Chenango & Unadilla Valleys Fifty Years Ago

The Chenango and Unadilla Valleys Fifty Years Ago

S.S. Randall

Chenango Telegraph, April 24, 1872

 

Oxford

The Chenango and Unadilla Valleys were first visited by a Theatrical Corps in the summer and winter of 1823-4.  My first introduction to the "Thespian Muse," with its foot lights, musical attractions, green curtain and "glorified sugar candy," was while a student at Oxford Academy.  In the huge "amorphous," barnlike, unpainted barracks, occupied as a Lancastrian School building, in those primitive days of the scholastic reign of Joseph Lancaster--situated between the store of Ira Willcox and the residence of Col. S.G. Throop on the west side of Fort Hill Square, were the stage and its gaudy decorations, temporarily fitted up for a week's campaign.  The "managers" as announced in the playbills, were Messrs. Gilbert and Trowbridge, and the "stock" actors consisted of those gentlemen and Messrs. Archibold and Clarendon, with Mrs. Gilbert and Mrs. Trowbridge, who were understood to be sisters, and were certainly two lovely women and fair actresses. The play selected for the opening night, was the "Honey Moon," followed by a farce, and accompanied in the interval between the two by comic songs from Mr. Gilbert. This was succeeded on the following evenings by the tragedies of "Pizarro," "Douglas," "The Broken Sword" and "Othello."  This provincial corps made a tour during the succeeding autumn and winter, through the principal villages of the two Valleys, meeting with a very fair share of encouragement and success.

 

The impression which Oxford [Chenango Co., NY] made upon my mind at this time, and on subsequent visits long afterwards, was one of immense antiquity--extending far back into the remotest times--coeval at least with the England of the thirteenth and fourteenth century.  Everything about the quaint old village seemed ancient, finished, permanent and related to a dim, distant, shadowy past--a time of which "the memory of man runneth not to the contrary."  There was the old Bridge in the center, its planks worn, apparently with the footsteps of generations, Fort Hill Square, with its legendary lore of Indian warfare long centuries since, its venerable old church, with its perfect architecture, beautiful proportions, sweet toned bell, and ancient sexton--carrying the mind into the middle ages, its cool and shady aisles, well worn pews, simple reading desk and pulpit, and its saintlike pastor, the incarnation of St. Ambrose, St. Athanasins, or the "golden mouthed" Chrysostom, these, with the quiet lawns and abundant old trees, and shaded squares, where, as in the ancient quadrangles of Trinity College, Cambridge, in the days of Charles Lamb, one night "walk gowned" with the air of peace and repose which pervaded the atmosphere--so different from the noise and bustle and movement, and modern aspect of its sister villages, combined to fix permanently in my mind, the vivid conception of ancientry.  In passing from Norwich, Sherburne, New Berlin or Green, to Oxford, it seemed to me like the transition form the busy world, of trade, commerce, active enterprise, politics and amusement, to the cool and secluded alcoves of an ancient library, or the still and echoing recesses of some old time church or cathedral.  This impression, powerful and strong as it was, may have been deepened by an incident which occurred during one of the warmly contested general elections of that period.  John Tracy, of Oxford, was the democratic candidate for the Assembly, and his opponent was, I believe, John C. Clark, who, about that time had, with P. Sken Smith, P.M. DeZeng, and a few other prominent politicians, seceded form the Democratic ranks, and arrayed themselves on a "new departure" with the opposition.  An unusual political excitement prevailed over the entire county; public meetings were held, inflammatory hand-bills posted in every public place; express riders sent into every town and hamlet, as canvassers for votes, and no exertions spared by the friends of the respective candidates, to secure a final triumph.  A few days before the election, I accompanied my father and a few other of Judge Tracy's warm, political friends, to a public meeting held at Clark's Hotel in Oxford, in his interest.  On our arrival, we found a vast crowd assembled in front of the Hotel indulging in the most enthusiastic demonstrations of regard and respect for their honored fellow townsman; but he, himself, to our great disappointment, was not visible.  Desirous of a personal interview, my father and myself quietly separated ourselves from the crowd, and walked across the river to the residence of the popular candidate.  On entering, we were conducted to a small parlor, or drawing room, where we found the judge quietly seated, with his family around him, engaged in reading to them from some recent literary work.  He greeted us with his accustomed warmth and geniality, conversed upon a variety of indifferent topics, without the slightest allusion to the political [gathering] raging within a few rods of his home, and after spending a pleasant hour with himself and his interesting family, and partaking of a quiet luncheon, we returned, deeply and powerfully impressed by the calm dignity and unpretending equability and nobleness of his character.

 

The town of Oxford was originally a part of the township of Fayette, and in conjunction with an additional tract known as "The Gore"--in all about seven thousand acres--was purchased of the State at one of its earliest sales, in 1789, by Benjamin Hovey and Melancthon Smith, and incorporated in 1793, as one of the towns of Tioga County, from parts of Union and Jericho.  In 1791, Gen. Hovey moved into the place and built a log house on the present Fort Hill Square, on the site of the Fort Hill House, burned down in 1839, near the present or late residence of Nelson C. Chapman.  The only other residents of the town, were Elijah Blackman and James Phelps.  During that and the following years, Samuel and Francis Balcom, Eben Enos, John Bartle, John Chruch, Theodore Burr, Benjamin Loomis, Jonathan Baldwin, Uri Tracy, Anson Cary, James Padgett, Samuel Miles Hopkins, Benjamin Throop, Major Dan Throop, Jonathan Fitch, John McWhorter, Gershom Hyde, Peter Burget, Nathaniel Locke, and several other settlers made their appearance, a school was organized, an academy built on the present Washington Square, near the present or late residence of Joseph Walker, and incorporated by the Legislature in 1794, and the first town meeting held in the same year at the house of Gen. Hovey.  Uri Tracy was the first Principal of the Academy, and was succeeded in 1795, by Elisha Mosely.  In 1799, a new building was erected near the present or late residence of Frederick A. Sands, but was destroyed by fire in that or the succeeding year.  A third edifice was erected in 1801, which, in 1803, was removed to the old Academy lot, nearly opposite the residence of the late Henry Van Derlyn.

 

General Hovey procured from the State legislature, at an early period after his settlement in Oxford, the construction of a road, known as the old State Road, from the Unadilla River to Cayuga Lake, and was one of the representatives of the county in the Legislature, and a judge of the County Court in 1798.

 

The services of Judge Uri Tracy, as the first Sheriff and Clerk of the county, its representative in Congress for three successive terms, and subsequently as first judge of the county court and Surrogate, have already been adverted to.  He was a man of great force of character, unassuming and popular manners, high scientific attainments, and unimpeachable integrity.  Judge Cary also filled several county offices, with credit and the public approbation.  The two brothers Balcom were highly respectable farmers and business men, resided on a large farm two miles above the present village of Oxford, and transmitted their energy and capacity to their descendants, among whom have since been two representatives in the Legislature, and one of the most distinguished and respected jurists of the highest State court--the Hon. Ransom Balcom, now and for more than ten years past, a Judge of the Supreme Court, for the district of which the country of Chenango forms a part.

 

To be continued