Chauncy Gibson, Early Settler of Chenango County, New York
Chenango Telegraph, January 17, 1939
Chenango Telegraph, January 17, 1939
Chauncy Gibson
Chenango County Pioneer
A family of Gibsons from Scotland and one of Kassons from Ireland sailed in the same ship in the year 1722 to America and settled in Voluntown, Windham County, Connecticut. One of the children, John Gibson, married Esther Kasson. They had twelve children, the youngest of whom was Chauncy Gibson. He was the grandfather of S.J. Gibson, former superintendent of Norwich public schools. She, in addition to her household duties, was a midwife and often officiated in the absence of the doctor.
John Gibson and family settled in Norwich. He bought of his brother, George Gibson, a tract of land east of Chenango river on the road now leading from Haley's Corners to Wood's Corners. the deed of this land is recorded in the Chenango county clerk's office. The father, with his son's help, built on the land a house, which was painted red. It still stands with a coat of paint of a different color, and is owned by a Mr Dyer. Across the road from this house and a little farther south was one owned by Gale Borden, who came here from Rhode Island. he was the father of Gale Borden of condensed milk fame. The house was later moved across the road and stands south of the old Gibson house.
One fall, Mrs. Borden wrote to Miss Mary Smith, living in Rhode Island, that she was lonesome up here in the woods and wished she would come and live with them. She gladly accepted the invitaiton. Mary Smith was of English-French descent, of Quaker faith, an orphan and a cousin of Gale Borden.
Mary and Chauncy! Well, one day the two took a horseback trip by marked trees to New Berlin, where she bought her wedding clothes, and it was soon Mr. and Mrs. Chauncy Gibson. He was a mechanic and specialized in the making of spinning wheels and flax wheels. It is safe to say the machines of this kind now said to be relics in this vicinity were made by him or his uncle, George Gibson.
For many years he played the fiddle and called off at the dances. Late one afternoon he started on foot to fill an engagement at the North Norwich settlement. It grew dark, and just before he reached the clearing, a pack of wolves took after him on the assumption, perhaps, that the world owed every wolf a living, or perhaps religiously inspired to prevent the dance. However, he arrived at the ballroom ahead of schedule time. One day he went across the road from the house to get a pail of water from the spring and discovered a bear. It was bruin's last drink.
Once his father and he were hunting deer on the present site of Norwich, and he made the remark that he believed the time would come when a canal would be dug in the valley. The father replied that such talk was foolish, but in this case the son was the better prophet. He helped survey the road from Norwich to South New Berlin.
Chauncy and Mary Smith Gibson had eight children, one of whom was Stanford Chandler Gibson. He was a district school teacher in the town of Norwich and New Berlin. He also was a clerk at Mitchell's drug store in Norwich. He studied medicine, and was licensed to practice by the Chenango County Medical Association. For many years he was a physician in South New Berlin. He tenderly cared for his aged mother and father. She became blind and was often comforted by having her grandchildren read to her from her favorite book, the New Testament.
The old man was often seen walking along the banks of the river fishing pickerel. sometimes, he was in the grocery store playing his fiddle as best a man of eighty years or upward could play "Fisher's Horn Pipe," "Devil's Dream" and other old-fashioned tunes. Sometimes, the self appointed club members of the store were also entertained by one of his grandsons dancing to the accompaniment of the music. The dancer, was rewarded with a stick of candy.
But the fiddle and the bow were hung up at last. He died at the age of eight-two. A few years after his widow followed him at the age of eighty-eight. they were buried in the South New Berlin cemetery overlooking the beautiful Unadilla river.
Chauncy Gibson Died 6 November 1864; Mary Smith Gibson died 12 November 1871. They are buried in Riverview Cemetery, South New Berlin, Chenango County, New York.
Once his father and he were hunting deer on the present site of Norwich, and he made the remark that he believed the time would come when a canal would be dug in the valley. The father replied that such talk was foolish, but in this case the son was the better prophet. He helped survey the road from Norwich to South New Berlin.
Chauncy and Mary Smith Gibson had eight children, one of whom was Stanford Chandler Gibson. He was a district school teacher in the town of Norwich and New Berlin. He also was a clerk at Mitchell's drug store in Norwich. He studied medicine, and was licensed to practice by the Chenango County Medical Association. For many years he was a physician in South New Berlin. He tenderly cared for his aged mother and father. She became blind and was often comforted by having her grandchildren read to her from her favorite book, the New Testament.
The old man was often seen walking along the banks of the river fishing pickerel. sometimes, he was in the grocery store playing his fiddle as best a man of eighty years or upward could play "Fisher's Horn Pipe," "Devil's Dream" and other old-fashioned tunes. Sometimes, the self appointed club members of the store were also entertained by one of his grandsons dancing to the accompaniment of the music. The dancer, was rewarded with a stick of candy.
But the fiddle and the bow were hung up at last. He died at the age of eight-two. A few years after his widow followed him at the age of eighty-eight. they were buried in the South New Berlin cemetery overlooking the beautiful Unadilla river.
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Chauncy Gibson Died 6 November 1864; Mary Smith Gibson died 12 November 1871. They are buried in Riverview Cemetery, South New Berlin, Chenango County, New York.
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