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MADISON COUNTY. 391
churches, a newspaper office, and several manufactories.1 Pop. 715. Eaton, (p.v.,) commonly
called “Log City,” contains 3 churches and several manufactories.2 Pop. 510. West Eaton,
(p.v.,) commonly called “Leeville,” contains 2 churches, a woolen factory,, sawmill, and about 40
houses; and Pratts Hollow3 (p.v.) 1 church and about 20 houses. Pine Woods is a p. o.
Settled in 1792, by John and James Salisbury, from Yt.; but tbe first permanent settler was Joshua
Leland, from Sherburne, Mass., in 1793.* The first church (Presb.) was formed in 1805.4
EEWYER5—was formed from Cazenovia and Smithfield, April 22, 1823. It is an interior
town, lying n. w. of the center of the co. Its surface is a rolling upland. Oneida, Canaseraga, and
Chittenango Creeks have their sources in this town. The latter forms a part of its w. boundary.
Extensive marl beds are found; and on tbe bank of Chittenango Creek calcareous tufa is quar¬
ried and burned into lime. The soil is a gravelly and clayey loam. Perryville, (p.v.,) partly
in this town, contains 2 churches and 25 houses. Fenner (p. o.) is a hamlet. The first settle¬
ment was made about the year 1793.6 The first church (Bap.) was organized Aug. 23, 1801.7
GEORGETOWN—was formed from De Ruyter, April 7, 1815. It lies upon the s. border
of the co., w. of the center. The surface is a hilly upland, broken hy the valley of Otselie Creek
into two ridges. The summits of the hills are 500 to 600 ft. ahove the valleys. The principal
streams are Otselie Creek and its branches. The soil upon the hills is yellow loam, and in the
valleys a gravelly alluvium. Georgetown (p. v.) contains 3 churches, and has a population
of 280. The first settlement was made hy Ezra Sexton, in 1804.8 Lewis Anathe Muller, a French
refugee, settled in this town about 1810, and remained until the restoration of Louis Philippe.9
The first religious services were conducted hy Ezra Sexton, at the house of Bethel Hurd, in 1805.10
HAMIETOIV—was formed from Paris, (Oneida co.,) March 5, 1795, and was named from
Alexander Hamilton. Eaton, Lebanon, and Madison were taken off in 1807. It lies upon the s.
border of the co., between Lebanon and Brookfield. Its surface is a rolling upland, broken hy the
valleys of Chenango River and its east branch. The soil is a gravelly loam in the valleys and a
clayey loam upon the hills. Hamilton,11 (p. v.,) incorp. April 12, 1812, is situated on the
Chenango Canal. It contains 4 churches, the Hamilton Academy, the Hamilton Female Seminary,
2 newspaper offices, and a hank. Pop. 1448. The Madison University, located at this place,
under the care of the Baptist denomination, was incorp. March 26, 1846. It consists of a
grammar school, a collegiate and a theological department. Nine professors are employed^ and
in 1857 31 theological students, 123 under-graduates, and 71 grammar school students were in
attendance. The libraries connected with the university contain about 8,900 volumes.12 Earl-
Ville,1* (p. v.,) on the line of Sherburne, (Chenango co.,) contains 2 churches, and has a pop. of 441,
of which 233 are in this town. Poolville (p. v.) contains 2 churches and about 40 houses, and
1 A silk factory, distillery, tannery, iron foundry, machine
shop, gristmill, and sawmill. There were formerly several woolen
factories in and near Morrisville, hut they have been abandoned.
2 A woolen factory, a tool factory and trip hammer, distillery,
tannery, gristmill, and sawmill.
8 Named from John and Matthew Pratt, early settlers.
* John H. and Benj. Morris settled in the town inl794; Benj.
