The brick wall in my ancestry is my 2nd great-grandfather, Charles Russell Leonard. He was reportedly born in Union Springs, New York, in 1830, but finding evidence of this has been much like looking for something in the dark. Learning about the places our ancestors lived can prove helpful, though, providing valuable clues about early settlers, churches, industries, and people. This article I found in Yesteryears, Volume 26, was written by Temple R. Hollcroft (1889-1967), former Historian of Cayuga County. It gives us a rare glimpse into life in the early days of Union Springs. Aside from the names of the early settlers, other clues that may prove useful in researching ancestors from Union Springs are highlighted for emphasis.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF UNION SPRINGS
By Temple R. Hollcroft (1889-1967)
Former Historian of Cayuga County, N. Y.
Yesteryears, Volume 26 #3
As the name implies, Cayuga County was originally the home of the Cayuga Indian Nation, one of the six nations in the League of the Iroquois. According to Indian tradition, this league had been organized about 1500 by Hiawatha, an Indian "superman" of the Onondaga Nation. It first contained the five nations, Oneida, Mohawk, Onondaga, and Seneca, and in 1713 a kindred nation, the Tuscarora, was added.
The Iroquois were steadfast allies of the British against the French in the wars preceding the Revolution, and during the Revolution, with the exception of some of the Oneidas, they fought on the side of the British. In the autumn of 1779, to put an end to the raids on the white settlements by the Indians, General Washington sent General John Sullivan to crush the Cayuga and Seneca nations and lay waste their territory. The principal Cayuga village, Goioguen, called Cayuga Castle, was just north of Great Gully. Its site is now in the southern part of Springport. This village and all others were destroyed with all of the crops ready for harvesting or already stored for the winter. The soldiers even chopped down most of the fruit trees. The Indians of this area all fled to near Buffalo where the British supported them during the following winter.
Very few of the Cayugas returned after the Revolution. In 1788 the State of New York purchased all of the Cayuga Nation's territory except an area called the Cayuga Reservation along the foot of Lake Cayuga and Seneca River, extending four miles back from the lake on both sides and from Aurora to Montezuma. The southern boundary of the Cayuga Reservation is the road from Aurora to Sherwood. The eastern boundary of this reservation is now the eastern boundary of the Town of Springport.
In 1788, John Harris came to Cayuga and started a ferry across the foot of the lake. On the map of the Cayuga Reservation, the road which is now Route 90, went only to Cayuga where it connected with the Genesee Road on the east and Cayuga Ferry on the west. In 1800 the first Cayuga Bridge was completed. More than a mile long, it was at that time the longest bridge in the world. In 1788, Roswell Franklin and his party surveyed lands now in the northern part of Aurora and moved there with their families in March, 1789, to form the first settlement in Cayuga County.
On March 5, 1794, Onondaga County was organized. It originally contained all of the Military Tract, an area of more than two million acres set aside by the State Legislature to be given the soldiers of the Revolution as a reward for their services. The original Onondaga County contained all of the four counties, Cayuga, Cortland, Onondaga and Seneca, and parts of the four, Oswego, Schuyler, Tompkins and Wayne.
The first county seat of Onondaga County was Aurora (or Scipio as the village was called until 1795). The courts were held alternately at Cayuga Bridge and Aurora until 1804 after which all were held at Aurora. On March 8, 1799, Cayuga County was formed from the western three fifths of Onondaga County, with Aurora its first county seat. The original Cayuga County contained almost exactly the ancestral lands of the Cayuga Indian Nation - all of the present Cayuga and Seneca counties and parts f Tompkins, Schuyler, and Wayne. In 1804, Seneca County was taken off and in 1817, Tompkins County.
As you know, Cayuga County now contains 23 towns outside of Auburn. The boundary of the present Cayuga County contains only two of the eleven original towns of the Military Tract and part of another, that is Aurelius, Scipio and the north half of Milton. From Aurelius has been formed the towns: Sterling, Victory, Ira, Conquest, Cato, Montezuma, Mentz, Auburn, Brutus, Throop, Sennett, Aurelius, Owasco, Fleming, and the north two thirds of Springport. From Scipio: Scipio, Ledyard, Venice, Niles, Moravia, Sempronius, and the south one third of Springport. From Milton: Genoa, Locke, Summerhill. Springport is the only town of Cayuga County formed from portions of two of the original towns. The village of Union Springs also lies in both of these two original towns, and also about twice as much in Aurelius as in Scipio. The first settlements at Union Springs were on Lot 98 of the Cayuga Reservation, the lot of Aurelius farthest south that is on the lake. The village has since spread north into lots 97 and 92 of Aurelius and south into lot 103 of the Reservation end of Scipio. Springport is also the only town of Cayuga County formed entirely from lands of the Cayuga Reservation.
