264 



HISTORY OF STEUBEN COUNTY, NEW YORK. 



Statistics. — Since the establishment of the academic de- 

 partment 120 have graduated, as follows: 4 in 1869 ; 11 

 in 1870; 17 in 1872; 22 in 1873; 12 in 1874; 18 in 

 1875; 27 in 1876; and 9 in 1878. The assessed valua- 

 tion of property in the district is $1,473,049. Total amount 

 expended for school purposes for the year ending Sept. 30, 

 1878, $15,599.56. Number of school age in the district, 

 1386. Attendants, 1076. Whole number of days taught, 

 115,328. 



The First Street School employs 5 teachers and has 387 



pupils. 



Board of Instruction, 1878-79.— A. Gaylord Slocum, 

 A.M., Principal and Superintendent; Sanford F. Huntley, 

 B.S., First Assistant ; Miss Maggie C. Milne, Second As- 

 sistant ; Miss Carrie W. Coates, First Grammar Department ; 

 Miss Ella L. Mallory, Second Grammar Department ; Miss 

 Sarah A. Ferenbaugh,^ First Intermediate Department; 

 Miss Bessie Spencer,* Second Intermediate Department; 

 Miss Lucy M. Berry,''' First Secondary Department ; Miss 

 Sarah A. Saunders,* Second Secondary Department; Miss 

 L. A. Robertson, First Primary Department ; Miss Sarah 

 S. Eaton,* Second Primary Department. 



First Street School— Miss M. D. McCaffrey, Grammar 

 Department; Miss M. D. Clancey, Intermediate Depart- 

 ment ; Miss M. I. Regan, Secondary Department ; Miss M. 

 C. Bergen, Primary Department; Miss M. J. Stafford, 

 Second Primary Department. 



Board of Educatt'on, 1878-79.— A. S. Kendall, Presi- 

 dent ; Geo. Hitchcock, Secretary ; Q. W. Willington, Treas- 

 urer; Chas. G. Denison, A. H. Gorton, E. D. Mills, S. T. 

 Hayt, E. Clisdell. 



CORNING LIBRARY. 



At a meeting held on the 25th of February, 1873, the 

 Corning Library was organized under the general law, with 

 the following officers : C. H. Thomson, President ; George 

 W. Pratt, Vice-President; H. A. Balcam, Secretary; J. N. 

 Hungerford, Treasurer; Mrs. A. B. Maynard, Librarian. 

 A handsome one-story building, suited for the library, was 

 erected on Erie Avenue, and the library was opened to the 

 public on the 4th of February, 1874. Its growth has been 

 rapid, and it is undoubtedly one of the most prosperous and 

 beneficial institutions of the village. By the payment of 

 two dollars per year any person can become a subscriber, 

 which entitles him to draw from the library such books as 

 he may desire to read, subject, of course, to the rules of the 

 association, which are very liberal, and intended to promote 

 reading and self culture among the masses of the people. 

 The library now contains 6500 volumes, carefully selected 

 for general reading, and embracing many rare and valuable 

 books of reference. The follow! ng-nam^persons constitute 

 the present board of trustees : C. H. Thomson- Wm. Walker, 

 Geo. T. Spencer, Q. W. Willington, S. T. Hayt, Geo. W. 

 Pratt, Jno. N. Hungerford, C. C. B. Walker, J. B. Graves, 

 H. Pritchard, Alex. Olcott, Geo. B. Bradley, Henry B. 

 Noyes. The two last named having succeeded Wm. D. 

 Turbell and H. A. Balcam, of the first board. C. H. Thom- 

 son, President; G. W. Pratt, Vice-President; William 



* Graduates of the Corning Free Academy. 



Walker, Secretary; J. N. Hungerford, Treasurer; Hon. 

 George T. Spencer, Historian ; Miss F. Maynard, Librarian. 



CORNING WATER-WORKS. 



In pursuance of a special act of the Legislature, the 

 board of the village of Corning, in 1870, inaugurated a 

 movement for the supply of the village with water. At 

 the annual election in 1871, the people authorized the 

 newly-elected board to issue the bonds of the village for the 

 construction of water-works. Charles G. Denison, presi- 

 dent of the village, and A. H. Gorton were appointed the 

 supervising committee, who purchased a piece of land for a 

 reservoir, at the head of Pine Street, 210 feet above the 

 village, and entered into a contract with the Gloucester 

 Iron- Works, of Philadelphia, to construct the reservoir and 

 lay the necessary pipes. The work was completed at the 

 contract price, $20,000, in September, 1872, including the 

 reservoir, 2126 feet of 8-inch pipe, B225 feet of 6-inch 

 pipe, 3434 feet of 4-inch pipe, 268 feet of 3-inch pipe, 20 

 branches, 22 hydrants, 12 stop- valves, plugs, caps, etc. 

 This arrangement has been found very effective for fire 

 purposes, the natural force of the water through an inch 

 and a quarter nozzle throwing a stream 120 feet perpen- 

 dicular, or five streams far above the highest building in 

 the village. In case of a deficiency of water in extreme 

 dry weather, a pumping apparatus has been established at 

 a never-failing pond of beautiful clear spring water, in the 

 lower part of the village. The reservoir on the hill is sup- 

 plied with water from the creek, known as Monkey Run, 

 and is sufficient for all purposes except in very dry weather. 

 Since the original construction of the works, about $15,000 

 have been expended upon them in the form of repairs and 

 improvements, making the total cost as they now stand 

 about $35,000. It is safe to say that Corning is favored 

 with a system of water- works seldom enjoyed even by large 



cities. 



On the 1st of January, 1877, the village corporation 

 transferred the Corning water-works to Messrs. H. C. Heer- 

 mans and T. L. Lawrence, lessees, for thirty years. H. C. 

 Heermans, Superintendent ; T. L. Lawrence, Engineer. 



CORNING GAS COMPANY. 

 The Corning Gas Company was incorporated Aug. 1, 

 1862. The officers are L. C. Kingsbury, President; C. S. 

 Cole, Secretary ; F. D. Kingsbury, Treasurer ; and R. E. 

 Cole, Superintendent. 



CHURCHES. 

 FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF CORNING. 



This church was organized at Knoxville, about 1810, 

 and was originally known as the " Presbyterian Church of 

 Painted Post." Its first house of worship was built at 

 Knoxville in 1832, the church having up to that time held 

 services in the school-house. The second edifice was erected 

 in the village of Corning, and was dedicated April 28, 1842. 

 The year following, by action of the Presbytery, the name 

 was changed to the First Presbyterian Church of Corning, 

 and the organization was soon after incorporated, with the 

 following-named persons as trustees : Bradford A. Potter, 

 James A. Hayt, and Charles R. Tisdale. 



