCE, Samuel HARPENDING, HenryCONKLIN.

Justices of the Peace--Daniel DeWitt, HarrySMITH, John DOW, George KRESS, John ROBERTS, James NORTON, Richard LANNING, JohnO. COOK, were Justices of the Peace by appointment in the old town of Reading. The last three, together with John STARKEY, were the first four electedin the town of Starkey. Theelection was held in 1827. AndrewG. MARSHALL was elected in 1830 and 1834; Abel PIERCE in 1829 and 1831; Isaac P.SEYMOUR in 1828, 1832, 1836 and 1840; James L. SEELY in 1833 and 1841; DavidSEMANS in 1835; John L. LEWIS, Sr. in 1837; Stephen HURD in 1838; William R.BRIGGS in 1829, 1839, 1843, 1847 and 1856; Horace HENDERSON in 1842 and 1846;Isaac LANNING in 1844 and 1848; Joseph B. GANO in 1845; James HOLMES in 1849 and1859; Reuben R. HENDERSON in 1850, 1854 and 1858; Adna SAWYER in 1851; WilliamANDREWS in 1852; Hiland G. WOLCOTT in 1853, 1866 and 1869; John J. DIEFENDORT in1855; Dennis W. DISBROW in 1857; Lewis J. WILKIN in 1859, 1863 and 1867;Vermilyea T. BROUWERE in 1859; Thomas B. CURTIS in 1860 and 1864; James L.KETCHUM in 1861; Calvin SHARP in 1862 and 1870; Daniel MILLSPAUGH in 1865;Harlow SOFIELD in 1866; Montgomery McLOUD in 1868 and 1872; James P. HENDERSONin 1870; and James M. LETTS in 1871.

Town Clerks.--Isaac P. SEYMOUR was electedin 1827; Hiram BELL in 1828; James HUNTINGTON in 1829, 1830, 1831, 1832, 1833and 1834; Dr. Benjamin NICHOLS in 1835; Richard HUSON in 1836; Harvey G.STAFFORD in 1837; Anthony C. HARPENDING in 1838; Samuel KRESS, Jr. in 1839,1840, 1841 and 1842; Hiland G. WOLCOTT in 1843; Samuel S. BENHAM in 1844 and1850; Simeon ROYCE in 1845, 1847 and 1849; Dan TOMPKINS in 1846; William S.PURDY in 1848; Ashbel HOLLISTER in 1851; Allen B. WILSON in 1852; Abram SLEEPERin 1853; Henry A. WISNER in 1854; Horace DEXTER in 1855; Wilbur F. DIEFENDORF in1856; Hiram MURDOCK was appointed in the same year; William F. SAGE was electedin 1857 and 1858; Horace J. KIDDER in 1859, 1860 and 1861; Wesley BENEDICT in1862, 1863, 1864, 1865, 1866, 1871 and 1872; Clark SMITH in 1867, 1868, 1869 and1870.

Since the offices of Commissioners andInspectors of Common Schools were abolished, in 1843, and the office of TownSuperintendent of Common Schools was created, the following have been TownSuperintendents--Dr. Walter WOLCOTT, Hiram A. NEWCOMB, Herschell W. PIERCE andLewis J. WILKIN.

Collectors--Harry SMITH was collector in theold town of Reading in 1807; Eden BOOTH in 1808; David THOMPSON in 1809;Philemon E. FRENCH, 1810, 1812; Thomas FITZSIMMONS, 1811 to 1816; Simeon ROYCE,1817; Rockwell ROOD, 1818; Patrick QUIN, 1819 to 1821; Garrett HARING, 1822 to1825. William PLUMMER was electedcollector in Starkey 1826 to 1829; Reuben HILL, Jr., 1830 to 1832, John ROYCE,1833 to 1836; Joshua T. KINGIN, 1838; Moses HURD, 1839; Marvin BYINGTON, 1840;Calvin SHARP, 1841; John MITCHELL, 1842, 1847, 1849; Ebenezer P. SILSBEE, 1843; Jesse G. ANDREWS, 1844; Jacob WALLING, 1845, 1846; GeorgeW. HORN, 1848; William F. SAGE, 1850, 1859; Harry H. KINGIN, 1851; RoyalLINCOLN, 1852, 1854; George A. RINGER; 1853; James SPICER, 1855, 1856; JonathanMOORE, 1857, 1860; Martin BEAM, 1858; William RINGER; 1861; William McCONNELL,1862, 1863; Theodorus C. RICH, 1864; Peleg BRIGGS, 1865; Horace EMBREE, 1866;William D. SEMANS, 1867; Timothy J. TERRILL, 1868; Simpson HALLOCK, 1869; EdwardM. CARPENTER, 1870; Philo ANDREWS, 1871; Henry A. WILMOTT, 1872.

Sept. 26, 1821, a Special Town Meeting washeld, and John DOW was elected Supervisor, to fill the vacancy occasioned by theabsence of Timothy HURD, attending the Convention to amend the constitution.

In 1807 a bounty of $8 was voted for everywolf killed in the town, $1 for every full grown bear, and 50 cents for everycub. The bounties were abolishedthe next year and not afterwards paid.

Town meetings were held from 1806 to 1809 atthe house of Abner HURD; in 1810 and 1812, Caleb FULKERSON�s 1811, 1813, and1816, Timothy HURD�s; 1814 and 1817, David CULVER�s; 1815, Andrew RAPLEE�s;1818-19-20-21, School house of district number seven; 1822-23, Elijah CARVER�s,Rock Stream; 1824-25, Isaac P. SEYMOUR�s; 1826 to 1829, Stephen REEDER�s;1827, William R. KELSEY�s, Eddytown; 1828, 1833, 1839, 1841, 1843, and 1845,Samuel HARPENDING�s; 1830-1-2, Alexander HEMIUP�s, Eddytown; 1834 and 1836,Drake�s, Eddytown; 1835 and 1848, Andrew HARPENDING�s; 1837, Jesse G.ANDREWS�, Dundee; 1838 and 1840, Valentine WORDEN�s, Eddytown; 1842, ThomasS. PAGE�s Eddytown; 1844, Lewis M. EATON�s, Eddytown; 1846, John ROOF�s,Eddytown; 1847, James SPICER�s Dundee; 1849, Abram R. DAINS, Eddytown; 1850,1853-54, at Samuel C. HARPENDING�s; 1851, Joseph McCAIN�s; 1852, LorenzoBARKMAN�s, Dundee; 1855-56, Justus ELLIS�, Dundee; 1857, at Rock Stream;1858 at the house of Andrew J. KRESS, Starkey Corners, thenceforth at Dundee.

