The Old Yellow Tavern of Norwich, NY - Part 1

The Old Yellow Tavern, and Allied History of Norwich

C.R. Johnson

Norwich Sun, March 13, 1920

 

Part 1

This one-time famous tavern in Norwich [Chenango Co., NY] was built very early in the history of the village, but was not the first building built there and used for that purpose.  Avery Power's log house, built by himself with the aid of his wife, in the summer of 1788, was about 20 years old when the other building [was built], and was not only the first house in Norwich, other than Indian wigwams, but it was the first tavern; for that was what Power intended it for as well as a dwelling for himself and family.  The more euphonious name "hotel" had not yet come into use in the wilds of central New York.  Power and his wife were the first white settlers in "Noridge," for she came with him.  He was only 16 and, probably she was not far from that age, and they had but lately married; healthy, rugged and vigorous, it did not seem to them too onerous and strenuous a task, after all, to plunge into a practically unbroken forest and carve out a home.  And they certainly did not expect to find that the Indians had cleared the land for them before they were born; but when they came to a spot of about ten acres of the finest land in the whole section, with many apple trees in bearing and no stakes or other evidences of any preemption claims upon it, they did not take long to stake out their claim to 286 acres on the river flats--36 acres more than a section, as fixed by the state, and the land was theirs. The only other formality was the payment, when they got ready, of the merely nominal price of three English shillings per acre (75c).  The land was the river flats of the beautiful Chenango; and they "rolled up" their spacious log house on the west side of the river, less than two miles south of the present city of Norwich.  They had emigrated from Norwich, Conn. and very naturally the section which they thus opened was named Norwich from their birth place in faraway New England.

 

All they had done so far certainly showed good business qualities is so young a man; and his wife, whether she was a good business woman, or not, certainly showed very good judgment in entering heartily into the plans, whether she had a hand in making them or not.

 

The house was built, probably twice as large as they needed for themselves, but they were looking into the future, so they planned to build big enough to use the house for a tavern, designing it as a stopping place for Indians as well as whites, and many were the Red men to whom he gave shelter and food, and by his kindly treatment of them made every last one of them his fast friend. There is no record that he ever had any trouble with them in any way, and there is nothing to show that they ever objected to his locating his farm where he did; notwithstanding the fact that the ten acres that he found cleared and set with apple trees had been "The Castle" to them--their council ground, and where were held their festivals and ceremonials.

 

Fortune favored him again when the state sent its corps of surveyors to survey and map out the twenty townships of the "Governor's Purchase."  Power boarded the men, carried chain, and did other work that he could do to help them.  In that way he paid for his farm.  Later the matter was settled and many immigrants had come in and had taken up land.  Power was the only claimant who had any title to his land. All the others had to pay at the rate of twenty English shillings ($5) an acre for it.  He only paid 75c, in services--no cash.  His claim included the present John A. Randall farm, east of the river, and the Jeduthan Newton farm, opposite on the west side of the river, running well up the west hill.

 

To be continued.