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CAYUGA COUNTY.
average elevation of not more than 10 feet above Seneca River, which forms its n. boundary. The
portions immediately bordering upon the river are generally swampy. In the s. e. the surface is
rolling and broken by isolated drift hills 50 to 75 feet above the general level. The principal
streams are Bread Creek and Cold Spring Brook, both flowing into Seneca River. The former is a
canal feeder, and along its banks are outcrops of limestone and plaster, which are quarried to some
extent. The soil is a fine quality of sandy and gravelly loam intermixed with clay and alluvium.
Weedsport1 (p.v.) was incorp. April 26, 1831. It is situated upon the Erie Canal, and is a
station on the N. Y. Central R. R. It contains a bank, insurance office, union school, 4 churches,
a foundery, a large distillery, and several mills. Pop. 1,226. The first settlement was begun in
1800, by Wm. Stevens, from Mass, on Lot 76.2 The first church (M. E.) was formed in 1816.3
CATO—was formed from Aurelius, March 30, 1802. Sterling was taken off in 1812, and Con¬
quest, Ira, and Victory in 1821. A part of Ira was annexed in 1824. It lies upon the e. border
of the co., n. of tbe center. Its surface is level in the s. and gently rolling in the n. The ridges
extend n. and s., and their summits are about 50 feet above the valleys and 150 to 200 feet above
Lake Ontario. Seneca River forms the s. boundary. Cross Lake, upon the e. border, is a shallow
body of water about 5 mi. long, through which flows Seneca River. Otter Lake and Parkers Pond,
in the n. part, discharge their waters through Otter Creek into Seneca River. The soil is a sandy
and gravelly loam mixed with clay and disintegrated red shale. Meridian,3 (p.v.,) in the n.
part of the town, was incorp. Oct. 17, 1854. Pop. 360. Cato, (p.v.,) on the line of Ira, in the
n.w. corner, contains 3 churches and 53 dwellings. Seneca River is-a p.o. The first set¬
tlement was begun in 1800, by Samson Lawrence, on Lot 32.® The first church (Bap.) was
formed Oct. 26,1810; Rev. Daniel Palmer was the first pastor.4
CONQUEST 5—was formed from Cato, March 16, 1821. It lies on the w. border of the co., n.
of the center. The surface is gently rolling, the ridges extending sr. and s. The s. part along the
course of Seneca River is marshy, and a swamp about one-fourth of a mi. wide extends n. and s.
through the town along the course of the small stream which flows through Mud Pond. Duck
Pond, in the n.w., is about 1 mi. in diameter. Howlands Island, in Seneca River, contains 2,700
i acres, one-third of which is swampy, and overflowed during high water. The soil is a sandy loam
interspersed with clay and underlaid hy red shale. Conquest Centex- (Conquest p. o.) con¬
tains 2 churches and 26 houses; Pineville, in the w. part, contains 15 houses. The first settlers
were George Snyder, from Schoharie co., who located on Lot 37, and Israel Wolverton, from Tomp¬
kins co., on-Lot 4, in 1800.® The first church (Prot. Meth.) was formed at Conquest Center, in
1803; Rev. Joshua Beebe was the first settled preacher.9
FfJEMI\<i10—was formed from Aurelius, March 28, 1823. It lies w. of the foot of Owasco
Lake, a little s. of the center of the co. Its surface is rolling, with an inclination toward the n.
and e. The banks of the lake slope upward for about three-fourths of a mi. The highest portions
are 150 to 250 feet above the lake, and 800 to 1,000 feet above tide. Wheeler and Crane Creeks are
the principal streams. The soil is principally a gravelly loam, with, an occasional intermixture of
.clay and sand. Flensing', (p.v.,) near the center, contains 2 churches and 25 dwellings.
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7 Name given to commemorate the conquest achieved hy those
who favored the division of the old town of Cato over those who
opposed it.
8 Among the other early settlers were James Perkins, from
Onondaga CO., on Lot 3, Ephraim Witherill, from Tompkins co.,
on Lot 4, Theophilus Emerson, on Lot 27, and Clement B.
Emerson, on Lot 15, in 1802;, Dijar Wilcox,' from Saratoga co.,
on Lot 74, Wm. McCollom and John Crowell, from Newburgh,
on Lot 76, in 1805; and William Crowell, on Lot 77, in 1807.
The first child horn .was Amos Wolverton, In 1803; the first
marriage, that of Gilbert Perkins and Betsey Snyder; and the
first death, that of a traveler and stranger, at Musquito Point.
John Perkins taught the first school, at Conquest Center, in
1807; Ephraim Witherill kept the first inn, in 1803; Jonathan
Davis, the first store, at Conquest Center, in 1827; Twitcheil
erected the first sawmill, in 1808, and Abram Cherry the first
gristmill, in 1810. This mill was long known as the u Pepper
Mill,” from the fact that a store was at first kept in it. The
first settlers joined in making a canoe which would hold 60
hush, of grain; and in this they carried the grists of the whole
neighborhood to Springport, by the way of Seneca River, to he
ground. The journey usually took 4 days. In 1813 John Fil-
kins took a load of wheat to Albany, hut was obliged to sell the
wheat and one horse to defray the expenses of the journey. In
1804 Jas. Perkins built the first framed house, sawing out the
whole lumber with a whip-saw. The building still stands (1859)
a monument of persevering industry.
9 The census reports 3 churches; 2 Prot. Meth. and M. E.
10 Named from Gen. George Fleming, an old resident. |
1
Named from Elisha and Edward Weed, first settlers at the
village.
2
Among the other early scttiers were Caleb, Nathan, and
Jonah Rood, and Powers, from Saratoga co., who located
at and near Weedsport; John Hamilton, from Washington co.,
on Lot 64, in March, 1802; Edward Horton, Peter Douglass, and
Samuel Moore, from N. J., on Lot 86; Adam Helmer, from Herki¬
mer co., on Lot 67, in 1804; and Van Dyck and Daniel Mil¬
ler, from N. J., on Lot 76, in 1805. Tho first child born was Bur¬
nett Stevens, Nov. 13,1801^ the first marriage, that of Peter
Douglass and Polly Hamilton, Jan. 12,1804; and the first death,
that of an infant child of Sunderland Swe’et, in 1800. Harriet
Phelps taught the first school, in 1806; Walter and Elisha Weed
kept tho first store; and Lewis Putnam built the first sawmill
and gristmill, on Bread Creek.
3
Formerly “ Cato Four Corners.”
4
The census reports 4 churches; Presb., M. E., Bap., and Ref.
5
Prot. D. •
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