Leaves of Local History
Sherburne West Hill, Chenango County, NY, 70 Years Ago
Chenango Telegraph, Norwich, NY, October 23, 1873
A few years before the close of the last century, between 1790 and 1800, the first settlements were made in the northern tier of towns in this county [Chenango Co. NY] - Columbus in 1791, Sherburne in 1793, Smyrna in 1792, and Otselic in 1800. Besides the present villages there were other settlements which for a time flourished and bid fair to become business centers, among which were "the Old Four Corners" and Sherburne "West Hill," the former being the corners of the towns of Sherburne, Smyrna, Plymouth and North Norwich, and the latter midway between the villages of Sherburne and Smyrna. Through this place runs what was once known as the "Great Western Turnpike" from Albany to Cherry Valley, Cooperstown, Sherburne, &c., to Homer. It is of West Hill that we have recently been gathering some reminiscences which may interest the former residents of that place who are still living [in 1873], and their descendants, now scattered throughout the country, but whose recollection of "the olden time" and its event is still vivid.
What we present in this article is in part preliminary to some account of the organization and growth of the old church which once existed there, where the first "meeting house" in the limits of the present county of Chenango was erected - preceding that of Sherburne village by a year or two, although the Sherburne church was organized in 1794, and regular services were held every Sabbath after the settlement in 1793.
From the "History of the town of Sherburne" by Joel Hatch, Jr., we learn that the founding of a church on West Hill grew out of divisions respecting the location of that house of worship. Smyrna then formed part of Sherburne, and all the inhabitants on the west side of the river insisted that the "meeting house" should be at West Hill to accommodate those living in the present town of Smyrna. Among them were Judge Foote and his sons, Isaac, Amasa and Hiram, with their families, Chester and George Hammond, Joseph Collins, the families of Joshua ad Harvey Talcott, John Percival and his sons, and many others. The opposition of the east side residents was so strong that a new church, "The Second Calvinistic Congregational Church in Sherburne" was founded in October 1803, and continued in existence for about thirty years, although for ten years before its extinction it had scarcely more than "a name to live" - its decay and absorption being caused by circumstances yet to be referred to. The east side church edifice was soon after built, the location selected being on or near the present residence of Asa Foote, a mile and a half north of Sherburne village, where it remained until 1810, when it was removed to its present location about midway between the village and "The Quarter." In 1857 it was sold to the Catholic Society and a new brick church erected in the center of the village. Mr. Hatch relates that the old church remained without plastering for ten years, and during two winters the storms were permitted to beat into the window openings, a fact which called out a sharp rebuke from a visiting clergyman. At the close of a service he said, "It is a shame for any people to let their minister stand in his pulpit, with the winds blowing directly on him, while they are secured from the storm below. You ought, at least, to do as much as to board up the windows in the galleries." This was done before the next Sabbath. The fireplaces of the neighbors were thronged at noon by the shivering congregation, and the "footstoves" replenished with coals for the afternoon. In moving the church, the ladies bore a part, but it is hinted that while they held the levers the men quietly and unobserved bore themselves to the burden, proving that gallantry and goodness may be combined in the same persons.
But to return to West Hill. It is believed that a few persons settled there as early as 1792 or 1793, but who were the very first we have no means at hand of determining. Some of those now recollected as early residents are the following: Judge Tilley Lynde and his brother, Charles W. Lynde, were the first merchants. They had a large and profitable trade and laid the foundation of their ample fortunes in an old store which still stands in a tolerable state of preservation. Judge Lynde was also prominent in political affairs. In 1818 he was a Member of Assembly from this county [Chenango Co. NY], and in 1821 he was a member of the state Senate, elected from the "Middle Division." His last appearance in the political field was in 1832, as the Whig candidate for congress from this district, when he was defeated by the late Dr. Henry Mitchell, of this village. He soon after removed to Homer and afterwards to Brooklyn, where he died some years since. He had several sons who removed to Wisconsin. Two of them were lost June 16th, 1838, by the burning of the steamer Geo. Washington, off Silver Creek, Chautauqua County. Their bodies were washed ashore and found by Mr. David Fairchild, an old Sherburne acquaintance of Judge Lynde. About 50 others perished in that disaster. The oldest son, Pitt Lynde, resides in Milwaukee, and during Democratic ascendency was prominent in politics and has held the office of U.S. District Attorney. Charles W. Lynde was elected to the State Senate upon the Anti-Masonic ticket in 1830, from the old sixth district. He then resided in Cortland but subsequently removed to Brooklyn, where he died. Until Smyrna village had Harvey Talcott and Russell Case as merchants, the western trade was largely drawn to West hill, it being a central position and competing with Sherburne, Earlville, Smyrna and the "Four Corners" until the growth of some of these places diminished and finally absorbed its business.
Frederick Sexton kept a tavern and was known by all who traveled upon the turnpike. He was a good citizen, esteemed by all. While he kept an inviting hostelry, company and general trainings were held on West hill, calling together all the militia, the "troopers," boys and ginger-bread peddlers for many miles around. The writer remembers one of these musters of about fifty years ago when a "sham fight" was looked upon with more awe than the disastrous Bull Run battle excited in 1861. Mr. Sexton died nearly three years since, but his descendants occupy the old homestead.
Dea. Josiah Adams lived opposite the old church, and his ancient dwelling remains outwardly as when he left it to take the journey from which none return. He was an eminently religious man and trained his household in the good old New England ways, and in their case, it has proved true - "Just as the twig is bent the tree's inclined." Deacon Adams was, we believe, the first school master of the place, and taught on the Hill and at the Four Corners. His birthplace was New Ipswich, N.H., and he died on West Hill, October 11th, 1849, aged 83 years. One of his sons Rev. Isaac F. Adams, resides in Auburn. The house of Dea. Adams was a great resort between the morning and afternoon service, on the Sabbath, and his generous hearted wife always had a large baking on Saturdays, and no one was permitted to go away hungry. She died February 2, 1844, aged 75 years. Her maiden name was Foote, a daughter of Judge Isaac Foote, and sister of the late Isaac Foote, one of the early Sheriffs of this county.
Major Joseph Dixon, although living a mile south of the Hill was numbered among its prominent men. He owned the farm afterwards owned by Dea. Isaac Smith, and now by his son Levi N. Smith. The latter years of his life were spent in Smyrna. The Dixon brothers of that place are his grandsons. One of his sons, Hon. Abram Dixon has for many years resided in Chautauqua County, and thirty years since was a member of the State Senate.
Dr. Israel Farrel was a prominent physician for many years, his practice reaching into all the adjoining towns. Dr. Guthrie, Demas Hubbard, Senior, Col. James Thompson, now of Akron, Ohio, the Sanfords, Catlins, and others lived on the Hill or in the immediate vicinity, and east of the Hill but west of the river were the Hatches, Raymonds, Lathrops, Pratt, Gardiner, and others to whom we may have occasion to refer in a future article. Thus. within a radius of two or three miles there lived soon after the beginning of the present century a large number who would be esteemed in any community as men of strong intellect, most of them of New England origin, of the Puritan type in religion and morals, and some of them prominent in public affairs and wielding a large influence throughout the entire circle of their acquaintance and even where they were not personally known.
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