Class F \ 5^^ Book > C "7 ^i ^ e p A CONDENSED HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN, WITH A BIOGKAPHICAL SKETCH OF J. FENIMORE COOPER. ' BY vt,-- EEY. S. TILIVERMORE, A. M. ALBANY : - J. MUNSELL, 78 STATE STREET. 1862. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1862, by S. T. LIVERMOEE, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the Northern District of New York. C.T,«l (^i^^n \ TO HORACE LATHROP, JR., M. D., OF COOPERSTOWN, THIS BOOK IS VERY AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED, BY THE AUTHOR PREFACE. X It is with diffidence that this volume is now offered to the public. And yet, the encouragement given to the author by competent advisers, and the earnest de- sire he has cherished to execute his task faithfully and with impartiality, inspire in him the hope of a charita- ble judgment from its readers whenever they may dis- cover apparent or real errors. The former edition of the Chronicles of Coo'perstoiDn^ although not containing the name of the author, is well known to have been written by J. Fenimore Cooper. Items of local interest which he omitted are now in- serted in notes, and lest these should too much encum- ber his work, a chain of incidents beginning at a point prior to his record, and subsequently parallel with it, is given in connection with the history as brought down from 1838 to the present. In doing this a care- ful examination of consecutive and cotemporaneous files of village newspapers, published weekly from 1795 to 1862, has been made. At the same time, several citizens of vivid memory who have lived in Coopers- VI PREFACE. town over jBfty years, have been consulted, and also some standard works and state documents. Previous to its publication the manuscript of this book was submitted to several gentlemen whose scho- larship and acquaintance with the village enabled them to act as proper critics. Their suggestions and ap- proval have been obtained. Indeed very much is due to them for original matter, and, while we mention Mr. Gr. Pomeroy Keese as our principal assistant, the many others to whom we are indebted are thankfully remembered. The biographical sketch of Cooper is intended to be only a sketch — a few hastily arranged outlines of a portrait which it is hoped, at no distant day, some com- petent hand will perfect and bring to the view of the admirers of our eminent American novelist. He is not here commended because he was a writer of fiction, but rather for not descending to the grade of such demoralizing phantoms as are too often chased by novel readers, and for the purity of sentiment which many of his works contain. These, probably, difi"er materially from the books which Goldsmith had in mind when he said to his brother — " Above all things, let him never touch a romance or novel ; these paint beauty in colors more charming than nature, and de- scribe happiness that man never tastes. How delusive, how destructive are those pictures of consummate bliss ! They teach the youthful mind to sigh after beauty and happiness which never existed ; to despise the little good which fortune hns mixed in our cup by PREFACE. Vll expecting more than slie ever gave. Teach then, my dear sir, your son thrift and economy." Bryant's discourse on the Life, Genius, and Writ- ings of Cooper, is copied from Precaution, by per- mission of W. A. Townsend & Co., editors of the recent elegant edition of Cooper's novels, illustrated by Darley. Any errors that our readers may discover, if they will be so kind as to make them known to the under- signed, will be noted for correction in a future edition. S. T. LIVERMORE. CooPERSTOWN, June, 1862. Oa.vne.'b re^'^^ore v_oot>e-T. CHEONICLES OF COOPERSTOWN. « ■^ » » » INTRODUCTION. It is always desirable to possess authentic annals. The peculiar nature of American history, which com- mences in an enlightened age, renders that which is so desirable, in our case, practicable, and, with a view that posterity may know th-e leading facts connected with the origin and settlement of the village of Cooperstown, and that even the present generation may be set right in some important particulars, con- cerning which erroneous notions now prevail, as well as possess a convenient book pf reference, the following little work has been written. This book has been compiled with care, by consulting authentic public records, private documents, more es- pecially those in possession of the Cooper family, and living witnesses, whose memories and representations might be confided in. It is hoped no error has been admitted into its pages, and it is believed no essential mistake can be pointed out. Where the compilers have not found good reasons to credit their evidence, they have proceeded with caution, and made their statements with due reserve. A ivork of this character can not have a very exten- jsive interest, but it is thought it will have some with a 10 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. county in wliicli its subject composes the seat of justice; and by those whose fathers were active in converting the wilderness around about us, into its present picture of comfort and civilization, no records of this nature can be regarded with indifference. The love of particular places, such as the spots in which we were born, or have passed our lives, con- tributes to sustain all the affections, and to render us better citizens and better men. This love is strength- ened and increased by familiarity with events, and as time throws its interest around the past, reverence and recollections add their influence to that of the natural ties. With a view to aid these sentiments, also, have our little labors been conducted. If those who come after the compilers of the Chronicles of Cooperstown, should do as much in their generation, they who in- habit the place a century hence, will, beyond question, be ready to acknowledge that in one essential duty they were not forgotten by their predecessors. In the early annals of this place there was a disposi- tion, as in all new countries, to exaggerate its growth, and various printed notices exist, by which its origin is stated to be several years too recent. These errors as well as several connected with deaths, &c., that exist even in the church registers, and other official docu- ments, have been carefully corrected in this book. In this respect, it is thought no more authentic accounts of the several subjects can be found. HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 11 CHAPTER I. The site of the present village of Cooperstown, is said to have been a favorite place of resort with the adjacent savage tribes, from a remote period. The tra- dition which has handed down this circumstance, is rendered probable by the known abundance of the fish and game in its vicinity. The word otsego, ^'^ is thought to be a compound which conveys the idea of a spot at which meetings of the Indians were held. There is a small rock near the outlet of the lake, called the Otsego rock, at which precise point the savages, according to an early tradition of the country, were accustomed to rendezvous. In confirmation of these traditions, arrow heads, stone hatchets, and other memorials of Indian usao-es, were found in great abundance by the first settlers^, in the vicinity of the village. It is probable that the place was more or less fre- quented by Indian traders, for a century previously to the commencement of the regular settlement of the township ; but the earliest authentic account that ex- ists of any attempt, by any civilized man, to establish himself at this point, refers to a much more recent period. On the 22d day of April, 1761, letters patent were granted to John Christopher Hartwick f and others, for a considerable tract of land in this vicinity ; and Mr. Hartwick, being under the impression that his grants extended to the shore of the lake, caused a f In the first number of the Otsego Hercdd, published in 1795, is an article evidently prepared with care, stating that Otsego was originally the name ot the lake from which the town and county were named, and that the term among the aborigines signified not only a place of rendezvous but of Tnendty greeting. With them sago was the well known salutation, and literally meant, as yet, i. e. perhaps, still alive, or yet well. t He committed suicide with a razor, June, 1800. 12 HISTORY OP COOPERSTOWN. clearing to be commenced not far from its outlet. Be- coming satisfied that he had passed the boundaries of his estate, this gentleman soon relinquished his posses- sion, and altogether abandoned the spot. This abortive attempt at settlement, took place about ten years before the commencement of the American war. It appears by documents in possession of the Cooper family, that Col. George Croghan, who was connected with the Indian department under the crown, obtained a conveyance from the Indians of 100,000 acres of land, lying north and adjacent to the before mentioned grant to 3Ir. Hartwick, and on the west side of the Susque- hannah river, and of the Otsego lake, as early as the year 1768. On the 13th of December of the same year, Col. Croghan gave a mortgage under the Indian deed, to William Franklin, Esq., governor of the colony of New Jersey, to secure the payment of £3000 ; which money, as appears by the same documents, was obtained by Governor Franklin of certain persons in New Jer- sey, in thebehalf of Col. Croghan, with a view to enable the latter to procure the regular title to the same lands, from the crown. This object was not effected until the 30th of November, 1769, when letters patent were issued by the colonial government, granting the same tract to George Croghan and ninety-nine other persons ; there existing an order to prevent grants of more than a thousand acres at a time to single indviduals. On the 2d day of December, 1769, the ninety-nine other persons named as grantees in the patent, conveyed in three separate instruments their rights to George Croghan, in fee simple. These three conveyances, with the patent, still exist among the Cooper papers, and are unquestionably the first legal instruments con- veying real estate in the township of Otsego. On the 10th dav of March, 1770, Georoe Croohan gave a mortgage on that portion of the Otsego patent, as the aforesaid grant was then called, which has since been called Cooper's patent, for the further security of HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 13 tlie payment of the said sum of £3000 ; both of which mortgages, with the accompanying bond, were regularly assigned to the jiersons already mentioned, as security for their advances. On the 23d day of March, 1773, judgment was obtained against George Croghan, in the supreme court of the colony of New York, upon the aforesaid bond. All the securities above mentioned, became vested in William Cooper and Andrew Craig of the city of Burlington, in the state of New Jersey, by various deeds of assignment, now in possession of the descend- ants of the former, as early as May, 1785. Mr. Cooper first visited lake Otsego in the autumn of 1785. He was accompanied by a party of survey- ors, his object being to ascertain the precise boundaries of the land covered by his mortgage and judgment. This party arrived by the way of Cherry Yalley and Middlefield, and first obtained a view of the lake from that mountain which has since been called the Vision, in consequence of the beauty of the view it then afi"ord- ed. Judge Cooper has been often heard to say, that on that occasion, he was compelled to climb a sapling, in order to obtain this view, and while in the tree, he saw a deer descend to the lake and drink of its waters, near the Otsego rock. In January, 1786, Mr. Cooper took possession of the property that has since been known as Cooper's patent, under a deed given by the sherifi* of JMontgomery county. It ought to be mentioned, that in 1784, Washington, then on a journey of observation, with a view to explore the facilities for an inland communication bv water, visited the foot of lake Otse2:o. We o-ive the letter in which he speaks of this journey, entire, in the hope that the opinions of this great man may draw public attention more closely to the subject of improving our natural advantages. 14 HISTORY or COOPERSTOWX. Princeton, October 12, 1783. My Dear Chevalier'^ — I have not had the honor of a letter from you since the 4th of March last ; but I will ascribe my disajjpointment to any cause sooner than to a decay of your friendship. Having the appearances, and indeed the enjoyment of peace, without the final declaration of it, I, who am only waiting for the ceremonials, or till the British forces shall have taken their leave of New York, am held in an awkward and disagreeable situation, being anxiously desirous to quit the walks of public life, and under my own vine and my own fig-tree, to seek those enjoyments, and that relaxation, which a mind that has been constantly upon the stretch for more than eight years, stands so much in want of. I have fixed this epoch to the arrival of the defini- tive treaty, or to the evacuation of my country, by our newly-acquired friends; in the meanwhile, at the re- quest of congress, I spend my time with them at this place, where they came in consequence of the riots at Philadelphia, of which, doubtless, you have been in- formed, for it is not a very recent transaction. They have lately determined to fix the f)ermanent residence of congress, near the falls of Delaware ; but where they will hold their sessions, till they can be properly established at that place, is yet undecided. I have lately made a tour through the lakes George and Champlain as far as Crown point — then returning to Schenectady, I proceeded up the Mohawk river to Fort Schuyler (formerly Fort Stanwix), crossed over Wood creek, which empties into the Oneida lake, and afi"ords the water communication with lake Ontario; I then traversed the country to the head of the east- ern branch of the Susquehannah, and viewed the lake Otsego, and the portage between that lake and the Mohawk river at Canajoharie. * The Marquis de Chastellus. HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWX. 15 Prompted by these actual observations, I could not help taking a more contemplative and extensive view of the vast inland navigation of these United States, from maps, and the information of others, and could not but be struck with the immense diffusion and im- portance of it, and with the goodness of that Provi- dence which has dealt her favors to us with so profuse a hand. Would to God we may have wisdom enough to make a good use of them. I shall not rest contented till I have explored the western part of this country, and traversed those lines (or a great part of them), which have given bounds to a new empire ; but when it may, if it ever should happen, I dare not say, as my first attention must be given to the deranged situ- ation of my private concerns, which ar-e not a little injured by almost nine years' absence, and total disre- gard of them. With every wish for your health and happiness, and with the most sincere and affectionate regard, I am, my dear Chevalier, your most obedient servant, George Washington.* It should also be stated, that the present site of Cooperstown is connected with an event of some inte- rest that occurred during the war of the revolution. An expedition having been commanded to proceed under the orders of Major General Sullivan, against the Indians who then dwelt in the vicinity of the Sen- eca lake, a brigade employed in the duty, under Brig- adier General James Clinton (the father of the cele- bi-ated De Witt Clinton), marched from Albany for that purpose. After ascending the Mohawk as far as Fort Plain, this brigade cut a road through the forest to the head of lake Otsego, whither it transported its * At this date, 1862, it is a matter of considerable interest to the citizens of Cooperstown, that they may converse with one of their oldest residents, Mrs. John M. Bowers, who, when a little girl, frolicked with the Father of his Country, and frequently sat upon his knee. Her memory is still clear, and 4i£r cojiversational faculties extraordinarj:. 16 HISTORY OF COOPERSTO'WN. boats. Traces of this road exist, and it is still known by the name of the Continental road. Embarking at the head of the lake, the troops descended to the out- let, where they encamped on the site of the present village. General Clinton's quarters are said to have been in a small building" of hewn loos, which then stood in what are now the grounds of the Hall, and which it is thought was erected by Col. Croghan, as a place in which he might hold his negotiations with the Indians, as well as for the commencement of a set- tlement. This building, which was about fifteen feet square and intended for a sort of block-house, was undoubt- edly the first ever erected on this spot. It was subse- quently used by some of the first settlers as a residence, and by Judge Cooper as a smoke house, and it was standing in 1797, if not a year later. It was then taken down and removed by Henry Pace Eaton, to his residence on the road to Pier's, where it was set up again as an out-house. There were found the graves of Uvo white men in the same grounds, which were believed to contain the bodies of deserters, who were shot during the time the troops were here encamped. These graves are sup- posed to be the first of any civilized man in the township of Otsego. All traces of them have now disappeared. As soon as encamped, the troops of Gen. Clinton commenced the construction of a dam at the outlet, and when the water had risen to a sufiicient heio-ht in the lake, the obstruction was removed, the current clearing the bed of the river of flood-wood. After a short delay, for this purpose, the troops embarked and descended as far as the junction with the Tioga, where they were met by another brigade, commanded by General Sullivan in person.* On this occasion, the * In the Gazetteer of New Yor'k, it is said : " The Indians upon the banks, witnessing the extraordinary rise of the river Rt midsummer, without any apparent cause, were struck with superstitious dread, and in the very outset were dislieartened at the apparent interposition oi the Great Spirit in favor of their foes." HISTORY OF COOPERSTOAVN. 17 Susquehannali, below the dam, was said to be so much reduced that a man could jump across it. Traces of the dam are still to be seen, and for many years they were very obvious.* At a later day, in digging the cellar of the house first occupied by Judge Cooper, a large h-on swivel was discovered, which was said to have been buried by the troops, who found it useless for their service. This swivel was the only piece of artillery used for the purposes of salutes and merry-makings in the vicinity of Cooperstown, for ten or twelve years after the settlement of the place. It is well and affectionately remembered by the name of the Cricket, and was bursted lately in the same good cause of rejoicing on the 4th of July. At the time of its final disaster (for it had met with many vicissitudes by field and flood, having actually once been thrown into the lake), it is said there was no very perceptible difference in size, between its touch-hole and its muzzle. In addition to the foregoing statement, we are en- abled to make the following brief history of the title * The last of the logs of that dam were removed on the 2Gth of October 1825, while the entire state of New York was more jubilant, perhaps, than ever before or since, and cannon, placed a few miles apart, from Buffalo to Albauj', and thence to Sandy Hook, were proclaiming that Gov. Clinton had entered the first canal boat at Buffalo, and was on his wav to New York. The ceremonies of removing the relics of the military dam (built by the father of Gov. Chnton), were too amusing for description at this day. They were the commencement of the Susquehanna canal, then contemplated. A large number of villagers and townsmen were assembled. Boat horns (sometimes called canal horns), six feet long, or thereabouts, typical of thi long ditch were then common. One was had on this occasion, and consti- tuted the martial music of the multitude, who were mustered somewhat after the order of a brigade. One company, consisting of o\er forty men with whed- barroics and sliovels. known as sappers, miners and excavators, command- ed by Capt. AVilliam Wilson (now living), marched with their comrades boldly to the scene of action. Lawrence McNamee, president of the day, personating Gov. Chnton, threw the first shovelful of dirt. A piece of this dam is said to be preserved in a museum in New York city. After the removal, the procession were marched into the village, and were there addressed by Samuel starkweather, Esq.. during all of which proceed- ings a nine pounder upon the top of Mount Vision, at regular intervals, told the hills and valleys around that Cooperstown was rejoicing. The following interesting and authentic incidents of Clinton's encampment, are from the History of the Border Wars, by Simms : On arriving at the foot of the lake, the troops landed and remained several weeks until It was sufficiently raised by a dam, constructed at the outlet to float the boats. When a sufficient head of water was thus obtained, the boats having been properly arranged along the outlet and filled with troops, stores 18 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. to this tract of land, believing it may have interest with those who hold real estate within its limits. In this account, we include some matter foreign to the direct title, as explanatory of the whole. On the 30th November, 1769, letters patent were issued, granting one hundred thousand acres of land to George Croghan and ninety-nine other persons, as has been already stated. December 2d, 1769, the ninety-nine other patentees conveyed, in three separate instruments, to George Croghan in fee. On the 10th March, 1770, George Croghan mort- gaged 40,000 acres of the above grant to William Franklin, as further security for the money borrowed to pay the fees, or the debt due the persons who were called the Burlington company. This mortgage in- cluded the present site of the village. On the 12th March, 1770, George Croghan mort- gaged 20,000 acres, being half of the above