Have you ever wondered what life was like nearly two hundred years ago? Here we have a lovely little village that has seen many changes.
It is interesting to read the reminiscences of various former residents of Union Springs and to piece together a picture of life in those early days.
In 1929 when the village was celebrating the 150th anniversary of settlement, Mabel Casey wrote:
"The first white people to venture into this part of the country of whom there is any record were French Jesuit priests who tried in vain to Christianize the Indians, and it is to their memory that the monument was erected which stands beside the road between Union Springs and Aurora.
"Not till 1789, except the Sullivan campaign do we hear of white people, at which time Edward Richardson dammed the north spring and started a log grist mill. Fate, in the form of the rights of the Indians was against him, for when the Cayugas sold their land to the State they retained for a time a strip running from Aurora to Montezuma. Complaint was entered against him as an intruder, and he was compelled to leave.
"So it was not until about 1800 that we find the first permanent settlers taking up their claims. Many of them were Revolutionary soldiers, some were retired sea captains, drawn here by the fertility of the soil, the available stone, and the possibilities of water power. Also there came many Quakers from New England and from Pennsylvania. "
Let's turn now to the writing of David Thomas who published the book, "Travels through the Western Country in the Summer of 1816." His observations are most interesting as he traveled on horseback to start his journey from Aurora NY to Ohio.
"The village of Union Springs derives its name from two fountains, fifty rods apart, with streams sufficient for mills. The lake road passes near them on the east, and forms the principal street. There are twenty dwelling houses three stores of merchandise, and a post office. It was first regularly laid out into lots in the year 1813.
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"Salt and sulphur springs rise adjacent to this village, but none of these are deemed valuable for mineral properties, and would scarcely merit notice, except as characteristics of the Limestone Ledge. Plaster, of the cockscomb kind, though white or transparent, is found plentifully on the beach after high winds, it having been washed by the waves from the bank where it lay embedded and, by digging, it may be procured at a considerable distance from the shore.
"The importance of these springs to the surrounding country will be appreciated by the following statement: On the smaller spring are erected a fulling mill, which in the present season of 1816-17, dressed 15,000 yards of cloth, - carding machines which wrought into rolls last summer, 18,000 pounds of wool, - and a saw-mill (assisted in its motion by a brook turned into the basin of the spring) which sawed 60,000 feet of boards and scantlings.
"On the larger spring is erected a grist-mill, thirty by forty-four feet, three and a half stories, with two run of stones, and the necessary apparatus.
(This must be the second of the three mills that have graced the site.) It is stated to be capable of grinding 200 bushels of grain per twenty-four hours and as this stream, with the other, suffers no material diminution in drowths, or increase in heavy rains, and no obstruction from ice in winter, it is the main-stay of the surrounding country in extraordinary seasons. In the present extreme severity of frost, grists from a distance of twenty-five miles in almost every direction. [2mo. 15, 1817.]
"About one mile north of this spot, lies the first of the celebrated plaster quarries, from which the Susquehanna country has received such large supplies. This fossil, unlike that from France or Nova Scotia, is a dark grey, and when ground assumes a dull ash color. Some specimens contain chrystallized sulphur of a fine transparent yellow, and at Thompson's quarry, two miles north-north-east, the quantity of this mineral is so great as to trickle down, when fires are kindled near the plaster. The strata of these rocks are nearly horizontal.
"In the last six years there have been launched on Cayuga lake, seven schooners, carrying from fifty to eighty five tons. Five of the largest have descended Seneca river to lake Ontario. There are now on the lake about thirty vessels and boats, carrying from 18 to 50 tons.
"Boats are generally employed in transporting Flour, Pork, Pot-ashes, &c. to Schenectady, and Oswego Falls. Their return loads are merchandize from Schenectady, or salt from Onondaga.
"Schooners are employed in freighting Plaster from the quarries, to the head of the lake from whence they bring large quantities of pine lumber. In one season there has been received at Ithaca, and at Port L'Orient, at the head of the lake, 9000 tons of plaster, and 4500 barrels of salt the greater part of which was transported by land to Owego, and from thence in arks down the Susquehanna to Pennsylvania.
"The extensive quarries of plaster along the shore of this lake in Aurelius, (As you know, Springport was originally a part of theTown of Aurelius.) the salt springs along its outlet the forests of valuable pine about its inlets, the fertility of the soil in its vicinity, the salubrity of its situation, and above all, its proximity to the Susquehanna river, have already made its waters the medium of a profitable trade and the increased facility of communication with the North River, when the grand canal shall be completed, will undoubtedly make it a still more important link in the chain of trade between this state and Pennsylvania."
Mabel Casey's 1929 description continues:
"In the year 1800 the first post office was established on the site of the present Town Hall, with Dr. John Mosher as postmaster. The mail came in on horseback, and later by four horse coach, and each postmaster selected his local mail from the bag. It was the custom in those days for three or four people to join in subscribing for one "high class" paper and then take turns in the reading of it. The first local paper, "The Cayuga Tocsin", was published in 1811, and it was in this office that Thurlow Weed worked as a boy.