Morse, Dan’l Alby, Simeon Gillett, Levi Bonny, and Elijah Hay¬
den, in 1795; Jos. Morse, Wm. Mills, Lewis Wilson, Sam’l Sin¬
clair, Humphrey Palmer, and McCrellis, in 1796; and Raw-
son Harmon, in 1797. Thos. Morris, Windsor and Ziba Coman,
Constandt, Robert, and Cyrus Avery, Jos. French, C. Finney, R.
Eldridge, Daniel Halch, and Abiathar Gates were among those
who first moved into and settled this town. The first birth was
that of Mr. M. S- Morse, Nov. 1, 1793; the first marriage, that
of Lewis Wilson and Dorcas Gillett, in 1796; and the first death,
that of Simeon Gillett, in 1796. Joshua Leland opened the first
inn, in 1794, and erected the first saw and grist mills, in 1795.
David Gaston kept the first store, in 1804. The first school was
taught by Dr. James Pratt, in the winter of 1797-98,—the first
month at the house of Joseph Morse, the second near Morrisville,
the third near Log City, and the fourth near the residence of
Joshua Leland.
6 The census reports 9 churches; 3 Bap., 4 M. E., and 2 Cong.
® Named from Gov. Fenner, of Rhode Island.
1 Among the early settlers were Alpheus Twist and James
Hunger, from Conn., who located a mi. s, of the center, Jona¬
than Hunger and Page in the N. part, and Elisha Freeman,
Ithuriel Flower, Ames Webster and Amanda Munger in the s.
part. The first birth was that of a child of Alpheus Twist; and
the first death, that of the wife of Alpheus Twist. Elder Nathan
Baker was the first preacher. '
8 The census reports 5 churches; 3 M. E., Bap., and Prot. E.
8 Matthew Hallenbeck, Joab Bishop, John C. Paine, and Bailey
Carter settled in the town in 1804, and Mitchell Atwood, Wm.
Paine, Bethel Hurd, Joseph P. Harrison, and Josiah Purdy in
1805. Ebenezer Hull, Apollos Drake, Elijah and Alfred Brown,
1
Jesse Jerrold, Zadock Hawks, John Gibson, —— Hunt, David
Parker, Philetus Stewart, Calvin Cross, Dr. Smith, Benj. Bonne^,
Capt. White, and-Alvord, were also early settlers. The first
birth was that of Weston Paine, in 1805; and the first death,
that of Mrs. Ezra Sexton, in 1807. Mitchell Atwood built the
first sawmill, in 1806, and Bishop & Hunt the first gristmill, in
1807. J. C. Paine was an early innkeeper.
1° Muller settled on the hill, about 3 mi. W. of Georgetown,
erected a large and spacious dwelling, laid out extensive grounds,
excavated an artificial pond, and planted great numbers of fruit
trees. He attempted the establishment of a village, by erecting
2
storehouses, several dwellings, a blacksmith shop, and a grist¬
3
mill. It is supposed that he brought with him to town not less
4
When Bonaparte abdicated, Muller returned to Prance, leaving
5
his wife and children in New York. He afterward returned to
6
dispose of his property here. When he reached Georgetown, his
house was stripped of its furniture; his stock and every me fable
7
article had disappeared; weeds covered the gardens, the walks,
8
the roads, and fields; his village was forsaken, and the mill de¬
serted. The agent in whose charge he had left his property ^a<l
sold every movable article and deserted the place. Muller sold
the property and returned to Prance; and to this day n;, mks-
knows who or what he was.
9
UfThere are 3 churches in town; Bap., Presb., and Union.
10
12 Formerly called “Paynesville.”
11
13 ThHamilton Theological Seminary” was established in.
1820, under the auspices of the Baptist Education Society of tlie
State of NewYork. In 1834 a collegiate course was instituted,
and the seminary assumed-the name of the “ Hamilton Literary
and Theological Seminary;” and in 1846 the institution was in¬
corp. as the Madison University. The theological department
is still under the control of the Baptist Educational Society. The
aggregate number of graduates of the theological department is
302, and of the collegiate department 462.
12
14 Named from Jonas Earl, Canal Commissioner.
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