Union Springs, as you well know, was named for the two large springs in the village. Attracted by these springs as a source of water power, there were attempts to settle this vicinity in 1789, but, on complaint of the Indians, the settlers were ejected by the state authorities. However, Edward Richardson came about 1790-91, dammed the north spring and built a small grist mill run by water power. Frederick Gearhart, a blacksmith, came about 1790 and settled on lot 109 east of Union Springs. Thomas Thompson also came in October, 1790, with four sons and five daughters and settled just south of the village. There is no adequate explanation of why the Indians allowed these settlers to remain on their reservation while they had the settlers dispossessed who had come only a year earlier.
In 1795, the Indians sold all of the Cayuga Reservation to the State except the Cayuga Residence Reservation extended about two miles back from the lake and from lot 103 south to Great Gully. It included the site of Cayuga Castle. The lots in it contain only about 1/4 square mile while most lots in the other parts of the Cayuga Reservation as in the Military Tract average one square mile each.
In 1791 there were about 600 Indians living on the Cayuga Reservation. When it was sold to the State in 1795, most of the Indians moved to reservations near Buffalo except those living on the Residence Reservation. The Residence Reservation contained the point of land then called "Long Point", now Farley's Point. The last Indians who lived near here had their homes on Farley's Point. This was a band of about 30 Tuscaroras whose chief had the Indian name, Kanistagia, which in English means, Steel Trap. After Steel Trap died about 1800, they moved to near Buffalo.
In 1794, James Crane came from New Jersey on foot and began farming about two miles N.E. of Union Springs. For ten years, he tended his farm during the spring, summer and fall, walking back to New Jersey to spend the winter, and walking to his farm again the next spring. Finally, in 1804, he brought his family by oxteam, the trip requiring 17 days.
Jesse Davis came in 1799 from Pennsylvania and built a log mill with one run of stone on Yawger's Creek. One of his mill wrights was George McFarland who married a daughter of Thomas Thompson.
In 1800 James Carr came from Johnston, Pa., and settled about 1-1/2 miles south of the village where his descendants now live. His son, Hartman Carr, was one year old when he came here with his father.
Also about 1800, Dr. John Mosher came from Washington Co., John Earl from Newport, R.I., James Barker from Rensselaer Co. and Gilbert Weed from Saratoga Co. John Earl was a brother-in-law of Wm. S. Burling, a Quaker minister who lived at the corner of Cayuga and Chapel Sts. Barker, Burling and Earl owned both springs for a time. Later Burling and Earl retained the north spring and mill and Barker used the south spring to run a fulling mill. In 1816 he sold the fulling mill to Philip Winegar who had come from Dutchess Co. the year before on foot. Winegar soon added a grist mill and a saw mill at the south spring.
John Nutt came from Vermont about 1800 and settled about two miles east of the village. Philip Yawger came from New Jersey in 1801 with six sons and four daughters. One son, Peter Yawger, was a number of the Assembly in 1827 and 1831, and an unsuccessful candidate for Congress in 1840. He built the Yawger Tavern about three miles north of the village. In 1809 the first plaster bed was discovered on Philip Yawger's farm. This was gypsum or calcium sulphate from which Plaster of Paris is made. This had been imported heretofore from Nova Scotia, but when that supply was cut off during the War of 1812 the "Cayuga Plaster", as it was called, came into extensive use and provided a profitable industry for many years.
Humphrey Hunt came from Orange Co. in 1805 and settled one mile south of Union Springs. He was in Sullivan's army in 1779 and was with the troops that destroyed the Cayuga Villages on the east side of Lake Cayuga. Ichabod Clark, Amos Howland, Thomas Collins, William Cozzens, William Taver and Elam Anthony all came before 1815.