Among the earlier Commissioners of Highwaywere Daniel DeWITT, David CULVER, Jr., Philemon E. FRENCH, Andrew RAPLEE, IsaacSTARK, Daniel SHANNON, John TAYLOR, Timothy HURD, James ROBERTS, John DeWITT,Stephen REEDER, Ichabod ANDREWS, Joshua TUTHILL, Garrett HARING, FrederickHAYNES; Elisha CLARK, Isaac LANNING, Abel PIERCE. The overseers of Highways in 1806 were Elisha BENEDICT, David CULVER,Elisha WARD, Caleb FULKERSON, Timothy HURD, Samuel KRESS, and Robert BAKER. In 1807 they were Thomas TORRANCE, Abner HURD, David CULVER, John HOWARD,Elisha CLARK, Samuel SHOEMAKER, Dr. Jacob PEASE, Samuel KRESS.

In June, 1806, was surveyed from the head ofSeneca Lake to Big Stream, the present Lake road. The same road was cut open through the woods in 1804.

The same year (1806) the inhabitants of EddySettlement, and those of Frederickstown, working each way, opened a road leadingto Bath, and meeting west of the Old Premption Line, not far from the formerpremises of Samuel SPINK. This roadcrossed Big Stream at the point where Wickham & Murray soon after erected agrist mill.

A road was surveyed December 22, 1806,leading from Eddy Settlement to the north line of Reading, first to theresidence of Daniel SHANNON, and thence north and west to �the Potter Housewhere Brundage lived,� and passing the same to the Friend�s Settlement.

The next day a road was laid out beginningat the bank of Seneca Lake, on White Run, and running westwardly by an irregularcourse, to the highway in the north line of Daniel DeWITT�s land, inBennett�s settlement, DeWITT being then the only magistrate in the town, andAndrew RAPLEE having a distillery in the same neighborhood.

On the 29^th of the same month, aroad was surveyed from the north line of Daniel DeWITT�s land westwardly tothe west line of the town.

What was called the �old road� from EddySettlement to Stephen CARD�s, was nearly the present route, that surveyed byDaniel SHANNON�s early residence nearer the Lake remains, except so much aslaid south of Starkey railway station, which has been long abandoned.

In February, 1807, Daniel DeWITT andPhilemon E. FRENCH, who laid out the earliest roads, caused one to be surveyednorth and south through the present town of Starkey, known as the Lake road.

November 13, 1807, a road was surveyed fromBig Stream Falls to Bennett�s Settlement, by way of Richard LANNING�s andending at Andrew RAPLEE�s Tavern.

What was called the old Catharine roadfollowed very nearly the original Indian trail by way of Irelandville, ReadingCenter and Bennett�s Settlement, and bearing thence eastwardly to StephenCARD�s, formed a junction with the Eddytown road, at the county line or northboundary of Starkey.

The new Catharine road diverged from the oldby way of �Canada Settlement,� crossing Big Stream at the Stone Mill runeast of the New Preemption Line and about parallel there with, by way of RichardLANNING�s to the same junction with the Eddytown road at the county line.

One of the very first roads made was fromSeneca Lake west to the main road, running south-westwardly and westwardly byway of John SEARS� mill to where Isaac LANNING�s blacksmith shop now stands. That road has long been abandoned.

Many other particulars might be given inregard to the laying out of the early roads, but most of the first surveys forhighways have been greatly changed, very few remaining as they were originallylaid out. The lines of lots werenot very much respected at first, but afterwards were as far as possibleconformed to.

There were seven road districts in Readingin 1806, eight in 1807, nine 1808, 13 in 1809; 15 in 1810, 17 in 1812, 25 in1813, 28 in 1816; 30 in 1817, 40 in 1818, 44 in 1820, 53 in 1824.

Isaac ANDREWS, the old Surveyor, whosurveyed most of the early roads was of New England birth, a man of educationand elevated moral character. Hewas a Presbyterian and a Mason and in his declining years was cared for by thosesocieties. He was buried withMasonic honors by the old Reading Lodge, at Dundee, in the southwest corner ofthe Baptist Church yard, where his wife was also buried.

In 1851 a Plank Road was built from StarkeyPoint, by way of Dundee and Sunderlin Hollow to the county line in the directionof Wayne. It was discontinued in1856.

It was voted in 1808 that persons bringingcattle into the town to run at large shall pay a fine of 25 cents a head.

The first deed given to any of the earlysettlers in the town was given in 1797 to Thomas MANWARING. The second was given by Jacob RYRESS to John RYRESS in 1798. After these followed in 1806 Charles WILLIAMSON to Abel BOTSFORD, SimeonPOTTER to Daniel SHANNON, Richard HENDERSON to Thomas MANWARING, Arnold POTTERto James ROBLIER, Simeon POTTER to William BASKIN, Wilkes and Simond to SamuelGUSTIN, also to Matthew ROYCE and Reuben HENDERSON. In 1807 and 1808 conveyances were given as follows: Jonathan LaRUE toPhineas CLARK, Simeon POTTER to Daniel SHANNON, also the same to Stephen RAPLEE,and to John PLANT, James ENNIS to Joel COYKENDALL, William POTTER to SimeonPOTTER, also to his daughter Alice HAZARD, Phineas CLARK to Elisha CLARK, JamesRAPLEE to Ezra RAPLEE, Silas SPINK to Ezra SPINK, John HORNBY to John O. COOK,Wilkes and Simond to John PETERSON.

It is related by an early settler that HarrySPRY and Polly KRESS were the first couple married within the bounds of Starkey. By another that they were married in 1803. And by another it is claimed that Eden BOOTH and Sally BIGGER were firstwedded. Among the first births inthe town was that of a pair of twins, children of Jonathan BENNETT. The death of Archibald ELLIS by quick consumption, in 1804,was the first in Eddy Settlement. DavidPERRY and one ROBERTS, who died in 1804, in Bennett�s Settlement, it isclaimed were the first deaths in the town. A child of Eliphalet CLARK was drowned in 1803.

In 1830 two slave holders from Virginiavisited Eddytown in quest of half a dozen of their escaped slaves.

They arrested three in the harvest field ofZenas P. KELSEY, and one near the Red Mill. Two others at work for Silas SPINK, by contrivance of Isaac LANNING werenotified of their danger and escaped. Thepeople were not a little excited by the transaction, but the slaveholders havingthe law in their favor were reluctantly permitted to carry off their chattels.

