448 



HISTORY OF STEUBEN COUNTY, NEW YORK. 



sentinels standing guard over the inhabitants of the past. 

 Here rest many of the earlier settlers. Just to its left is 

 the most conspicuous residence in the place, and finest in 

 the town, — that of William M. Sherwood, son of the oldest 

 settler in the central part of the town. This land was 

 entered by Caleb Smith, before any other improvement or 

 opening had been made within your present scope of vision 

 than a couple of acres of ragged chopping near where the 

 church on your left sits back into the hill-side, above the 

 creek. This chopping was the only evidence of civilization 

 which greeted the eyes of Mr. Smith when he came with 

 his family, in 1806. The few straggling apple-trees between 

 the village and the cemetery on the flat are the remains of 

 the first orchard planted in the town, and were raised from 

 the seed and transplanted. Just below, in the little space 

 beyond the orchard was the first house, and at the point 

 beyond stood the little log grist-mill, with its huge fireplace. 

 The few rods between the orchard and the foot of the hill 

 was a swamp in " those days." The brown, one-story build- 

 ing, just beyond the church at your feet, is the town-hall, 

 and occupies the spot where hung the huge kettles of the 

 sugar-camp, when the Smith boys, now respected old men 

 with grandchildren, gathered sap from the maple-sugar bush, 

 which has since been cut down to make way for the village. 

 On the right, a dense wood of maple and hemlock comes 

 down to the foot of the hill and extends away beyond ; the 

 road passing to the right up the hill, leads through the 

 woods to the old Sherwood place and Pulteney Hill, where 

 were made the first settlements in the town, farther south 

 than those on lands visible around and in front of you. 

 The business part of the village is on both sides of the Tus- 

 carora, which is spanned by a bridge on Main Street, on 

 which street most of the business houses are located. The 

 large building close in front of you, on the point, is the 



WOODHULL ACADEMY AND UNION SCHOOL. 



This institution adds much to the importance of the vil- 

 lage, obtaining its students from this and the surrounding 

 towns to the south and west. It was built in 1868, by 

 subscription, at an expense of $4000, and was originally 

 designed as an academy. Hamilton Marlatt and Orin B. 

 Baxter were the original movers in its erection, Mr. Marlatt 

 donating the grounds, comprising one acre of land, in the 

 most conspicuous part of the village. It was incorporated 

 under the general law, but in 1877 the property was deeded 

 to the district for a union free-school building, with an 

 academic department. The first principal was Prof. Jef- 

 freys, of New Berlin. D. H. Cobb was principal for eight 

 years, and was succeeded by Prof. Baldwin. Present prin- 

 cipal, Emmett Maxon, late of Alfred College, Allegany 

 County. The entire attendance is over 200 students. 



The mercantile business of Woodhull is of more import- 

 ance than that of any other place of its size in the south- 

 western part of the county. Wool, butter, and honey are 

 shipped from this point in large quantities, and goods 

 brought in by way of Addison, which is the principal ship- 

 ping-point, regular express-wagons running to that place, 

 carrying goods a distance of twelve miles for $3 per ton. 

 Daily mail-stages pass through, connecting Troupsburgh 

 and Jasper with Addison. There are now in the village 



more than twenty stores, besides the usual trades, including 

 five blacksmith-shops. The place also sustains three law- 

 yers, a large hotel, capable of entertaining between 40 and 

 50 guests, and two churches. To the old foundry has 

 been added a wool-card and shingle-mill. In 1858, James 

 Baldwin built the large steam flouring-mill at the south 

 end of Main Street, near the furnace. A cheese- factory 

 near the village, the first in the town, was built in 1874? 

 by Henry Cobb, its management thus far proving the 

 eventual success of this industry here. The old school- 

 house near the centre of the village has been appropriated 

 for a town-hall. In 1871, Charles Adams started the 

 Woodhull Mews, a four-page, four-column weekly news- 

 paper, at $1.25 a year, and secured a circulation of over 

 200, but abandoned the enterprise for a larger place the 

 next year. 



Hedgesville, four miles north, bears the name of its first 

 owner, Thomas Hedges. It contains two stores, a large 

 steam flouring-mill and saw-mill, which were built in 1874, 

 and some sixteen dwellings. Mail is received Tuesdays, 

 Thursdays, and Saturdays, from Rathboneville, six miles 

 distant. The Presbyterian and Methodist Episcopal Union 

 church is located here. The East Woodhull post-ofiice is 

 five miles east of Woodhull village, at a private house. 



ORGANIZATION. 



The town of Woodhull was formed from Troupsburgh 

 and Addison, Feb. 18, 1828, and in 1856 a portion was 

 taken ofi* the north end and joined to the town of Rath- 

 bone. It takes its name from Gen. Nathaniel Woodhull, 

 one of the heroes of the Revolutionary war. At the first 

 town-meeting, held at the house of Asher Johnson, Feb. 

 18, 1827, Asher Johnson was elected supervisor, JefiVey 

 Smith town clerk, Stephen Kent collector, Zebulon Tubbs 



assessor. 



* 



LIST OF TOWN OFFICERS. 



Supervisors. Town Clerks, Collectors. 



1828. Asher Johnson. Jeffrey Smith. Levi Tubbs. 



1829. " " " " " " 



1830. " " « " Harry M. Harder. 



1831. David Edwards. " « ** << 



1832. " '' Calvin SearL Nelson Perry. 



1833. " " " " " '< 



1834. " ** . " " Joseph R. Peeso. 



1835. " " " '' Christopher Marlatt. 



1836. " " Stephen Kent. " " 



1837. « « « a (( i( 



1838. Stephen Kent. " ♦< Worcester Perry. 



1839. " " (No record.) *' " 



1840. " " ** '* " " 



1841. David Edwards. " " D.H.Williams. 



1842. " " <' '' E. L. Stroud. 



1843. " " ** " " " 



1844. " " " " " " 



1845. Christopher Marlatt. " " S. V. Lattimer. 



1846. " " « " Andrew S. Smith. 



1847. " *' " " Wm. S. Edwards. 



1848. " « " « Andrew S. Smith. 



1849. Silas G. Tubbs. " " '' « 



1850. " « " " Joseph R. Peeso. 



1851. S. V. Lattimer. ** " Edward Lanning. 



1852. " " " '^ Joseph R. Peeso. 



* Destructive fires, in 1866 and 1875, bu'rned the entire business 

 parts of the village of Woodhull, on both occasions destroying the 

 records in the town clerk's oflBce. 