The first merchant in Union Springs was Laban Hoskins from Genoa who opened a store in 1810. Dr. John Mosher, William Cozzens and Asa Burnham were partners in a store beginning in 1815. Philip Winegar and a son Eseck Winegar opened a store in 1822. Daniel Mersereau from Staten Island began a general merchandise store in 1830 which was continued for many years by his descendants. George H. Ham had a general store at Hamburg, a small hamlet named for him near the limestone quarries about three fourths mile south of Union Springs. He moved his store to Union Springs in 1836, hut failed after a few years. It is not possible to give a complete account of the business houses and business men of Union Springs in a brief talk.
A Post Office was established in Union Springs in 1811. Dr. John Mosher was the first postmaster and continued in that office for 30 years. He was also the first physician in the village. He practiced from 1800 until his nephew, Dr. Stephen Mosher came in 1817.
When the town of Springport was formed from Aurelius and Scipio in 1823, the citizens held a town meeting at the Inn of John Yawger, April 1, 1823, and elected the first town officers. The first town supervisor was William Cozzens and the first town Clerk, Wm. G. Harkness.
The village of Union Springs was incorporated Nov. 8, 1848, and originally contained 1086.85 acres. In 1877 the western boundary of the village was extended to the middle of Lake Cayuga. (It is not recorded how many under-water acres that added.) The first village officers elected January 16, 1849 were: Eseck M. Winegar, President; John C. Yawger, Treasurer and John Griffing, Clerk.
Frontenac Island is well within the western boundary of Union Springs. It evidently was an Indian burial ground. The island was deeded to the Village of Union Springs in April, 1856, by the New York State Legislature, to be used as a park. It was cleared of underbrush and walks and seats added, but these have not been kept in repair. This island is of particular interest because it is the only one in any of the Finger Lakes.
Apparently Union Springs was a peaceful place, legally, for quite a while after it was founded. No lawyer lived here until 1845. The first one was Caleb Winegar who practiced here from 1845 to 1870.
Union Springs is noted for the large number of newspapers and periodicals published here. Beginning with "The Cayuga Tocsin" established December 25, 1811, by Royall T. Chamberlain, there were thirteen published in Union Springs at various times up to June 14, 1866, when the 14th "The Union Springs Advertiser", was started by James B. Hoff. This weekly continued until a few years ago.
There were several steamboats on Lake Cayuga carrying both passengers and freight, from the Enterprise in 1818 to the Frontenac which burned near Dill's Cove in July, 1907. There were ferries across the lake at various points, but Union Springs had the only steam ferry boat, the small steamer, R.B. Howland. Canal boats also carried freight to and from New York City and points along the Erie Canal via the Cayuga and Seneca Canal connecting Lake Cayuga with the Erie Canal at Montezuma.
The Cayuga Lake Railroad along the eastern shore of Lake Cayuga from Ithaca to Cayuga was completed in 1872. One of its chief promoters and a director was J.J. Thomas. The railroad proved to be a losing proposition, however, and in the latter seventies it was sold to the Lehigh Valley Railroad. The passenger service was discontinued in 1947 and the present branch through Union Springs runs only form Auburn to Aurora.
One of the most important early factories was the Cayuga Plaster Co. In 1875 this factory gave employment to more than fifty men in the quarries and mills, for about two thirds of each year. This factory produced from 30,000 to 40,000 tons of plaster annually. The Cayuga Plaster Co. was owned in 1875 by Clinton T. Backus, James Fitch, R.B. Howland, B. Robinson and R.B. Robinson.
A branch of the First National Bank of Aurora is to be opened here at Union Springs in the near future. The First National Bank of Union Springs, however, was organized February 4, 1864, exactly one month before the First National Bank of Aurora was organized. The bank opened for business in April of that year. The bank building was the business building farthest north on Cayuga Street. The first officers were: John C. Yawger, President; Albert Beardsley, Vice-President and Benjamin Howland, Cashier. The original capital was $50,000, increased to $100,000 on January 16, 1865.
The old stone mill, 65 by 84 feet, with four stories and a basement, was built in 1840 by George Howland of New Bedford, Mass., the father of R.B. Howland. Originally a grist mill, it had five runs of stone. The mill was run by water power for about eight months of the year and during the winter by a 50-horse power steam engine. To build and furnish the mill cost $40,000, a large sum in those days.
Union Springs also had an Agricultural Works in 1875 owned by J.O. Spencer. In 1878 he built ten threshing machines and 25 steam engines. There was also the New York Central Planing Mill owned and operated by the Courtney Brothers.