Within the territory embraced in Starkeythere were three distilleries in 1806, Andrew HARRISON�s at Eddytown, AndrewRAPLEE�s in Bennett�s Settlement, and O. KEELER�s in �Beartown.� The same territory could boast 12 distilleries in full blast at one timebefore it had a meeting house. Amongthese was one owned by George YOUNGS of Milo. Simeon ROYCE had one in 1813, and later. Whisky seemed to be as indispensable as milk to the pioneers.

Before John STARKEY established the firstPost office in the town, the mail from Owego to Canandaigua was carried onhorseback once a week each way. DanielBROWN, of Benton, carried newspapers and sold them over the route fromCanandaigua through the Friend�s Settlement, thence through Bennett�sSettlement, from thence to Abner HURD�s in Eddy Settlement, which was the endof his route.

The strip of land in Starkey known as theGarter is about 80 rods wide, lying eastward of the Old Preemption Line, andextending southward from Carpenter�s Location to within about � a mile of thesouth line of the town.

A gun-barrel factory was erected in 1817,just above Big Stream Point, by Phineas Thompson, by whom it was kept up severalyears.

There is a mineral spring on the farm ofHarriet EDGARTON at Rock Stream, which is believed to be of considerable valuefor curative purposes.

A remarkable mirage was seen in the Springof 1868 by a young man, a student of Starkey Seminary. He saw suspended over Seneca Lake a beautiful landscape, previouslyunknown to him, and his description proved it a district on the eastern shore ofCayuga Lake.

Concerning the privations of early settlersin this town it is related that many were obliged to suffer letters directed tothem to be returned to the dead letter office for the lack of 18 � cents to paythe postage. Simeon ROYCE carriedstraw on his back several miles to keep his cow alive. Another man living south of Big Stream going for Dr. WARNER at night wastreed by the wolves and had to remain in the tree till daylight appeared. Some lived for months almost entirely on roots and venison. Godfrey SHOEMAKER, to pay a debt of $7 had to allow the constable to sella horse worth $150.

Among the casualties on Big Stream Creek,was the drowning of the young man, Miles HOLLISTER, while engaged in sheepwashing in a deep pool just east of the Eddytown road, about 1820; Amos TUCKERdrowned at the age of 20, in Timothy HURD�s mill pond, in 1824; Watson DISBROW,drowned at 22, in 1839, while washing sheep in the pool mentioned; and a Mr.DAVIS, at the mouth of the stream about 1846. Aaron McCONNELL was killed about 1828, falling from the bridge on theEddytown road, to the bottom of the ravine.

In 1811 Philo HURD built a saw mill that dida large amount of business, on what has since been known as Mill Gully, whichempties into the Lake a little north of Fir Tree Point and one mile south ofRock Stream. The mill was 20 rodsfrom the Lake, and the highway leading to Fir Tree Point crosses the dam. The lumber was conveyed by a steep slide to the Lake, and marketed atGeneva.

In 1816 an epidemic raged called a winterfever, which caused many deaths, and it is stated that at one time more peoplewere sick than well. Dr. WARNER,the principal physician, had more calls than he could attend to, but the peoplewere so poor his profession would hardly support his family.

In those days the women would often plantand hoe corn, pull flax, rake hay and grain, and help in most sorts of out-doorlabor.

The children, almost without exception, wentbare-footed in summer, and girls were glad to work out at house work orspinning. The industry andself-denial of all made a better day for their successors.

By the census of 1800 the town ofFrederickstown had a population of 258, and Reading, erected in 1806, had apopulation of 1210 in 1810. Thiswas increased to 1754, in 1814; to 3009, in 1820; and 3431 in 1825.

Starkey, erected in 1824, had no separatecensus till 1830, when its population was 2,285 increased to 2,400 in 1835; to2,426 in 1840; to 2,539 in 1845; to 2,675 in 1850. It fell back to 2,428 in 1855; increased to 2,542 in 1860; decreased to2,394 in 1865; and still further to 2,372 in 1870.

In 1810 the town of Reading has 32Senatorial Electors. These werecitizens who possessed a freehold estate worth �100, andwere hereby authorized to vote for Governor, Lieut. Governor and State Senators. The town of Wayne had at that time 57 Senatorial Electors;Jerusalem 44, and 96 families; Middlesex 130, and 180 families; Benton 320 and571 families.

In1820 the town of Reading had 501 farmers, 2 traders, 152 mechanics; 10foreigners not naturalized, 12 free blacks, 2 slaves; taxable property,$110,353; Schools, 15, taught six months in the year; pupils attending theschools, 857; public school fund, $134.79; electors, 537; acres of improvedland, 15,010; cattle 3,784; horses, 640; sheep, 10,203; yards of fulled clothmanufactured, 22,122; grist mills, 9; saw mills, 16; one oil mill; fullingmills, 3; carding machines, 4; distilleries, 3; asheries, 5. In 1829 Starkey had of improved land, 9,764 acres; unimproved, 7,336acres.

Starkeyin 1840 gave account of one furnace that produced annually 100 tons ofmanufactured products, employed $13,000 of capital, and four men, and consumed180 tons of fuel. By the samecensus there were 738 horses, 2,024 neat cattle, 4,852 sheep, 2,002 swine,poultry valued at $1,325; bushels wheat grown the previous year, 44,776; rye,262; barley, 1,480; oats, 13,093; buckwheat, 3,587; corn, 15,256; wool, 11, 393pounds; potatoes, 11,061 bushels; hay, 2,704 tons; silk cocoons, 40 lbs.; maplesugar, 600 lbs.; dairy products valued at $10,077; products of orchards, $2,374;value of home-made or family goods $18,725. There were 12 retail stores, with a capital of $34,500employing 26 men. Value of lumberproduced, $5,400, with 16 men employed. Valueof metallic manufacturers, $6,000. Onemarble manufactory employed two men, and its products were valued at $400. Brick and lime manufacturing employed 4 men, and produced $1,200. Four fulling mills and one woolen factory, employed 15 men, $1,200capital and gave $11,600 worth of products. Two tanneries, employed $6,200 of capital and made 150 sides of soleleather and 450 of upper leather. Twoother manufactories of leather products employed $2,500 of capital and yieldedproducts valued at 6,500. Thetanneries, saddlers and shoe manufactories employed 19 men. Carriages and wagons were manufactured to the amount of $2,600, with acapital invested of $2,350, and 8 men employed. Two flouring mills made 9000 barrels of flour. There were four grist mills, 12 saw mills. The products of all the mills was valued at $68,600, with a capital of$51,300 and 22 men employed. Furniturewas manufactured to the amount of $900 by three men, employing $500 of capital. Eight wooden houses were built the previous year by 17 men, at a cost of$6,500. The valuation of all othermanufactories was $3,250, with a capital invested of 1,750. The total capital employed in manufactories was $80,000.