mentioned and cannon, the dam was torn away, and the numerous Jleet of smjxll fry (208 boats) floated off in fine style-. It is said that preparatory to opening the outlet of the lake, a dam, made by the sagacious beavers on one of the larger inlets, which flooded considerable ground, was partially destroyed to obtain the water. But the night following the dam was repaired by the' industrious animals. A more effectual destruc- tion followed, and a guard of men was stationed all night to prevent its being rebuilt by its lawful owners. While the army were quartered at the outlet of Otsego lake, two men were tried for desertion and sentenced to be shot. The younger of the two, whose name was Snyder, was pardoned by Gen. Clinton. The other man was a for- eigner, who had previously deserted from the Bi'itish, and having now deserted from the American flag, and persuaded Snyder to desert, Clinton said of him, " He is good for neither king nor country, let him be shot." The order was executed on the west side of the outlet, not far from the lake. Not a house had then been erected where Cooperstown now stands. Among the men who aided in our glorious struggle for independence^was a regiment of blacks, who generally iiroved to be good faithful soldiers. That they might readilj^ be distinguished they wore wool hats with the brim and lower half of the crown colored bJack, the remainder being left drab or the native color. While waiting for Otsego lake to rise, the troops were drilled every day. As Col. Rigne was thus engaged witii his own and parts of several other regi- ments, among whom were one or two companies of black soldiers, one of the latter men, from inattention, failed to execute a command in proper time. " Halloo !" said the colonel, " You black son of a , wid a wite face! Whj^ you no mind your beezness?" This hasty exclamation in broken English so pleased the troops, that a general burst of laughter followed. Seeing the men mirthful at his expense, he good humoredly gave the command to order arms. '• Now," said he, '"laugh your pelly full, all I" and joining in it himself, hiU and dale sent back their boisterous merrimenlr. HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 19 40,000 acres, to Thomas Wliarton, to secure another debt of £2,000. On the 26th October, 1770, John Morton obtained a judgment of a large amount against George Croghan. On the 22d March, 1773, judgment was obtained against Greorge Croghan, for the debt due on his bond to William Franklin. On the — April, 1775, George Croghan, William Franklin, Thomas Wharton and John Morton entered into an agreement, in writing, that the 40^000 acres of land should be sold under the two judgments, and that the proceeds of the sale should go, firstly, to pay the judgment held by William Franklin ) secondly, to pay the mortgage held by Thomas Wharton ) and, thirdly, to pay the judgment held by John Morton ; or as much of each, according to the priority of the debts and se- curities, as there should be assets. This agreement was never complied with, in consequence of the war of the revolution. On the 20th December, 1775, William Franklin and his wife assigned the mortgage of George Croghan, on the 40,000 acres, and all the securities connected with it, to five of i\\Q original lenders of the money, for their several shares of the debt, the remaining three accept- ing lands elsewhere for their claims; the amount of the shares of these five assignees being £1,500, New Jersey currency, with interest from the date of the bond. On the 3d April, 1780, George Croghan conveyed in fee, 25,477 acres of the above mentioned 40,000, including the site of Cooperstown, to Joseph Wharton, subject to the two moi^tgages, for the consideration of £9,553, Pennsylvania currency; Mr. Wharton being induced to accept this land for a debt of that great amount, in consequence of Mr. Croghan's being unable to pay him in any other manner. On the 26th June, 1780, George Croghan conveyed, in fee^ the remainder of the same tract, to Joseph 20 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. « Wharton, for the consideration of £100, this being all the land in the Otsego patent that he had not conveyed in fee, previously to granting the two mortgages, and of course all that was subject to them. By several deeds poll, made between the years 1776 and 1785, all the rights of the orio-inal lenders of the aforesaid sum, with the interest on it from 1768, in the several bonds, in the judgment of 1773, and in the oldest mortgage, were vested in William Cooper and Andrew Craig of Burlington, New Jersey. On the 14th January, 1786, all the lands of George Croghan that were subject to the judgment of 1773, and which lay in the Otsego patent, being in amount, as near as might be, 29,350 acres, were conveyed by Samuel Clyde, sheriff of Montgomery, to William Cooper and Andrew Craig, as judgment purchasers, under the judgment aforesaid, for the sum of £2,700, leaving a balance of £1, 139,8s. unpaid, and which has never been satisfied since. On the 8th December, 1786, Joseph Wharton, for the consideration of $2,000, conveyed in fee, all his right to the land in question, to William Cooper and Andrew Craig, then in actual possession of the same as judgment purchasers and mortgagees. On the 12tli November, 1787, Augustine Prevost and Susannah Prevost, for the consideration of $1,250, released their right to the equity of the redemption of the mortgage on the whole 40,000 acres, to William Cooper and Andrew Craig; the said Susannah Pre- vost being the natural daughter and devisee of Greorge Croghan. On the 16th January, 1788, William Cooper paid for quit rents on the said land, the further sum of £631. 3s. On the 26th October, 1799, William Cooper paid $7.35 for commutation of quit rents, on the village plot, containing then 112 acres of land. The patent of 1769, signed Clarke; the deeds from HISTORY or COOPERSTOWN. 21 the ninety-nine other patentees to George Croghan; the bond of Croghan to Franklin ; that of Franklin to the Burlington company; the mortgage of Croghan to Franklin, with the assignment by latter to the unpaid members of the company; all the mesne conveyances of the same to William Cooper and Andrew Craig; the deeds of Croghan to Joseph Wharton, and the deed of Wharton to William Cooper and Andrew Craig; the release of Augustine and Susannah Prevost, and the certificates of payments of quit rents, together with seve- ral conveyances from Andrew Craig to William Cooper, exist still, among the papers of the Cooper family. The deed of the sheriff of IMontgomery county to William Cooper and Andrew Craig has been lost; sup- posed never* to have been returned from the county clerk's office; but it is recorded at Johnstown, and an exemplified copy exists among the other papers. There exists, among the same papers, a copy of a bill in chancery, of the date of 1786, at the complaint of William Cooper and Andrew Craig, setting forth that the parties to the agreement of 1775, refused to release to them according to the understood terms of that agreement, and that the said agreement was with- held from them to their injury, and praying relief in the premises. It is supposed that this suit was arranged by compromise, as the original agreement is 'now among the same papers. A copy of the assignment of the mortgage on the entire tract, under the Indian grant, also, is to be found among the same papers. As it may be a matter of curious history hereafter, we subjoin an account of what the 29,350 acres actually cost the proprietor under whom the country was settled. Amount of judgment, Jan. 14, 1786, £3,839.08 Quit rents, .Jan. 16,1788, 631.03 Consideration money paid Joseph Wharton,... 800.00 do. do. Augustine and Susannah Prevost,.. 500.00 £5,77011 or $14,426.37J 22 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. This sum, witli the sheriff's fees and other incidental exj^euses, would make the actual cost of the property about 50 cents the acre. Col- Croghan and his family received for the same, as follows : Debt to Franklin, £3,839.08 Debt to Joseph Wharton, 9,553.00 Paid his daughter, 500.00 Pennsylvania currency, £13,892.08 This is considerably more than 835,000. If the mortgage to Thomas Wharton be included, and it is believed the debt is unpaid to this day, it will amount to more than ^40,000, without interest, which is pro- bably five times as much as the property was worth on the day of George Croghan 's death. HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 23 CHAPTER II. FROM 1780 TO 1799. In addition to the abortive attempt at a settlement by Mr. Hartwick, on the present site of the Tillage, between the year 1761 and 1770, Col. Croghan, with his family, resided for a short time on this spot. Ap- pended to one of the deeds of George Croghan to Joseph Wharton, is a map purporting to show the improve- ments of the lattter, at the foot of lake Otseao. but it is supposed that this map was made for effect, as all accounts agree in stating that in 1785, the improve- ments were very insignificant, consisting of the remains of a few log fences, a clearing away of underbrush, with felled and girdled trees. The block-house mentioned was the only building standing, and the place had been abandoned for years. Mr. Cooper commenced the settlement of his tract in the winter of 1786, many families coming in before the snow had melted. Deeds were given to Israel Guild and several others, who established themselves on spots that are now within the limits of the village, in the summer of that year. This was as farmers, however, rather than as villagers, it beino- the intention of Mr. Cooper, the proprietor who had the entire control of the property, and who so soon purchased the right of his associate that the connection of the latter with the place never was of any moment, to lay out the village plot in a line extending north and south, instead of in the direction it has actually taken. In June, 1786, John Miller, now the oldest living inhabitant of the villaji-e, as reo'ards residence, arrived 24 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. at tliis place, accompanied by liis father. They reached the banks of the river at the outlet, where Mr. 3Iiller felled a large pine across the stream to answer the purposes of a bridge. The stump of this tree is still to be seen, within the grounds of Lakelands, and it is marked, in white paint, with the words Bridge tree. At that time most of the dam of Clinton was still re- maining. "When Mr. 3Iiller arrived, a widow of the name of Johnson, had the only resident family in the place. She lived in a log house, not far from the present stone dwelling of Mr. Pomeroy, though she was then build- ing a frame house near the same spot. This frame building was sold by 3Irs. Johnson to William Ellison, the well known surveyor, who removed it the same summer, to a position near the outlet, and on what are now the grounds of Edgewater. This was unques- tionably the first framed and otherwise regularly con- structed house in the village of Cooperstown, as the block-house was the first in logs. It was of respectable size, and of two stories, being intended for a tavern, to which purpose it was applied as soon as habitable. "William Abbott arrived in the summer of 1786, and established himself on the farm that still bears his name, about half a mile south of the village. Other persons came and went, and many settlers remained permanently in different parts of the patent. Mr. Cooper was here, once or twice, in the course of the season, but he did not cause any building to be con- structed. Mr. Miller remained, himself, but a short time. 3Iany persons were here during the summer of 1786, among others James "White, but it is believed none passed the winter within the village plot, but the families of William Ellison. Israel Guild and Mrs. Johnson. The latter soon after removed, leavino- no descendants in the place. 3Ir. Guild took possession of the block-house. In the spring of 1787, more emigrants appeared- HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 25 > Early in the season Mr. Cooper arrived, accompanied by his wife, who came however as a mere traveler. They reached the head of the lake in a chaise, and descended to the foot in a canoe. Mrs. Cooper was so much alarmed with this passage that she disliked returnino- in a boat, and the chaise was brought to the place, in'two canoes. In order that it might reach the eastern bank, and to serve the public generally, a bridge was built at the outlet, which was the first real bridge across the Susquehanna at this spot. This bridge was composed of log abutments, sleepers, and logs^laid across the latter. A road had been cut through the forest, following the direction of the lake, and coming out along the bank of Lakelands, at this bridge. It was, however, so rude and difficult to pass, that when the chaise left the village, men accom- panied it with ropes, to prevent it from upsetting. During the summer of 1787, many more emigrants arrived, principally from Connecticut, and most of the land on the patent was taken up. Until this season negotiations were going on among the different credit- ors of Col. Croghan to redeem this property, by pay- ing the claims of Messrs. Cooper and Craig, and taking assignments of the bonds and mortgages ; those gentle- men, though legally in possession of the estate, pre- ferring to receive the amount of their debt to keeping the securities. Being persuaded, however, that the land was scarcely worth the money, the creditors, by this time, had abandoned the intention, and Mr. Cooper, towards the close of 1787, began seriously to think of establishing himself permanently in this part of the country. With this view he commenced extending his possessions in the adjacent patents, and either by ar- rangements with the different great landholders, or by actual purchases, he soon had the settlement of a large part of the present county more or less subject to his/ control. The effects were very visible, for there is scarceh an instance of a more rapid growth of a dis- 3 26 HISTORY or COOPERSTOWN. trict, in any other part of a country so remarkable for advancement of this nature. When it is remembered that this extraordinary success was obtained in a region so difficult of access, one that is not easily tilled, and which has a severe climate, the energy and abilities that were employed, may be properly appreciated. The proprietor, however, was much favored by the salubrity of the air, the diseases usual to new countries having been scarcely known in this mountainous region. ^ During the summer of 1787, several small log tene- ments were constructed on the site of the village, and arrangements were made by Mr. Cooper to erect a building for his own use, the succeeding season. Still there was no great accession to the permanent pojiula- tion, which at this time did not amount to twenty souls. The circumstance that neither Mr. Ellison nor Mr. Guild had children, and that Mr. Miller was not yet married, contributed to lessen the number of the inha- bitants. Early in 1788, the house of Mr. Cooper was erected, it being the second regular dwelling in the place. This house stood on Second street, facing Fair street, commanding a full view of the lake, and of course im- mediately in front of the present Hall. It was of two stories, with two wings, and a back building was added in 1791. The siding was of wide boards, beaded, but not planed. A very good representation of this house is to be seen on the original map of the village, where it is marked Manor House. It was removed a short distance down the street in 1799, and was \ destroyed by fire in 1812. In this year Mr. Cooper seems seriously to have set about the formation of a village, a plot being regularly laid out for that purpose. Agreeably to this plan, six streets were laid out in an east and west direction, and three tliat crossed them at right angles, in a north and south. The street along the margin of the lake was called Front street, and the others parallel to it were HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 27 numbered from Second up to Sixth street. That next to the river was called Water street, and that at the opposite side of the plot, West street. The street between them, being divided into two parts by the grounds of Mr. Cooper, had two names, viz : Fair street and Main street. All these names are preserved, though Fifth street has never been opened, and one- half of Fourth street,* and about one-third of Main street, are also enclosed. The map, which is well made on parchment, like all similar documents of that period, has its base line on the west side of Water street, with its direction marked ^' North, 20° East." The map is dated " 9^/i Month mtJi, 1788," or "September 26th, 1788," and was made by William Ellison. It is now among the Cooper papers. By a certificate -of the redemption of the quit rents on " the town plat of Cooperstown," dated October 26, 1799, among the same papers, it would appear that the plat of the village as designed on this map, contains one hundred and twelve acres. In the autumn of this year, Israel Guild erected a small frame building of a story and a half, on what is now Second str^eet, about one hundred feet from the intersection with West street.f Mr. Guild had pur- chased the farm that here adjoined the village plat; all the land west of that point being without the j)ro- prie tor's plan for the town. This house was originallv in a lot ; it is still standing, being used as a bdkery and a hatter's shop, and it unquestionably' is now the oldest house in the place, the Manor House having been * The one south of and nearest to the Episcopal church. tAt that time no road passed Mr. Guild's house, in the direction of Fly creek. Second street then extended west only to the Eagle Hotel, or to what was then Mr. Guild's farm. The erection of a building where Lewis's Hotel now stands, on West street, was doubtless the cause of the narrowness of the west part of Second street, that building having been erected before the west pa>rt of Second street was opened. The location of Mr. Guild's house may have done somethieg to produce this bad. effect upon the village. 28 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOAVN, -^ stroyed by fire, as mentioned, and tliat of Mr. Ellison ving been pulled down when the late Mr. Isaac loper built at Edgewater, or in 1812. Mr. Guild, ifwever, continued to live in the block-house until [89, John Howard, tanner, came this year and pre- Ared to commence his business, at the spot long known as the Tannery. Although the settlement of Cooper's patent com- menced early in 1786, the regular commencement of the village dates properly from 1788, for, while the idea of a town is older, it was not systematically planned until this summer.^ It follows that this year (1838), completes the first half century of the existence of the place. The name of Cooperstown, it is true, appears in one or two papers as early even as 1786 ; but the place was indiscriminately known by this appel- lation, and that of the Foot of the Lake, until the year 1791, when it became the county town. In 1789, Mr. Cooper finished his house and set up a frontier establishment. His eldest son, the late Rich- ard Fenimore Cooper, Mr. Charles Francis of Philadel- phia, Mr. Richard R. Smith of New Jersey, and several other gentlemen, were his occasional associates. The late Hendrik Frey of Canajoharie, was a frequent visitor, and the traditions of the festivities of the Manor House, during that and the succeeding years, are still agreeable to the lovers of good cheer. ■^ The lake abounded with the most delicious fish, and Shipman^ Ih^ Leather Stocking of the region, could at almost any time, furnish the table with a saddle of venison. Among the laughable incidents that accom- panied the free manner of living, so peculiar to a border life, the following stories seem to be well authenticated. * In the Otseoo Herald, No. 27, it is said : " The Tillage of Cooperstown was begun in 1796. Now the storekeepers, innkeepers and owners of carriages pay lapwards of 36 pounds, duty and excise, to the revenue, per annum." HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 29 In the course of tlie winter of 1789-90, ''^- during one of the periodical visits of Col. Frey, a large lumber sleigh was fitted out, with four horses, and the whole party sallied upon the lake for a morning drive. An ex-officer of the French army, a Monsieur Ebbal, re- sided by himself on the western bank of the lake. Perceiving the sleigh and four approaching his house, this gentleman, with the courtesy of his nation, went forth upon the ice, to greet the party, of whose charac- ter he was not ignorant, by the style in which it appeared. Mr. Cooper invited his French friend to join him, promising him plenty of game, with copious libations of Madeira, by way of inducement. Though a good table companion in general, no persuasion could prevail on the Frenchman to accept the offer that day, until provoked by his obstinacy, the party laid violent hands on him and brought him to the village by force. Monsieur Ebbal took his captivity in good part, and was soon as buoyant and gay as any of his companions. He habitually wore a long skirted surtout, which at that time was almost a mark of a Frenchman, and this surtout he pertinaciously refused to lay aside, even when he took his seat at table. On the contrary, he kept it buttoned to the very throat, as it might be in defiance. The Christmas joke, a plentiful board, and heavy potations, however, threw the guest off his guard. Warmed with the wine and the blazing fire, he incautiously unbuttoned ; when his delighted com- panions discovered, that the accidents of a frontier, the establishment of a bachelor who kept no servant, and certain irregularities in washing days, that were attend- ant on both circumstances, coupled with his empresse- * " In 1789 the article of bread was scarcely to be found in the count}'."— Otsego Herald. At about this time, perhaps earlier, according to one who has lived in Coopers- town over fifty years (Mrs. Capt. William Wilson), salt was so scarce in this region that a man went from FJy creek to the Mohawk to get a small quantity, but on finding none there to be sold, returned, begging a little from families on the way, and thus reached home with rock salt sufflcieat lo distribute among his neighbors, a handful here and a handful there. 