OLD SETTLERS MEETING
Transcribed from the Steuben Republican Newspaper
Submitted by: Sean Walker
swalker65@yahoo.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
August 13,1873
OLD SETTLERS MEETING.
Pursuant to the call, a large number of the older
inhabitants of Steuben county, convened at the Court House, on
Saturday, Aug 9th, to make arrangements for an Old Settlers
Jubilee. The meeting was organized by electing WINN POWERS
ESQ., chairman, and Germ Brown sec'y. The object of the
meeting was stated by G. W. McConnel. The question as to who
should constitute the "early settler," elicited considerable
discussion, and was participated in by Mr. Harding, Calvin
Powers, Francis Ewing, Germ Brown, A. W. Woodsworth, W. S. Johnson,
Porter Gleason, Chester L. Heath and others. During the
discusion, many incidents of interest was brought out connected with
early settlement of the county. It was decided that the whole
matter should be left to the Committee of Arrangement.
On motion a committee of five from the town of
Angola, were appointed as a Committee of Arrangement, with power to
arrange a programme, set the time for the Jubliee, and appoint
sub-committees in each townships. The chair, appointed as said
committee, G.W. McConnel, L. H. Stocker, Dan Gale, W. I. Howard and
Germ Brown.
On motion the meeting adjourned to meet at the
call of the committee.
WINN POWERS, Chairman.
GERM BROWN, Sec'y.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
August 27, 1873
OLD SETTLEER'S JUBILEE
Thursday, Sept. 25, 1873!
TOWNSHIP COMMITTES.
Millgrove.__Nelson
Newton, Geo. Harding and
Orlando Wilder.
Jamestown.__Clayton
Mallory, Cephus McCuller,
and John McClue.
Fremont.__Jeremiah
Tillotson, Theron Storon
Storrs and W. L. Scott.
Clear Lake.__George
Hotchkiss, David Harris,
D. B. Teeters.
York.__Calvin
Powers, David Hanselman, and
H. P. Hathaway.
Scott.__Augustus
Woodworth, James A. Segur
and Nelson Hutchins.
Pleasant.__George
W. Balswin, Abel Sowle,
and Lewis Stealey.
Jackson.__Zepheniah
Stayer, Amasa Sams and
Porter Gleason.
Salem.__Eli M.
Teal, Elbridge Wright and
H. P. Butler.
Steuben.__Samuel
Carter, Jacob Abby, and
Capt. S. B. George
Otsego.__Henry R.
Williams, A. J. Corbin
and Ed C. Johnson.
Richland.__M. B.
Gordon, S. W. Scoville
and John Cameron.
The above are selected as a special committee
from their
respective townships to assist in arranging for an Early
Settlers Jubilee to be held at Angola,Thursday September 25th 1873.
You are requested to make all necessary
arrangement for
the attendance of all the early settlers in your township
upon that occasion; and to see that all suitable conveni-
ences for their conveyance is procured. It is expected
that all needful provision for a free banquet will be
furnished by the active and generous people who are willing
to provide. You are also requested to canvass your township
to obtain and note down all facts and matters of interest to
pertaing to the early settlement. Among those the following
items are the most desired:
Who first settled the township?
Age of the head of the family at time?
Number in the family,__if still living?
Where__if dead, place and date of death?
Who built the first house, when, and where is it
yet standing etc.
First farm house when, where, and by whom
built__is it yet standing?
First birth in the township__first death__first
marriage etc.
First schoolhouse, where, when built, kind, cost,
is it 62 yet standing etc.
First school teacher's wages. etc.
First preacher of the gospel, etc.
First store in the township by whom kept etc.
First physican, etc.
Price of grain, where marketed etc.
What grist mill for first accommodation of the
settlers
GEORGE W. McCONNELL
Chairman of the Committee of arrangements.
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AUGUST 13, 1873
OLD SETTLERS MEETING
The Old Settlers meeting held here last Saturday,
was much larger than was expected, and considerable euthusiasm as
evidenced among the old pioneers. Although the meeting was
called mainly for the purpose of making arrangements for a general
meeting, we observed several old ladies present, whose eyes
brightened at seeing their neighbors of 1835-6-7. Most of the
older citizens have passed away, but enough are left to furnish a
history of the early settlement, and arrangements are being made to
have a history prepared. From conversation with one of the
older citizen we learned that, but one of the first voters of
Jackson township is now alive. Mr. DAVID SAMS, and his health
has been feeble for many years.
DAVID MALLORY came to the county in 1836, with
eight children,. He died in 1864 and his wife in 1868 and all
his children attented their funeral.
L. H. STOCKER ESQ. hewed the first timber, framed
and put up the first frame house in Steuben county for S. A.
Parmenter near Orland in 1835.
Old DEACON BENNETT, father to N. S. and C. C.