In1855 Starkey had 583 native and 12 naturalized voters; 527 families; 316 ownersof land; 32 persons over 21 unable to read and write; of its citizens 1,129 werenatives of Yates County; 1,910 of the State of New York; 2,290 of the UnitedStates; 32 of England; 75 of Ireland, and 4 of Scotland. There were two stone dwellings, valued at $12,000; five of brick valuedat $14,450; also 460 framed, valued at $297,215, and 22 of logs, valued at $542.

Bythe census of 1855 Starkey had 15,858 acres of improved land, and 4062unimproved. Cash value of farms,$1,064,203; of stock, $120,508; of tools and implements, $30,372; acres of winterwheat sowed in 1853, 1,901; bushels harvested in 1854, 16,885; of oats, 1,558acres, bushels harvested, 27,967; of rye, 429 acres, bushels harvested, 5,296;of barley, 1,564 acres, bushels harvested, 19,659; of buckwheat, 657 acres,bushels harvested, 6,456; of corn, 1,358 acres, bushels harvested, 30,344; ofpotatoes, 147 acres, bushels gathered, 11,585; of beans, 29 acres, bushelsharvested, 298; bushels of apples, 23,927; barrels of cider, 572; maple sugar,231 lbs.; honey collected, 4,736 lbs., working oxen, 88; cows, 889; othercattle, 973; butter, 91,-299 lbs.; cheese, 4,123 lbs.; horses, 775; swine,1,507; sheep, 4,999; wool, 17,724 lbs.; value of poultry sold, $1,479; eggssold, $981. Fulled cloth made, 12yards; flannel, 33 yards; linen, 22 yards.

Therewas in 1855 one threshing machine manufactory which produced machines to thevalue of 4,200; three furnaces manufactured articles valued at $6,750. The products of one Steel Spring manufactory were valued at $1,200. One match factory, $2,000; one sash and blind factory, $2,583; one coachand wagon factory, $26,000, and employing 16 persons. There were five grist mills, worth as real estate, $15,700, using $26,800worth of raw materials, yielding $32,016 worth of products, and employing 13men. There were two saw mills,worth $5,000 as real estate, using $5,800 worth of raw materials, manufacturinglumber to the value of $8,500. Oneshingle manufactory, worth $12,000 as real estate, and $1,500 in tools andmachinery, made $860 worth of shingles. Two manufactories using leather, employed 11 persons andmanufactured products valued at $3,200, from $1,552 worth of raw material. One plaster mill ground $800 worth of plaster. One harness shop produced $700 worth of articles.

Bythe same census there was one Baptist church, worth $800 with real estate valuedat $1,700, seats for 400 persons, average attendance 150, communicants 125,minister�s salary, $700.

ThreePresbyterian churches were valued at $4,800, with real estate $600, had seatsfor 1,050 persons, average attendance 390, communicants 737, paid to ministers$1,000 yearly. Two Methodistchurches were valued at $7,000, other real estate of the same $600, had seatsfor 850 persons, average attendance 300, communicants 200, paid to ministers$875.

TwoChristian churches were valued at $3,600, had seats for 1,600 persons, averageattendance 110, communicants 85, paid ministers $400.

In1865 Starkey had 628 native and 23 naturalized voters, 534 families, 372 ownersof land, and 81 over 21 years of age unable to read and write. Of the whole population of the town, 1,146 were natives of Yates County,1,969 of the State of New York, 2,280 of the United States, 24 of England, 56 ofIreland, and 96 of all other foreign countries. There were two stone dwellings, valued at $9,000; three of brick, at$3,100 also 508 framed houses of the value of $355,-000, and 15 of logs, valuedat $730.

Bythe census of 1865, Starkey had 15,494 acres of improved land, and 4,016unimproved; cash value of farms, $1,448,221; of stock, $174,367; of tools andimplements, $37,936; acres plowed in 1864, 5,137 fallow, 440; acres in pasturein 1864, 3,981; in 1865, 4,011; acres meadow in 1864, 2,916; in 1865, 3,108;tons of hay in 1864, 2,920; acres winter wheat sown in 1863, 2,120; in 1864,2,048; bushels harvested in 1864, 20,363; acres oats in 1864, 1,231; in 1865,1,266; bushels harvested in 1864, 20,155, acres rye sowed 1853, 243; in 1864,108; bushels harvested in 1864, 1,357; acres barley sowed 1864, 1,419; in 1865,1,584; bushels harvested in 1864, 18,145; acres buckwheat in 1864; 335; in 1865,235; bushels harvested in 1864, 6,568; corn planted in 1864, 1,112 acres; in1865, 1,274 acres; bushels harvested in 1864, 34,780; acres potatoes in 1864,105; bushels harvested, 12,911; acres of flax in 1864, 15; pounds of lint, 800;acres of tobacco in 1864, 44; in 1865, 20; pounds harvested in 1864, 67,860. Number of apple trees, 14,216; bushels gathered in 1864, 23,553; barrelscider 588; pounds maple sugar 635; gallons maple molasses 86; gallons grape wine185; pounds of honey, 1,428. Workingoxen 16; cows 840; other cattle 904. Beeveskilled 295; pounds of butter 84,561; pounds of cheese 3,261. Horses 780; swine slaughtered in 1864, 889; pork, 190,040 pounds. Sheep shorn in 1864, 9,685; in 1865, 8,947;

lambsraised in 1864, 2,494, in 1865, 2,764; wool shorn in 1864, 42,557 pounds; in1865, 41,924; sheep slaughtered in 1864, 329; killed by dogs, 12. Value of poultry in 1865, $2,634; value sold in 1864 $2,338; value ofeggs sold in 1864, $1,512. Value of manures and fertilizers bought in 1864, $1,355. Flannel manufactured in 1864, 25 yards; of linen 12 yards.

Therewere two carriage shops with $2,200 capital, producing $7,650 worth of products. One Boot and Shoe shop with $1,800 capital, producing $2,200 worth offabrics; one harness shop with $1,150 worth of capital, producing $1,860 worthof fabrics; one cabinet shop with $3,000 capital, producing fabrics worth$1,000; one clothing establishment producing fabrics worth $6,500, with capitalof $1,600. One Baptist church withlot worth $5,000, seating capacity 300, attendants 150, communicants 181, salaryof Pastors $700. Two Christianchurches, worth with lots, $3,000, seating capacity 750, attendants 65,communicants 110, salary $300. ThreeMethodist churches, worth $7,400, seating capacity 800, attendants 160,communicants 135, salary of ministers $1,100. One Presbyterian church worth $8,200, seating capacity 725, attendants225, communicants 137, salary $1,200.