30 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. ment to salute his friends, had induced the gallant Frenchman to come abroad without a shirt. He was uncased on the spot, amid the roars of the convives, and incontinently put into linen. " Cooper was so po- lite," added the mirth loving Hendrik Frey, when he repeated this story for the hundredth time, "that he supplied a shirt with ruffles at the wristbands, which made Ebbal very happy for the rest of the night. Mein Gott, how his hands did go, after he got the ruffles 1" These wags told Monsieur Ebbal, that if chased by a bear, the most certain mode of escape, was to throw away his hat, or his coat, to induce the animal to stop and smell at it, and then to profit by the occasion, and climb a sapling that was too small to enable his enemy to fasten its claws in it, in the way it is known to ascend a tree. The advice was well enough, but the advised having actually an occasion to follow it the succeeding autumn, scrambled up a sapling first, and began to throw away his clothes afterwards. The bear, a she one with cubs, tore to pieces garment after garment, without quitting the spot, keeping poor Ebbal treed, throughout a cool autumnal night, almost as naked as he was when uncased at the celebrated Christmas ban- quet. It appears that the real name of this person was Jj'Ahbe de Raffcourt. During the winter of 1789-90, Mr. Cooper had a stock of goods brought into the village, Mr. R. R. Smith, doing the duty of the merchant. This was the first store established in the place, and was of great ser- vice to the settlers. Up to this period, the latter had been compelled to go to Canajoharie to make their jDur- chases. Even later, they were obliged to go that dis- tance to find a mill, not un frequently carrying their grists on their shoulders. The distance, it will be re- membered, is twenty-five miles. October the 10th, 1790, Mr. Cooper first brought his family to Cooperstowu, giving up his residence in New ' HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 31 Jersey entirely. From this time, dates the steady and progressive growth of the village. There exists a document to show that in 1790, Cooperstown contained seven framed houses, three framed barns, and thirty- five inhabitants. It is supposed that this enumeration of the inhabitants was made previously to the arrival of the family of Mr. Cooper, as that family alone, with its inmates and domestics, amounted to about fifteen persons. It is also supposed, that the houses, three or four in number, that stood without the old village plat, like that of Mr. Guild, the Tannery, &c., were not included. The house standing at the southeast corner of Second and Water streets, and which for the last forty years, has belonged to the Ernst family, was erected this summer by Mr. Benjamin Grifiin. It is now the second oldest house in the village. February 16th, 1791, the county of Otsego was formed, and Cooperstown was designated as the county town, Mr. Cooper being appointed the first judge of the county court. A Court House was built at the southeast corner of West and Second streets. It was thirty feet square ; the lower story, which contained four rooms, being used as a jail, and the whole of the upper story, as a court room. The lower story was built of squared logs, and the upper of framed work. The entrance to the court room was on the north front, two flights of steps on the exterior of the building, meeting at a platform before a door that opened into the air. The jury rooms were in a tavern occupied by the jailer, that stood on the same lot, and which was erected the same y^ear. The first sherifl" was Richard R. Smith, Esq., who being altogether superior to enter- ing into the lovfer duties of the ofiice, appointed Stephens, jailer. During this summer, the old Red Lion tavern, which projected half way across Second street, was erected, as was also the house at the corner diagonally 32 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. opposite, now owned by Judge Russell. The two houses that stand third and fourth from the corner of West street, on the south side of Second street, were also erected this year, as were several others. The first lawyer who came to reside in the village, was Mr. Abraham Ten Broeck of New Jersey, and the second was Mr. Jacob Gr. Fonda of Schenectady ; both these gentlemen came in 1791. Mr. Joseph Strong, a native of Orange count}^, came a year or two later, and also Mr. Moss Kent, a brother of the celebrated Chancel- lor Kent. These four gentlemen were the first of their profession in Cooperstown. They all removed within the first twelve years of their residence, though de- scendants of Mr. Strono;, in the second and third "ene- ration, are still inhabitants of the place. Several stores were also set up in 1791, of which the principal was owned by Mr. Peter Ten Broeck. The first physician also appeared in the spring of this year; his name being Powers. Doctor Fuller so long and so favorably known, for a professional career that lasted forty-six years in the same place, arrived in June. In the course of the year, Dr. Powers was ac- cused of mixing tartar emetic with the beverage of a ball given at the Red Lion. He was tried, convict- ed, put in the stocks and banished for the off'ence ; this sentence, as a matter of course, terminating his career in this spot.- A Dr. Farnsworth came a year or two later, and Dr. Grott about the same time ; but for many years, nearly all the practice of the country was in the hands of Dr. Fuller, who is said to have been the medical attendant of more than two thousand births. There exists no positive information of the increase of the village during the year 1791, but it was rela- tively great, for the times. At the end of the year, Cooperstown certainly contained twenty houses and stores, and probably a hundred inhabitants. As most of the emigrants were young, their families were HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. necessarily small, which accounts for the feeble num- ber of the population. From this period, or for the last forty-six years, the place has been more gradual in its growth, the increase being steady and regular, and not subject to the sudden changes of more specu- lative neighborhoods. The first child born actually in the village was Nathan Howard, a son of John Howard ; and the first death was that of a son of Mr. Joseph Griffin, which took place October 11th, 1792. On the occasion of this death, a piece of ground was selected as a place of interment, near the junction of Water and Third streets, or where Christ Church now stands. The first child born on the patent was a son of Bill Jarvis of Fly creek. He was born in 1787, and was named after the proprietor, receiving fifty acres of land as a memorial of the circumstance. William Abbott had a son born previously to the birth of Nathan Howard, but he did not reside immediately in the village, although forming a part of the village community. The boy was called lleuben, from the circumstance of his being the first born. The first school was kept by Joshua Dewey, but it was not commenced until a year or two later. 3-4 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. CHAPTER III. FROM 1792 TO 1797. The village at the commencement of the year 1792, stood principally on Second street, with a house or two on Water street, one or two more on Front street, and a few on West street. The shops and taverns were col- lected in the vicinity of the four principal corners, where were also the Court House and Jail. It is evident to the geologist that water has once flowed over the site of the place, and originally many deep holes or hollows existed, which had the appearance of having been formed by powerful eddies, or currents. Most of these holes have disappeared, by leveling and filling up, but a few are still to be seen, especially in the grounds of the Hall, where they have been preserved as helping the ornamental walks, &c., &c. Some of these inequalities, of course, existed in the streets, and many persons still remember the place when there were considerable ascents and descents in them. Opposite to the present bank there was, as re- cently as the commencement of this century, a little rise in the road, and in West street, at the point near that where the present inclination commences, was a short, sharp pitch, down which vehicles had to descend with great care. Judge Cooper's barns, stables, &c., down to the year 1798 certainly, if not to a later day, were in the rear of the stone store that now belongs to Mr. J. II. Worthingtou, and they stood many feet below the level of the streets. Nor did the stumps disappear altogether from even Second street, which is the princi- pal avenue of the village, until the close of the century. The road to Fly creek diverged from the Hartwick HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 35 road, near Howard's farm, and the narrow part of Se- cond street continued enclosed as part of the farm of Mr. Guild, until about the year 1795. Mr. James Averell was an early settler on the patent, having occupied the farm since known as the Howard farm, in 1787, but he exchanged with Mr. Howard this farm against the Tannery, and removed into the village, or rather into what is now the village, in the year 1792. Here, by his enterprise and industry, he raised the works in question into some of the most important of the sort that then existed in the newer part of the state. Mr. Averell soon became conspicuous for his habits of business, and subsequently was much connect- ed with the increase of Cooperstown and its vicinity, in wealth and industry. Between the years 1792 and 1797, Messrs. Wade, Stevens, Rensselaer Williams, Richard AVilliams, Nor- man Landon, Peter Ten Broeck and Le Quoy arrived and established themselves as merchants ; Mr. R. R. Smith relinquishing business, and going to Philadelphia where he was soon a partner in an extensive wholesale house. Mr. Wade was an Irishman by birth, and had served as a captain in the British army. He remained but a year or two, when he returned to New York. The present Major Wade of the United States army is his son. Mr. Stevens returned to Philadelphia also, in a few years ; but the Messrs. Williams continued their connection with the place, down to the periods of their deaths ', their collateral descendants and heirs still existing in Cooperstown. The Messrs. Ten Broeck returned to New Jersey, at the end of a few years. Mr. Landon died, and is interred in the old burying ground. Mr. Le Quoy excited a good deal of interest during his stay in the place, as he was a man altogether supe- rior to his occupation, which was little more than that 36 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOAVN. of a country grocer ; an interest that was much in- creased by the following circumstance. Among the early settlers in Otsego county, was Mr. Lewis cle Villers, a French gentleman of respectable extraction and good manners. Mr. de Villers was in Cooperstown about the year 1793, at a moment when a countryman, a Mr, Renouard. who afterwards establish- ed himself in the county, had recently reached the place. Mr. Eenouard was a seaman and had the habit of using tobacco. Enquiring of Mr. de Villers where some of his favor?te article might be purchased, Mr. de Villers directed him to the shop of Mr. Le Quoy, telling him he would help a countryman by making his purchase of that person. In a few minutes Mr. Renouard returned iProm the shop, much agitated and very pale. Mr. de Villers inquired if he were unwell. " In the name of God, Mr. de Villers, who is the man who sold me this tobacco V demanded Mr. Eenouard. " Mr. Le Quoy, a countryman of ours.'' " Yes, Mr. Le Quoy de Mersereau." " I know nothing about the de 3Iersereau, he calls himself Mr Le Quoy. Do you know anything of him ?" " When I went to Martin- ique to be port captain of St. Pierre," answered Mr. Ronouard, " this man was the civil governor of the island, and refused to confirm my appointment." Subsequent inquiry confirmed this story, Mr, Le Quoy explaining that the influence of a lady had stood in the way of Mr. Renouard's preferment. The history of Mr. Le Quoy has since been ascer- tained to be as follows : When governor of Martinique he had it in his power to do a friendly office to Mr. John Murray of New York, by liberating one of his ships, Mr. Murray being at the head of the old and highly respectable commercial house of John Murray & Sons, then one of the principal firms of the country. This act brought about an exchange of civilities be- tween Mr. 3Iurray and Mr-. Le Quoy, which continued for a few years. When the French revolution drove HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 37 Mr. Le Quoy from the island, lie repaired to New York, and sought his friend Mr. Murray, to whom he stated that he had a small sum of money, which he wished to invest in a country store, until his fortunes might re- vive. Between Judge Cooper and 3Ir. Murray there existed an intimacy, and the latter referred Mr. Le Quoy to the former. Under the advice of Judge Cooper, Mr. Le Quoy established himself in Coopers- town, where he remained more than a year. At the end of that time he made his peace with the new French government, and quitting his retreat, he was employed for some months in superintending the ac- counts of the different French consulates in this coun- try. It is said that he soon after returned to Martin- ique in his old capacity, and died the first season of yellow fever. When Mr. Fenimore Cooper was in France, the Comte d'Hauterive, who had been French consul general in America, at the period of Mr. Le Quoy's residence, spoke of the latter gentleman, and in part, corroborated this history of him. The following letter appears to have been written soon after he left Cooperstown, and at the moment he commenced his consular duties : Philadelphia, 10th Oct., 1794. Dear Sir — I have experienced too much of your friendship to believe you will not hear of my fate with some degree of concern. I am to go to Charleston in S. C, about some business which will kee'p me most all the winter. I hope for a more permanent employment than what I have at present; if not, I know where to fin^ peace, good business, good friends. I shall always consider you among the number. I wish you and all your family health and happiness, and I remain, dear sir, your most humble servant, F. Z. Le Quoy. MoNS. W. Cooper, in Cooperstown, Otsego county. 4 38 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN, Later letters show tliat Mr. Le Quoy did not quit this country until 1796. January 27th, 1795, Mr. James Barber, tailor, died of the small pox.* This was the first adult who died a natural death in the village. He lived in the laro;e old building which stands north of the dwelling of Mr. Lawrence McNamee, and which was erected the year before. But, Mr. Jabez Wight, cabinet maker, was drowned while bathing, near the outlet, August 14th, 1794. This was the second death, in the place. The same year a child of Mr. Averell's was drowned, but not in the lake. All these persons were interred in Christ church burying ground, where their head-stones are still to be seen. During the first ten years of the existence of the village, the people depended entirely on chance for the little religious instruction they received. The emi- grants to the place, more particularly those who had any property, were singularly divided as to religious faith, the Presbyterians, though the most numerous sect, being the poorest. Missionaries occasionally penetrated to this spot, and now and then a traveling Baptist, or a Methodist, preached, in a tavern, a school house, or a barn. The first regular clergyman, who had any en- gagement to officiate in Cooperstown, was the Rev. Mr. Mosely, who was employed for six months. This was in the year 1795. He was a Presbyterian, and went away at the expiration of his engagement. In the way of schools, the village did a little better. It has been said that Joshua Dewey kept the first school. He was soon succeeded by Oliver Cory, who conducted the common school of the place, with com- * mendable assiduity and great credit to himself, for many years. Nearly all the permanent inhabitants of the village, who are between the ages of forty and *This disease has appeared several times in the Tillage: in April, 1834:, causing one death ; in April, 1848, two deaths; in Feb., I808, no death, and in Nov., I860, causing one death and much excitement. There were about twenty cases on the corporation. HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 39 fifty-five, received their elementary instruction from this respectable teacher. Mr. Cory did not neglect religious instruction altogether, but every Saturday was devoted to this object. His care in this respect, as well as his lessons on deportment, were attended with the most beneficial results, and it is to be re- gretted that they have not been imitated in our own time. He kept his school originally in the Court House, and then in the first regular school house ever built in the place. This school house was a small wooden building that stood on the lot that is now occupied by the dwelling of Mr. Elihu Phinney. Subsequently Mr, Cory held his school in the Academy. Notwithstanding the apparent neglect on the subject of religion, which, in all probability, is to be referred more to the division in sentiment mentioned, than to any other cause, the people of Cooperstown showed great public spirit on the subject of establishing an Academy, a plan for which was started as early as 1795- We subjoin the following copy of a subscrip- tion paper for that purpose, in proof of what we say, and which is still in existence, viz : " We the subscribers do severally undertake to contribute the sums opposite to our respective names, towards an acade- my in Cooperstown, for the county of Otsego. April 5th, 1795. William Cooper, $725.00 James Averell, 50.00 William Abbot, 40.00 Francis Henry, $5.00 Huntington & Ingals,.. 25.00 Jabez Hubbell, 5.00 Elisha Fullam, 7.50 Norman Landon, 45.00 Jonas Perry, 2.50 Timothy Sabin, 3.75 Lemuel Jewel, 2.50 Barnet Whipple, 5.00 Thomas Fuller, 40.00 Bill Jarvis, 2.50 Samuel Tubbs, 12.50 Moses Kent, 25.00 Uriah Luce, 10.00 Peter Lambert, 7.50 Joseph Holt, 10.00 Nathaniel Gott 12.50 John Miller, 7.50 William Ellison, 12.50 James White, .., 15.00 Stephen Ingals, 5.00 James Gardner, 10.00 Abner Dunham, 6.25 Nathan Davison, 5,00 E. Phinney, ,. 40.00 40 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. Joseph Griffin, $42.50 Lewis De Yillers, $15.00 John Howard, 30.00 Robert Riddle, 7.50 William Cook, 25.00 Aaron Noble, 7.50 Benjamin Griffin, 25.00 Matthew Rennet, 7.50 Jacob Morris, 62.50 Isaac Stacy, 10.00 Benjamin Gilbert, 30.00 Joseph N. Jones, 5.00 Griffin Crafts, 30.00 Levi Wentworth, 6.25 Total, $1,441.25 The odd cents are from the subscriptions having heen in the old currency. This document shows seve- ral interesting facts. There are forty-two names, which makes an average subscription of more than $33 to each name ; and it may be doubted if any thing like such an average could now be obtained for any public object whatever. Of these forty-two names, twenty-three were then residents of the village, and considering the public spirit that prevailed, it is fair to suppose that this comprised at least two-thirds of the heads of fami- lies that were then to be found in the place. It will probably be safe to say, that Cooperstown contained in 1795, about thirty-five families, and quite as many houses. As the heiids of families were generally young, an average of five persons to each family would be sufficiently high ; this would give a whole number of one hundred and seventy-five souls. If to these we add twenty -five for single persons, we get a total of two hundred for the population, which could not be far from the truth. The Academy was raised September 18th, 1795.* It was one of those tasteless buildings that afilict all new countries, and contained two school rooms below, a passage and the stairs ; while the upper stoiy was in a single room. Nothing superior to a common English education was ever taught in this house, all attempts * This Academy wns raised by TOO men selected for the purpose, and superin- tended by Mr. K. Robbias So larare a number of men was then needed on account of the great size of the timbers put into frames, and becaub'e of the want of conveniences for arising, which are now common. HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 41 at classical instruction failing. This must be ascribed to the general want of means in the population, at the time ; the few who gave their children classical educations, usually sending them abroad for that purpose. The Academy, containing at that time the largest room in the place, was as much used for other pur- poses as for those of education. Religious meetings were generally held there, "as well as other large as- semblages of the people. The school exhibitions of Mr. Cory, in which Brutus and Cassius figured in hats of the cuts of 1776, blue coats faced with red, of no cut at all, and matross swords, are still the subject of mirth with those who remember the prodigies. The court on great occasions was sometimes held in this building, and even balls were occasionally given in it ; in short, it was a jack of all work, rather than of the particular work for which it was intended. Notwithstanding the failure as respects a classical school, the year was memorable for the establishment of another species of instruction, that probably was more useful to this particular community, at that early day. On the 28th of February, 1795, Mr. Elihu Phinney, a native of Connecticut, arrived in Cooperstown, bring- ing with him the materials for printing a newspaper; and on the 3d day of April of the same year, the first number of the Otsego Herald.