Congregational Church, Guilford Centre, semi-centenial, 1862

Congregational Church, Guilford Centre, Semi-Centennial, 1862

The Guilford Mail, May 1862

 

The following is from a sermon by the Rev. S.N. Robinson at the semi-centennial of the Congregational church at Guilford Centre, July 15th, 1862, which may be of interest.

 

I will first give you a brief sketch of the early settlement of this part of the town.  Inroads began to be made upon the unbroken wilderness about seventy years ago [1790s].  Then the primeval forest stood where now are neat and comfortable habitations, and cultivated fields.  Then these hills and vallies had never been subdued by the hand of man. 

 

I will mention some of the pioneer settlers in the wilderness.  In the year 1791, three young men, Daniel Savage, John Nash and Edward Robbins, came from Ballston and settled near what has since been known as the old Four Corners.  From Unadilla they came by footpath--the path being designated by trees marked with the axe.  Robbins was taken sick with the small pox, and when sufficiently recovered, he with Nash went back to Ballston, leaving Savage to toil alone in the wilderness for seven months [until] their return.  Mr. Savage settled near where Orrin Gridley now lives.  The old untenanted house on the opposite side of the way was built by him about fifty years ago.  Mr. Robbins lived where Jonas Brooks now lives, and Mr. Nash at the top of the hill on the site of the present residence of James Rhodes.  There was but one house at that time here at the Centre.  It stood where Mr. Young now lives and was occupied by a Mr. Carner, or Carney, who soon died, and was buried in the woods on the creek, near the Burlison place.  Mr. Savage came in the Spring, but did not move his family till the next February. The next year, 1792, a Mr. Wasson settled on the Dea. Mills place, now occupied by E.M. Whiting.  Mr. Wasson was a pious man, and soon died, being attacked with sickness at a religious meeting, and was the first one buried in the graveyard east of the old Four Corners.  Some of these facts were furnished me by Rev. Mr. Janes who said in the Sermon which he preached at Mr. Savage's funeral in 1846--"Two unsuccessful attempts were made to dig Mr. Wasson's grave, on account of the rocks.  The first was near the residence of Capt. Brooks.  Mr. Savage was the chief one in selecting the spot, and digging the grave, which was to mark the spot where his own body was to be laid a half century from that time."

 

Previous to the year 1800, there lived one Matthew Seymour on the place now occupied by John P. Hall,--a Mr. Hodge where Mr. Anderson now lives--and a Mr. Coburn on the Gilbert place.  About 1795 or '96, Joel Johnson, Samuel and Lyman Ives, and Joel Hendricks, established themselves at Ives' settlement.  In that part of the town a lot four miles square was owned by a Mr. TenBroek, who, as an inducement to good and valuable inhabitants to settle there gave a portion of his land to those who bought farms of him.  In 1800, Daniel Johnson settled upon the farm now occupied by his son, Seth Johnson.  In that year, a schoolhouse was built on or near the site of the graveyard in Ives settlement.  The first teacher was Lyman Ives.  He taught the school two winters.  Mr. Ambrose Norton came in 1805.  Several events that transpired in that year, are the following: 

-  The frame of a house was raised by Mr. Stowell on the site of Mr.  H.H. VanCott's Hotel, and the house was built by Mr. Abbey.

-  A school house was built on the other side of the street, on the site of the present school house, which was built for an Academy, and is still called by that name.  Daniel Mills was the first teacher. 

-   Samuel Mills settled upon the place before mentioned. 

-  John Dibble settled at Guilford Village, where Dimock's Hotel now stands, and in a few years died with the small pox. 

-  A bridge was built across the Unadilla River below East Guilford. 

-  The building of the Oxford and Catskill turnpike was commenced that year. 

 

Samuel A. Smith, Esq., came in 1806, and settled upon the farm where he still resides, and Daniel T. Dickinson came that year or the next and settled near him.  Jesse Whiting in 1810, preceded a few months by his son Julius.  Land was bought by the earliest settlers for three dollars an acre.  The people in those early days went to Unadilla to do their trading and to East Guilford and to the White Store, for the grinding of their grain.  The road from the Centre to the old Four Corners, on the present route, was built in 1807.

 

This region of country was known as Whitestown--that town in Oneida County being then of undefined boundaries.  It was afterwards known as the Chenango Co. from the Chenango River--an Indian name, signifying beautiful, pleasant--beautiful river.  This town was originally a part of Oxford.  Oxford was formed in January, 1793.  The first election in this part of the town was held in 1807 and the number of voters was 30.  Only Squire Smith, Hiram Johnson, Ozias Bush and Ambrose Norton, who were voters at that election, are known to be living [in 1862].  When this town was taken off from Oxford in April, 1813, it was called Eastern.  It received its present name Guilford, by an act of the Legislature in March, 1817.  The first Post Office was kept by Dr. Knapp, on the turnpike, three miles below the Centre, and was called Knappsville. 

 

In 1800, the road from Catskill to this place, by which the early settlers traveled here from the east was most of the way through the forest.  There were but few inhabitants along the route--There was a small village at Franklin, and a Church, also a Church at Harpersfield.  Some of the people moved with ox teams--Most of the early settlers, and many at a later period emigrated from Connecticut.