Starkeysent 118 men to the war for the Union, of whom 37 died in the service. By the census of 1865 Starkey reported 459 male citizens between 18 and45.

Bythe census of 1870 Starkey had 192 farms, 548 dwellings, and 32 manufacturingestablishments.

Thelands of Starkey in proximity to the Lake, have become noted for vine culture,and are probably excelled by few if any localities in the production of thefruits of our climate. In theimmediate vicinity of the Lake, peaches seldom fail, and the crops are oftenenormous. In the neighborhood ofBig Stream and Rock Stream Points, the culture of fruit has advanced to largeproportions. The name of IsaacHILDRETH is worthy of remembrance, as a bold pioneer in the extension of treeand vineyard planting. His largepeach orchard of 40 acres and extended plantation of other varieties of fruit,at Glenora, are now chiefly the property of Alfrederick O. ARNOLD. Mr. HILDRETH commenced his operations at that place in 1848, and died in1864. He was born in 1815, inVermont, and came to Geneva at 19, where he engaged in the Morus Multicaulusculture, and became the first general nurseryman in that place. At the time of his death he was preparing a book on the cultivation oftobacco. He married in 1841 RachelLAMUNYON and had a second wife, Phebe CUNNINGHAM, whom he married in 1846. His children by the first marriage were Laura and Rachel and by thesecond, Isaac, Paul and Mary.

NAME	ACRES
Charles GRAHAN	2 �
William HENRY	1 �
Alfrederick O. ARNOLD	17
Amos H. ARNOLD	8
Mrs. Caroline A. MARSHALL	2
Ralph ALLEN	1
Ambrose SHARP	6
Dr. Alfred FORCE	6
George W. RUSCO	2
Dr. Frederick WILLIS	8
Lewis HALLOCK	4
George W. BUDD	6
Mrs. Phebe HILDRETH	3
Joshua K. INGALLS	3
William R. SUTTON	6
Ed. CARPENTER	2
Alfred SOFIELD	1
Nathaniel TOWNSEND	4
Lewis H. BRIDGMAN	�
A. GAY	7
J. Tilton OTIS, & Enos BARNES	8
Nelson SEMANS	4
Mrs. Martha JENISON	5
Col. BULL, of Bath	20
John R. BEARDSLEE	5
Dr. Byron SPENCE	20
Dennis W. DISBROW	2
S. D. ELLIOTT	3
Thomas LAMOREAUX	6
Timothy MAHONEY	3
Charles HUSON	10
Sebastian YOUNGS	6
Richard HULSE	12
Frank SEELEY	6
Benjamin FRENCH	6
Edmund CHADWICK	3
Bronson, McMillan & Co.	20
J. Elbridge GANO	10
Anson DUNLAP	12
John COLEMAN	6
William HULSE	5
John J. SMITH	6
Lewis SHANNON	4
Lewis SMITH	2
William BASKIN	5
Solomon MILLER	8
Henry SMITH	4
Charles WIXOM	20
Nelson JONES	4
H. Sandford KRESS	3
A. SLEEPER	15
Total:	333

Among these are cultivators of Pears,Peaches and other choice fruits, as follows:

Dr. Byron SPENCE, 10 acres; Edmund CHADWICK,8; Anson DUNLAP, 10; Bronson, McMillan & Co., 20; Frank SEELEY, 8; CharlesHUSON, 5.

Not least of the attractions of thisvicinity is the natural scenery. Everylandscape touching the Lake is one of beauty. Each side of the Lake viewed from its opposite, appears like a vast andfertile garden, in which nature and human effort have combined to plant delightsfor the eye as well as supply material comforts for the common life. The bold shores of the Lake, and the deep ravines of Big Stream, and RockStream, abound with picturesque features, which have become famous among thosewho admire these bold and romantic aspects of external nature. The railway bridge that spans Big Stream at an elevation notless than 250 feet above the Lake level, affords not only a fine picture fromthe Point below, but a dizzy downward sight to the passing traveler, who gazeswith wonder from his car window, at the rocky ravine and precipitous cascade farbelow him, and Point and Lake still lower, and glides over the yawning chasm,with a sense of relief quite equal to the pleasure inspired by the grandeur ofthe scene.

William C. POTTER, a young and talentedArtist of Elmira, during several successive seasons, made this locality aspecial study, and painted a number of landscapes at various points, which hisfriends have cherished with pride and satisfaction. Mr. POTTER also made a like study of Canandaigua Lake, and many of hispictures representing Bare Hill and other places on its banks are much prized atCanandaigua, where he died very suddenly in 1867.

Few localities in all our favored countryare so rich as this town of Starkey in advantages of soil, climate, scenery andsituation. Its abundant productsfind an easy and convenient market, and the fatness of the land has been welltransmuted into wealth and easy conditions of life by its enterprising farmers. If salubrity, material prosperity, and every advantage of mental andmoral culture at their doors, can make a happy, intelligent and exemplarycommunity, we should expect to find it here. Beginning with pioneers of the better class, it must be admitted therehas been no deterioration, but a gratifying progress in social elevation.

WilliamEDDY settled on the farm south of Eddytown now owned by Dennis W. DISBROW, wherehe remained several years. Later inlife he became possessed with the delusion that he had a fortune waiting for himin his native county. He sold hisproperty and returned to Ireland to find, like many other fortune hunters, thathis fortune was but a myth. Hefailed to find a person that had ever known or heard of him. He ended his life in an almshouse and died a pauper.

AssumingWilliam EDDY to have been the first permanent white settler, we find the next inorder was a colony from Sandgate, Vermont, who located in and around Eddytown,in the eastern part of the town of Starkey. Among the number were the three brothers, Mathew, Simeon and ReubenROYCE, Abner HURD and his three sons, Timothy, Aaron and Ransom, all in 1802. Andrew BOOTH came later, 1811, and was from the same locality as wasMoses HURD, who came in about the same time of the first colony and settled nearRock stream, and gave the early name of Hurd�s Corners to that place. New Jersey furnished a large quota. Among the number was David HAY, 1804; Andrew RAPALEE, 1806; Teval SWARTS,1807; Joseph C. LEWIS, David SHANNON, Stephen REEDER, Joshua TUTHILL, JamesSPROULS and Hiram TITSWORTH, wholocated in different parts of the town, mostly north of Dundee.