^ or Western Advertiser^ a weekly paper, made its appearance. This was the second journal published in the state, west of Albany. We see by its title that, in 1795, it was considered a western print, whereas at the present day, Cooperstown is probably a hundred leagues east of the central jDoint around which journals are now to be found. By means of this print we are enabled to make the following curious statistical statement, by which the reader will obtain an insight into the actual condition * See Article on Newspapers. 42 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. of the western part of this state at that time.* In 1794, Judge Cooper was elected representative in con- gress, from a district composed of the counties of Mont- gomery, Herkimer, Tioga, Ontario, Onondaga and Ot- sego, as they then existed. His opponent was Mr. Winn of Montgomery, and the following is the result of the canvass : COOPER. WINN. Montgomery, 304 970 Herkimer, 746 144 Tioga, 89 88 Ontario, 30 2 Onondaga, 95 6 Otsego, 1271 216 Total, 2535 1426 Here we see that the county of Ontario, at that time comprising so much of the state, gave but 32 votes, while Otsego gave 1487. The fact shows the great rapidity with which the latter county had been settled. A brewery was established in 1794, by two English- men, of the names of Mulcock and Morgan, but it was in advance of the country, and after a short ex- periment it failed. July 9th, 1795, a man named Porteus was flogged at the whipping post, for stealing some pieces of rib- bon. This was the first of two instances of the same punishment on the same spot. The whipping post and * A similar view may be obtained from the list of letters lying in the Post Office in Cooperstown, April 10th. 1795, a list published in the 2d No. of the Otsego Herald. Only a part of it is here given as a specimen : " Samuel Lane, on the Uelavifare Kiver. Roger Levitt, Unadilla. James F. Lequoy, Cooperstown. Alpheus & Thaddeus Loomis, Schuyler's Lake. John Matson, Cana.joharie or Cooperstown. David McFariand, Otsego. Arthur Maxwell, Tioga. John McCu'lock, Harpersfield." In 1795. the following notice was published in the Otsego Herald : ""■John M. Hughs, Tailor, informs his friends in Otsego, Unadilla, Chenango, Burlington and Kichlield, that he carries on the above business, on the Sus- quehanna, six miles below Cooperstown," HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 43 stocks stood nearly opposite tlie jail door, in West street, but on the west side of the street. Porteus was banished, as well as flogged, the former punishment being used in Cooperstown. It is to be regretted that it has fallen into disuse. By an article in the Otsego Herald of October 30th, it would seem that the year 1795 added much to the size of the place, no less than thirty buildings having been constructed that season. Many of these, however, were shops, offices and stores. Among others were the Brewery and Academy, already mentioned. The form- er stood near the present bridge, and is described as having been 83 feet in length, 25 feet wide, and 19 feet posts. The Academy was 65^^ feet long, 32 wide, and 25 feet posts. The summit of the belfry was 70 feet from the ground. On the evening of the 20th November, 1795, a build- ing attached to the pottery of Mr. Joshua Starr, a re- spectable inhabitant of the village, was destroyed by fire. This is believed to be the first accident of the sort that ever occurred in Cooperstown. The mills that still exist on the Susquehannah, were erected by Mr. William Ellison, as early as 1792. It appears that the Rev. Elisha Mosely preached the first thanksgiving sermon in Cooperstown, on the 26th November, 1795, in the Court House. By the latter circumstance it would seem that the Academy, which indeed was only raised on the 18th September, had not been completed. It is also stated in the Otsego Herald, that in this year the village paid in excise, and through the inns and stores, &c., and by the duty on carriages, thirty-six pounds. The first carriage that was ever used in the place, was a phaeton of Judge Cooper's. This was in 1792. In 1795, he set up a chariot, which by the aid of four horses, was enabled to perform a journey from Cooperstown to Cherry Valley, between breakfast and supper. The first road to communicate with the lower coun- 44 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. try, was that mentioned already as running along the eastern margin of the lake. Its course did not differ essentially from that of the present turnpike. A rude road existed previously to the revolution, from Cherry Yalley, as far as the Ingals farm in Middlefield, and this road was brought round the end of the Vision and into the village, about the year 1791. It followed the present margin of the forest, on the side of the moun- tain, until it reached the spot where Woodside now stands, when it traversed the present grounds of Lake- lands, diagonally, to the outlet. This end of the road was three times altered ; first, by bringing it down to the river a little below the mills ; secondly, by leading it more diagonally across the fields, and lastly, to its present route. A state road was laid out between Albany and Coop- erstown, in 1794, This road crossed the mountain, and descended the Vision by the line that is still used as a foot-path. A bridge was then first constructed, where the present bridge now stands. In 1802, the second company of the Great Western turnpike brought the present turnpike road through the village. The labors of this company sensibly im- proved the surface of Second street, and may be set down as the commencement of the present handsome appearance of the principal streets. The lake turnpike was constructed in 1825. The state road was continued west by the people, in 1796, nearly on the line of the present turnpike, some aid being obtained from the state. The Hartwick and Pier's roads have been but little altered since 1786, though both have been straightened near the village. In 1795, the township of Otsego, then much larger than at present, however, contained 2160 males above the age of 16, a prodigious increase for ten years. It had 491 electors under the laws of that period, viz : 368 £100 freeholders; 55 £20 freeholders; and 60 persons renting tenements. at £2. It is said that in HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 45 1738, all the electors in the state west of Albany, the latter included, excepting, however, the manor of Rens- selaer, were but 636. In 1795, the number in the same counties was 36,026. It probably now exceeds 200,000. It is mentioned that lake Otsego was free from ice on the 1st of January, 1796. It did not close the pre- sent year (1838) until the 23d January. March, 1796, was memorable for the flocks of pigeons that flew through this valley; elderly persons declaring that they saw more on a single morning than they had pre- viously seen in all their lives. At the close of the year 1796, Judge Cooper made his contracts for the construction of the Hall. This, it is believed, was the first building in the county, and, with the exception of the German settlements, almost the first private building in the state, west of Schenec- tady, that was not built of wood. By an instrument that is still in existence, William Sprague and Barnet Whipple contracted to do the carpenter's and joiner's work of this house, *all the materials being found on the spot, for the sum of $1,350. ^he work was begun in the year 1796, but it got no higher than the found- ation in 1797. In 1798, the walls were raised and the house was effectually enclosed. In June, 1799, the building was completed, and the family of the proprie- tor removed into it. It was, however, inhabited by some of the workmen in 1798. The grounds of the old building, which was called the Manor House, and those of the Hall, were not iden- tical. The former extended back no farther than to the site of the present building, whereas the latter, as is known, reached to Third street. At this time and for some years later, many pines were still standing in the fields south of Third street, and most of the spots that had been cleared were covered with a young second growth. Otsego Hall was, for many years, the largest private residence in the newer parts of the 46 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. state, and it is still much the most considerable struc- ture in Cooperstown, a village that is so singularly well built. Some idea of the strength with which it was constructed may be gained from the fact, that in 1834, when the present owner commenced his repairs and improvements, the floor above the great hall, which is near twenty-five feet by fifty in surface, was raised three feet, one corner at a time, without injury even to the ceiling below. The joists were of oak, the planks of the best quality, and the fastenings of wrought iron spikes. The house was struck by lightning in 1802, on which occasion the first lightning rod in Coopers- town was erected. The Free Masons opened a lodge in the village on the first Tuesday in March, 1796, and on the 27th Decem- ber, they held a great religious festival in the x\cademy. They dined in the same place, and in the evening they had a ball. The first library was opened in this village, March 11th, 1796, Capt. Timothy Barnes, librarian. The year 1794 was memorable in the history of Cooperstown, for what is still called the Indian alarm.* This alarm was false, having proceeded from the com- bined circumstances that a report prevailed of a con- siderable body of Indians having been seen lurking in the woods at no great distance, and that a party who had brought in some counterfeiters discharged their *This !.•» said by good authority to have originated from the bringing of an. Indian subject (for dissection) from Clierry Valley to this place, by medical students. From this fact the rumor spread that the Indians had resolved to have revenge upon the village. A great alarm ensued. The citizens armed themselves for an attack, and one of the oldest inhabitants now relates some amusing incidents of his picket duty at night, watching intently lor the de- scent of the savages with scalping knives and tomahawks. But none appeared. Second Alarm.— Singular as it may seem, a second Indian alarm occurred after the first edition of the Chronicles was published, being no longer ago than the year 1840. A wandering Indian came into the village one winter's afternoon, from an encampment of half-breeds in the viciinty. and getting into a drunken bout, died suddenly before morning. A story was ciiTulated among the loungers in the streets, that his friends suspected foul play and threatened vengeance. This was soon magnified into an intended midnight attack on the village. These fl>ing rumors came to th(^ ears of some of the pupils of Mr. Duff's mili- tary academy, then located at Apple^ hill, who hastened lo communicate the alarming intelligence to their piincipal. Whether Mr. Duff really accepted the truth of these reports, which is not unlikely, as he had for some time HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 47 pistols at midniglit. Scouts had been previously sent to ascertain the fact about the Indians, and this dis- charge of pistols was supposed to proceed from these scouts, in the wish to alarm the village. Many ludi- crous accounts are given of the eifect of the fright, one man in particular, secreting himself in a log abutment of the bridge that had then been recently constructed at the spot where the present bridge now stands. We learn in the fact, the infant condition of the country, as it was then possible to create an alarm on account of the Indians. Up to this period the lake was full of fish, and hauls of hundreds of the delicious bass were made at a time, during the proper season. The trout also abounded, as did deer. The fisherman of the day was known as Admiral Ilearsey, pronounced Hassy, a man who was unhappy unless in a boat or before a lime kiln. He was, perhaps, more thoroughly aquatic than his succes- sor, the Commodore, who has now commanded the lake more than thirty years, but on the whole, less skillful. At that time pickerel, now so abundant, were seldom caught at all. In 1794, there was a large flat boat on the lake, called the ship Jay, on board of which Admiral Hassy first hoisted his flag. His sails were boards, and his speed more than doubtful. The old road along the east bank of the lake was lived among the wilds of Canada, or whether he wished to try the courage and efficiency of the military education of his pupils, we have no means of knowing. At all events, he appeared earnestly to believe in the threatened danger, and the boys were at once despatched to the village to purchase pow- der and lead to be moulded into bullets, at which some were soon actively engaged, while others removed all the effects from the school-room near the gate to the bouse, and proceeded to barricjide the doors and windows of the same, under Mr. Duff's immediate supervision. As the midnight hour approached a patrol guard was organized and placed in the several beats, from the house to the gate, from thence in front of the Episcopal church yard, and down to the corner near the village, while outposts were stationed over the river who were to give warning of the approaching enemy by the discharge of a musket; the younger boys vyere to remain in the house and guard the doors and windows. The night passed away in anxious watching, but not a sound arose to break upon its wonted stillness. Dawn relieved the youthful sentinels, whose ima- ginations had been fearfully wrought up by the occurrences of the preceding twenty-four hours, and the event became a nine days' wonder, and was the occasion of much amusing comment at the time. 48 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. abandoned about this time ; tliose who went to Spring- field going by the way of Piers ; and those who went to Albany, or to the Mohawk, by the way of Cherry Valley. A journey taken by Judge Cooper in 1795, of which the memorials still exist, will give an idea of the means of communication that were then in the country. He left Cooperstown soon after breakfist, with his wife and two children, in the old-fashioned chariot already men- tioned, and drawn by four horses. At Middlefield Centre the party stopped, bated and dined. It reached Cherry Valley a little before sunset, where it passed the night. Left Cherry Valley next morning after an early breakfast, and stopped to dine with Mr. Christo- pher Yates j thence to the house of Hendrik Frey, at Canajoharie, to supper and to sleep. Quitting Mr. Frey's after a late breakfast, or at ten o'clock, it reached an inn for the night, about ten miles from Schenectady. The next morning, making an early start, it reached Gilbert's in Schenectady, to a late breakfast, and suc- ceeded in getting to Albany about sunset. At this period lime-kilns and brick-kilns existed at the outlet, owing to which circumstance, and to the diffffino's of the different roads, the western bank has been much defaced, it having resembled the eastern a good deal, in its native state ; though a small flat always existed a little below. In 1797, the Rev. Thomas Ellison of Albany, and the Patroon, both regents of the university, visited the Cherry Valley academy, and then extended their jour- ney to Cooperstown, where the former preached in the Court House. This was the first time service, accord- ing to the rites of the Protestant Episcopal church, was ever performed in the place. HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWiV. 49 CHAPTER lY. In 1799, the Rev. John Frederick Ernst,* a Lutheran clergyman, settled in Cooperstown, under a temporary arrangement with the inhabitants, to perform religious service. Perhaps Mr. Ernst, who was a native of Ger- many, was the only person of his own persuasion in the village, and the reason of this selection was connected with a hope of getting the benefit of a bequest made for the purposes of education and religious instruction^ by the late Mr. Hartwick. This hope proved falla- cious, and Mr. Ernst remained but two or three years in the place, though he purchased property in it, and his descendants in the fourth generation are now to be found among us. Mr. Ernst was the second regularly employed clergyman in Cooperstown, though, owing to his peculiar sect, he can hardly be said to have had a regular church. I'he first law for establishing a post route f.oni some convenient point on the line of post route between Al- bany and Canandaigua, "through Cherry Valley to the Court House in Cooperstown, in the county of Otsego,'^ was passed on the 8th May, 1794. The post office was first opened in the village June 1st, 1794, Joseph Grif- fin, postmaster. The mail arrived weekly for some years ; it then came twice a week ; then thrice ; then daily ; and several variations occurred even after this, the daily mail not having been permanently established, as at present, until about the year 1821. In 1799, the Rev. John McDonald of the Scotch Seceders, was arrested for debt in this village, bailed, * J. F. Ernst, Jr., a jeweler from Albany, settled in Cooperstown in 1800. His son, G. W. Ernst, now living here, for 30 years has been a respectable merchant. 50 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. and was placed on the limits. Mr. McDonald during his imprisonment preached regularly in the Court House, though he had no call, supporting himself by instructing a few classical scholars. He went away in 1800. The Presbyterians and Congregationalists, in and about Cooperstown, formed themselves into a legal society on the 29th of December, 1798. The spiritual organization of this church took place on the 16th of June, 1800, Isaac Lewis, moderator of the meeting. On the 1st day of October, 1800, the Rev. Isaac Lewis was installed the pastor of the aforesaid church and congregation. He was the first regularly and perma- nently settled clergyman in Cooperstown, and he offici- ated altogether in the Academy, as Mr. Ernst had done during his stay. His connection with this church was dissolved in 1805. The Eev. William Neill was ordained and installed as the successor of Mr. Lewis in 1806. This connection was dissolved in 1809. In 1810, the Rev. John Ches- ter was engaged for a few months to fill the pulpit of this church. On the 7th of February, 1811, the Rev. John Smith was ordained and installed as the successor of Mr. Neill. This connection continued until the year 1833. On the 26th day of November, 1834, the Rev. Alfred E. Campbell was installed as the successor of Mr. Smith. The departure of Mr. Smith, and the causes which induced it, being of a spiritual character, were connected with a separation of this congregation into two congregations, one of which held its religious worship in the Court House and in the great hall of the Hall, the latter building being at that time unoccupied by any person but a keeper. This division was healed on the occasion of the call of Mr. Campbell, who is still the pastor of the reunited congregations. On the 10th day of September, 1800, Miss Cooper, the eldest daughter of Judge Cooper, a young lady in the 23d year of her age, was killed by a fall from a HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 51 horse. Her funeral sermon was preached by the Rev. Daniel Nash of the Protestant Episcopal church, and she was interred according to the rites of that church, which were now performed for the first time in this village. This young lady, who had been educated in the schools of New York, and who, from having accom- panied her father in his official visits to the seat of government, was perhaps as extensively and favorably known in the middle states as any female of her years, was universally regretted. She had improved her lei- sure by extensive reading, and was a model of the do- mestic virtues. During his visit to this country, M. de Talleyrand passed a few days in Cooperstown, where he was an inmate of the family of Judge Cooper. The Otsego Herald of October 2, 1795, contains the follow- ing acrostic on Miss Cooper, then in her eighteenth year, which tradition ascribes to the celebrated diplo- maf. We give it as a literary curiosity, rather than as a very faultless specimen of poetry, although it is quite respectable in the latter point of view. Aimable philosophe au printems de son age, Ni les tems, ni les lieux n'alterent son esprit ; Ne cedant qu' a ses gouts, simple et sans etalage, Au milieu des deserts, elle lit, pense, ecrit. Cultivez, belle Anna, votre gout pour I'etude ; On ne saurait ici mieux employer son tems ; Otsego n'est pas gai — mais, tout est habitude; Paris vous deplairait fort au premier moment ; Et qui jouit de soi dans une solitude, Rentrant au monde, et sur d'en faire I'ornement. Miss Cooper was killed in the public highway, about a mile from the residence of General Morris, in the town of Butternuts, where a saaonument has stood these thirty-seven years to commemorate the sad event. She is interred in the burying ground of her family, under a slab that, singularly enough, while it is inscribed by 52 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. some feeling lines, written by her father, does not even contain her name ! Mr. Nash, since so well known in his own church, for his apostolic simplicity, under the name of Father Nash, was then a missionary in the county. From this time he began to extend his services to Coopers- town, and on the first day of January, 1811, a church was legally organized, under the title of Christ Church, Cooperstown. This was the second regularly esta- blished congregation in the place. On the same day, the Ilev. Daniel Nash was chosen rector of Christ church, which office, through the delicacy of the cler- gyman who succeeded him in his duties, he informally held, down to the period of his death in 1836. In 1818, Mr. Frederick T. Tiffany was engaged by Christ church as a lay reader This gentleman was admitted to deacon's orders in 1820, in St. John's church, New York, and to priest's orders in Christ church, Coopers- town, in 1828, by the Right Reverend Bishop Hobart, and his connection has continued with the church down to the present moment. In 1822, the Rev. Dr. Orderson, a clergyman from Barbadoes, West Indies, officiated occasionally in the church for several months. Whilst here, the honorary degree of D. D. was conferred upon him by the faculty of Union collei^re. The Methodist persuasion has had service, from