The Old Yellow Tavern, Norwich, NY - Part 3

The Old Yellow Tavern, and Allied History of Norwich

C.R. Johnson

Norwich Sun, March 13, 1920

Part 3

 

The son and first child of Perez Randall, Samuel S., when of school age, attended the common schools of Norwich.  When he was about 8 years old, he was in his father's private office in his father's store when Thurlow Weed came in to see Mr. Randall, who introduced the young boy to Mr. Weed.  He treated the lad so cordially that he was won over at once.  This happened in 1818.  Mr. Randall had been elected to the legislature in 1817 and had returned from Albany about this time, bringing Mr. Weed with him.  They had met in Albany for the first time and it is probable that Mr. Randall, though a Democrat, had induced him to locate the new Republican paper Weed proposed to start in Norwich, for he had come to the village to do  just that thing, and soon had started the paper, which he named "The Republican Agriculturalist."  He secured a room on the second floor over a store, opposite the "Noyes House" on the west side of S. Broad street, about where Griffin's bookstore and C.G. Nash's hardware store are now [in 1920].  Young Sam, took great interest in Mr. Weed, and spent a great dead of time in the office watching him and his brother-in-law, D.D.T. Ostrander, set the type and "run off" the paper on the old Franklin lever press.  The boy became so interested in the work that he, by himself, issued a copy of a paper printed with pen and ink, to 25 or 30 subscribers, every week at six cents a copy.  His father was also postmaster, and the office was in his store.  In 1819, just 100 years ago [in 1920] now, he was appointed clerk of Chenango county, for which he was well qualified; and which with the exception of a part of one term, he held for from 18 to 20 years, and which was terminated by his death in 1839, greatly respected by all.  On his cenotaph in Mt. Hope was cut Pope's famous line "An honest man's the noblest work of God."

 

The "Republican Agriculturalist" "Clintonian" was opposed to the "Bucktail" Democratic "Norwich Journal," owned and published by the brilliant John F. Hubbard, of Norwich.  It was the "Bucktail" wing of the Democratic party which carried the election, so Weed sold out the "Agriculturalist" to Samuel Curtis, Jr. and after a life of two years the paper succumbed and Weed moved to Onondaga county.

 

Perez Randall moved to a story and a half house which stood well back from the street, where is now [in 1920] the American hotel.  Benjamin Edmunds, with a few changes, turned his house into a tavern and named it the "Edmunds Tavern," but the people called it "The Yellow Tavern" or "The Yellow House.," and it was called by that name long after it ceased to be yellow, but I have seen no statement that such was the case.

 

Benjamin Edmunds was a man of a good deal of ability, and his tavern venture was a success.  It had a spacious ballroom and its primary use was what its name suggests, and the "light fantastic" often glided over its smooth floor in rhythm with the snarling fiddle and the deep-toned base viol, in the light of "tallow dips" in their bright tin reflectors, and the rank-smelling whale oil lamps on winter weekday evenings; and often on Sundays, whenever a stray missionary would visit the village, both morning and evening the same ballroom would hear a good gospel sermon and the well known notes of "Ortonville," "Old Hundred," "China," "Moore," "Boylaton," "Antioch," each service closing with the ever sacred tones of the Long Metre Doxology, "Praise God from whom all blessings flow." sung with a spirit and volume and Heartiness which thrilled every soul among the worshippers, led by a strong male or female voice; or as the choir rendered "Strike the Cymbal, Roll the Timbrel," "Old Ship Zion," and neither congregation consigned the other to purgatory.  Peace and harmony prevailed and the little village was primitive and happy.  Ministers of many sects, from Universalist to Presbyterian and "Hard shell" Baptist, expounded the truth as they saw it, from the same ballroom forum to substantially the same hearers, and each could assimilate whatever part he chose. This was before 1820, the time when the two church buildings were finished and in working order--Baptist and Congregational.

 

To be continued