RichardLANNING and his three sons came from Wilkesbarre in 1802. George PLUMMER came from the same place in 1807, and locatedon the hill between Dundee and Eddytown. JohnSTARKEY and David SEMANS were originally from Maryland, but later from Senecacounty. Peter WALLACE, John O.COOK, Reuben THOMAS, Gideon THOMAS, Thomas ROZELL and Col. Elisha WARD settledthe southwest part of the town.

Themention of Col. Elisha WARD�s name recalls the memory of a horrible tragedywith which the family was sadly connected. Colonel WARD lived in the extreme south part of town on the county line. He was as well-to-do farmer and lived in better style than his neighbors. The family consisted of the parents and an infant child. There was boarding with them a man named BALDWIN, affectedslightly with insanity, but never known to be violent or dangerous. He became apparently very fond of the child, and the baby became equallyfond of him. BALDWIN would quietthe child when the mother failed. Ona certain day the child was unusually fretful. The mother gave the child to BALDWIN who said he could �still� it. He took it out of doors, laid it one the stump of a tree, and seizing anaxe, severed its head from the body. Turningto the mother he said, � the child is stilled.� The mother was frantic. Shecaught the headless body of her child and for a long time refused to relinquishit. BALDWIN was afterward cured ofhis malady and became an able lawyer.

Thefirst settlers where Dundee now stands were Isaac STARK, Anson STARK, WilliamDURLAND, Hendrick HOUGHTALING, Elias FITZWATER, Jonathan BOTSFORD, John WALTON,Benjamin POTTER, Isaac HOUTGHTALING, Lazarus REED, Joseph GREEN, residingchiefly on or near Big Stream. WhetherIsaac STARK was the first to settle on what in now the site of Dundee, orwhether the HOUGHTALING families were here before him, is a mooted question thatI have not been able to decide and on which the older inhabitants disagree. It is probable that both families came in the same year. In 1807 Isaac STARK built a double log house on the site now occupied byJames BIGELOW�s residence, corner of Main street east to the village limit andsouth to Big Stream. Mr. STARKoffered the whole tract for a pair of gray horses. The owner of the horses declined to accept the offer. The land was originally so densely covered with pitch pine trees that theolder inhabitants used to say a �single ray of sunlight could not penetratethem, and it was dusk at noon.� TheHOUGHTALINGS owned 200 acres on the north side of Seneca street. The land was called �pine barrens� and was considered oflittle value.

CalvinHONEY occupied a very prominent place in the early history of the village ofDundee. His failure, the first thatoccurred in the village, gave undue prominence to a very ordinary man. Mr. HONEY came from Troy, NY. Hehad formerly been engaged in the Hudson River trade, running a sloop, of whichhe was the owner, between Troy and New York. It is supposed that he had at some time had some experience as clerk insome mercantile establishment in Troy. Hehad accumulated a capital of $1,300, which he invested in the business of thefirm of Honey & Simmons. Thirteenhundred dollars was no mean sum in those times. The firm of Honey & Simmons was successful, and Mr. HONEY hadprobably added to his capital before commencing business on his own account. After the dissolution of the firm of Honey & Simmons, HONEY built astore on the corner of Main and Spring streets, was not successful in business,and in 1830 made an assignment for the benefit of his creditors to Samuel KRESS. HONEY was a dull, heavy man, and his personal appearance was notprepossessing. He was short, squarebuilt, stooped shouldered, dull eyed, of a tallow-colored complexion, and had adowncast look. His appearance wasthat of a common laborer. It usedto be said that � he would sell a bill of goods on credit, place a dunningletter in the package and sure the purchaser before he reached home.� After his failure he moved to Mount Morris, where he remained severalyears, and after serving a term in Auburn prison for grand larceny, he returnedto Dundee, where he remained until his death. The last years of his life he supported himself and family by working asa common laborer.

AlonzoSIMMONS was born in Washington County in the village of Whitehall. In his obituary notice we read that his �parents were only in moderatecircumstances, consequently his only heritage was an iron will, and industry andperseverance that knew no bounds.� Mr.SIMMONS was a clear-headed business many and a very successful merchant. He served in the War of 1812 with honor. After pursuing various avocations until 1824, he came into what is nowDundee, and in company with Calvin HONEY occupied the store at the corner ofMain and Union streets, built for them by Samuel HARPENDING. After a few years the firm of Honey & Simmons was dissolved, and Mr.SIMMONS continued the business at the old stand, first with ______ DOOLITTLE as partner, and afterwards with Samuel HUSON. After closing his business here he moved to Avoca, Steuben County, andcontinued in business until 1843, when, having accumulated a large andconstantly increasing fortune, he retired from active business and purchased afarm at Reading Center, where he resided until his death.

Mr.DOOLITTLE came from Seneca County. Of his business qualifications little isknown. He was a large man of finepresence. He would now be called a�dude�, but �dandy� was the term the applied to him. He is said to have been a man of violent temper, and was not popular withhis customers. A story used to betold of his carrying an elegant silk umbrella. One day while passing form his store to his boarding house, during aviolent storm, a sudden gust of wind wrenched it from his hand and deposited itin a mud puddle. This so enragedhim that he jumped upon the offending article, stamped it into the mud and leftit a perfect wreck. Mr. DOOLITTLEdid not remain long. He returned tohis former residence when he lost sight of.

BurgessTRUESDELL�s former residence was Columbia County, NY, his occupation, schoolteaching. His advent in this placedates from 1826. He bought on thesoutheast corner of Main and Seneca street, a building formerly occupied as a�tavern�. The corner room wasthe former barroom, dimensions about 15 x 20 feet, he fitted up as a store. The room was small but ample for the amount of business. In 1832 or 1833 he sold the premises to Col. J. J. SMITH for hotelpurposes. And built a small store on the corner of Main and Springstreets. Spring street was aprivate alley leading to an ashery owned by Mr. TRUESDELL. In 1835, or about that time, he sold his store and businessto Cyrus MILLER and was for a short time in business with his brother, Alvin, atStarkey. He then bought the farmnow owned by Mr. BRUNDAGE, in Starkey, where he remained until he removed toElgin, Ill., where he was one of the pioneers. There he resided until his death, a man of few faults and many virtues. By a fortunate purchase of land in the early settlement of Elgin, hebecame one of the magnates of that city. Ithas been and still is a puzzle to the later merchants, who have sold ten timesthe amount of goods sold by these fathers in the trade and hardly make endsmeet, to know how it was done � how so small a business could be made to pay. Small expenses and large profits solves that problem. The business of those times was mostly conducted by the owner and a boyor low priced young man as clerk. Tento fifteen dollars per month was the maximum price; the minimum price was aboutnothing at all. The profits were enormous, often 75 to 100 percent; $3,000 to$6,000 was a good yearly business.

