Seventy Years Ago
Reminiscences of Early Days in Norwich, Chenango Co., NY
Related by George W. Denslow, Who Was Ninety Years Old on Sept. 19, 1906
Compiled for the Union by Leonard W. Cogswell
Chenango Union, October 18, 1906
The postoffice was a small compartment in the front of the store, with a glass front about 6 ft square. Back of this glass front there were pigeon holes about the size of postoffice letter boxes now. A box six feet square was large enough to contain all the mail of those days. 70 years ago we did not have a dozen mails a day as we do now, loaded down with daily papers and letters from all over the world. In 1837 the news came by stage coach from Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Washington, and it was a slow process, taking five days from Philadelphia, seven days from Washington and Boston. There were no postage stamps or envelops in 1837. The postage was very much higher then than now, being six cents for any distance under 30 miles, 30-60, 8c; 60 to 100 miles, 10c; from 200 to 450 miles, an average of 20c, and 25c for all distances over 450. Thus the postage on a letter from New Haven was 18 pence, which was 18-1/4 cents. You can readily see that very few letters were sent at that rate, and up to 1845 letter writing did not keep up with the growth of population. No more letters were written than necessary, as we could not afford to waste so much money on postage for the useless scribbling of today. How many love letters do you suppose the young man of today would write if he had to pay 25c postage on each one? Because of the high postage and the scarcity of paper they wrote in a fine hand, using every available inch of space, not much like the big coarse hands of today. There being no government envelopes, the letters were either wrapped in a package tied with twine, or also one corner folded over and sealed with wax. I have some old letters in my possession now with the corner turned over. Then it was taken to the postoffice and sent on its way, postage "C.O.D." to be paid by the person to whom it was addressed. If possible, letters were always sent privately by the hand of some passenger, instead of by mail, to save postage, and after express companies were started, they carried a great many letters at less than regular postage rates. In 1845 the postage was reduced to 5c, for every letter under 300 miles, and 10c for all over 300 miles, and in 1855 the postage was 5c under 300 miles and 6c over that. When it was 10c we thought that was wonderfully cheap. Now you can send a letter any where in the United States for 3c!
Before the introduction of postage stamps, the postoffice officials in large cities kept regular running accounts with well known merchants, who sent their mail matter to the post office daily. The cost of postage was calculated by the clerks and charged up to the merchants, and bills rendered therefor at the end of the month. When I received letters, I had to pay the postage, and if I did not have the change, I would pay the postmaster later.
I well remember the agitation by Sir Rowland Hill in England in favor of lower postage in 1840 and of the use of stamps there then. The United States was rather slow about adopting them and it was not until 1847 that we used a regular stamp here. I remember well how they looked.
In those days we had shillings and pence. In New Haven, Conn., had the "Yankee shilling," 6 shillings, to the dollar, 16 and two-thirds cents, and when I came here to Norwich, I thought it mighty strange to find the "York" shilling, 8 to the dollar, 12-1/2 cents. I remember a little incident about that too. In those days we young bloods used to go to dances. I remember when first I came here, Roswell Curtiss, and myself and three or four others went to Preston to a supper and dance, and we found there Mrs. W.N. Mason of this village (then Miss Cary of Oxford) and the Hale girls.
We had supper and I went up to pay. I said "How much is it?" The clerk replied "a couple of shillings." So I handed him a couple of Yankee shillings and he said "I guess you are a Yankee from Connecticut." I had handed him 33 and one-third cents, when all he wanted was 25c, so I got 2 pence back!
In November, December and January, 1837 -8 there was no sleighing at all here, but in February of 1838 there was a good 2 ft of snow. In 1839 I remember that 15 inches of snow fell on the 15th of November. I remember it well, because I was down in a shop where the D.L.&W. depot now is, with Snow & Warner. I had purchased a lot of goods in New Haven, of Cowles & Co., the fall before, and sent them to New York where they were put on a canal boat and shipped via Albany and Utica by canal. When they reached Pecksport just above here they were caught by the snow storm, and I had to send a team up there to get them down. That amount of snow closed up the canal for good that winter. I had my goods here on time to cast my vote in the election of 1840.
Coming back to the houses on the east side of South Broad st., the next was a shoe and leather store kept by Truman Enos, who had a tannery up by the old red mill where Wheeler's planning mill now is. Bill Hale kept a saloon down in the stone block, and he afterwards moved to New Haven and kept a livery stable on Crown st. near the Register office.
Where the Tanner block now is Lyman Brooks had a store. Then there was a little alley way with an express office in the rear, the alley now being closed up.
Where Winsor's bakery now is there was a building called the "Old Long Tavern" the bakery now being about one-third of the original length of the tavern.
The next was the Col. John Noyes house, which then looked just like the house Dr. Purdy lives in. The front of the Noyes house has been changed, built up to three stories, the big pillars added to the front, and is now called the American Hotel. The man who helped put those pillars in, Clark Blackman, died about three years ago. He was one of three who took the job to get those pillars for $100. Where the Chenango Union office now is was then a vacant lot, the Mammoth store being built there shortly afterwards.
Where Mr. Danials lives was James M.D. Carr's house, and then Judge York where Dr. Purdy now lives. The next was George l. Rider's house, the president of the Norwich fire company in 1838. Between Rider's house and the Curtiss house there was nothing but vacant land. The canal used to run through there, and there was a canal storehouse on the corner of Piano st. The canal ran around in where Eaton's grain warehouse now is, and then up north nearly parallel to the D.L.&W. tracks for a ways. Then David Oviatt, Dr. Johnson's, where Charles Nash now lives, then the York farmhouse. Judge York owned all the land clear down to Hale st. Then came the old Tom Prentice house, and from there clear down to the bridge was nothing but vacant land.
To be continoued
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