Source: Past and Present of Syracuse and Onondaga
County by The Rev. William M. Beauchamp. NY: S. J.
Clarke Publishing Co., 1908, pp. 432-435. Submitted to Roots Web
in 1998 by Kathy Crowell.
Spafford had its name from Horatio Gates Spafford,
author of an early gazetteer of the state, a man who had opinions
and expressed them. It was set off April 8, 1811, from
several towns. Marcellus gave it thirteen lots, Sempronius
eight, and Tully sixteen. The town if about ten miles long
and three broad, occupying the ridge between two lakes and their
valleys. With Skaneateles lake on one side, and Otisco lake
on the other, it has the longest lake front of any town here, and
abounds in picturesque ravines and falls. Ripley hill is not
as high as Fabius hill, but commands a finer view.
Gilbert Palmer was the first settler, locating on Lot 70 in
1794. His son had a nearly fatal accident that year, and Dr.
White was summoned from Clinton. He and the father were
guided on the return by an Oneida Indian, who promised to bring
them to a log across the outlet at Otisco lake--and he did.
Mr. Palmer and his crippled son had no near neighbors for about
eight years.
Captain Daniel Tinkham came about 1802, to Lot 89, south of
Borodino, but soon found another site. Jonathan Berry
succeeded him on the first in March, 1803, and became a prominent
man. Dr. Archibald Farr, the first physician, came in April,
settling about a mile north of Spafford Corners. The road
from Berry's to Farr's was the first in town. This was
extended in 1804, about the time Isaac Hall came, and in
September, 1806, Mr. Hall drove the first wagon from Spafford to
Scott Corners, a road having been opened in 1805 by John Babcock
and Elisha Sabins, who came from Scott with sleds.
In 1806 came Jethro Bailey, Abel Amidon, Elias Davis, John
Hullibut, Peter Knapp, Otis and Moses Legg, Job Lewis, along the
road from Scott to Borodino. Levi Foster, Benjamin Homer,
James and Cornelius Williamson, Benjamin Stanton, John Woodward
and others came elsewhere. Knapp's landing was on
Skaneateles lake.
In 1807 Asahel Roundy and James Bacon settled at Spafford
Corners, the former becoming an influential citizen, and the first
postmaster in 1814. He built a tavern there in 1820, selling
it to William W. Legg in 1843. Samuel Conkling also came in
1807, building the first frame house near Borodino. In Cold
Brook, about 1808, Luke Miller raised the first log cabin.
Daniel Wallace settled at Borodino in 1807, and was the head of
a large family, one of his grandsons being the first volunteer
from Spafford in the Union army. Dr. Farr built the first
grist mill in the town in 1808, in Otisco Hollow, and opened the
first tavern the same year near Spafford Corners. The first
school there was taught that year by Miss Hannah Weston, who came
on horseback from Skaneateles. She was afterward Mrs. Asahel
Roundy. This was not the first school in town, that being in
a log house a mile north of Borodino. This was taught by
Miss Sally Packard. Jared Babcock opened the first store in
town in 1809, at Spafford Corners, and Lauren Hotchkiss had
another there the next year. In fact, that part of the town
made most progress, and its people were always on the alert.
Two instances of this may be cited in more modern days. The
Bucktail road is yet a witness of the strength of the early
Democrats there. In 1844 these built the great "Spafford
Buggy," an immense structure, all of hickory, and drawn by
twenty-four horses. In this they visited Skaneateles and
Cortland. In 1856 the Democrats lived mostly at the south
end of the town; the Whigs at the north, with the town meeting at
Borodino. A great snow storm blocked the roads on the day
for this, but a few nearby Whigs voted and went home, as all
seemed safe. Late in the day every Democrat from the south
end was there. They had turned out in a body, shoveled their
way through, and quickly turned the scale.
In 1810 and 1811 Josiah Walker and Judge Walter Wood each built
sawmills on Cold brook. The town received its name in 1811,
from Mr. Spafford who bought land there, intending to settle, and
offered a library to the town if it received his name. He
sent books, Asahel Roundy being librarian a long time. A
small portion of land was set off to Marcellus and Skaneateles in
1840. The first town meeting was in April, 1812, John
Babcock being chosen supervisor and Sylvester Wheaton town
clerk. Asahel Roundy was elected in 1813, and held the
office for nine years, but not continuously. Job Smith, who
came in 1806, was grandfather of Hon. Sidney Smith of Skaneateles,
and of two eminent New York physicians, Drs. Stephen and J. Lewis
Smith. Among other notable families were the Harmons,
Hiscocks, Strongs, Burdicks, Harveys, Fishers, Kneelands,
Fitzgeralds, etc.
Spafford made a good record in the war of 1812, and in that for
the Union, developing a class of hardy men. Captain Asahel
Roundy was noted in this way, physically and mentally. He
came on horseback from Vermont in 1807, and many stories are told
of him. A man who had settled at Spafford Landing broke his
leg. Most people are breathless who climb the hill without a
burden. Captain Roundy took the man on his back, and carried
him up the steep ascent more than a mile away. He was indeed
a Green Mountain boy. He took a hand at law occasionally,
both in pleading and executing it, varied by deciding as a
judge. One noted decision of his was against all evidence,
but he knew the real culprit, who was himself. Right in
deciding he may have been right in acting.
