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CAYUGA COUNTY.
region with a mean elevation of about 1,000 ft. above tide. The soil is a gravelly lcfam inter¬
spersed with clay. Milan, (Locke p. o.,) situated on the s. brapch of Owasco Lake Inlet, con¬
tains 2 churches, 2 woolen factories, 2 gristmills, aitd several mechanics’ shops. Pop. 180. Cen¬
terville contains 18 houses. The first settlement was made by Ezra Carpenter, Jas. Cook, Jas.
Durell, and Solomon Love, in 1790.1 The first church (M. E.) was formed in 1819.2
MENTZ—was formed from Aurelius, as “ JeffersonMarch 30, 1802. Its name was changed
April 6, 1808. Montezuma and a portion of Throop were taken off in 1859. It lies upon Seneca
Kiver, n. w. of the center of the co. Its surface is generally flat, with a few low sand ridges near
the s. border. A swampy region extends along Seneca River. Owasco Outlet, flowing through
the center,.is the principal stream. Limestone, gypsum, and red shale are the underlying rocks.
The soil is a clayey, sandy, and gravelly loam. Port Byron, (p. v.,) incorp. March 2, 1837,
is situated upon the Owasco Outlet and Erie Canal, near the center of the town. The N. Y. C.
R. R. station is 1 mi. n. of the village. It contains 3 churches, a woolen factory, cabinet ware
manufactory, and a flouring mill with 10 run of stones. Pop. 1,669. Centerport, a canal
village on the e. line, contains 22 houses. The first settlement was made in 1797.3 There are 3
churches in town; Bap., M. E., and Presb.
MONTEZUMA—was formed from Mentz, April 8, 1859. It lies in the n. w. angle formed
by the great easterly bend in Seneca River, on the w. border of the co. Its surface is mostly low
and flat. An extensive swamp, known as the Montezuma Marshes, extends along the river.
The only considerable stream is Crane Brook. The soil is generally a clayey loam. Brine
springs are found along Seneca River. Montezuma (p.v.) is located upon Seneca River,
in the w. part of the town. The Seneca and Cayuga Canals here unite with the Erie Canal. Salt
and some other articles are manufactured.4 Pop. 650. TIiq first settlement was made in 1798.5
The first church (Bap.) was formed in 1803, by Rev. John Jeffries. There are 3 churches in town;
2 M. E. and Bap.
MORAVIA—was formed from Sempronius,- March 20, 1833. It lies upon Owasco Lako
and Inlet, in the e. part of the co. The greater part of its surface is a rolling upland, broken by
the deep and narrow valleys of Owasco Inlet and its branches.6 These valleys are 300 to 400 ft.
below the summits of the hills, and are bordered by steep and in many places nearly perpen¬
dicular sides. Upon the streams in their course through the ravines are several beautiful cas¬
cades, furnishing an abundance of water-power. Mill Brook, just below its junction with Trout
Brook, flows over a precipice of 80 ft. Upon the e. tributary of the outlet, near the s. border, is a
cascade known as Dry Palis, from the fiict that in summer the stream ceases to flow. A little
below this cascade is a circular recess in the face of the perpendicular precipice, 42 ft. deep, and sur¬
mounted by a limestone arch 55 ft. high and 125 ft. long. Upon this arch rises a lofty hill covered
with primitive forest trees. A large spring of carburetted hydrogen gas, highly inflammable, is
situated upon the lowlands near the lake. The soil among the hills is a gravelly loam mixed
with clay, and in the valleys it consists of a deep, rich loam formed of gravel and disintegrated
limestone and slate. Moravia (p.,v.) is situated on Mill Brook, in the valley 3 mi. s. e. of the
head of Owasco Lake. The rapids and cascades in the stream at this point furnish an abundance
of water-power. The village is incorp., and contains 130 dwellings, the Moravia Institute, and
several mills and other manufacturing establishments. Mositviil©,6 a small village 1 mi. e. of
Moravia, contains 15 houses. The first settlement was made at Moravia Village, by John Stoyell,
in 17-91.8 The first church (Cong.) was formed March 12, 1806.®
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lately been discovered, and the manufacture of salt has been suc¬
cessfully, resumed. These salt springs, like those of Onondaga,
belong to the State.
6 Among the early settlers were Peter Clark, from New York
City, Comfort Tyler, and Abram Morgan, at Montezuma, in
1798, who located there to manufacture salt.
6 The Owasco Plats were in part cultivated hy the Indians
anterior to the settlement hy the whites, and still bear traces of
the ancient occupation.
1 Ex-President 1'illmore read law at this place with Judgo
Wood.
8 Among the other early settlers were Winslow Perry, Amos
Stoyell, and Jabez L. Bottom, in 1793; Gurshom Morse, in 1794;
and Cotton Skinner, in 1795. The first child born was Seth
Perry, in 1794; the first marriage, that of Jonathan Eldridge
and Sally Perry, in 1795;. and the first death, that of Cynthia
Wright, in 1796. Levi Goodrich taught the first school, in ■
1797; Zadock Cady kept the first, inn, in 1801, David Wright the
first store, and John Stoyell built the first mill.
8 The census reports 3 churches in town; Cong., Prot. E., and
M.E. |
1
A daughter of Jas: Durell was the first child horn;.Aaron
Kellogg kept the first store, at Milan; James Cook, the first inn;
Lyman Brown erected the first factory, at Milan, in 18J0, and
Mr. Durell the first gristmill. The traces of an Indian burying
ground, half a mi. w. of Milan, between 2 deep gulfs, covering
about 2 acres, are still visible. The graves are ranged in rows
E. and w. '
2
The census reports 3 churches; 2 M. E. and Bap.
3
8 Among the early settlers were Philip King, Seth Higby,
from Saratoga co., on Lot 72, Josiah Patridge, from Mass., on
Lot 73, in 1797; Charles Annes. Aholiab and Elijah Buck, from
Chemung co., on Lot 73, (now Port Byron,) in 1798; Dan’l Love¬
land. from Vt., bn Lot 49, hi 1799; Peter Rausier and Moses
Lent, from Owego, on Lot 62, in 1800; James Dixon-and Joseph
Hamilton, from Washington co., Caleb Hopkins, from N. J..,
and Ira Hopkins, from Washington co., on Lot 85, from 1800 to
1&04.
4
Salt was first manufactured in Montezuma about 1798; hut
5
the business was abandoned about 1840, in consequence of the
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springs of Syracuse and ^Salina. Strong brine springs have
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