MyronHAMLIN came to Harpending�s Corners (now Dundee) in 1830, and was originally fromSalisbury, Conn. Previous to hislocating here, he had been in business at some point on Lake Champlain. He was surprised to find in his business competitor his oldschool teacher, Burgess TRUESDELL. Hebought the store on the southwest corner of Main and Union streets, (the Mc Leancorner), formerly occupied by Honey & Simmons. He brought with him not much experience as a merchant, but plenty of aproverbial push and shrewdness of the ConnecticutYankee. His business was wellmanaged and prosperous from the outset, and it was here that he laid thefoundation of his future success. Aboutthis time great questions began to agitate the public mind. The commencement of the temperance movement dates from about 1830, andthe anti-slavery movement came to the front at the same time. To Myron HAMLIN belongs the honor of conducting the first temperancestore in Dundee. It was thecustom of those times for country stores to sell liquors, and this customcontinued many years later. In 1839there were nine stores in Dundee, and eight of the nine sold intoxicants. Whiskey paid better than any other merchandise.

For afew months, Mr. HAMLIN followed the prevailing custom and sold all kinds ofliquors; but becoming convinced of the evil and misery caused by the traffic, henot only banished alcoholic stimulates from his store, but wages a fierce andbrave war against the evil. Uponhis counters could be seen stacks of temperance tracts and periodicals, andevery package that left his store contained one or more of these missives. The passage from temperance to anti-slavery was natural and easy. In the early days of the anti-slavery movement it cost something to be anabolitionist. It cost a merchant inthe loss of custom. It often cost aminister the loss of his pulpit and living. More than half a century has passed, and the younger generations have butsmall appreciation of the rancor and hatred bestowed on those who believed inand advocated the right of a man to the ownership of himself, his wife andchildren. Anti-slavery meetingswere broken up, the speakers insulted and hustled, and often pelted with ancientand unsavory eggs. The pressthundered and the pulpit hurled its anathemas against the �cut-throats andincendiaries�. �Cursed byCanaan� was the theme of many a sermon, and the late Dr. VAN DYKE preached inBrooklyn that slavery was a Divine institution.

Aboutthis time William Lloyd GARRISON was mobbed by the solid men of Boston; LOVEJOYwas murdered and his printing press was thrown in the Mississippi at Alton,Ill., and the office of the anti-slavery paper edited by the Quaker poetWHITTIER was burned by a Philadelphia mob. Being an abolitionist was no joke in those days. But no personal considerations influenced those pioneers in the cause. They believe their cause to the right and advocated it regardless ofpersonal considerations. The party in the village at that time consisted of fourmembers all told � M. HAMLIN, the Rev. E. W. MARTIN, James GIFFORD and AlonzoDE WOLF. The number was small butthere was a wonderful amount of back-bone in that quartette. They never fought on the defensive, particularly, Mr. HAMLIN, who wasintensely aggressive. In the springof 1835, Mr. HAMLIN opened a branch store on the east side of Main street,occupying the building vacated by the KINNANS, with his brother, William B.HAMLIN, manager. In 1836 he soldthe whole business to his brother and removed to Buffalo, where he remained buta short time, finally settling in Penn Yan, where he remained until his death,having for fifty years been the leading merchant of the county.

It wasduring the progress of the church meetings (in 1832), that Jacob HACKETT put inan appearance. During the afternoonservice, and while the Rev. William GREEN was preaching, HACKETT entered thechurch on the west side, passing half way up the aisle, halted, and pointing hisfinger at the preacher said in a loud voice: �I, Jake HACKETT, the second manin the Trinity, command you to come down, you d____ rascal.� There was a great commotion for a few minutes. He was soon ejected and the services went on. The next morning, HACKETT appears on the street in a perfectly nudestate, the costume of Eden before the fig-leaf era, was no more scanty than washis. He had started for the church,but was soon captured and returned to his home. From this time he went from bad to worse until it became necessary toconfine him with straight-jacket and chain.

Havingintroduced HACKETT I think I will give him a chapter, thinking his strange lifeand its tragic ending may interest the reader. Sometime in his early career, John SHOEMAKER built a fine dwelling on thefarm now owned by the RAPLEE�s, half a mile west of Hillside Cemetery. The house was completed and ready to be occupied, when, on a dark night,it was burned to the ground. Thefire was evidently incendiary, and suspicion rested on HACKETT, but there was noproof of his guilt. There was theusual nine days wonderment, and as years passed the circumstance was nearlyforgotten.

HACKETTwas easily wrought upon religiously, and at a funeral some years after theburning, while the services were progressing, he arose in the congregation andmade confession that he caused the burning of SHOEMAKER�s house and afterwarddeeded him fifty acres of timberland in restitution. Sometime subsequent to the burning, HACKETT built a sawmill on BigStream, half a mile west of the RAPLEE mills. Whatever he attempted was always well done, and the mill was no exception The building of this mill was a pet scheme. It was his pride to make it the best mill on the stream. The mill was finished, but before it was started there came a flood andcarried away the dam. The dam wasrebuilt in the most substantial manner. Nothingthat could give it stability was omitted. Standingon the dam after it was finished, and raising his arm, HACKETT defied God, manor the devil to tear it away. Itwas a strange coincidence that while returning to his home, on the evening ofthe same day, a heavy rain set in and before the next morning the dam was washedout. It was never rebuilt. The wheels of that mill never made a revolution. Year after year, for half a century, it rusted and rotted and went toruin; piece by piece, it fell into the stream and was carried away bu thecurrent, until now a vestige remains. Itwas said that HACKETT never visited the spot after his dam was destroyed. Whether this was truth or romance I do not know. Later in life, HACKETT purchased the CROSMAN farm in �Beartown�, nowowned by Mr. PHILLIPS. On this farmhe spent his last days. CalebCOWING bought an adjoining farm. Theywere cousins and came from Massachusetts and traveled together on foot the 200miles between Old Rochester and Canandaigua. They should have lived peaceful lives, which they did not. A dispute soon arose between them regarding the disposition of thesurface water that in rainy times overflowed parts of their farms. The neighbors said that in their disputes HACKETT was in the right. Frequent disputes occurred, and there was bad blood between the parties. A meeting to settle the difficulties was arranged. It was held in a schoolhouse located on the line betweentheir farms. It was a strangemeeting. In the darkness of aNovember night, they met; no witnesses were present; high words were heard bypersons passing the place; criminations and recriminations. COWING was cool, crafty and exasperating. HACKETT impulsive, wild and turbulent. COWING aggravated his opponent in every possible manner. HACKETT raged, stormed and blasphemed. COWING afterward said that HACKETT offered to fight it out to the death. The proposition was declined. Atthat argument HACKETT would have had his opponent at an advantage. The meeting continued until well into the night, when they parted. The next morning they met and quarreled. It was their last meeting. Theyboth returned to their homes. HACKETTsat down to his morning meal, but before he tasted of food, fell forward on thetable, a corpse. HACKETT was notall bad. In his dealings he wasjust, a good neighbor and very kind and benevolent to the poor.