time to time, for more than forty years in the village, occa- sionally with regularity, and at intervals, with long in- termissions. From the discipline and system of this church, it is impossible for us to give any accurate accdunt of the different clergymen employed. The U niversalists organized their society on the 26th April, 1831, under the name of the Second Universalist Society of Otsego, another existing in the township. At this moment, this congregation possesses about eighty members. The Rev. Job Potter was the first HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 53 pastor, having been installed in 1831. He was suc- ceeded by the Rev. 0. Whiston in July, 1836. The Baptist church was organized the 21st January, 1834 ; Rev. Lewis Raymond, who still officiates, being the first pastor. This sect has occasionally had service in the village for near forty years also, the baptisms near the Otsego rock being of frequent occurrence about the commencement of the century. The first edifice constructed for religious worship in the village of Cooperstown was erected by the Pres- byterians, on the east side of West street, between Third and Fourth streets, in 1805. It is of wood, being 64 feet long by 50 feet in width, having a tower and cupola ninety feet high. In 1835, this building was extensively altered and repaired, and it continues to be the place of worship of its congregation. This denomination purchased the house that stands on the south east corner of Third and West streets for a par- sonage, in 1838, for the sum of $1,600. In 1807, the Episcopalians erected a brick building 54 feet long and 40 feet wide, as their place of worship. It was consecrated by the Right Reverend Bishop Moore, on the 8th day of July, 1810. This building stands on the west side of Water street, also between Third and Fourth streets, and in a line with the house first named. This denomination built a rectory on the southwest corner of Water and Third streets, or ad- joining the churchyard, in 1832. The latter building cost about $1200, exclusively of the lot. The Methodists erected a wooden buildins; with a tower, having no spire or cupola, on the west side of Chestnut street, in 1817. It has never been painted, and the service in it is still very irregular. In 1833, the Universalists erected a wooden building on the northeastern corner of Third and West streets, with a tower and pinnacles. It is 50 feet long and 38 wide, and stands on the site of the old Academy, the latter building having been destroyed by fire on the 54 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 31st day of March, 1809. This church with the lot, cost about $3000. The Baptists erected a church in 1835-6. It is 54 feet by 40, and has a dome 60 feet high. The house and lot cost about $3000. These five buildings are all that have ever been erected for the purposes of public worship, in the vil- lage, and they are all now standing. HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN, 55 CHAPTER Y. Between the years 1795 and 1803 the growth of Cooperstown was gradual but steady. A document exists to show that in January of the latter year, the village contained seventy-five dwelling houses, thirty- four barns, and three hundred and forty nine inhabit- ants. No account exists of the number of stores and shops, which probably would have raised the total of the buildings, exclusively of barns, &c., to about one hundred. The families were not yet large, as this ac- count gives less than five souls to each dwelling house. Apple hill was early selected by Richard Fenimore Cooper, Esquire, as the site for a house, and during the summer of 1800, he caused the present building to be erected. This was the second house in the place that was erected off the line of the streets, or which had the character of a villa. John Miller erected a house in bricks, in the summer of 1802, also. It stands on his farm, but within the present limits of the village, and is the second building in the place that was not constructed in wood. In 1804, Judge Cooper caused a stone dwelling to be constructed on the southwest corner of Water and Se- cond streets, for his daughter, who was then married to Mr. Greorge Pomeroy, a native of Massachusetts, who had become a resident of the place in the year 1801. This was the first stone building in the village. Between the years 1795 and 1802, John Russell, Elijah H. Metcalf and Robert Campbell, Esquires, also became residents of Cooperstown, in which place they have since held conspicuous social or political stations. All three of these gentlemen married in the village, and 56 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. their descendants in the second and third generations, now form a portion of its population. Judge Metcalf died in 1821, but the other two are still living. Mr. Russell was the second member of congress ever elected from the place, and Mr, Metcalf was in the legislature of the state two terms. In 1801, a man dressed in a sailor's jacket, without stockings or neckcloth, but cleanly and otherwise of re- spectable appearance, and who seemed to be between forty and fifty, presented himself to Judge Cooper, with a request to know whether a small piece of low meadow land, that lies between Fenimore and the village, was to be sold. The answer was in the affirmative, but the applicant was informed that, on account of its position, the price would be relatively high, amounting to a con- siderable sum. The stranger requested that a deed might immediately be made of it, and he counted down the money in gold, giving his name as Esaias Hausman. Mr. Hausman left the Hall the owner of the lot in question, which has ever since been known as the Haus-v man lot. The habits, attainments and character of this man soon attracted attention. He spoke five or six of the living languages, and had a tolerable knowledge of the classics. He lived entirely alone, in a small house he had caused to be built on his purchase, and in the rudest manner. Occasionally he would disappear, and his absences sometimes extended to months. He frequently spoke of his past life, though it is not known that he ever gave any connected or explicit history of his origin, or of the events that led him to America. According to his own accounts of his adventures, he had served in the imperial army, and he was once heard to say that the death of Robespierre alone saved him from the block. Casual remarks of this nature increased curiosity, when Hausman became more reserved, and he soon ceased to touch at all on the events of his past life. Sometime about the year 1805, he had been absent seve- ral months, when it was discovered that he was teaching HISTORY CF COOPERSTOWN. 57 Hebrew to the president of one of the eastern colleges. This occupation did not last long, however, for he was soon back again in his hut on the lake shore. In this manner this singular man passed many years, apparently undetermined in his purposes, rude, and even coarse in many of his habits, but always courteous and intelligent. He died in Herkimer in 1812, and without making any particular revelations concerning himself or his family. As he died intestate, his property escheated, the lot on the shore of the lake being sold by the public. It is said that a considerable sum in gold wa^ found in a purse that he wore between his shoulder blades. Nothing further was ever known of Esaias Hausman. He was certainly shrewd and observant, and his acqui- sitions, which were a little exaggerated, probably, by vulgar report, were of that kind which denotes in Europe, a respectable education. He had not the appearance or manners of a Polish gentleman, for he called himself a Pole, and the most probable conjecture concerning him, a conjecture that we believe is sustained by some of his own remarks, made him a Jew. The name is Grerman, but the people of that persuasion often assume new appellations. The estate which is bounded by the Susquehanna and lake Otsego, on the west, belonged to Henry Bowers, Esquire. On the death of this gentleman, it descended to his only son, John M. Bowers, Esquire. At a very early period, the land immediately around the outlet, and of course opposite to Cooperstown, was cleared and a farm house erected. On his marriage, however, Mr. Bowers determined to reside on his pro- perty, and to build at this spot. He came into the vil- lage in 1803, accordingly, where he resided, for a short time, and commenced the construction of the present house at Lakelands. This building was erected in 1804, and its proprietor took possession of it in 1805. Since that time it has continued to be the residence of the gentleman who caused the house to be built. This 58 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. place is not within the Hmits of Cooperstown, or even in the township of Otsego, but standing within musket- shot of the former, its inhabitants properly . belong to our community. In 1797, the Masons erected a hall on the northeast corner of Front and West streets, which is still standing. The population of Cooperstown underwent essential changes, between the years 1800 and 1806. All the lawyers originally settled in the village, without an exception, had removed, and their places had been sup- plied by a new set. The same alterations also occurred among the merchants, who have frequently changed since the settlement of the country. Of the latter, Mr. Lawrence McNamee, who opened a store in the village in 180:2, is the only one who has continued in the same occupation, and in the same place, down to the present time. The only bookstore in the village, or that has ever been in the village, that of the Messrs. Phinney, has been continued since 1795, also, in the same family. Between the years 1800 and 1810, the growth of the village, without being rapid, was regular and respecta- ble. Many places that, a few years previously, were much inferior to it in size and wealth, now began to surpass it, but its own population gradually grew easier in their circumstances, and, as a matter of course, en- larged their manner of living. Still, the people de- pended chiefly on the trade of the few adjoining towns, on the presence of the county buildings, and on such of the more ordinary manufactures as found consumers in the vicinity. On the 22d December, 1809, died William Cooper, Esquire, the original proprietor, after whom the village was named. Judge Cooper was in his fifty-sixth year at the time of his death, and his connection with the place had continued near .twenty-four years. For nine- teen he had been a regular inhabitant of the village. He died in Albany, and was interred in the burying HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 59 ground of his family, in Christ cliurch yard. To the enterprise, energy and capacity of this gentleman, the county of Otsego is more indebted for its rapid settle- ment, than to those of any other person. A law was passed in 1806, for the erection of a new court house and jail for the county of Otsego. The commissioners appointed for that purpose, selected a spot a little remote from the center of the village, on the south side of the turnpike, and west of Chestnut street. Here a building was constructed in 1806—7. It is 56 feet long and 50 feet wide, and has been used ever since for the public service. It is of bricks, and the court room is capacious and convenient. The jail is in the lower story, and is crowded and inconvenient. The jailer has also rooms in the building. A fire-proof county clerk's office was constructed near the courthouse, in 1814. The removal of the court house to the extreme west- ern limits of the place, has had no sensible effect on the direction taken by the village in its growth, but a very few houses having been since erected in that quarter of the town. The old court house, jail and tavern,* were torn down in 1810, and a range of brick stores was erected on the lot, in 1811. In the year 1803, a market house was erected in the centre of Fair street, about half way between Front and Second streets. The attempt to induce the butchers and the people of the surrounding country to use it, however, failed, and the building was removed into West street, and converted into a school house, in 1809, or soon after the destruction of the Academy by fire. On the 3d day of April, 1807, a law was passed authorizing the inhabitants of the village of CoojDcrs- town, to elect trustees, under an act of incorporation, which styled the place The Village of Otsego. This change of name arose from party politics, and the * These stood on the east corner of Second and West streets, where Robert Davis's store is now standing. 60 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. majority of the inhabitants of the village being opposed to the measure, elected trustees, who rendered the law a dead letter, by declining to do any thing under its provisions. June 12th, 1812, a new act was passed, incorporating the place, by the name of the village of Cooperstown, under which law, the people proceeded immediately to organize the local government. By the act of incorpo-' ration, as since amended, the people elect annually five trustees, who choose their own president. The peo- ple also elect a clerk and treasurer, three assessors, a pathmaster, and constable. The board of trustees pos- sesses powers to pass by-laws for the security of the vil- lage, in cases of fire ] to prevent obstructions in the streets, or other nuisances ; for regulating the streets ] for lighting the same ; erecting public pounds, and for making wharves, docks, &c. &c. No taxes, however, exceeding four hundred dollars in total amount, shall be laid in any one year. The village charter was ainended April 30, 1829, the limits of the corporation being con- siderably extended. By the plan of Judge Cooper, the village plat originally contained one hundred and twelve acres, as has been stated, whereas the present boundaries probably include more than four hundred acres, though not more than a third of this surface can be said to be actually occupied by the streets and dwellings. In 1812, at the time of the incorporation of the place, Cooperstown contained 133 houses, &c,, 57 barns and 686 inhabitants. January, 1816, there were 183 houses, offices and shops, 68 barns and 826 inhabitants. A small fire engine was purchased by the village, in 1812, and a second was presented to it by the heirs of Judge Cooper, in 1815. The business of Cooperstown became enlarged in con- sequence of the establishment of manufactories, in its vicinity. This enterprise was commenced in 1809, by the erection of the Union cotton manufactory, on the Oaks ; since that time, many other similar works have HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 61 been constructed in the neigliborliood. In the village itself, works of various kinds have been gradually esta- blished, increasing the wealth and adding to the industry of the place. After the erection of the range of stores on the old court house lot, a better style of buildings was intro- duced for similar purposes. Since that time, most of the stores, and many of the principal shops, have been constructed in brick or stone. The late Isaac Cooper, Esq., commenced the house called Edgewater, in 1810, and removed into it in 1814. This building, which is sixty-six feet long, by forty-five in width, is one of the best in the place. The residence of Mr. Henry Phinney, on Chestnut street, was commenced in 1813, and completed in 1816, This is also one of the principal dwellings in the vil- lage. Richard Fenimore Cooper, Esq., died in Albany, in March, 1813, and was brought to this place for inter- ment. This gentleman, when a youth, accompanied his father to Otsego, and was one of the oldest inhabitants of the village. His son and grandchildren still exist in the place. In 1808, a second newspaper, William Andrews^ editor, was established under the name of the Impartial Observer. This print soon passed into the hands of John H. Prentiss, Esq., and its name was changed to that of Cooperstown Federalist. At a still later day the title of this paper was changed to that of the Free- man s Journal^ under which appellation it is still known. With the exception of a short interval, the same editor and proprietor has been at the head of the establish- ment, for about twenty-nine years. A paper called the Watch Tower, was set up in op- position to the Cooperstown Federalist, in 1814, Israel W. Clark, editor. In May, 1817, this paper was trans- ferred to Edward B. Crandal, who remained its editor until its discontinuance, in 1831. 6 62 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. The Tocsin was established in 1829, hut took the name of the Otsego Rejniblican in 1831, under which title it still exists. In July, 1813, died Elihu Phinney, Esq., aged fifty- eight. The arrival of this gentleman in the village has already been mentioned. Mr. Phinney was one of the judges of the county court for several years, and con- tinued to control the Otsego Herald to the period of his death. The paper was published by his sons H. & E. Phinney until the year 1821, when it was discon- tinued, after an existence of 26 years. In 1814, the children of Augustine and Susannah Prevost, who had purchased the judgment of John Morton, against their grandfather, George Croghan, which was the oldest judgment on record, attempted to revive the same by scire facias against all the terre- tenants on Cooper's patent. This measure of course made all the freeholders in the village parties in the suit. The executors of Judge Cooper, however, man- aged the defence. The proceedings connected with this law suit, lasted several years, when they were discon- tinued in consequence of the statute of limitations. As the heirs of Susannah Prevost, who was the devisee of George Croghan, held assets to more than the amount of the judgment, in consequence* of a failure of title through informality, under one of the judgment sales against their ancestor, there can be no doubt that had the issue been tried on its merits, the defendants would have prevailed, without having recourse to the agree- ment of 1775, according to which, the lands were to have been sold, firstly to satisfy the judgment of Gov. Franklin, or that under which the terre-tenants held, secondly, to pay the mortgage of Thomas Wharton, and lastly, to satisfy this very judgment, which it was now attempted to revive, after a lapse of forty years. On two several occasions, ofiicers of the federal go- vernment established recruiting parties in this village. The first was in 1799, during- the ijuasi^dir with France ; HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 63 Lieut. Joseph C. Cooper, who succeeded in enlisting about thirty men in the county, commanding the party. The second occasion occurred during the war of 1812, when a considerable detachment of riflemen was re- cruited in the vicinity, and collected in the village, under Capt. Grosvenor. In the way of irregular troops, there have been seve- ral volunteer corps in Cooperstown, though none of any permanency, with the exception of the artillery. The first artillery company was established in 1798, William Abbot, captain, Samuel Huntington, first lieutenant, and George Walker, second. The pieces of this com- pany entirely supplanted the Cricket, and since that time the villagers have never been without regular brass guns for their parades and festivals. A volunteer company of horse was established in 1794, Captain Benjamin Grifiin, commandant. Many persons now living, can recollect a celebrated sham fight between this cavalry and a party of men disguised as Indians. The charges of the horse, on that occasion, are described as having been infinitely severe. At that time, the log fences, a good deal decayed, inclosed a great portion of the two principal blocks of the place, and the manner in which the cavalry got over them and through them, probably caused as much surprise to themselves as to the spectators. In this part of the field especially, the Indians are said to have discovered much the greatest address, although both parties, as usual, claimed the victory. The first regular organization of the militia, in this part of the country, appears to have taken place in the year 1798, although detached companies existed pre- viously. Jacob Morris, Esq., of Butternuts, was the first brigadier-general appointed, and Francis Henry, Esq., the first colonel of the regiment which included the village. John Howard was the first captain of the ordinary militia company of the beat. Capt. Howard was unfortunately drowned in the Susquehanna the 64 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. next year, in making a noble effort to save a person wlio had got beneath some floodwood, and he was succeeded by William Sprague. For a long time after the commencement of the vil- lage, Cooperstown suffered but little from fires; several small buildings, it is true, were burned at different times, but the first considerable conflagration occurred on the night of the 30th of March, 1809, when the printing oflice of H. & E. Phinney took fire. The flames were communicated to a new dwelling house be- longing to William Dowse, Esq., and both were con- sumed. These buildings stood on West street. The next day the Academy was also destroyed in the same way, and no attempt has ever been made to rebuild it. A dwelling house and store, standing on Second street, and occupied by Joseph Wilkinson, were de- stroyed by fire, March 17, 1814. A long range of store houses belonging to the estate of Judge Cooper, also standing on Second street, was burned down in the winter of 1813. A part of this range was composed of the old Manor House, which had been converted into a storehouse. The next considerable conflagration occurred on the night of the 27th of April, 1818, when a fire broke out in the hatter's shop of Ralph Worthington, and it was not subdued until it had consumed all the building's on the north side of Second street, between the west corner of Fair street and the alley called Beaver alley, making six buildings altogether. This is much the most con- siderable fire that ever occurred within the limits of the village. But the summer of 1823, was a serious time for the inhabitants of the village