Photos

» Show All     «Prev «1 ... 1417 1418 1419 1420 1421 1422 1423 1424 1425 ... 21257» Next»     » Slide Show

book_Owego Co NY- some Account_ 1907 LeRoy W Kingman

20250719GHLn- "McMaster"
https://archive.org/details/owegosomeaccount00kingm/page/192/mode/2up?q=McMaster

Owego. Some account of the early settlement of the village in Tioga County, N.Y., called Ah-wa-ga by the Indians, which name was corrupted by gradual evolution into Owago, Owego, Owegy, and finally Owego
by Kingman, LeRoy Wilson, b. 1840; Owego gazette, Owego, N.Y. [from old catalog]

Publication date 1907
Topics Owego (N.Y.) -- History
Publisher Owego, Owego gazette office
Collection library_of_congress; americana
Contributor The Library of Congress
Language English
Item Size 644.0M
2 p.l., 673, [3] p., 24 cm
Addeddate 2008-08-06 11:12:01
Associated-names Owego gazette, Owego, N.Y. [from old catalog]
Page 1
The Documentary History Relative to the Burning of the Indian Village in the Evening of August 19, 1779, by Soldiers of the United Expeditions of Generals Sullivan and Clinton, Previous to their Combined Attack upon the Indian Settlements in Western New York, in One of Which Regiments Was James McMaster, Who Afterward Was the First White Man to Settle Permanently at Owego — Excerpts from the Journals of the Officers in the Various Regiments Relating to Their Sojourn at This Point. The earliest event known in liistory relating to the village of Owego is its destruction by fire in 1779. The village consisted of about twenty substantial log houses, built by the Indians. The coming into the Susquehanna valley of the detachment from Gen. Sullivan's army in August of that year caused the Indians to desert their homes and when the soldiers came there was not a red man in sight.

Page 8
James McMaster, who was the first white settler in the village of Owego, first came here as a soldier m the Second New York regiment in the Sullivan expedition. The colonel of the regiment was Philip VanCortlandt.

Page 9
1788. .James McMaster, .John McQuigg, .lesse McQuigg.

Page 14
James McMaster was the second white man to settle permanently at Owego. He first came here as a soldier in Gen. Sullivan's army in 1779, and made his permanent settlement here in 1788. the year following the coming of the Drapers.

Page 15
It appears plain that McMaster was in Gen. Sullivan's army instead of Clinton's.

Page 15
James McMaster was a farmer. When he came to Owego with Sullivan's army in the summer of 1779 the flat land east of the Owego creek seemed so desirable for farming purposes that he determined to settle here.

Page 15
In 1784 he was living on a farm owned jointly by himself and his brother, David McMaster, in Florida, Montgomery county, about fourteen miles above Schenectady and a mile and a half from the Mohawk river. In April of that year he and another brother, Robert McMaster, in company with 'William Woods and John Nealy, and with William Taylor, a

Page 16
16 boy eight years old, who had beea indentured to James McMaster as a "bound boy," started for Owego.

Page 16
On the flat west of what is now McMaster street there was but little forest, and the land had been cultivated some by the Indians. McMaster's party at once set fire to the dried grass, and burned over the entire surface of the ground, the flames extending over the site of Owego and for a considerable distance beyond. They built a temporary cabin of pitch pine logs on • the flat, about fifty rods above where

Page 17
In 1785, the year after the corn planting expedition, James McMaster returned to Owego. It was in June of that year that four agents of the Massachusetts purchase, a body of 230,400 acres of land lying between the Owego creek and the Chenango river awarded to Massachusetts and since known as the Boston Purchase or Ten Townships, came here and found McMaster in possession. Mc-

Page 18
James McMaster did not settle permanently here until 1788. Then he and his family settled in a house which stood near where the main highway on the old Indian trail ran along the river bank at Its intersection with the old Cayuga Lake trail which trail was identical with the present McMaster street and extended down to the river. This house faced the river and stood near where Michael A. Lynch's house now stands. The house was afterward occupied by Dr. Samuel Tinkham and later by .lames Pumpelly.

Page 19
Mrs. Caty Harris, mentioned in the last paragraph, was a daughter of James McMaster. The Avery interview with her was a very brief

Page 20
Maiden name Caty McMaster, daughter of Jas. (patentee.)