Union Springs has also been noted for its schools and the excellent consolidated school you have now is a worthy successor. The Friends' Academy was founded in 1858 and a brick building 135' long with three stories and a basement to accommodate 100 students was erected at a cost of $20,000 raised by subscription. It has incorporated by the State Regents in 1860. Several additions were made to the building. In 1875 the name was changed to Oakwood Seminary. The lecturer in natural sciences at that time was J.J. Thomas, a son of the well known pioneer scientist, David Thomas.
The Howland School was first begun in 1863 as The Young Ladies' Institute by R.B. Howland, who bought the Philip Winegar homestead for $6000 and built some additions. When George Howland, R.B. Howland's father died, he bequested the sum of $50,000 for the "thorough, moral, intellectual and religious training of young females." The trustees of this fund took over the Institute and re-established it as the Howland School. About 1872 a 4-story brick addition was built. The Howland School offered a full collegiate course in the classics, mathematics and the languages. It attained a high degree of excellence, but as a description of it at that time stated, "It languishes for want of support."
In 1875 there were seven churches in Union Springs; Presbyterian, Friends, Christian, Baptist, Methodist, Catholic and Episcopal. Since all of them cannot be included in this talk, only an account of the oldest one will be given.
The First Presbyterian Church of Springport was formed Sept. 7, 1801, at the home of Ichabod Wilkinson in the present Town of Fleming. It was originally a Congregational Church. Its first pastor was Rev. Jacob Cram who was also an early pastor of the First Church of Milton. The First Congregational Society of Aurelius was organized May 21, 1802, about one mile south of Half Acre. This was one of the churches of the Middle Association of Congregational Churches of New York.
It was later taken into the Presbytery of Cayuga as the First Presbyterian Church of Aurelius with other churches of the vicinity that had originated as Congregational Churches. When Springport was formed in 1823, this church became the First Presbyterian Church of Springport. This church is the third oldest church in Cayuga County. The oldest is the First Presbyterian Church of Genoa organized in 1798 as the First Congregational Church of Milton. The second oldest is the Presbyterian Church of Aurora organized in 1800 as the First Congregational Church of Scipio. From the First Presbyterian Church of Aurelius (now Springport) were formed three churches: the Presbyterian Church of Sennett, the First Presbyterian Church of Auburn, and the First Presbyterian Church of Cayuga. The first church building was built in 1816 about two miles north of Union Springs. The present building in which this meeting is being held was erected in 1840. The first installed pastor of this church was Rev. David Higgins, a Congregational minister, whose installation was, according to the historian, Hotchkin, "the first instance of such an occurrence in the Military Tract." At this time, Cayuga County was in the Presbytery of Geneva. The Presbytery of Cayuga was formed in 1807 from the Presbytery of Geneva. On September 11, 1803, the Presbytery of Geneva was opened with a sermon by Rev. David Higgins, the Congregational pastor of the First Church of Aurelius. During this meeting, this question was discussed: "Can the Presbytery consistently receive as a constituent member a minister belonging to an Association without his discontinuing his connection with the Association?" The answer was unanimously, "Yes", and immediately thereafter, the Rev. David Higgins, Pastor of the First Church of Aurelius, and Rev. Hezekiah Woodruff, Pastor of the First Church of Scipio, both congregational ministers in Congregational churches, were received as full members of the Geneva Presbytery. This was an excellent example of Interdenominational tolerance and cooperation.
These are only some of the main points in the history of your town and village. There is much more of interest and I trust that some one some time will incorporate it all in a complete history. The Historian of Union Springs and of the Town of Springport, Mrs. Ethel Flinn, has many more of the interesting details than I have.
You have a beautiful setting here for a village. I did not realize until I went abroad that our scenery here is just as beautiful as theirs, the difference being that we do not need to play it up as an asset. The view across the Lake with Frontenac Island in the foreground cannot be matched even on any of the other lakes of the celebrated Finger Lakes region.
Edward Richardson dammed the north spring and built his mill here more than a year before John Hardenberg came to Hardenberg's Corners to build his mill on Lake Owasco Outlet and to become the first settler of Auburn. Hence Union Springs is one of the oldest villages in Cayuga County. Your village is not only beautiful in its setting, but rich in its heritage.
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