Glenorais beautifully situated on the west shore of Seneca Lake. The banks of the lake rise abruptly to a height of 200 feet or more. The Northern Central Railroad bridge spans the chasm made by Big Streamat that dizzy height. Themercantile business is represented by one store, and the manufactures by aflouring mill, saw mill, and a large factory manufacturing grape and other fruitbaskets. There is a �Unionhall� for the accommodation of religious gatherings and other purposes. The village was formerly called Big Stream Point, and was a place ofbusiness importance. Larmon G.TOWNSEND, an energetic merchant, controlled the mercantile business of thehamlet. He came from New Haven,Conn., and commenced business as a merchant. He soon enraged his sphere, taking in the grain and produce business, andfinally became owner of the flouring and saw mill and a woolen factory. The business was too much for his capital, and like most business toomuch extended ended disastrously. Thevillage has of late years become a summer resort. Major BUDD�s summer hotel is always well patronized, and there areseveral cottages rented or occupied by owners.

Thevillage of Rock Stream is located in the extreme southern limit of the town ofStarkey. It has two stores, twochurches, Christian and Presbyterian and a variety of mechanics. It has been a place of considerable business importance. It was first known as Hurd�s Corners, from a family of that name, earlysettlers. The HATHAWAY families areamong the older families. GilbertHATHAWAY was a large landowner and kept a public house for many years.

Mr. C.W. BARNES was for many years a merchant at Rock Stream and carried on a largebusiness in merchandise and country produce. Mr. BARNES was the senior partner in the firm of Barnes & Sharp,which was dissolved many years ago. AlonzoSIMMONS, a very successful merchant, amassed a handsome fortune here, andretired to Reading Center in 1843. Thevillage is located in one of the finest sections of farming land in the State,and has the Northern Central Railroad on the east and the Syracuse, Geneva,& Corning on the west.

Under apile of rubbish in the southwest corner of an old �graveyard�, now includedin the public school lot, with nothing to mark the place, lies the remains ofIsaac ANDREWS, private secretary to Gen. George WASHINGTON during the war ofIndependence. Mr. ANDREWS drew theforms of the pay rolls used by General WASHINGTON, and which I have beeninformed are still used in the army. Mr. ANDREWS was by profession a teacher and surveyor. Over his grave the wagons rumble carrying supplies of fuel, etc., to thepublic school and the children innocently and unknowingly pursue their noisysports. Mr. ANDREWS was a scholarand Christian and a gentleman. Hewas also a Mason. His funeral wasthe first Masonic funeral held in the town and was largely attended.

Gen.Timothy HURD was a captain of militia in the War of 1812, and with his company(or with as many as he could persuade to go over), crossed the Niagara Riverinto Canada. He was later electedbrigadier-general of militia. Hesettled in Eddytown, built himself a large dwelling and became one the leadingmen in the Methodist Episcopal Church and in the town. He built a sawmill in 1809 on BigStream south of Eddytown, and later a grist mill. It is claimed that his was the first sawmill on the stream. Isaac STARK�s was senior by one year. His family occupied a very high social position. Leveret GABRIEL, a boy, came from Vermont with General HURD, andafterward settled south of Eddytown.

StephenREEDER and his brother-in-law, Joshua TUTHILL, bought 360 acres of land atStarkey Corners and divided it equally between them, TUTHILL taking the northhalf and REEDER the south. JosiahREEDER came at the same time, 1811, and located on fifty acres in Eddytown, onthe northwest corner of the Dundee road.

HenrySCHENCK sold to Teval SWARTS the farm now owned by William C. SWARTS, one andone half miles north of Dundee. Thefarm contains 107 acres, considering $900. The farm has remained in the SWARTS family since its purchase, and is theonly farm in town that has never been encumbered with a mortgage nor has it beenbequeathed. When it has changedowners it has been by purchase and sale. Tevelsold it to his son Peter for a money consideration. Peter sold to his son, William C. SWARTS, the present owner.

Amongthe prominent families who came early to the village of Dundee, thenHarpending�s Corners, that of Benjamin B. BEEKMAN deserves particular mention. Mr. BEEKMAN was one of the older citizens. He came from New York city in 1830 and stopped for a few months inEddytown, moving to Dundee in 1831 with his wife and oldest son, Cornelius. From that time until his death he was a prominent figure in the affairsof the village. He built oncontract the first Baptist �meetinghouse� and erected for himself threebrick blocks of stores and two dwellings, all of which remain the property ofthe estate except one dwelling. Hewas for many years a ruling elder of the Presbyterian Church, and to him and hisneighbor, Baltis TITWORTH, is the church indebted for many helps in time ofneed. Mr. BEEKMAN�s business wasoriginally that of builder or carpenter; later in life he engaged in thefurniture and undertaking business, and was very successful. His oldest son, Cornelius, emigrated to California in 1849, and is now aresident of Jacksonville, Oregon. In18__ he ran for governor, and claims he was fairly elected, but was defrauded ofhis right. Of the other sons, Abramand John have made a success of their business in Bath, NY and T. DEWITT, aftersucceeding his father in the furniture business, sold out and is now one of thefirm of F. H. Sayre & Co., hardware merchants of Dundee.

John T.ANDREWS has for many years been a prominent figure in Dundee. He came to the village sometime in the early forties and hasresided here since. The ANDREWSfamily originally came from neat the Hudson River and settled in the town ofReading in 1812. While a residentof Steuben County he held the office of justice of the peace, was electedsheriff and member of the 25^th Congress. After coming to Dundee he retired from business until 1866, when hebecame a partner in the firm of Martin Vosburg & Co. until 1874; since thenhe has not engaged in active business. Atthe age of 88 years, he is active and in appearance has many years of lifebefore him.

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