"In 1816 there came from Dutchess County with his family Philip Winegar, who before many years started a saw mill and a woolen mill at the south pond."
Philip Winegar's family included his daughter, Sarah Winegar, who, on December 7, 1886, wrote of her memories of Union Springs from her home in Kalamazoo, Michigan, where she and her husband, John Sleeper, had settled in 1842. Her letter was addressed to James B. Hoff, the editor of the Advertiser, the local newspaper at that time. We read from that paper:
"Union Springs in my early recollection was quite a different town from the present. My father bot the mill property he owned so many years of James Barker, a brother of Mrs. Elihu Eldredge, in 1816, and came in August of that year to your place. That was, of course, before my recollection, for I was but a few months past three years old.
"I remember the pond when it was about half its present size, My father raised the dam several times in my recollection; and it extends much farther south. The old mill as I remember it was a one and a half story frame building, situated a little to the north of the centre of the pond as it is at present, with a basement, where the fulling and dyeing was done; the big wheel that carried the machinery was there too. The first floor above was the finishing room; the upper room was where the carding was done. It was reached by a flight of stairs outside on the south of the building. The saw mill was still farther north; and the flume which carried the water to the wheel was between the buildings.
"I can remember when there were but two streets (roads they were then called) leading east out of town, one at the head of the north spring, (presently called Spring Street), the other leading to the Friends Meeting House, (that would be Park Street). Orrin Winegar built the first house on that street. It was next east of the widow Shank's residence. Neither were there but two on the west of Main street, one leading to the grist mill in the north part of the town, on the south side of the pond, and the other to the mills my father owned (now known as Factory Street). There were three houses on that as long ago as I can remember, one where Capt. Finch lived, which was back and a little east of where you live, and is now, I think, west of your house. Another was the one your father lives in; and the other was owned by a Mr. Carr that was always called "Jake," It must have been about where the street that goes to Basin Street now is.
"The rest of the town was on Main street, reaching from Captain Cozzens' place (afterwards Mr. Arnold's) to John Yawger's tavern, which was on the site of the brick house afterwards built by Daniel Yawger, the brick house at the corner of Schoby and Cayuga Street.). There were four dry goods stores, (no groceries), the first north by Asa Burnham on the southwest corner of the street leading to the grist mill, in a stone building. He lived in the same building; another kept by Isaac Valentine, about half-way between Burnham's and one kept by Laban Hoskins, which was nearly opposite his residence; the fourth was John Mosher's which was about on the site of the Baptist church. There were two hotels, or taverns as they were then called, one at the north end of the town, before mentioned, the other at the head of what was called the big spring, that is the north one. It was on the southwest corner of the street east, and was called the `Lucky house," I don't know why. Both were large two-story buildings.
"As to the people, I think they were more intelligent and refined than of most small towns at that early day. They were mostly from the far east and Quakers, especially the south part. William Burling, who owned the north mill property, was from New York City, born and bred there; and I think Capt. Barney Earl, too. Their wives were sisters and real ladies, too. Several families were from New Bedford and Rhode Island.
"I forgot to mention Daniel Mersereau's store in the north part of the town. (that would be the first house south of the present Dental office.). I think it much have been opened about 1823, as my mother bought quite a large bill of goods there about that time. Groceries, crockery and hardware were kept by all of the stores.
"Tim" Bush was the village blacksmith. His shop was south of Burnham's store, afterwards owned by Mr. Barnes. Mr. Choat had a cabinet shop north of the Burling house, afterwards Mr. Fowler's. Later Isiah Fish had one in the north part of the town. His son married Janet Winegar, Uncle Ashbel's daughter.
"Stephen Mosher was the only practising physician. His cousin, Dr. John Mosher, did not practice, after my remembrance. Stephen constructed the basin, afterward sold his practice to Dr. Dodge, his property to others. I think my brother, Caleb, was the first lawyer in town. I suppose you know of the Cayuga Tocsin, that was printed by Royal Chamberlin at an early date. It was before my remembrance but I recollect the building very well. It was a long, low building between the Episcopal and Presbyterian churches. Thurlow Weed worked in that office when a boy.
"The only church for many years was the Quaker, on the hill. It must have been built very soon after my father moved there, as he gave the site, or he and my grandfather, Esek Mosher, did. I don't think there was steady preaching service in town until about 1831. The meetings were held in the building formerly used by Isaac Valentine for his store. Mr. Clark was the first minister. He was the father-in-law of George Ham, of Hamburg, and a Presbyterian. Before that date there was a church of that denomination north in the Thompson neighborhood, (at Crossroads near the cemetery), which afterwards removed to the Springs, at just the time I don't know, but services were held in the old store for several years, as the present church was not build but a short time before I moved to Michigan, which was in 1842.
"The Methodists held meetings occasionally in the district school house. It was north, in the southeast corner of John Yawger's yard. (This school predated the stone building on the site of the present central school). It was so far that I went to school there but little, but to a private school taught first by Miss Sophia Gidding, a niece of Mrs. Laban Hoskins, afterwards by Miss Cynthia Southwich, a sister of Mrs. Hoskins. But my brother, Esek, got all the schooling that he ever had in that old stone school house. (The stone building at the Central School.) The district, in time, was divided and my sister and younger brothers went to school in the school house built in the south part of the town.