Daniel Burroughs, the first merchant in Borodino, sold goods in
a log house, and was succeeded by Horace and Stephen Child.
Among later merchants were William W. Legg, Thomas Anderson and
Zachariah Berry. The first tavern there was built by Isaac
Ryder, and the second by Lewis Davis. The first physician
was Dr. J. Whiting. At one time the village had three
stores, three taverns and three blacksmith shops. Also two
churches. Strange as it may seem the town has no record of
early distilleries, but there was one convenient across the lake,
and reached by the "Jug Handle path" from Apple tree
point.
A Freewill Baptist church was organized in 1816, and a plain
church was built a little east of Spafford Corners. About
1835 most of the members became Mormons and went west. Their
chapel was moved to the corners and became a dwelling. About
1836 another Baptist society was formed there, building a church
in 1839. The society became extinct, and the chapel became a
store in 1867. The present Methodist church there was built
as a Union church in 1840, by Methodists, Universalists, and the
remaining Freewill Baptists. A Methodist society was formed
in 1809 at Borodino, where the first church stood on the site of
the town hall. A Methodist society was also organized at
Cold Brook before 1817, where a church was built in 1852.
Another Methodist church is east of Spafford creek.
The shores of Skaneateles lake have proved ideal for summer
cottages, and with these the old names of localities have often
changed. Five Mile point was often called Factory point,
from Miner's Wheelhead factory there. It is now
Edgewater. Pork point, not far from Borodino Landing,
retains its name. Some say that a cargo of pork was
shipwrecked there, others that the first barrel of pork in
Spafford was there unloaded. Hardscrabble presents fine
sites for three cottages, as yet unoccupied. Ten mile point
is attractive for large picnics. Hall's Landing is pleasant
and picturesque. Then comes a long succession of
cottages. Staghorn is one of the best-known points on the
lake, and then comes Spafford Landing, once Randall's point, with
boarding houses and cottages, and easy of access from many places,
with good fishing nearby, picturesque views on every hand.
Among the local stories is that of Abel Amadown, who one day
took a drop too much and went down literally. A man
tried to raise him and failed. Then he asked his name and
had the reply, "Amadown." As this came every time
he got angry and said: "Are you down? of course
you are, and if you won't get up, stay down." He got up
with help. The name is now Amidon.
Elias Davis, a Revolutionary soldier, settled in Skaneateles in
1803, and came thence in a boat in 1806. He died in Spafford
in 1851, aged eight-eight. He killed a great bear one
winter, between the corners and the lake, one of the last in the
town.
Captain Roundy has been mentioned as sometimes taking a hand in
legal matters. Hon. Daniel Gott, a once noted lawyer, said
he was one of the strongest advocates before a jury of any man he
knew. The picturesque Bucktail road perpetuates his
political faith, and there are good stories of how he managed
things. He was captain of a militia company in 1812, which
was called to Sackett's Harbor. His descendants may have
inherited literary tastes from their mother, the school teacher.
Daniel Wallace, son of the pioneer of 1807, gave all his sons
names of noted men, beginning with Napoleon Bonaparte and ending
with Santa Anna. The latter was the first Spafford volunteer
April 28, 1861. The name of Borodino may have come from
these historic tastes, for Daniel lived and died there, owning
over four hundred acres there at one time.
Daniel Burroughs, before mentioned, once swam from Mandana to
Pork point on a wager, a distance of three miles. Others
have occasionally crossed the lake in this way, but at narrower
parts. In early days deer often did this. Before the
lake was raised it was sometimes possible to ride around it on
horseback, on the beach, as was done by one early resident.
In early times, too, there was a fancy for giving names at the
raising of any conspicuous building. In this way a store
built by Joseph R. Berry, in 1831, was called the "Proud
Farmer's Ruin." He was expected to spend money for
costly things, not within the reach of poorer neighbors.
The first child born in the town was Alvah Palmer, and the
first marriage was that of Elisha Freeman and Phoebe Smith.
The first death was that of Benjamin Chaffee, in August, 1801.
In 1836 Borodino had a church, two taverns, two stores, and
about twenty dwellings. In 1886 it had a church, two general
stores, two blacksmith shops, two shoe shops, hardware store,
wagon shop, harness shop, spring bed factory, meat market and
hotel.
At the same time Spafford (originally Spafford Corners) had
three general stores, hotel, wagon shop, two blacksmith shops, a
shoe shop and church. One can rest there "far from the
madding crowd's ignoble strife," and look on forest, lake and
hill.
Tully limestone has been quarried in the town to some extent,
and on the higher hills there have been opened quarries of paving
stone, but the cost of transportation was too high for profitable
work.
Past and Present
of Syracuse and Onondaga County, by Rev. William M. Beauchamp.NY:
S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1908, pp. 432-435. RootsWeb, 1998 by Kathy
Crowell
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