Page 20
Sister Elida McMaster, dead.

Page 20
Sister, Caty McMaster.

Page 20
Robert McMaster was a brother of old James and moved on at same time with Jas. He married a Bates, a sister of Elisha Bates. Thos. McM., another brother, came on afterwards.

Page 21
At the time of this interview Mrs. Harris lived in the town of Cayuta. Schuyler county. It was from this interview that Judge Avery, probably, obtained the misinformation that McMaster was in Clinton's army. James McMaster's wife's name was Rachel. Their children were as follows:

Page 21
James McMaster, .Jr.

Page 21
Jeremiah McMaster. He married Hannah Hill, a daughter of John hill, one of the first settlers of the town of Tioga. He died at Spencer. His death followed the amputation of his leg on account of a fever sore. His daughter, Eliza McMaster, married Leonard Jones, who came from Peekskill, N. Y., with his father, John Jones, and settled at Spencer between ISOit and 1805. John B. Jones, who lives in East Temple street, Owego, is a son of Leonard Jones.

Page 21
David McMaster.

Page 21
Jane McMaster. Married Col Caleb H. Sackett and lived at Candor. She died near Almond, Allegany county.

Page 21
Elida McMaster was unmarried. She died in 1843. aged 63 years. Her body was buried at West Candor.

Page 21
Catherine McMaster. Married

Page 22
Ann McMaster. Married a man named Fish. It is said that she died at the county poor house.

Page 22
James McMaster was a man of improvident habits, and although the owner of property that with judicious management would have made him immensely wealthy, it gradually passed from his hands and he died thirty years after his settlement here in reduced circumstances.

Page 34
James McMaster came on to live here permanently the next month

Page 35
Robert McMaster, after he married a Miss Bates, a daughter of Benjamin Bates, built his first log house on what is now Draper's Reseration. It stood a few feet from the Mansion house [on the west side of North avenue, between West avenue and Talcott streets, a little

Page 40
It was through the influence of Amos Drai)er that Jas. McMaster was enabled to buy the title of the Indians to this Half Township. Joseph Knox also helped him. Knox was an early settler here.

Page 40
Jas. McMaster, Draper, and Knox held their treaty for the cession of the Half Township, but before the treaty made and sjjoken of above by the Boston purchasers.

Page 127
127 McMaster street. The south boundary was a little below Fox street and the north boundary was near where George street now runs. This land had been sold for $2,500 June 28, 1902, by Capt. Luke Bates to Jared Goodrich, who sold it for the same amount to Mr. Talcott Jan. 31, 1903. In Sept.. 1S05, Mr. Talcott sold the northern part of this farm to his son, George Lord Talcott.

Page 127
Elizur Talcott lived in a large frame house, which stood on the east side of McMaster street, midway between Fox street and the Erie railroad. It was similar to all the large farm houses of that time, with a wide hall extending from front to rear in the middle. Geo. Lord Talcotfs house was at the southeast corner of Talcott street and the Lehigh Valley railroad. It was occupied after his death by his son, George Talcott, and after George Talcotfs death it became the property of Wm.H. Thomas, who reconstructed it and lives in it now.

Page 141
About the year 1812 Abner Beers (2) kept a tavern five or six miles this side of Ithaca. Later he removed to the town of Candor, where he engaged in farming and lumbering. He came to Owego to live in 1818. He lived on the south side of Front street, west of McMaster street. His house was on the lot now owned by Mrs. Eliza J. Pride and stood about tw^enty feet back of the well which supplied the family with water and which well is still in use and is near the sidewalk.

Page 147
Dr. Tinkham was living at the time of his death in the house built by James McMaster on the south side of Front street, east of Academy street, on the lot where M. A. Lynch's house is now. There is a well on this lot. The house stood on the west side of the well and a carriage house on the east side. After his marriage Mr. Pumpelly moved into the house and lived there until 1829, when he built

Page 148
While living in the McMaster house Mr. Pumpelly is said to have reared his own children and those of Dr. Tinkhamwith strict impartiality. Two of his sons, George J. and Frederick H. Pumpelly, and one of Dr. Tinkham's sons, David P. Tinkham, were sent to college and were graduated, George J. Pumpelly from Yale and the others from Union. The other children did not aspire to a higher education and received their instruction at the village schools and the Owego academy.