of Cooperstown. A succession of fires took place, under circumstances that scarce leave a doubt that they were mostly, if not entirely, the acts of an incendiary. The Tannery was consumed on the night of the 12th of July. On a thorough examination of the facts, it was generally believed it had been set HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 65 on fire. A stone house, whicli had been erected at Fenimore, by J. Fenimore Cooper, Esq., between the years 1814 and 1817, was the next consumed. This place which, like Lakelands, stands without the village limits, properly belongs to the village community, and the principal dwelling was of considerable size and of a good finish, having all the conveniences of a country residence. The house was not completed nor inhabited, though it contained all the wood work and a large amount of valuable lumber. As it stood quite alone in the centre of an extensive lawn, there can be but little doubt that it was set on fire. This house was destroyed to the naked walls. Several barns which stood in the most compact parts of the village soon followed. Fortunately the injury, in few of these cases, extended beyond the buildings which first took fire. The incendiary, or incendiaries, were never satisfactorily discovered, though plausible conjec- tures have been made. Since the recent alterations and repairs of the Hall have been going on, a window has been opened and a place has been discovered where tinder, oiled cotton, burnt matches and other combustibles were lying toge- ther, leaving little doubt that one if not more attempts were made to destroy that building also, and probably about the same time. There are other instances in which there is reason to suppose that incendiaries had been at work in the vil- lage, one of which is a recent case of a fire in the Court House This building was discovered to be on fire about four o'clock on the morning of the 24th of May, 1837, but the flames were subdued before they had done much injury. One of the prisoners in the jail was suspected of having set the building on fire, though the charge could not be substantiated. Of late, scarcely a year passes without one or more fires, which usually proceed from defective or badly se- cured stove pipes, but no structure of any importance 66 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. has been consumed. Indeed, it is the subject of sur- prise that no considerable dwelling house has ever been destroyed by fire within the village of Cooperstown, with the exception of that of Mr. Dowse and of one or two of secondary value and size, which were burned in the great fire of 1818. Almost every other building that has been burned, has been either a shop, a barn, or a store. Cisterns for the collection of water have been sunk in the streets; hooks and ladders, fire buckets and hose are provided, and considering the size of the place, the provisions against fire are respectable. The firemen have usually been found active and bold, and cases have often occurred in which they have saved large portions of the village. HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 67 CHAPTER YL The society of Cooperstown received considerable accessions between the years 1805 and 1820. Several young lawyers established themselves in the place, among whom were William Dowse, George Morell, Samuel Starkweather, Joseph S. Lyman, Eben B. More- house, H. Flagg, and A. L. Jordan, Esquires. Mr. Morell removed to Michigan in 1832, and is at present one of the judges of the supreme court of that state. Mr. Lyman was elected to congress in 1818, but died during his term of service. Mr. Dowse was also elected a member of congress at a still earlier day, but never took his seat, having died previously to the meeting of that body. Messrs Jordan and Flagg removed from the village after a few years residence. Mr. Flagg died in one of the southern states, shortly after he left here. The village has given the following members to the congress of the United States, to wit : William Cooper, who was first elected in 1794; John Russel, Esq., who was elected in 1804; John M. Bowers, Esq., who sat part of a session in 1813-14, but lost his seat in conse- quence of a decision of the house; AVilliam Dowse, Esq., elected in 1812, and died as already mentioned ; Joseph S. Lyman, Esq., elected in 1818, and died in 1821 ; and John H. Prentiss, Esq., who is the sitting member. The county of Otsego has for several years composed a congressional district by itself, and of eleven members chosen at different periods from the county, six have been residents of Cooperstown. Several other gentlemen became residents of the place during the period already mentioned, and continued to increase and improve its society; among these were 68 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. Messrs. Edmeston, Atchison, Augustine Prevost, and Gr. W. Prevost. A singular fatality attended the three first of these gentlemen. Col. Prevost was lost in the well known shipwreck of the Albion packet. Mr. Ed- meston was drowned while bathing, and Mr. Aitchison fell by his own hand during an access of fever. Neither of these melancholy events occurred in the village. Five deaths by drowning, in the lake, have occurred among the inhabitants of the village since the settle- ment of the place. The village was much improved by the fire of 1818 ; stone and brick buildings having been principally erected in the place of those destroyed. The first public house in Cooperstown, as has been said already, was kept by William Ellison, on Water street, near the outlet. But the first public house of any note, was the old Ked Lion, kept by Joseph Griffin, on the projecting corner of West and Second streets. This building, which at difi"erent times has been much enlarged, repaired and improved, has continued to be one of the principal inns of the place for forty-six years. The old sign, which was painted by an amateur artist, R. R. Smith, Esq., the first sheriff of the county, stood for many years, but to the great regret of the older inhabitants of the place, it has been made to dis- appear before some of the more ambitious improvements of the day, the house being now called the Eagle Tavern. The second public house of any consequence, was the Blue Anchor, kept by William Cook on the corner dia- gonally opposite to the Red Lion ; this house was in much request for many years among all the genteeler portion of the travelers. Its host was a man of singu- lar humors, great heartiness of character, and perfect integrity. He had been the steward of an English East- Indiaman, and enjoyed an enviable reputation in the village for his skill in mixing punch and flip. On holidays, a stranger would, have been apt to mistake HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 69 Kim for one of the magnates of the land, as he inva- riably appeared in a drab coat of the style of 1776 with buttons as large as dollars, breeches, striped stock- ings, buckles that covered half his foot, and a cocked hat large enough to extinguish him. The landlord of the Blue Anchor was a general favorite, his laugh and his pious oaths having become historical. There were many other taverns in the place, the most considerable of which was Washington Hall. It stood on the north side of Second street, one door from the corner of Fair street. This house at one period was in more request than any other in the place, but not until the functions of the landlord of the Blue Anchor had ceased. In 1832, the house adjoining the old Washington Hall was removed, and a spacious inn was erected on its site ) this is at the eastern corner of Second and Fair streets, and the inn is known by the name of Union Hall. ' nil A tavern was kept by Daniel Olendorf, on the north- east corner of Second and Chestnut streets for several years. This house was probably in more demand than any other that has been kept in the village, but it was discontinued in the early part of the present year, though it is still in request as a boarding house.^ The Eao-le Tavern and Union Hall are now the two principal inn's of the place, the first being the stage house. According to the census of 1820, the population of the village had increased to 1000, and in 1825 it was reduced to 857, while in 1830 it was 1115. By the census of 1835, it was found to be 1190. The growth of the village has been in some degree retarded by the mania for western emigration, and there was a period at the commencement of the century, when Judge Cooper made large drafts on this village and the surrounding country, for settlers on his other estates. The law abol- ishing imprisonment for debt, has also had a tendency 70 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. to lessen ike population of this village, in common with those of all the small county towns in the interior. Notwithstanding the apparent stagnation in the place, Cooperstown has actually been greatly improved within the last fifteen years. Several houses have been erected in brick or stone, of respectable dimensions and of gen- teel finish ; among these that of Mr. Elihu Phinney on West street, that of Mr. William Nichols on Fair street, that of Mr. Ellery Cory, also on West street, and that of Mr. John Hannay, on Second street, are among the most considerable. The three last are of stone. A law was passed on the 8th day of April, 1830, in- corporating a bank, by the title of the Otsego County Bank, and a stone banking-house was erected on the south side of Second street, nearly opposite to Fair street, in 1831. This bank has a capital of one hundred thousand dollars, and Robert Campbell and Henry Scott, Esquires, both old and respectable inhabitants of the village, have been its president and cashier, since the formation of the institution. This incorporation has been well managed, and as it has been found very serviceable to the community, while it has escaped the imputations that rest on so many similar establishments in other places, it is in favor with all the intelligent part of the population. Few of the very early heads of families in the village now remain ; many of those even, who came in about the close of the last or the beginning of the present century, are already dead, and several of those who ac- companied their parents as children, have followed them to the grave. Isaac Cooper, Esq., the second son of the proprietor, who for many years was an active inhabit- ant of the village, and who contributed little less than his father, to its improvement and embellishment, died on the 1st of January, 1818. His two brothers, William and Samuel, survived him but a short time. Thomas Shankland, Esq., died 21st August, 1823, HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 71 and his wife Rachel, 21st October, 1826. He was the owner of the mills south of the village at the time of his death. James Averell, Esq., whose activity in business has been already mentioned, died as lately as December, 1836. His wife having preceded him to the grave about two years. Dr. Thomas Fuller, whose practice in the village commenced in 1791, died on the 11th July, 1837. Mr. Joshua Starr, another of the old inhabitants died the 17th February, 1838, and his wife on the 5th May, 1837. Mr. Ralph Worthington and Mr. John Frederick Ernst, both respectable residents for a long time, died early, the first on the 9th September, 1828, and the second, on the 29th November, 1830. Descendants of all these familes exist in the second and third, and in some cases, in the fourth generations. The families longest resident in Cooperstown, are the following, the date of the connection with the place being put opposite to the name of each, viz : Cooper, 1785-1790; Miller, 1786 -, Averell, 1786-1788 ; White, 1788; Baldwin, 1790; Fuller, 1791; Starr, 1792; Griffin, 1792; Ingalls, 1793 ; Graves, 1793 ; Phinney, 1795; Russell, 1796; Ernst, 1799; Metcalf, 1799; Bowden, 1799; Pomeroy, 1801 ; Campbell, 1802 ; Wor- thington, 1802; McNamee, 1802; Olendorf, 1802; Foote, 1804 ; Scott, 1805 ; Prentiss, 1808, &c., &c., &c. To these may be added several families that have long been settled in the adjoining country, and of which some of the members now reside in the village. Among the latter, we find the names of Fitch, 1790—1814; Clark, 1796-1812 ; Jarvis, 1786-1832 ; Stowel, 1792- 1822 ; Doubleday, 1794-1821 ; Luce 1788-1830. The family of Bowers may also be enumerated, though not within the village limits, coming in 1803. Of the above mentioned names Messrs. Miller, White, Baldwin, Rus- sell, Griffin, Bowden, Campbell, Pomeroy, Foote, Mc- 72 HISTORY or COOPERSTOWN. Namee, Scott, Olendorf and Prentiss, the original head of each family, are still living, as is also Mr. Bowers. John Miller is now, and indeed, for a long time has been, the oldest living settler. His children own the proj^erty which he first cleared from the forest. James White, a carpenter, well known for his industry and hard application to his work, is the next oldest settler, and Joseph Baldwin, cooper, is the third ; the fourth male is James Fenimore Cooper, Esquire. This gen- tleman was born 1789, and in 1790, was brought an in- fant, a year old, into the village, with the family of Judge Cooper, of which he was the youngest child. His sister, Mrs. Pomeroy, is the longest resident among the females, neither of those already named as older in- habitants, her own father excepted, having been married at the time of the arrival of her family. The next oldest female resident, we believe to be the wife of Joseph Baldwin. Of descendants, there have been four generations of the Cooper family in the place, from father to son. This is the only instance, we believe, in which the fourth generation has yet been reached in the same name, though it lias been several times done through females. The grand-children of the older settlers are in active life, however, in very many instances The following names belong to families, that may now be considered as old inhabitants, though their residence is of comparatively recent date, viz : E. Cory, Gregory, Nichols, Gr. A. Starkweather, Waterman, Paul, Perkins, Tracey, Wilson, Spafard, Lewis, Besancon, H. Cory, Cooley and Davis. Some of the members of these families are -now among the most respectable and useful inhabitants of the place. In 1825, Samuel Nelson, Esquire, the judge of the circuit court, married the only daughter of Judge Rus- sell, and became an inhabitant of Cooperstown. Judge Nelson resided some time at Apple hill, but in 1829, HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 73 lie purchased Feoimore, and enlarging the farm-house, he converted it into a spacious and convenient dwelling. The walls of the ruins left by the fire of 1823, were removed in 1826, and no traces of that situation now remain, but its foundations. Judge Nelson was pro- moted to the bench of the supreme court in 1833, and in 1836, he became its chief justice. John A. Dix, Esquire, the present secretary of state, purchased Apple hill of the heirs of R. Fenimore Cooper, Esq., in 1828, but sold it to Levi C. Turner, Esq., at his removal to Albany, on his being appointed adjutant- general. Mr. Turner is married to a daughter of Robert Campbell, Esq., and is the present owner of that beau- tiful situation. In 1829, Eben B. Morehouse, Esquire, purchased a few acres of Mr. Bowers, on the side of the Vision, at the point where the old state road made its first turn to ascend the mountain, and caused a handsome dwelling in stone to be constructed. This place, which has re- ceived the appropriate name of Woodside, has been extensively embellished, and as it enjoys the advantage of possessing a beautiful pine grove, it is generally esteemed one of the most desirable residences of the neighborhood. In 1836, Mr. Morehouse sold Wood- side to Samuel Wootton Beall, Esquire, a native of Maryland, who had married into the family of Cooper. After the death of the late Isaac Cooper, Esquire, the house at Edgewater was sold. An abortive attempt was made to get up a female school, and this house was altered, in order to meet such an object, This project failed, and in 1834, the property was sold to Theodore Keese, Esquire, of New York, by whom it has been repaired, and the grounds restored to their original beauty, and indeed improved. Mr. Keese uses Edge- water as a summer residence, having married into the family of Pomeroy. The Hall having passed into the hands of J. Feni- more Cooper, Esquire, that gentleman, shortly after his 7 74 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. return from Europe, or in 1834, had it extensively repaired, and a good deal altered. The roof had rotted, and it was replaced by a new one on the old inclination, but the walls of the building were raised four feet. On these were placed battlements and heavy cornices in brick, that add altogether eight feet to the elevation of the building. The distance between the rows of the windows was increased three feet, by filling in the lower ends of the upper windows, and by placing new stools, the necessary height having been obtained above. Much ornamental brick work has been added, and the effect has been altogether advantageous. All the floors of the second story have also been raised, giving to the principal rooms a better height than they formerly pos- sessed, while those above have been improved in the same way, by the addition to the general height of the building. Appropriate entrances have been made on both fronts, that are better suited to the style of archi- tecture and to the climate than the ancient stoops, and two low towers have been added to the east end, which contribute greatly to the comfort of the house, as a resi- dence. The improvements and alterations are still pro- ceeding slowly, and this dwelling, which for ten or twelve years was nearly deserted, promises to be one of the best country houses in the state again. The grounds have also been enlarged and altered, the present possessor aiming at what is called an English garden. During the life of Judge Cooper, these grounds con- tained about three acres, but they are now enlarged to near five. Great improvements have been made in the streets of late years, which have been accurately graded, and in some instances the sidewalks have been flagged. The carriage ways are smooth, in general, and we believe no stump now remains in any of the public avenues. There is a deficiency in the supply of water, however, Cooperstown being less abundantly furnished with this great necessary in 1838 than it was forty years ago; for HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 75 at that time, log aqueducts were led under ground, from the western mountain into the village. Wells are numerous, though the water is usually hard, and un- suited to domestic purposes ; luckily there are several excellent springs within the circle of the houses, and from these the inhabitants obtain most of their supplies. A law was passed in 1827, to incorporate a company to supply the place with water, and it is to be hoped that the day is not distant when its very desirable objects will be carried into eflfect. 