TOWN OF TROUPSBURGH. 



395 



Bowen, though not the earliest, might yet well be consid- 

 ered as belonging to the pioneers, as but little had yet been 

 accomplished to soften the privations and discomforts of a 

 beginning in the wilderness. The place then occupied by 

 Mr. Bowen is now a fine farm, and was made so, very 

 much if not altogether, by his own persevering toil and 

 industry. He has some years since rested from his labors. 

 '^ Farther on, near the Corners, and nearly contemporary 

 with the Mallorys, was Elder David Smith, — then compar- 

 atively a young man, — who seemed to have entered the 

 wilderness with the dou.ble purpose of making a home for 

 himself and rising family and of preaching the gospel to the 

 then almost entirely destitute of that and the surrounding 

 towns; and in a most praiseworthy manner he accom- 

 plished both objects. Under his persevering industry and 

 skillful management the forest gave way, and in its place 

 arose a most beautiful farm clothed with verdure and 

 flocks. During the six days of labor his hands ministered 

 to his own and others' wants, and the Sabbath generally 

 found him at some destitute point, ready to break the bread 

 of life to the famishing. The forest and field furnished his 

 study, the Bible his library, the whole surrounding country 

 his parish, and his salary was the result of his own toil. I 

 think the first church organization in that entire region was 

 the result of his labors. He also preached at all points 

 along the river. At Cameron was quite a church gathered 

 by him, and he often preached in what is now Hornells- 

 ville, and for nearly or quite a year steadily. He finally 

 left that part of the country and located in Bath, — a few 

 miles from the village, — where I suppose, if living, he still 

 resides. 



'' Alanson Perry also lived on this road, and had a fine 

 farm not far from Zadoc Bowen's. 



*' Returning, now, and gaining the State road near Squire 

 Reynolds', and going still towards Cowanesque, we come to 

 Richard Philips, who was among the first settlers, but did 

 not remain long in that neighborhood. Near and next to 

 him were two brothers by the name of Lord, who were 

 early settlers, and this was the end of the settlement in that 

 direction. The early settlers forming the nucleus of the 

 Chenango Settlement were James Carpenter, John Miller, 

 and others.* 



^' The early settlers of this region were drawn hither by 

 all the variety of motives which in all parts of the country 

 induce the pioneer to seek the frontier; but the great pre 

 vailing motive was cheap land and long payments. The 

 Pulteney and other estates were crowding their lands upon 

 the market, and inducing settlement by low prices and long 

 credit. Twenty shillings cash or three bushels of wheat 

 per acre was the standard price of the land, with ten 

 years, or longer if desired, for payment. After 1809 the 

 migration was quite rapid and the lands were rapidly 

 put under contract, the settlers finding it about all they 

 could do to support their families and pay (as they were 

 obliged to do) the taxes, and very few of them did more. 

 Most of them were compelled to let the interest accumulate 

 year after year^ till payment of principal became nearly an 

 impossibility, and after long years of hard toil, privation. 



and suffering, found themselves worn out, with a family 

 but without a home. Very few, indeed, of the original 

 contractors ever had a deed. They labored truly, and 

 other men entered into and enjoyed the fruits of their labors. 

 The pioneers were a hardy, industrious, energetic class of men, 

 who could endure almost everything to accomplish the great 

 object of their desire, to maket hemselves a home; but it 

 took the full length of an ordinary lease of life to disrobe 

 the lands of such a forest as covered the hills of Troups- 

 burgh in 1800. Squire Reynolds and his boys used to clear 

 twenty acres a year of this immensely heavy forest, and put 

 it into winter wheat, but he never had a deed, as I think. 

 ' Little Bobby Sharp,' as they used to call him, who lived 

 on the State road near Spencer's, a little bit of humanity, 

 chopped with his own hands more than a hundred acres of 

 those overgrown hemlocks, maples, beech, and elms, the 

 ashes of which would now be worth more than the original 

 price of the land. But I think he never had a deed, at 

 least not of the original purchase. He would clear off quite 

 a farm, sell out the improvements, and begin in the woods 

 again. But the scene after a long half-century has most 

 agreeably changed. The old pioneers have nearly all gone 

 the way of all the earth. In many instances their descend- 

 ants are enjoying the fruits of their toil and privation. 

 Everywhere in that region is seen the appearance of comfort 

 and thrift. Fine, well- improved farms, comfortable and tasty 

 dwellings, good outbuildings and orchards, all unmistakably 

 tell that, whatever else is or was, Troupsburgh is not a 

 failure." 



ORGANIZATION. 



The town of Troupsburgh was formed from Addison, then 

 known as Middletown, and Canisteo, Feb. 12, 1808. Green- 

 wood, then including a part of West Union, and a part of 

 Jasper, were taken off in 1827, and the greater part of 

 WoodhuU in 1828. The name was given in honor of 

 Robert Troup, Esq., of New York, who -succeeded Col. 

 Williamson as agent of the Pulteney estate, in 1802. 



At the first annual election, held at the house of Danie 

 Johnson, near the present village of Woodhull, in March, 

 1808, the following officers were elected: Daniel Johnson, 

 Supervisor ; Samuel B. Rice, Town Clerk ; Stephen Dol- 

 son. Brown Grillespie, Elijah Cady, Assessors; Uri Martin, 

 William Wooley, Nathaniel Mallory, Commissioners of 

 Highways ; Rezen Searse, Constable and Collector ; Daniel 

 Johnson, Poormaster; Elijah Cady, Second Poormaster ; 

 Caleb Smith, Fence- Viewer ; and Domady Prisor, Peter 

 Cady, Overseers of Highways. 



LIST OF TOV^^N OFFICERS. 



* See biography of James Carpenter. 



1808. 

 1809. 

 1810. 

 1811. 

 1812. 



1813. 

 1814. 

 1815. 

 1816. 

 1817. 

 1818. 

 1819. 



Supervisors. 

 Daniel Johnson, 



Town Clerks. 

 Samuel B. Rice. 



a 



i( 



Charles Card (v.). 



Collectors. 

 Rezen Searse. 



U (I 



Lemuel Benham. 



Wm. Card (v.). 

 a u 



Square Reynolds. 

 Rufus Gilbert. 

 Calvin Serl. 

 Samuel Cady. 



a (I 



Samuel Griggs. 