Page 195
When the New York and Erie railroad was built to Owego judge Drake, who was one of the projectors and who had used all his influence to have it built through this village, gave the railroad company nine acres of land, comprising the grounds where the station and railroad yards now are. This land was bounded north by what is now the north line of E. H. Miller's hay press, the line extending eastward along south of Erie street. The west line was a little west of McMaster street, and included the ground on which the old bridge shop stood. The south line was South Depot street,

Page 196
196 the I.enox hotel and the north Ime of the vacant lot at the southeast corner of McMaster street and the railroad.

Page 261
2. Col. Caleb H. Sackett, born 9 Ai)ril, 1770. Married Jane McMaster. daughter of James McMaster, the first settler here and the original owner by purchase from the Indians of all the land on which the village of Owego is situated.

Page 262
In August, 1798, Nathaniel Sackett purchased of James McMaster, Jr., lot No. 21 on the east bank of the Owego creek in the north western part ofthe town of Owego, near the Newark Valley town line, containing 100 acres, together with the village lot on what is now the southwest corner of Main and Church streets, extending one-half the distance south to Front street and one-half the distance west to Lake street. The south half of this lot was owned by Luke Bates, who had a tavern on the Front street end, which Bates sold in 1803 to Chas. Pumpelly and George Stevens.

Page 262
In 1799 Nathaniel Sackett purchased of James McMaster 100 acres of land for $2,450 in the western part of this village, bounded south by the Susquehanna river and west by the Owego creek. The north line of this land was at a point a short distance south of where the Erie railroad now crosses the creek and extended easterly and diagonally across Main street to a point about one-half way between Park and Academy streets on the Susquehanna river. This was known on the original town map as Lot No. 1. The eastern portion of this proi)erty was afterward laid out into village lots. As early as September, 1804.

Page 263
Col. Caleb H. Sackett purchased land at what is now Candor village. It is noted in one of the local histories that "after the disastrous fire which swept the settlement [Candor] in 1813, Caleb Sackett erected a grist mill." He also built a saw mill at about this time and kept a tavern. It was on this farm that the body of his fatherin-law, .James McMaster, was buried. About the year 1832 he removed to the town of Ward, Allegany county, N. Y., where he was a farmer and wherhe died. His wife died at Almond. N. Y.

Page 307
Still another of these lots was at the northeast corner of Front and Church streets, now owned by F. C. Hewitt and extended back to Main street. All this property had been originally owned by James McMaster, who sold it to his brother, David McMaster, from whom it was purchased by Rhodes and McGregor.

Page 318
Mr. Lillie was twice married. Of his first wife we have no record. His second wife was Rachel Nealy. She was a daughter of John Nealy, who came to Owego in April, 1785, with James and Robert McMaster and William Woods from Florida, N. Y. Her brother, David Nealy, is said to liave been the second white child born in Owego. He died March 8. 1871. aged 78 years.

Page 333
There was another grist mill at an early day further down the Owego creek. In September, 1801, when Thomas Matson, .Jr., purchased of various owners a large amount of land on both sides of the creek north and south of where Maiji street now extends, a saw mill and grist mill are mentioned in two of the deeds from Col. Pixley and Ashbel Wells to Matson as being on the east side of the creek and "standing in the meadow, near the mouth of the Owego creek, formerly held in .ioint ownership with James McMaster."

Page 346
Another Indian trail was the "Cayuga lake trail." It entered the north part of the present village of Owego and extended direct to the river. It was nearly identical in its course with the street now known as McMaster street. The two trails met each other on the bank of the river, near where Mrs. Eliza J. Pride's residence is now. it is in this vicinity that the skeletons of many of the aborigines have been disinterred at various times.

Page 347
As the country became settled this trail was gradually used as a public highway and it was known as the Lalie road, and the name was also applied later to that part of Main street as it extended from McMaster street west across the Owego creek on its way to Athens, Pa. As late as 1833 in deeds of property along this road in the town of Tioga it is mentioned as 'the lake road."

Page 347
The highway _ McMaster street was later called the Cayuga road, and it was also known as Cayuga street as late as 1837. It was originally opened to accommodate lumbermen, who reached the river at its foot. Gen. Anson Cam|) owned at an early day an ark yard at the foot of this street, where vast quantities of lumber were shipped down the river.

Page 347
McMaster street received its name in honor of James McMaster, the original owner of all the land on which the village is situated, who lived on the south side of Front street, near the lower end of Academy street.

Page 348
The street now known as Main street first extended from Lake street west to McMaster street. It was sometimes known as "Second" street and also as "Hack" street, it being back of P'ront street, the main highway. Main street and its extension as a highway into and through the town of Tioga was not then in existence, and its present course was then covered with woods and brush. When

Page 350
The Owego terminus of the turnpike was Main street, now the foot of -Vorth avenue. The original intention of the turnpike company had been to enter Owego by the Cayuga lake road ( McMaster street.) At that time there were two taverns in Owego. One — the Bates tavern — occupied the site of the present Ahwaga house; the other, the Laning tavern, afterward

Page 357
was at the same time ordered to he laid out from the east termination of the extension to the Lisle road. Main street from McMaster street to the Owego creek bridge was not regularly laid out as a highway until June, 1838, by the commissioners of highway of the town of Owego.

Page 357
Temple street was extended from North avenue west to McMaster street Jan. 24, 1853. At that time the land from North avenue to Central avenue was like a deep ditch and it required much filling to bring the sur-

Page 362
This street, as surveyed began at North avenue a little south of the United States hotel and crossed the U., L. & W. railroad track. In June of the same year a petition, signed by 22 taxpayers, was presented to the board of trustees, praying that that part of the street between McMaster street and North avenue might be opened to travel. The trustees, accordingly,passed a resolution authorizing the opening of the street across the railroad track. To prevent the carrying into effect of this resolution and in order to retain possession ot the land, the railroad company obtained an in.iuuction prohibiting such extension until the matter might be legally settled. Soon afterward the company caused an engine house, large enough to contain a locomotive, to be built in the centre of the proposed extension of the street. The street from North avenue to McMaster street was, consequently, not regularly opened as a public street, but several years later the engine house

Page 458
Some Account of the Early Inns in the Days when Travellers Were Entertained at Log Houses and Later at the Pixley, Bates, Deforest, and Laning Taverns, and Later at the Old Owego Hotel and the Central and Tioga Houses. In the days of the early settlement of Owego the first settlers entertained the few travellers who came through the woods here at their houses. James McMaster, the first settler here, used his house on the south side of Front street, east of Academy street, as a tavern for the accomodation of travellers until public houses were built elsewhere. As the number of settlers gradually increased along the roads which had been cut through the wilderness, the taverns, many of them small ones and roughly constructed of logs, increased in number, and within a few miles of each other could be found some sort of a house where teamsters and the occasional traveller on foot or by stage could obtain lodging and refreshment. Some of these

Page 460
The first tavern built in this village was for many years known as the Bates tavern and stood on the northwest corner of Front and Church streets, where the Ahwaga house is now. Church street had not been opened as a street at that time, and the only highway through Owego was the river road, now known as Front street. Capt. Luke Bates purchased the land of James McMaster Nov. 12, 1795, and erected thereon a tavern, in one part of which was a small country store. It was built of timber and planks, was two stories high, and was painted red. In front was a long portico, with benches thereon. The horse sheds were on the bank of the river on the opposite side of the road. A red barn stood west of the tavern, with a small space of ground between the two buildings. June 17, 1800, Capt. Bates purchased of David

Page 461
Capt. Luke Bates was the first settler west of Union, Broome county (then Tioga county.) While living there, in 1791, he represented the town of Union in the board of supervisors. He had been a sea captain. The exact date of his settlement at Owego is not known. He was one of those to whom James McMaster, the original owner of all the land now occupied by the village of Owego, sold much of his land. He came here, probably, about the year 1791, as deeds of the village lots given by him in that year are on record in the Tioga clerk's office. After he sold his tavern he removed about two miles east of Owego. and settled on the Little Nanticoke creek, where he lived on the north side of the road and conducted a whiskey distillery. At the time of his coming to Owego he was a prosperous man of business, but addicted to drink. He became very intemperate and died ten years after the sale of his tavern and store.

Page 461
Capt. Bates was one of the three original trustees of "Owego settlement" appointed by James McMaster in the deed executed in February, 1797, giving to the settlement the land now occupied by the village park, the county jail, and the old Owego academy. Sept. 4, 1813, soon after his death, a meeting of the inhabitants was held and Eleazer Dana was elect-

Page 467
streets was owned by Amos Draper, who purchased it of James McMaster, the origmal owner. June 4, 1792, Mr. Draper sold twelve village lots to Capt. Mason Wattles. Eight of these lots comprised all the land on the north side of Front street between Paige and Church streets. Capt. Wattles failed in business and on Feb. 7, 1799, all of his property, including the square bounded by Front, Lake, Main, and Court streets, was seized for a debt of £578. 2s. 4d. and costs by Jacob Conkline, a New York merchant and sold at sheriff's sale for $552. The lots on which the sheriff's residence, the old academy building, and the county clerk's office now stand were not included in this sale, as they had been previously deeded to the trustees of Owego sttlement by James McMaster in February, 1799. Nov. 20, 1802, Mr. Conkline sold the property to Robert Bowne, another New York merchant, for $1,000. Feb. 14, 1804, Mr. Bowne sold to Gen. John Laning the lot at the corner of Front and Court streets for $600.

Page 470
The Lake Street House Amos Draper, the Indian agent and trader, was owner, by purchase of James McMaster, of an acre of ground on what is now the southeast corner of Main and Lake streets and which was one-fourth of the square now bounded by Lake, Main, and Church streets and the Susquehanna river. On the corner of this lot now stands the new Owego hotel.

Page 512
Sickles was a violin player and a singer of comic songs. His wife accompanied him, and assisted him in moving the figures. Among her other duties in connection with the show was to imitate the ch.rping of birds, which she is said to have done to perfection. Simon Springsteen, afterward proprietor of the Owego foundry and machine shop, which stood on the ground now the northeast corner of McMaster and Delphine streets, travelled with the show as violinist three or four years. They went south to New Orleans, and visited a large portion of the United States. Richard Manning, of Owego, who died here in 1832, also travelled about two years as a violinist with Sickles's show.

Page 563
In 1817 the question of building an academy in Owego was first agitated. The lot on which the academy building was subsequently erected on the east side of Court street was a portion of the land which was given Feb. 28, 1797, to "the trustees of Owego settlement" by James McMaster for a public ground. This piece contained three acres, one rood, and twenty rods of land, and comprised all the territory now occupied by Park street. the park, Court street, the jail and old county clerk's office premises, and the old academy property. The trustees were Capt. Mason Wattles, John McQuigg. and Capt. Luke Bates. Their successors in office were Eleazer Dana, John H. Avery, and Gen. Anson Camp. The last named trustees, Octolier 29. 1822, deeded that portion of the land now occupied by the jail, sheriff's residence, and old clerk's office to Tioga county, pursuant to the provisions of an act of the legislature passed April 17. 1822.

Page 573
Rev. Seth Williston was the first minister who came to these wilds. He came as early as 1798, preaching and organizing churches. Once a year he held service in a barn built by Col. David Pi.xley, which stood on the north side of Main street, a little west of McMaster street. The floor of this

Page 576
In the year 1803, according to a writer in the Gazette forty years ago, there were but few frame houses in town. One of these was the James McMaster house on the south side of Front street, east of and near Academy street. Another was a large building which was intended for a jail and stood near the northeast corner of Front and Court streets, and which was later converted into a tavern. A third was the Bates tavern at the northwest corner of Front and Church streets, and far and far up the river, as it seemed, for the thick woods that darkened the way, was the dwelling house of John Hollenback. There

Page 614
The first parsonage of the M. E. church was in McMaster street. . It

Page 640
The old church was sold to Jeremiah Towsand, who sold the pews and tore down the building, which he used in building a house in McMaster street.

Page n702
McMaster, James 14

» Show All     «Prev «1 ... 1417 1418 1419 1420 1421 1422 1423 1424 1425 ... 21257» Next»     » Slide Show