76 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. CHAPTEK YII. Having now given the simple and brief annals of the place, from the time when the site of Cooperstown was a wilderness, down to the present moment, we shall close our labors, with a more general account of its actual con- dition, trusting that posterity will not permit any period to extend beyond the memory of man, without adding to that which has been here given, in order that there may always exist authentic local annals, for the informa- tion and uses of those most interested. The village of Cooperstown stands in the 44th° of north latitude, and, as near as can be ascertained from maps, in the 76th° of longitude, west from Greenwich. It contains within the corporate limits, according to an enumeration that has been made expressly for this work, the following buildings, viz. : Dwelling Houses, 169 Stores, 20 Shops, 42 Offices, 14 Churches, 5 Bank, 1 Court House, 1 Engine House, 1 Total, 253 To these buildings may be added between sixty and eighty barns, carriage-houses, stables and minor con- structions, that stand in the rear of the lots. The buildings of Lakelands, Woodside, and Fenimore, all of which places, though quite near the village, stand without its legal limits, are also omitted in this enume- HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN, It ration. If these latter, and some ten or twelve dwell- ing-houses that stand between Fenimore and Coopers- town, be included, the total number of buildings of all sorts, would not be far from three hundred and fifty. The population does not probably vary much from 1300 souls at the present moment. Cooperstown is better built than common, for a village of its size. Of the dwelling-houses, there are a good many of stone or brick, as there are also stores and shops. In the whole, near forty of the buildings are of one or the other of these materials. Many of the dwellings, besides those particularly named, are gen- teelly finished, and would be considered respectable habitations even in the larger towns. The village is beautifully placed at the southern end of the lake, being bounded on one side by its shores, and on another by its outlet, the Susquehanna. The banks of both these waters are sufiiciently elevated, varying from twenty to forty feet. Apple hill probably stands sixty or seventy feet above the river, which it almost overhangs. There is an irregular descent from the rear of the town towards the banks of the lake, and which has been brought to a regular grading in some of the streets running north and south. The place is clean, the situation is dry, and altogether it is one of the healthiest residences in the state. Lake Otsego is a sheet of limpid water, extending, in a direction from N. N. East, to S. S. West, about nine miles, and varying in width from about three- quarters of a mile to a mile and a half. It has many bays and points, and as the first are graceful and sweep- ing, and the last low and wooded, they contribute largely to its beauty. The water is cool and deep, and the fish are consequently firm and sweet. The two ends of the lake, without being shallow, deepen their water gradu- ally, but there are places on its eastern side in particu- lar, where a large ship might float with her yards in the forest. The greatest ascertained depth is at a place 78 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. about two miles from the village, where bottom has been got with a line of one hundred and fifty feet. There are probably spots of a still greater depth. The fish of the Otsego have a deserved reputation, and, at particular seasons, are taken in great abundance. Among those that are edible, may be mentioned the following, viz. : the lake fish, or salmon trout, the bass, eels, perch, sun- fish, pickerel, cat-fish, or bull-pouts, and suckers. The river has the white fish, and many of the small neigh- boring streams are richly supplied with common trout. The trout is little, if any, inferior to the salmon, and has been caught as large as from twenty to thirty pounds ; those that weigh from eight to twelve pounds are not uncommon. The bass, or Otsego bass, is also a delicious fish, resembling the white fish of the great lakes. The pickerels and the eels are both excellent of their kind, and very abundant in their seasons. The shores of the Otsego are generally high, though greatly varied. On the eastern side, extends a range of steep mountains, that varies in height from four to six hundred feet, and which is principally in forest, though here and there a farm relieves its acclivities. The road, along this side of the lake is peculiarly pleasant, and traveled persons call it one of the most strikingly pic- turesque roads within their knowledge. The western shore of the lake is also high, though more cultivated. As the whole country possesses much wood, the farms^ viewed across the water, on this side of the lake, resem- ble English park scenery. Some of the glimpses of the settlement, which has obtained the name of Piers from the circumstance that several farmers of that family originally purchased lands there, are singularly beauti- ful, even as seen from the village. Immediately opposite to the village, on the eastern side of the valley (for the Susquehanna winds its way for near four hundred miles through a succession of charming valleys), the range of mountain terminates^ heaving itself up into an isolated hummock, however, HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 79 before it melts away into the plain. This rise is called the Vision, and its summit is much frequented for its views, which are unrivaled in this part of the country. The ascent is easy, by means of roads and paths, and when there, the spectator gets a bird's eye view of the village, which appears to lie directly beneath him, of the valley, and of the lake. The latter, in particular, is singularly lovely, displaying all the graceful curva- tures of its western shores, while the landscape behind them, embracing Piers, and the hills beyond, is one of the richest and most pleasing rural pictures that can be offered to the eye. Nothing is wanting but ruined castles and recollections, to raise it to the level of the scenery of the Rhine, or, indeed, to thxit of the minor Swiss views. Prospect rock, which lies on the same range with the Vision, also offers a good view of the village and the valley, though it does not command as extensive an horizon as the first. The mountains south of Coope-rstown form a back- ground of great beauty, and it is seldom that a more graceful and waving outline of forest is met with any where. The Black hills in particular, are exceedingly fine, and are supposed to be nearly a thousand feet above the level of the lake. As the valley of Cooperstown is about twelve hun- dred feet above tide, it will readily be conceived that the summers are cool and the air inviooratino-. These facts are very apj^arent to those who come from the low counties during the warm months. Even with the thermometer at eighty, as sometimes happens, there is a sensible difference between the oppression produced by the heat here, and by that produced by the same heat at a less elevation. The lake also, has the effect to produce a circulation of air, it being seldom that there is not a breeze either up or down this beautiful sheet of water. The banks of the lake abound with eligible situations 80 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. for country houses. On its western side, there is scarcely a quarter of a mile without one. and we feel persuaded that nothing but a good road to the Mohawk is wanting to bring this spot into so much favor as shall line the shores of the Otsego with villas. As the roads now are, it requires but twenty hours to go to New York, and by the improvements that are in pro- gress there is reason to expect this time will ere long be shortened to ten or twelve hours. When that day shall arrive, we predict that Cooperstown, during five months of the year, will become a place of favorite re- sort for those who wish a retreat from the dust and heat of the larger towns. The society of this place is already of a higher order than that of most villages of its size. In this respect, Cooperstown has always been remarkable, more liberal tastes and a better style of living having prevailed in the place. from its commencement than is usually to be found in new countries. At different periods, many families and individuals accustomed to the best society of the country have dwelt here, and they have imparted to the place the habits and tone of their own condition in life. So far from gaining by a eloser connection with the commercial towns therefore, in this respect, there is reason to think that the village might not be better off than it is at present. Lying as it does off the great routes, the village of Cooperstown is less known than it deserves to be. Few persons visit it without acknowledging the beauties of its natural scenery and the general neatness and de- cency of the place itself. The floating population, it is true, has brought in some of that rudeness and trouble- some interference which characterizes the mio^ratins; and looser portion of the American people; but a feel- ing has been awakened among the old inhabitants that is beginning to repel this innovation, and we already, in this class, see signs of a return to the ancient deport- ment, which was singularly respectable, having been HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 81 equally free from servile meanness and obtrusive vul- garity. One or two instances of audacious assumptions of a knowledge of facts and of a right to dictate, on the part of strangers, have recently met with rebukes that will probably teach others caution, if they do not teach them modesty. On the whole, the feeling of the com- munity is sound, and is little disposed to tolerate this interference with the privileges of those who have ac- quired rights by time and a long connection with the place. It has been said, both directly and indirectly, that the village of Cooperstowu is well built; unlike most such places, its best houses are private residences, and not taverns. The Hall and Edgewat^r are both Ame- rican country houses of the first class. The house of Mr. Henry Phinney, which is sometimes called the Locusts, is a very pretty pavilion of considerable size, and the building is well finished and in good style ; all three are of brick. Woodside is also a substantial and respectable dwelling, in stone. Lakelands is not a very large house, but it is well placed, and is finished more like a villa than any other building around it. Apple hill has a house of no great beauty, but the situation is much the best within the limits of the village. The present house at Fenimore is respectable, though with very little pretensions to architecture ; but the whole of the grounds are delightful, and the site of the old building is one of the most beautiful in the state, for a residence of that character. In addition to these places, which, from possessing select grounds, are the most conspicuous, there are a dozen other dwellings that have more or less advantages, and some of which are also well placed. Even many of the buildings that stand directly on the principal streets are above the ordinary level, and the general impression made on the observer is that of respectability and good taste. Many of the houses have gardens, though the original plan prevented the introduction of court yards, of which 82 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. tliere are but eiglit or ten that deserve the name in the place. The present condition of Cooperstown is sufficiently prosperous, without being in that state of feverish ex- citement that has afflicted so many other small towns. The trade is not great, but it is steady and profitable. The village contains six dry goods stores, all of which are on a respectable scale ; four groceries ; two drug- gists ; hatters, watchmakers and jewelers, tinmen, and the customary number of more common* mechanics, such as tailors, shoemakers, blacksmiths, &c., &t3., some of which establishments are on a scale larger than common. Distinctly within the recollectionof many now living, or some forty years ago, tliere were not probably half a dozen pianofortes, if as many, in the state west of Schenectady. There was one in the Hall, which was certainly the only one in the county of Otsego at that time. There are now two manufactories of the instru- ment in the village, both of which also make organs, and no less than thirty-five private houses in which pianos are to be found. Three of the churches have organs. Lessons in music are given by three different competent persons, and a good taste in this delightful art is fast obtaining. There are two boarding schools for females in Coop- erstown, though no good classical school for boj'S has ever existed in the place. The proximity to the Hart- wick Academy, distant only five miles, is supposed to retard the accomplishment of so desirable an object. Nevertheless, a higher order of instruction is gradually coming into use, particularly among the females, and as Cooperstown has always possessed good models, it is hoped the attainments and principles which render the sex so attractive and useful, as well as respectable, will take deep root in the community. As they improve * Mr. Cooper, by the term " common," here means, of course, general, i. e., mechanics generally found in all places. HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 83 their minds and tastes, the young of that sex, on whose example so much depends, will obtain new sources of happiness, which, while they create a disrel- ish for the less refined amusements, will give them a still higher standard of attainments, juster notions of their own dignity, and an increasing dislike for those familiar and unladylike pursuits that are too apt to form the aim of a mere village belle. The term vil- lage belle, however, is inapplicable to the state of so- ciety that already exists in this little community, and we regard, with satisfaction, the signs of a more gene- ral advancement than formerly, in the accomplishments that mark an improved association, the possession of which is so certain, when carried beyond their ele- ments, to bring with it its own reward.. Cooperstown has two weekly newspapers, the Free- 7nan's Journal and the Otsego RejyuhNcan, the former of which has always been esteemed for a respectable literary taste. In politics, as a matter of course, these papers are opposed to eacli other. There are nine practitioners in the law, at present residing in the village, viz : Messrs. Campbell, Crippen, Morehouse, Cooper, Bowne, Walworth, Lathrop, Stark- weather and Turner. William H. Averell, Esquire, is also in the profession, but he does not practice. Of these gentlemen, Messrs. Averell and Cooper are natives of the place ; Messrs. Campbell and Crippen of the county. The principal mercantile firms are those of H. B. & Gr. W. Ernst, L. McNamee, E. D. Richardson & Co., J. Stowell, John Russell & Co., and H. Lathrop & Co. Most of these gentlemen are natives of the village, or of the country immediately around it. Mr. McNamee is a European by birth, but he has resided in Coopers- town, as a merchant, thirty-six years. There are four practising physicians at present, viz : Doctors Spafard, Curtis, Johnson and Harper. The printing establishment of Messrs. H. & E. 84 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. Phinaey is one of the most extensive manufactories in the village, if not the most extensive. It ordinarily employs about forty hands, of both sexes, and consumes annually 3000 reams of pa^^er. It has five presses in almost constant use. Large Bibles and school books are chiefly produced. Of the former, this house pub- lishes 8000 copies annually. It also publishes 60,000 volumes of other books, chiefly school books, and 200,- 000 almanacs, toy books, &c. The tannery is still kept up, and it produces a con- siderable amount of leather, annually. Iron castings are also made in the village.* The manufactory of Messrs. E. & H. Corey, in cabinet ware, pails, &c., &c., is on a respectable scale. The manufactory of hats, by J. R. Worthiugton,"}" an establishment that has passed into the second generation of the same family, is also considerable. Mr. Stephen Gregory has long had a respectable shoe store and manufactory, that is still kept up. The industry of the place, however, as a whole, is directed more towards supplying the wants of the surrounding country, than to exportation. In this sense, the business is considerable, and is gradually in- creasing, with the growing wealth of the count3^ Although Coopers town, which has now had an exist- ence of half a century, may not have produced any very eminent men, it has had a fair proportion of re- spectable citizens. Several young artists and mechan- ics, that were born here, have risen to some notoriety in their several callings, and the clergy and members of the bar, have generally maintained respectable sta- tions in their respective professions. Cooperstown for the last twenty years has been rather remarkable for its female population. Perhaps no place of its size can boast of a finer collection of young women than this village, the salubrity of the * Neither casting nor tanning is now carried on here. t Ralph Worthington manufactured hats here in 1302. HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 85 climate appearing to favor the development of their forms and constitutions. The beauty, indeed, of the sex in this village, has been celebrated in verse even, and we think quite justly. As the growth and improvement of Cooperstown have been steady, and, with very trifling exceptions, regularly progressive, they may be expected to continue in the same ratio, for a long time to come. We shall have no mushroom city, but there is little doubt that in the course of time, as the population of the country fills up, this spot will contain a provincial town of im- portance. The beauty of its situation, the lake, the purity of the air, and the other advantages already pointed out, seem destined to make it more peculiarly a place of resort, for those who live less for active life, than for its elegance and ease. It is highly probable that, half a century hence, the shores of the lake will be lined with country residences, when the village will be the centre of their supplies of every kind. Were an effort made, even now, by the erection of proper lodging houses, the establishment of reading rooms and libraries, and the embellishment of a few of the favorable spots, in the way of public promenades and walks, it strikes us that it would be quite easy to bring the place into request, as one of resort for the inhabit- ants of the large towns during the warm months. The mode adopted in the smaller European towns, would be the most suitable for commencing such an experiment. If a few persons with narrow incomes, and who possessed proper buildings, were to fit up rooms, as parlors and bed rooms, a set in each house, furnish the breakfasts and tea, and, if required, the dinner, persons of fortune would be induced to fre- quent the place, would pay liberal prices, and the vil- lage in a few years, would reap the benefit of a large expenditure. The system of common boarding houses will not for a long time draw to Cooperstown company in suflicient numbers to remunerate ; or company even 8 86 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. of the riglit quality ; but half a dozen furnished lodg- ings, on a respectable scale, we think would lay the foundation of a system that might prove to be exceed- ingly serviceable to the interests of the place. There is everything that is wanted for such an object, and, as society produces society, a few years would bring an accession of this important requisite, that would be certain to sustain itself. To conclude, Cooperstown is evidently destined to occupy some such place among the towns of New York, as is now filled by the villages and towns on the shores of the lakes of Westmoreland, in England, and by the several hourgs on those of the different waters of Switzerland. The period of this consummation may be advanced, or it may be retarded by events ] though nothing will be so likely to hasten it, as to provide the means of comfortable private lodgings. As it is^ scarcely a summer passes that families do not reluct- antly go from this beautiful spot, to others less favored by nature, and with an inferior society, in consequence of their being unable to obtain the required accom- modations. Still every thing shows a direction towards this great end, among which may be mentioned the increasing taste for boating, for music, the languages, and other amusements and accomplishments of the sort, that bespeak an improving civilization. HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN". 4 ^■» » » DISCOVERY. Tlie first footsteps of tlie white man imprinted upon the soil of Cooperstown, according to the writer's re- searches, bear the date of 1737, made 125 years ago. At that time the name of Otsego lake seems to have been unknown to the civilized world. Previous to it, the smoke of the wigwam rose through the lofty branches of the primeval forest, and the only music heard was that of nature, a principal part of which was the howl of the wolf, the scream of the panther, and the whoop of the Indian. In 1737, Cadwallader Golden, surveyor-general, in his report to the Hon. George Clarke, lieutenant-gov- ernor of the province of New York, made this state- ment : " At 50 miles from Albany, the land carriage from the Mohawk river to a lake, from whence the northern branch of the Susquehanna takes its rise, does not exceed 14 miles. Groods may be carried from this lake in battoes or flat-bottomed vessels, through Pennsylvania, to Maryland and Virginia, the current of the river running everywhere easy." After the jingle of the surveyor's chain had passed away, we learn no more of these regions until the Rev. Gideon Hawley, a man " ordained a missionary to the Indians, in the Old South meeting house [of Boston], when the Rev. Dr. Sewall preached on the occasion, 88 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. and tlie Rev. Mr. Prince gave tlie charge/' wrote in 1753 : " May 31st. We met with difficulty about get- ting a canoe, and sent an Indian into the woods to get ready a bark, but he made small progress. In the afternoon came from Otsego lake, which is the source of this stream " — the Susquehanna, While on his way hither, he witnessed a scene which contrasts strikingly with the Christian worship of this village. " We came to a resting place, and breathed our horses and slaked our thirst at a stream, when we perceived our Indian looking for a stone, which having found, he cast to a heap which for ages had been accu- mulating by passengers like him who was our guide." " I have observed in every part of the country, and among every tribe of Indians, and among those where I now am, in a particular manner, such heaps of stones or sticks collected on the like occasion as the above. " This custom or rite is an acknowledgment of an invisible being.'' Next came Gren, Washington, on an exploring expe- dition in 1783, and after him the actual settlers, as stated in the Chronicles. And that none may question the fact that he stood upon the site of Cooperstown and viewed its beautiful surroundings, let these words of his own letter be considered : " I then traversed the country to the head of the eastern branch of the Susquehanna, and viewed the lahe Otsego. ^^ CORPORATION. The grounds at first laid out for the village comprised about 112 acres in 1799. The first public efl"ort made for its incorporation was the publishing of the follow- ing article in the Otsego Herald, of March 13th, 1806 : To the Inhabitants of the Village of Cooperstown : The site on which this village now stands was, a few years since, a dreary wilderness, and its inhabitants HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 89 were those of the forest only. By our industry, per- severance and endurance of many hardships we have raised to ourselves a compact and flourishing town, and there is a rational prospect, if we continue united and faithful to our own interests, that at no very distant period of time our population will be so much increased, the industrious farmers in our vicinity will find a good and permanent market for the produce of their lands, and mutual benefits will result from the exchange. An incorporation of the village for certain purposes is, in my opinion, necessary to promote our prosperity, and render the property we have obtained more secure from the ravages of that element of all others the most destructive in its progress. I need not ask you, what would be our situation if a fire should take place in the most compact part of the village ? Without any of the necessary means to stop its progress, such a ques tion is superfluous. I need not ask you, how much money and time are annually expended in procuring water ? Your daily complaint upon this subject is a sufficient answer. Money we say is hard to be got, and time, it is said, is more precious than money, yet, of both we have expended much, and, I ask, to what pur- pose ? It is an undoubted fact that the article of water has cost us, at the lowest coinjnitation, between three and four