"My father bought quite a large tract of land with his mill property, but considered it of but little value. Money was scarce and wheat but two and sixpence a bushel. I heard my father say that a farmer went to Hoskins' store to buy a piece of rope for a halter. He would trust him for it, but would not take wheat for pay; but my father took wheat or anything he could use for his work. One farmer wanted to bring honey and asked father how much he should bring. Father said he wasn't particular," bring what you are a mind to," and he brought sixty pounds. Mother said she wasn't troubled to dispose of it. They had a large family and boarded all their workmen. Father kept two sets of hands. In the carding season the machines were kept running night and day, the same with the saw mill when there was water enough.
"The wheat my father took for his work was stored in a long building standing on the bank about where the grist mill now is and was called the dry house; and in the winter he took it to Albany in sleighs, sold it and bought his dye stuffs or whatever he couldn't get nearer. When in the course of time the materials he needed to use in his business could be had at Utica he thought he was highly favored, and that would be thought slow business in these fast times. At that time there was no canal or railroad in the great State of New York, or in fact, anywhere. It is hard for us to realize the difference between then and now.
"My father built the first canal boat that was built at the Springs. It was built south of the basin (there was no basin there then,) in the year 1826, I think. It was quite an event in the quiet town when she was launched. Silas Ludlow was the builder. Her name has gone from me, but the next one he built was the P. Winegar. At that time they used sails to take them to the bridge, the bridge over Cayuga Lake at Cayuga), if the wind was right. Otherwise, they had to pole down. The only way to get down the river to Montezuma was to pole, until the canal was made from that place to the bridge.
"Then the family shoes were made up in the house, the householder furnishing the materials, the shoemaker the work; and tailoring was done in the same way.
"The houses had large yards. The rest of the land was used for farming purposes. The only flax I ever saw growing was on the corner opposite the Sanitarium, reaching to your house, (at the corner of the present-day Factory Street.). That was, I think, in 1825. In 1827 the corner store of the block was built, where Mersereau's is, (presently the Gardner Insurance Agency). The rest of the block was built some years later.
"In the spring of 1828 Dr. John Mosher and my father opened a store there. He closed his store and put his goods in the new one. He stayed but one year, after which brother Esek managed the store. The two upper stories were used for storing grain, which our people either bought of, or stored and shipped for the farmers.
"After farmers began to trade their wool for cloth, father began making cloth in a small way. The first spinning-jenny he bought had eight spindles and was worked by hand. Cousin Sepronia Winegar was one of the first to spin on it, and could spin more yarn in a day than any one who ever run it.
"Father gradually increased his facilities for manufacturing, enlarging the buildings, but in November, 1835, the factory took fire and was burned to the ground with most of its contents. The stone factory was built the next summer, and is now doing duty as a grist mill (the foundation of that mill used to be visible north of the pond).
"I have heard my mother say when they first lived there, the people were all on visiting terms, not calling, but neighbors took their work, spent the afternoon and stayed to tea. But as the village increased, all this was changed.
"Some of the first inhabitants were Captain Cozzens, Aunt Amy, then the widow White, and her mother, Aunt Lizzy Mosher. They had a row of poplar trees in front of their house, (about the only shade trees the village could boast. (Mary Jane Webb's home is that house.) Dr. John Mosher, Uncle Esek Mosher, Barney Kirby, a brother Joseph Kirby, Dr. Stephen Mosher, James Barker, Lurad Chamberlin, Jake Carr, Abel Finch, Laban Hoskins, Captain Earl, (Earl and Cozzens were retired sea captains), Wm. Burling, Isaac Valentine, Tim Bush, Asa Burnham, Elisha Southwick (he lived north across the street from Burnham's store), Isiah Fish, John Tayger.
"My father lived in a small story and a half frame house * on the site of the Sanitarium, which was moved off in the spring of 1829 to make place for the new brick dwelling which was built that summer, and we moved in in October. The next spring the old house was repaired and brother Esek moved into it, remaining there until he moved to Auburn."
The Editor added an interesting bit of information - that Mr. Winegar's first home was at that time (1886) the * Present postoffice building. Now we can add still another footnote to that: The Winegar homestead still exists today at No. 1 Park Street. It seems that the building was removed from the main street to become the garage at that site. When you pass by next time, look at the interesting window detail on that garage.
And so we leave the early days of Union Springs and return to Today with the hope that we shall all see our village in a different light.
Tonight we have explored the very early days of Union Springs. This is only one in a series planned to introduce us to the succeeding eras and various aspects of life in our town.
Already in the planning stages is a program devoted to the schools to highlight the diversity of learning, from the early one room school house, to the Oakwood Seminary, Howland College, the Union Springs Academy, the Union Springs High School and the Union Springs Central School. Another aspect that will be introduced will be the commercial entereprises that have thrived here.
It is an interesting study. There are many facets of this gem of a town. We hope that you will find them interesting.
Lydia P. Hecht
June 25, 1997
Frontenac Historical Society
8 North Cayuga street
UnionSprings, NY 13160