Chenango and Unadilla Valleys Fifty Years Ago
by S.S. Randall
Chenango Telegraph, February 21, 1872
Continued from posting of July 29, 2017
A little north of the Coomes homestead, in a small cottage, resided the "Dowager" widow of Capt. Randall, and nearly opposite stood the ancient mansion of his brother, Elder Jedediah Randall, originally built as a tavern, at the close of the last century, by Mr. Collins, now the residence of Judge York. The Elder was at this period quite an old man, with no other family than his venerable wife--"Aunt Patty"--and gratuitously occupied the pulpit of the Baptist church, of which he was the principal founder--though occasionally discoursing in the spacious hall of his residence, to an audience occupying the two large parlors on either hand, the vacant room and stairways of the hall, and the dining room and kitchen in the rear. He was a pious, good, exemplary old man, and as the pioneer clergyman of the village, well adapted to the spiritual wants of his chiefly rural flock. Often has it been my fortune to be charmed to sweet and refreshing slumbers by the musical cadence of his apostolical oratory, in utter and hopeless failure to following the chain of his argument, although repeatedly reminded that it "evidently appears, upon the principle, to which St. John in the isle of Pattimous, was typified to." One discourse in especial, from the suggestive text of "O wheel 1" was of far too metaphysical a nature for my immature comprehensions, not withstanding precisely one hundred and forty-five reminders of its "evident appearance" as aforesaid, "which nobody could deny." Nearly opposite the Elder's mansion was the farm and residence of Col. John Randall, Jr., the dwelling house then recently erected, and now, after half a century's occupation by the family, removed to the south end of the lot, to be sometime replaced, I understand, by a more modern structure. Adjoining this dwelling on the north, was the humble and unpretending residence of Uriah Avery, saddler and harness maker, and of his daughter, the widow Carey; and next to this a small house, occupied at one time for a short period, by Thurlow Weed, but at this time, I think, by Stephen Hopkins, the village school teacher. It was entered, I well recollect by a leathern latch.
Opposite, or nearly opposite these two, on the east side of the street, was the spacious residence of Dr. Jonathan Johnson, surrounded by an ample garden and attractive grounds. Dr. Johnson was, as has already been stated, one of the earliest settlers of the village, his wife, the daughter of "old Uncle Matthew Graves," whom I well recollect as an aged valetudinarian, living with his son-in-law, Hascall Ransford, just above the village. The worthy, good old doctor, might be seen daily, on his ambling nag, with his well filled saddle-bags depending from each side, and with a strong proclivity to absent mindness, frequently passing and repassing the place of his destination, volubly discoursing to himself, in futile efforts to bring the pendulum of his wandering speculations to an equilibrium; when after a hasty administration of the requisite boluses and remedies he would plunge into political and other discussions, quite oblivious of numerous other engagements, or of the relentless passage of time. On one occasion pausing to peruse a large handbill, posted on the wall of some public building headed, "Carstairian System of Practical Penmanship," the worthy Doctor was heard muttering to himself in very voluble tones: "Christian System of Political Penmanship. God bless my soul! what is the world coming to! Tut, Tut, too, too," and on he jogged, much revolving what all this novel science might portend. he was, however, a scholar, and a gentleman of the old school, universally respected and esteemed.
Adjoining this mansion and its ground, on the north, stood a small dwelling, then occupied by John Reynolds, Tailor, and subsequently by Elijah Lewis, builder--prior to the erection of the dwelling, afterwards occupied by him, and subsequently for a few months by myself and family, on the banks of the canal. Opposite was the residence of David Oviatt, builder, subsequently transferred to me and removed to make way for a successor to a lot directly opposite, forming part of the Dr. Johnson grounds, where I resided in the fall and winter of 1836-7 prior to my removal to Albany in the latter year. North of Mr. Oviatt's was the residence of Charles York, of whom as he is universally known to his fellow townsmen, I need say nothing here. Adjoining this was the residence of Elder Spaulding of the Baptist church; subsequently occupied by Samuel Pike, Esq. The spacious brick house of George Field was not then in existence; and the next dwelling house was that of James Birdsall, already alluded to--opposite to which was the humble residence of Timothy Steere, his brother-in-law, consisting partly of a frame and partly a log house; the grounds however, used for agricultural purposes, extending easterly half way to the river, where they intersected those of his eldest brother, Stephen Steere, Jr. Their father, old Judge Steere, was, in his lifetime, the owner and occupant of all these grounds, and resided in the old log house forming a part of Timothy's. I remember him as a frequent visitor of my grandfather Edmunds, in my early boyhood; his uniform practice being to announce himself as "wabbling like a spent top"--to sit and converse awhile about Bonaparte and Robert spear (Robespierre), and then settle himself to a conformable nap in his easy chair, after which he took his departure. He was known to us children only as "Uncle Judge."
To be Continued
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