thousand dollars, a sum nearly sufficient to supply it in a permanent manner, and enable our pos- terity to say that their fathers were faithful stewards. I mention these things, my fellow townsmen, that you may take them into serious consideration ; and if you should think them of consequence, that you may prepare in your minds a plan to be presented to the next Legislature for our incorporation. ONE or YOU. In March, 1807, the village of Cooperstown was first incorporated under the name of The Village of Otsego. This name it retained for five years, during 90 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. which period there was considerable dissatisfaction on account of the change from the original name by which it had been designated by common consent. On the 12th of June, 1812, by an act of the Legis- lature the former name of Cooperstown was restored to the village. The village charter was so amended on the 30th of April, 1829, as to include its present territory, desig- nated thus : § 1. The district of country within the town of Otsego in the county of Otsego, contained in the fol- lowing bounds, to wit : beginning at the east side of the outlet of lake Otsego ; thence down the Susque- hanna river along the east bank thereof as it winds and turns, to the southwest corner of Augustus Gard- ner's lands ; thence westerly on a line parallel with the road leading westerly from Gardner's mills to King Bingham's house, one mile ; thence north until it strikes the north line of the land late property of John Mil- ler ; thence east along said line to lake Otsego, and from thence along the margin of said lake to the place of beginning, shall be known and distinguished by the name of the YrLLAGE of Cooperstown. The first charter election was held May, 1807, at the Court House. It was called by " E. Metcalf, Justice of the Peace^ The ordinances of the present charter were adopted at the office of John A. Dix, now major-general and the present commandant of Fortress Monroe, in July, 1830, who was then a resident of this village. BUSINESS PLACES, JANUARY, 1847. [Compiled by S. B. Champion.] Printing Offices. — Freeman's Journal, John H. Prentiss, Editor, circulation 2000 ; Otsego Repub- lican, Andrew M. Barber, Editor,, circulation 1,200 \. HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 91 H. & E. Phinney, printers, publishers, book binders and booksellers. Dry GrOODS Stores. — Cash and Credit Store, by Joshua H. Story; Cash and Accommodation Store, by James Cockett & Co. ; Arcade Store, by George W. Ernst; Albany Store, by Jackson D. Wood; Chequered Store, by George A. Thayer; Green Store, by Abel H. Clark & Co. ; New Store, by Peter R. Winne ; others : Edwin P. Lewis, Lawrence Mc Namee. Hardavare and Groceries. — Robert Davis, Seth Doubleday, Alfred Robinson. Groceries and Eating Saloons. — Solomon A. Bail- ey, George Grant, Stephen Groat, A. Kelley, F. Pennington. Hatters, &c. — John R. Worthington, Harvey Hollis- ter, Hiram S. Babcock. Jewelers. — Perry G. Tanner, William Nichols, Jesse Graves, Henry P. Cooley. Stove Dealers. — Stillman & Wood, Lyman Smith & Co. Drugs and Medicines. — William A. Comstock & Co., Parley E. Johnson. Paints, Oils, Cabinet and Hardware. — E. & H. Cory. Wool Dealers. — Chandler Root & Bro. Hotels. — Eagle Tavern by Wm. Lewis, Temperance House by R. E. Robinson, Otsego Hotel by Willough- by & Doty, Empire House by Edwiji Pier, Town Pump Hotel by Alfred Carr; Keyes, formerly by Fitch. Saddles and Harness. — George Story, Benj. F. Kipp. Piano Fortes. — Chauncey D. Pease. Cabinet Makers. — E. & H. Cory, William Perkins, Richard A. Leslie, C. D. Pease, Ed. Dunavan. Carpenters. — H. F,.& Thomas Clarke, Smith & Bloom- field, T. Lacy, Ariel Thayer. 92 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. Chair Makers. — E. Edwards, E. & H. Cory, Wm. Perkins. Tinners. — L. Smith & Co., Stillman & Wood, Alvin Potter. Blacksmiths. — Fisli & Paine, S. T. Winslow, P. Hewes, Geo. W. Holmes. Shoe Shops. — Beadle & Bailey, Jacob Gr. Bush, Wm. Persons, Jabez Weeks, Seeley. Barbers. — H. H. Tidball, Abner Graves, jr. Tailors. — Richard Cooley, Philo J. Weeks, Abner Graves, jr. ' Butchers. — Moses Lippett, Pierce & Field. Tanner. — Rensselaer Waterman. Furnace. — George W. Holmes. Painters. — Edwin S. Coffin, E. & H. Cory, Silas A. Nash. Wagon Makers. — Cyrus H. Burns, John Brewer. Physicians. — James L. Fox, Consider King, P. E. Johnson, Thomas Smith, Wm. J. McNamee, F. G. Thrall, James M. Peak. Water Cure. — Philip Roof. Dentists. — Eliab P. Byram, James M. Peak. Portrait Painters. — H. B. Wight, Manches- ter. Law Offices. — Starkweather & Field, Campbell & Wood, Morehouse & Lathrop, Walworth & Palmer, Schuyler Crippen, John B. Steele, Luther I. Bur- ditt, Wm. H. Averell, Richard Cooper. Justices' Offices. — Hiram S. Babcoek, Harvey Per- kins. Cooper. — C. Bartholomew. Societies.— I. O. of R., Otsego Tent, No. 131 ; I. 0. of 0. F., Otsego Lodge, No. 103. Milliners. — Miss R. F. Loper, Misses Knapp & Brooks. Mantua Makers. — Miss L. A. Bourne. Tailoresses. — Mrs. Botsford, Mrs. Carpenter, Miss Kelley. HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 93 POPULATION. , In 1791, there were 100 inhabitants. In 1810, there were 300 males, 220 females; free colored, 12 ; slaves, 12 — total 544, _ . In 1812, population 686, houses 133, b'arns 57. In 1816, population 826, houses 183, barns 68. In 1820, free males, 371; free females, 387 ; slaves — 1 male, 2 females ; colored — free males, 6 ; females, 16 — total, 783. In 1830 the population was 1118 ; in 1838 it was about 1300 ; in 1841 it was 1300. In 1855, males, 773; females, 937— total 1710. Dwellings, 235 ; families, 292. During this year the students were numerous in the seminary. In 1860, males, 712; females, 851; colored — males, 6; females, 7 — total, 1576. BUSINESS IN 1861. DEALERS. TRADE. DjiY GrOODS. — J. H. Story, Gr. W. Ernst, Cockett & Marvin, N. W. Cole, $107,190 Fancy GtOODS. — Grant & Co., J. J. Short, Mrs. B. F. Beadle, 21,104 Hardware, Paints, &c. — E. & H. Cory, Browning & Hooker, C. J. Stillman, . . . 60,000 Grocery and Provision. — Robert Davis, A. Robinson, H. Groat, H. S. Babcock, . 28,000 Drugs, Medicines, &c. — Clarence Roof, Bingham & Jarvis, W. A. Comstock, . . . 55,039 Boots and Shoes. — H. N. Robinson, Bai- ley & Thompson, B. F. Beadle, 24,000 Tailoring, Clothing, Furs, &c. — John- son & Field, N. H. Lake, A. Graves 39,000 Butchery. Smith & Ball, Wood & Co., . 17,500 Jewelry. — C. R. Burch, P. G. Tanner, J. A. Schrom, 14,000 94 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. Harness, Trunk, and Trimming. — Geo. Story, A. Feagles, $15,000 Printing. — James I. Heudryx, S. M. Shaw, 12,000 Cabinet and Chair. — E. Edwards, S. Harper, J. 0. Bush, 6,600 Millinery, &c. — Miss Loper, Misses Wil- liams, Miss Hewes, Mrs. Bush, Mrs. Has- well, 20,800 Photographic. — W. G. Smith, L. M. Bolles, F. W. Burnet, 2,700 Smithery. — Fish & Cox, Winslow & Well- man, Best & Carr, Patrick Hewes, G^o. Holmes, 12,000 Staging. — Kendall & Hawes, 10,000 Book.— W. H. Buggies & Co. Book Binding. — E. W. Crandal. Grist and Saw Mills. — Stephen Gregory. Hats, Caps and Fur. — E. Hollister. These last branches, together with other mis- cellaneous business, may be estimated at 25,000 Wool, Butter and Cheese. — M. B. An- gel, 18,000 Hops. — John F. Scott, A. A. Brown, J. P. Sill, R. Waterman, M. B. Angel, Andrew Shaw, Jr., Robert Quaif, 495,368 Hotels. — Empire House, J. E. Brown; Eagle Hotel, Maj. Wm. Lewis; Ameri- can Hotel, W. C. Keyes ; Otsego House, D. L. Keyes; Pavilion, D. Peck; Carr's Hotel. Aggregate of business, 37,000 Banks. — Bank of Cooperstown, Otsego Co. Bank, Worthington Bank; aggregate capital, $450,000 Total average of deposits in 1861, 368,336 » " ~" circulation, 1861...... 358,643 " " loajis and disc'ts, 1861,. 653,900 Total business of the village in 1861, $2,401,180 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 95 The above estimate of business has been made with much care, and, it is believed with accuracy. In some instances other kinds of trade, to some extent, besides that in the branch mentioned, are carried on, the lead- ing business of the j5rm, store, or shop, giving name to all which is there transacted. The difficulty which would have been encountered by an attempt to classify all kinds of business with pre- cision, may be illustrated by an aneedote of one of the oldest and most respectable firms of the village. It runs thus: A and B were conversing of this firm, when A re- marked : " I'll bet five dollars vou can't call for a thing at Corys' which they will not produce." B. — " I'll take that bet; lay your wager." The stakes having been deposited in a third man's hands, they repaired to the omniwni gatlierum^ where the second scene oj)ened as follows : B. — "Mr. Cory, I want to buy ap?^/^zY; have you one to sell ?" Mr. C. — "Yes, I believe so; we bought an old church a few years ago, and we thought we would not tear the pulpit to pieces. I'll show it to you, if you will go with me." B.— " I give it up. A, the money is yours." TOWN OF OTSEGO IN 1821. Manufactured — Fulled cloth, 7318 yards; flannel, 9733 yards; linen, 16,003 yards. Grist mills, 9 ; saw mills, 17 ; oil mill, 1 ; fulling mills, 4; paper mills, 2 ; carding machines, 8; printing offices, 3; card factory, 1; cotton and woolen factory, 1; triphammer, 1 ; distilleries, 7 ; asheries, 3. ^^ Population of the town in 1801, 4,026; in 1850, 8,901. 96 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. OTSEGO COUNTY. Population in 1801, whites, 21,343; slaves, 43. Population in 1810, 38,802. Population in 1821, males, 22,303; females, 22,276; free colored, 235 ; slaves, 16 — total, 44,830. Population in 1850, 48,638; in 1855, 49,749. The valuation of the county in 1815, $6,253,537. County tax in 1815, $11,035. FIRST CORONERS. These were James Averell, Esq., of Cooperstown, and Luke May, Esq., of Cherry Valley. They were appointed in 1798. We conclude that these two gentlemen were the first coroners, from circumstances, one of which is here given. In 1797, a boy 16 years old was frozen to death in Burlington, and was not found until after four months from his death. When he was found nearly 200 men were present, and they knew of no coroner in the county. COUNTY BUILDINGS. Since the settlement of Cooperstown, it has had three Court Houses and Jails. The first Court House stood on the southeast corner of Second and West streets. The second stood near the location of the last, but farther back from the street. It was burned on the evenins; of Dec. 17th, 1840. Early in 1841, vigorous measures were taken by indi- viduals in Hartwick and Portlandville to effect a removal of the county seat from Cooperstown. But the effort was ineffectual, the question of location having been settled by three referees, chosen out of the county, who decided in favor of Cooperstown, in May, 1841. In June of this year, $10,000 were appropriated for the HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 97 erection of the present county buildings. In July, Messrs. Peter Becker. Harvey Clarke, and Thomas Clarke took the contract for erecting these buildings for $9,974. The Court House is built of stone, and is 46 feet by 56. The Jail and Sheriff's House are con- nected, built of stone, 37 feet by 73. The building for the county clerk's office is of brick, well proportioned and finished, and accommodates the surrogate in hold- ing his courts. The foundation of the Court House was commenced July 10th, and the superstructure, the walls of the Jail and Sheriff's House, were finished Oct. 2d, 1841. Six window grates of the Jail cost $145,86. Their weight was 1872 pounds. The doors weighed 1970 pounds. BANKS. At the time of the applications of the citizens here to the legislature for the incorporation of a bank in the village, the general opposition to banks was so great that a long and vigorous effort was necessary to secure this desirable object, as will be seen by the following brief history of The Otsego County Bank. At a meeting held Oct. 20th, 1813, of which Dr. Thos. Fuller was chairman, a committee, consisting of Robert Campbell, John Russell, and George Morell, was appointed to draft a bill of incorporation. This bill was presented to the legislature, and was lost in the assembly in April, 1814. On the 2d of December, 1824, the attempt was renewed at a meeting of sundry persons, held afc Dwight's Inn, when Lawrence McNamee was chairman and John H. Prentiss was secretary. A committee of forty-nine prominent gentlemen was then appointed to promote the bank enterprise. The capital proposed was $250,000. In April, 1829, the petition for a bank 9 98 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. here was rejected in the senate. Finally, on the 7tli of April, 1830, the Otsego County Bank was legally incorporated, much to the joy of the citizens of our county. The bank books were opened June 1st, and within three days 11,888 shares were taken, making a sub- scription of $297,200, over $100,000 of which was taken in Cooperstown. Its First Officers. — Robert Campbell, president. Henry Scott, cashier. Directors — Robert Campbell, Henry Phinney, Wil- liam H. Averell, Samuel Starkweather, Thomas Fuller, Calvin Graves, Henry Scott, Lawrence McNamee, John Russell, Joseph Moss, Joseph White, Levi Beardsley, Alvan Stewart. Henry Phinney was elected president Oct. 2d, 1847, as the successor of Mr. Campbell, and held his office until his death, Sept., 1850. Elihu Phinney was the next president, serving from October, 1850, to Jan. 1st, 1851. Henry Scott was then elected president, and con- tinued as such about one year. William H. Averell was chosen as president in Feb., 1855, and now holds that office. Mr. Henry Scott has been cashier of this bank from its beginning, and fully merits all the praise bestowed upon him as a gentleman who has truly magnified his office during the long period of more than thirty years, serving as cashier even while he was president, and preferring the former to the latter office. Mr. Charles W. Smith is the present teller. The Bank of Cooperstown. The following extract from the local of the Free- mail's Journal of Oct 15th, 1852, is the first public notice which we find of this institution. The editor said: "We are informed that F. A. Lee, Esq., is about to retire^ from mercantile business in which he HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 99 has been long and successfully engaged in the city of New York, and has made arrangements for establishing a new banking institution in our village." The Bank of Cooperstown was organized in January 1853, with a capital of $150,000. First officers. — Calvin Graves, president \ Theodore Keese, vice-president ; Frederick A. Lee, cashier; Horace Lathrop, attorney. Directors. — Calvin Graves, Theodore Keese, John H. Prentiss, Frederick A. Lee, Horace Lathrop, Jedediah P. Sill, George B. Warren, Ceylon North, George W. Chase, Ansel C. Moore, Harvey Strong. In 1854, its capital was increased to $200,000. In September, 1856, Frederick A. Lee, Esq., was elected president, and Dorr Russell, Esq., was appointed cashier. Mr. Lee having relinquished business in consequence of severe and protracted illness, Theodore Keese, Esq., was elected his successor as president in January, 1857, and remained in office until his decease, September, 1858. In October following the late Hon. John H. Prentiss was chosen president and remained as such until his death in June, 1861. Its present officers are : Jedediah P. Sill, president; G. Pomeroy Keese, vice-president ; Dorr Bussell, cashier ; Frederick G. Lee, teller. Its present Directors are — Jedediah P. Sill, G. Pome- roy Keese, Horace Lathrop, Ansel C. Moore, Harvey Strong, George B. Warren, William E. Cory, Schuyler Crippen, Samuel M. Shaw, John F. Scott, Dorr lius- sell. The Worthingtok Bank. This is an individual institution, and while the day of small things is by no means to be despised, it forms a pleasing contrast to the hat shop of Ralph Wortli- ington (father of the present banker), as it appeared in this village in 1802. It is also an index of the personal enterprise of manj of our citizens. 100 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. It was chartered March 1st, 1855. Its capital then was $50,000, and is the same at present. Officers. — J. R. Worthington, president; John Worthington, cashier. CLERKS. In speaking of this class of our citizens we need only to repeat what was publicly said of them in a vil- lage paper of 1854 : " Take them as a class, and we do not believe there is a village in the state which can turn out a more obliging, faithful and competent set of clerks than may be found in this place.'' WATER WORKS. Although the village has several very fine living springs, yet from the first it has expended much time and money in bringing water from a distance. One of these springs is impregnated with mineral qualities which might make it of medicinal service, were it properly isolated. As early as in March, 1806, one of the leading citi- zens stated that already they had expended " between three and four thousand dollars" for the " article of water." In 1798 it was brought into the village from the western mountain, in logs under ground. In 1827 a water company was here incorporated. The supply now is what may be called ample, al- though, as the agent, Mr. Jarvis, says, " the bottoms of the wells that are not too hard for use fall out in dry times." It is brought into the village from two di- rections. The one branch, properly called The Croton, was brought in from the north-west, a distance of three-fourths of a mile in 1845. This supply was in- sufiicient, and therefore, in 1847, another branch was established, which I shall take the liberty to name. history of cooperstown. 101 The Fairmount Water. This is conducted in logs under ground, from a spring south of the village, to the grist mill of Stephen Gregory, a distance of 100 rods, having a fall of 20 feet. At the mill is a force pump, acting on the same prin- ciple of the celebrated Fairmount Works, which raises the spring water about 80 feet into a reservoir, whence it is distributed throughout the village. These works now have about three and a quarter miles of pipe, of which about two and a half miles are iron. Whole cost of works to the present company up to 1862, is $8000. The Town Pump, Is supplied by an extraordinary spring, and is free to all, except for horses, &c. There have been times, when it supplied nearly the whole village. COOPERSTOWN GAS LIGHT COMPANY. This was originated in March, 1861, principally by Mr. F. T. Story of Watertown. The works are on West street, near Capt. Cooper's Landing. On the 1st of July of the same year, 43 business places and dwellings were piped and lighted. In January, 1862, there were 64 consumers. The quality of the gas is superior, made from rosin, at $7 per 1000 feet, condensed. Capital to be about $12,500. Associates. — AVilliam E. Cory, John F. Scott, Dorr Russell, G. Pomeroy Keese, Frederick T. Story. Prmcipal Manager. — Dorr Russell. Gas Fitter and Superintendent. — Charles Marshal. 102 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. SIDE WALKS. These are made of hemlock planks. They will average about five feet in width, the planks being well laid and nailed to small sleepers. The whole length of these walks is five and a half miles. We hear of no other village so well furnished with walks as this. There is but one part of the village that appears to strangers as materially neglected, and that is the Cooper grounds, a part the most worthy of attention. The fault of this neglect is said to be due to the owner of those grounds rather than to the corporation. Their location and associations, if they could be reasonably purchased, are all that are needed to render them a most attractive village park, with little expense of im- provement. TELEGRAPH. This connects with the great lines that traverse the Mohawk valley, and was established in November, 1851. H. S. Babeock, Esq., has been its operator from the first, except during a brief interval, when Mr. M. D. Peake officiated. STAGING. In Sept., 1827, a daily stage ran from Albany to this villao'e. The stages between Cooperstown and Fort Plain were started April, 1828, by Hall & Hopkins, running twice a week; time, seven hours. In Sept., 1829, a line of stages was started from Albany to Ithaca, passing through Cooperstown three times a week. In June, 1855, two lines of stages from this place to Fort Plain, were started by Kendall, Gage & Co., and these have been kept running each summer ever since, oiae stage being taken off during the winter. HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 103 At the present, in 1862, the route is managed by Kendall & Hawes. Since 1855 the staging between here and Fort Plain has given not only satisfaction, but it has been the subject of much commendation for its good time and good management in every way. Cooperstown, for its own interests, should see to it that its connection with the rail road is as immediate, relia- ble and pleasant as possible. Passengers in 1861, about 6000. The present proprietors have an express connected with their stage line. Other lines of stages run in all directions from this place, some daily, some oftener and some less frequent. POST OFFICE. This is one of the most important institutions of the village, and always merits what it now has — a patient, courteous postmaster. Its territory of patrons has greatly diminished since 1795, when it had a diameter from Tioga to Canajoliarle^ as seen by reference to a note in the 3d chapter of the Chronicles. At present its greatest diameter extends only about 8 miles north and south. During the year 1861, the office received and sent as follows : Newspapers and Letters. Dailies received, 107; weeklies, 267 j semi-weeklies, 20 ; monthlies, 275. Letters sent, 56^000; letters received, 40,000. E. S. Coffin, Postmaster. MISCELLANEOUS MATTERS. There are in the village : A bakery, by Bingham & Jarvis; a gunsmith, A. Swartwout; three tin shops; three barber shops; several saloons; two billiard rooms; one bowling alley; one manufactory of horse medicines^ 104 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. &c., &c. There was a bakery in 1799, kept by Samuel Prentiss. