Historical Sketch of the Settlement of the Town of New Berlin
by John Hyde
New Berlin Gazette, New Berlin, Chenango Co. NY, September 22, 1877
Doctor Dean Foote was the first professor in the art of healing "the ills that the flesh is heir to," who settled in New Berlin [Chenango Co. NY]. In the matter of the old bear conflict he has already been mentioned about, we will only add he was a useful and meritorious citizen among the early inhabitants. [Local History Notes: Search results for "Doctor Foote" (smdlocalhistoryblog.blogspot.com)]
Doctor Ebenezer Ross succeeded him in practice. His home was in New Berlin village. He built his dwelling house on the north side of East Street, now owned [in 1877] and occupied by Henry Tew. Doct. Ross was a careful and successful practitioner; dealt out the pills and yielded the lance with skill. Royal Ross took the place of his uncle, the old doctor, on his decease. He purchased and lived in the dwelling house now owned [in 1877] by Frederick Firman, on the east side of North Street, and built the brick office on the premises. After the decease of his first wife, he married the widow of Nathan Beardslee, deceased, and lived in the house formerly owned by his uncle, already mentioned, during the remainder of his days. Dr. Royal Ross was an active, energetic and skillful physician and took much interest in town affairs and in common school business.
Dr. Hand, a student in Doctor Mitchell's office of Norwich [Chenango Co. NY] practiced as a physician a short period in New Berlin and then went to Oswego [Oswego Co. NY]. He was a man of superior ability in the medical profession. Dr. Hermon Gray resided in the house now owned [in 1877] and occupied by Widow Howard a few years, and gave medical aid to the sick, then moved into one of the Western States. [He] also changed his occupation into a cultivator of the soil. Doctor Russell B. Burch settled on South Street near the bank and built the dwelling house in which his widow now resides [in 1877]; was a good physician and a useful member of society.
Dr. Dyer Loomis purchased the dwelling house, which Amos Matteson built on the east side of South Street, adjoining the Episcopal parsonage house, where he still resides. His extensive practice manifested the confidence of the community in his mode and skill in the treatment of patients.
Dr. Knight and Dr. Bellows were early settlers in South New Berlin and were worthy members of the medical department. The foregoing named professors of medicine were admitted to practice under the old order, appertaining to the regulation of the medical department, and when diplomas were given under rules and regulations requiring a competent knowledge of the healing art, before the student was admitted to deal out medicine to patients and before patent medicines found way into public notice through the channel of a common almanac or the columns of some country newspaper.
Amongst the pioneer lawyers, Abijah Bennett was the first lawyer who settled in New Berlin, but in the war of 1812, his law license was exchanged for a captain's military commission, under which he enlisted soldiers, formed a military recruiting camp in the then pine woods on the east side of the village North Street near where the Masonic Hall now stands [in 1877], where he taught soldiers the art of war, instead of pleading the cause of clients in our courts of justice.
Noah Ely a lawyer, built his family residence on the west side of North Street, where he resided until his decease, his family still occupying the place [in 1877]. He was some time town clerk, a member of the State Legislature one term and was judge advocate in Gen. Augustus C. Welch's brigade of infantry.
John Hyde, a lawyer, built his dwelling house on the east side of North Street, near the old elm tree, venerable for its integrity, and remarkable for its long drooping limbs as if mourning for the absence of its early associate forest trees. Its age dates back to the period when the Redmen were the owners of the ground on which it stands. J. Hyde was some times town clerk, a justice of the peace, and also held the commission of judge advocate in General Henry DeForest's brigade of horse artillery.
Charles A. Thorp a lawyer was with Hyde in the practice of law a short time and went to Oxford [Chenango Co. NY] as a partner with John Tracy.
Nathan Beardslee, a lawyer, settled in New Berlin, purchased the dwelling house built by Ebenezer Ross, deceased, and lived there until his decease. He held the office of supervisor one term.
Henry Southworth, a lawyer when the wooden Episcopal Church building was pulled down to make a place for the stone edifice, purchased the Vestry Room and moved it on to the ground now occupied [in 1877] by Hazard & Dykes' drug and apothecary store and converted it into a law office in which he transacted law business during his sojourn in New Berlin. He is now [in 1877] in law practice in the city of New York. A village wag on hearing that the old-time honored vestry room had been transformed into a law shop said it reminded him of a certain other event recorded in scripture that Christ charged upon the Jews that they had -?- the [unreadable].
Samuel S. Randall, a lawyer, practiced law in the village [and was] engaged in other business. He now [in 1877] resides in the city of New York occupied in literary pursuits.
Alonzo Johnson a lawyer, practiced the law business in the village [then] changed his profession for a clerkship in one of the public offices in the city of Washington where he ended his days.
Albert L. Pritchard practiced law in New Berlin, went into the banking business in one of the western states and is now in business in the city of New York.
Henry Bennett, a lawyer, purchased the brick dwelling house on North Street, now owned [in 1877] and occupied by Ira Butterfield and lived there during the remainder of his days. He was a member of Congress a number of successive terms and was an industrious and energetic member in the discharge of his official duty. Charles W. Sumner, his brother-in-law, was his partner in law business and owned and lived in the dwelling house on North Street at the junction of Academy Street. He was justice of the Peace, sometime a United States Postmaster and was a member of the State Legislature two terms in succession. His fate, however, was sad, for soon after the expiration of his second term of office while taking a pleasure excursion with some friends on one of the small lakes in the western part of the state, the boat suddenly was overturned and in attempting to swim ashore he was drowned.
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