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History of Borodino

Borodino had a physician, Dr. Isaac Morrell, 42. He lived on the property now owned by Jack Hole, 1838 East Lake Road. Morrell's household consisted of his wife, one 12 year old male child, two female boarders who were seamstresses, and an adopted 3 year old daughter.

Seymour Warner was listed as a wagon maker. Warner's household included his wife, a milliner, a 10 year old daughter, and a 26 year old journeyman who was a blacksmith.

Edison Eddy resided on the property now owned by Robert Schramm, 1848 East Lake Road. (Robert Schramm is now deceased. Richard Malcolm is the new owner.) Eddy's household included his wife, two children, and two servants.

The Borodino Hotel was run at the time by Oscar F. Burdick and was located on the property now owned by Frank J. Marcheterre. The residents of the Hotel are listed as Burdick's wife and sister, his partner Porter P. Cole, eight boarders, including 2 clerks, 2 tailors, 2 carpenters, and a seamstress, and one servant.

David Becker lived on the property now owned by James A. Coleman III and Gail Simon on the south corner of East Lake Road and Nunnery Road. Becker was a merchant whose residence included his wife, 2 children, a brother, also a merchant, and a male servant. The census continues to reveal blacksmiths, carpenters, laborers, farmers, shoemakers, masons, seamstresses, a painter, weaver, and a paper maker.

In 1856 Democrats lived mostly at the south end of the town of Spafford and the Whigs lived at the north end of the town. On May 1856, a fire destroyed four buildings consisting of H.W. Hayford's tin shop and foundry, tailor shop and barn.

The 1860 Census was barely legible. Dr. Van Dyke Tripp is listed as a physician, Churchill is listed as a merchant, and Wyeth Van Hauham is listed as a harness maker.

In 1860 Borodino had a church, stores, a hotel, a brass band of ten, and a disease known as putrid throat that was somewhat prevalent and quite fatal. The crops were fruit, hay, potatoes, corn and the landscape was of farms thickly dotted with fields of wheat. 1860 also brought the formation of the Borodino Republican Club. President was S.S. Kneeland, Vice President was Edwin Eddy, corresponding secretary was A.E. Fulton, recording secretary was Sidney Smith, and O. Eddy was elected treasurer.

In 1861, a Union meeting was held at the hall of Charles Nichols in Borodino. O. Eddy was elected Marshall, President was Capt. Z. Berry, Vice President was John Mason and secretary was George C. Anderson. Isaac Morrell was appointed Postmaster of Borodino on April 10, 1861. A division of the Sons of Temperance known as the Borodino Division No. 65 was formed in May of 1861.

In 1863 the Borodino Brass Band was designated and mustered in as a Regimental Brass Band and attached to the 75th regiment of the National Guard.  The band held Saturday night concerts in a band stand located on the south corner of East Lake Road and Nunnery Road on the property now owned by James Coleman III, and Gail Simon. (This property is now owned by the Town of Spafford.) Farmers and community folk came from miles around to hear the concerts. Veterans Park Corner, see below.

In May of 1865, the wagon shop of Simon Marshall was destroyed along with the adjoining dwelling owned by Dr. Isaac Morrell. Charles M. Rich was appointed Postmaster of Borodino on November 17, 1865. In December of 1865 Dr. Van Dyke Tripp was permanently settled. The 1865 Census was totally unreadable. On February 4, 1868 a temperance convention was held at the Borodino Methodist Church under the name of I.O. of G.T. The Rev. B.I. Ives of Auburn lectured. On May 6, 1869 William W. Legg was appointed Postmaster of Borodino. The former Presbyterian Church was bought by a Stock Co. and transformed into a public hall in 1869.

The 1870 Census listed Daniel Wallace, Simon Wallace, Nelson Berry, Frank Colton, Lewis Emmons, Robert Gay, William Quick Jr., Jeremiah Olmsted, and Francis Ida as farmers. George Churchill, Thomas Wilkins, and Orrin Eddy were listed as blacksmiths. Walter Luci, Harry Maxon, Alanson Manly, and William Stone were listed as shoemakers. Hiran Darling was a dentist. James Shuttleworth, William Quick, and James Quick were listed as tailors. Ruth Berry, Minnie Salisbury, and Ella Armstrong were teaching school and George Anderson was the school commissioner. Dr. Van Dyke Tripp was the town physician. Jonathan Brooks was the town clergyman. Hiram Colton is listed as a dry goods merchant, along with William Legg as a retired grocer. J. Huffman is listed as the Hotel Keeper. These names represent a portion of the residents of Borodino in 1870.

On September 12, 1871 a fire destroyed the businesses of William W. Legg and Son, William Quick, Charles Rich, H.L. Darling and Charles Benton. In 1873 Borodino consisted of one M.E.Church, a town hall, a Post office, two dry goods stores run by Churchill & Eadie and Grinnell & Howe, one hardware store run by C.M. Rich, one clothing shop run by Wm. Quick and son, one wagon shop run by Cyrus Streeter, two blacksmith shops run by O.F. Eddy and A. Griffin, one cabinet shop run by E. Elbridge, one hotel run by Steven Huffman, one shoe shop run by A. Manly and son, one tin shop run by C.M. Rich and son, carpenters and joiners, a postmaster, a physician Dr. Van Dyke Tripp, and a True Reform Lodge No. 664 I.O. of G.T.

The first town meeting held at the Town Hall was in February of 1874, the present Grange building. In December of 1874 Messrs. Wiard & Hoxie succeeded Mr. Huffman in the proprietorship of the Borodino Hotel.

In 1875 the following events took place: in January the Spafford Farmers Club was formed, in March Dr. Van Buskirk, a dentist opened an office at the Wiard and Hoxies' Hotel, in July the sidewalk was repaired in front of the Post office and a meat market opened at the old stand of Kinney and Maxon.

In 1879 a stage ran from Borodino to Skaneateles at seven o'clock in the morning. Between 1849 and 1878 three quarters of the Borodino population disappeared. The population in 1878 was 200.