Bennett built the second in Jan. 1836 in Jackson township.
The first School House was built in Orland in
1836 and Sarah A. Parmenter taught the first school in the
building. L. H. Stocker was the first constable, and DWIGHT
PARMENTER, was the first justice of the peace appointed by the
Governor when Steuben county and the north ger in township of Dekalb
county consisted of LaGrange county.
Zepheniah Stayer of Jackson township was the
first white child born in Steuben county.
It is interesting to hear these old fathers
compare notes and tell over the incidents of those days; and at the
"Grand Jubilee" which will be given in a few weeks, an opportunity
will be given for a reunion, and we hope to be able to lay before
our readers many interesting incidents. We hope that all the
older settlers will note down all that they may deem of interest in
their respective townships-and who first settled in the township-in
what year; who constituted the first election Board; when the first
school house was built, and who taught the school; the name of the
first children born in the township; the price of grain; who built
the first house, &c., &c. If this is done now and a
record made of it will be not only of interest to us, but for
generatins to come. The committee of arrangements are
preparing a programme and we hope to be able next week to present it
to the readers.
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July 16, 1873 STEUBEN REPUBLICAN
OLD SETTLERS, ATTENTION!
LET US MEET AGAIN!
The Old Settlers of Steuben County are fast
passing away
and their children, many of them, like their fathers, pion-
eers in territories. A few years more and every one of the
early settlers and their children will have "passed beyond
the flood," and no record of their early history will be
known to those who will reap the benefits and enjoy the
luxuries and blessings of our country, made fruitful and
wealthy by the industry, energy and self sacrificing pri-
vations of the first settlers. Let there be a meeting of
all the old settlers and their children to compare notes,
revive old reminiscences and appoint some compentent person
to write up th incidents, anecdotes, and land marks of early
days that their children may know, while they are enjoying
the blessings of life, what it cost to produce them. The
following are among the early pioneers, and there are doubt
less many more with whom we are not acquainted, and we ask
them, as many as can, to meet us at the Court House in
Angola on
Saturday, Aug. 9, 1873,
at one o'clock P.M., that we may perfect an organization
and take the initaitry steps for an "OLD SETTLERS' JUBILEE"
Let everyone that can, attend and inform all within their
neighborhood of the time and place of the meeting.
L. H.
Stocker,
George Harding,
Germ
Brown,
E. Mallory,
G. W. McConnell,
Chester Salisbury,
Orrin
Brown,
Cephus McCuller,
Wm. S.
Joyce,
Luke H. Barr,
E. T.
Hammond,
Josephy Tousley,
E. M.
Teal,
Wm. Harding,
George
Free,
Bradford Beers,
Samuel
Noll,
George Collins,
Omar T.
Clark,
Amasa Sams,
Abner
Winsor,
Darius Sams,
Samuel
Carter,
Theron Storrs,
James
Carter,
Milton Stayner,
John W.
Carter,
Zepheniah Stayner,
Henry
Ritter,
George Rude,
Theobold Ritter,
John McClue,
Nicholas Donler, Geo
A Milnes,
Welcome
Pixley,
Jerremiah Tillitson
John
Clingon,
Demery Tillitson,
Ed C.
Johnson,
Jonah Twichell,
Benedict
Cory,
Aaron Williams,
Osker F.
Swift, Samuel
Pierson,
Asa
Gaskill,
Christ Staley,
S. W.
Scoville,
Lyman G. Coville, 62
Winn
Powers,
Nelson Newton,
Calvin
Powers,
John Larve, Sen.,
Jesse M.
Gale,
Henry R. Williams,
Marcus F. Morse, Eb
Johnson,
C. C.
Bodley,
Peter Bowman,
J. C.
Bodley,
Nelson Hutchins,
Abe
Sowle,
John Slick,
Frank
Sowle,
Leander Orton,
Adam W. A. Sowle, Loran
Wells,
S. B.
George,
Samuel Alleman,
Levi
Barnard,
Christian Fast,
Christian
Fast, Otis
Wisel,
John
Hamlin,
Issac Krautzer,
Daniel E. Palmer, John
Harpham,
Ziba
Jones,
H. P. Hatha
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
October 1, 1873
STEUBEN COUNTY
OLD SETTLER'S JUBILEE
----
THURSDAY, SEPT. 25, 1873!
----
If any one anticipated that the meeting of the
early
settlers of Steuben county would be a failure, there anti-
ipations were not realized, for a more complete ovation
could not be had than the one on last Thursday. The day was
cool and pleasant and at an early hour the perole came in
by scores, fifties and hundreds. It would be impossible to
tell when the ceremonies of the day commenced, for on the
first arrival, there seemed to be a mutual feeling to have
a gala day, and revive old associations, and talk over
incidents and scenes of other days; and the warm
hand
shaking were evidence that recollections of early days had
revived the minds of all.
Early in the morning the drums were brought out.,
and
Uncle Crusen and C. C. Bodley opened the exercises. These
men played at Mansfield, Ohio, over 40 years ago, and
although bowed by age, they seemed to live over again their
early life, and as the old familiar strains were brought
out, it could be seen by the brightening eyes, that vitality
was still left, that we hope will remain with them and that
they may yet be spared for many reunions. Mr. Bodley was
one of the first Grand Jurors of this county.
We shall not this week attempt any synopsis of
the
incidents related by the different committees, as they must
be collated and put in shape to be intelligent to the gen-
eral reader.
By a comparison of the different reports we find
dis-
crepencies which must be reconciled. Nearly every township
had two to four reports by different persons, and each
related what come under their own personal observation
and recollection, and until these reports are carefuly
revised they would not be an anthentic history of the
county. These reports are now in the hands Germ Brown,
Esq., who will assist in having them put in shape, and
we will probably commence the publication of them next
week.
In this connection, it is but due to say that the
success of the Jubilee is alost entirely due to Mr. Brown,
as most of the work of the committee was performed by him.
Many incidents were related and ancedotes told
during
the day that will be interesting. Many of our earliest
settlers were not present but responded by letter, among
others the following from Messrs. Luce & Chapin, of Toledo,
and members of the firm of Luce, Chapin & Blass:
TOLEDO, OHIO SEPT. 14TH 1873
L. H. STOCKER ESQ.
My Dear Sir:
Your kind invitation of the 6th to an "Old
Settlers
reunion of Steuben county," to come off on the 25th, was
rec'd in due time, and wopuld have been replied to before
this had it not been for the pressure of business and want
of time. You will please accept my heartfelt thanks for
the pains you have taken in extending a special invitation
to myself and wife to meet with you.
Nothing would give me more pleasure than to be
present
on the occasion and if possible will arrange to do so.
Your letter causes my mind to turn back to the Fall of 1836
when my then youthful eyes first saw the plains, hills,
streams, and marshes of now old, but then, new Steuben
County.
The recollections are fraught with much
happiness. It
is pleasant to reflect upon and think of the interest the
people took in each other__The helping hands they extended
times of need__The borrowing and lending__The doubling of
teams and helping each other out of tight place__The raising
of log houses &c. The real manhood that was shown in those
days is certainly worthy of being recalled and visibly
presented to a "reunion gathering." I call to mind a more
earnest feeling of interest in the undertakings in t6hose
days than in any subsequent transactions of my life. The
building up of a business for myself since attaining my
majority__witnessing the growth of cities and the checking
of our country over with railroads__The growth of commerce
development of the great and still growing country has caused
no such zealous pride and satisfaction as did the overcom-
ing of the obstacles presented to the first settlers of
Steuben county in which I took an humble part. Whether I
shall be able to be present or not, rest assUred I shall
feel a deep interest in the proceedings and shall look with
interest for a detailed report of your doings. Thanking you
again for your kind for your kind invitation I remain
yours
truly.
C. L. LUCE.
____
TOLEDO, OHIO. SEPT 24TH 1873
L. H. STOCKER ESQ.
My Dear Friend.
I thank you for the cordial invitation extended
in
your letter to Mr. Luce for myself and wife to attend your
"Old Settlers Meeting." I had intended to be present, but
find it impossible. Please extend my very kind regards to
friends of my early youth. Sincerely yours.
F. C. Chapin
Among those prsent was John Slick and wife of
Salem.
Uncle John was a soldiers under Boneparte and came to this
country at an early day. Mother Slick never heard a Brass
Band play until last Thursday.
Elder C. H. Blanchard, who came to this coUnty we
think
in 1834, was present and made some well timed remarks.
Short speeches were aso made by L. H. Stocker and others.
The Jubilee was more like an old fashioned tea
party,
than a meeting, and no set programme was made out. During
the forenoon the people assembled kin McConnell's Grove
where seats had been provided, and a stand for the Band,
and tables arranged and while the "old Folks' were doing
their "chatting" the tables were spread with all the del-
icaiesan substantials of the county. Dinner was served
about 1 o'clock, after which some time was taking reading
the reports from the township committees. We regret that
not all reports were not read. The report from Jackson,
by Z. Stayer was not read in full, and no opportunity was
given for very interesting report from Mother Wisell of
Salem. We have made arrangement to proceure this report
and will present it next week. Mother Wisell is a very
intelligent lady and has probably experienced more actual
hardships in pioneer like than any other person in the
county.
At the conclusion of the exercises at the grove,
ar-
rangements were made to form a historical society for the
county which will be perfected as soon as possible.
All went away satisfied and we hope all may live
to
enjoy many such reunion.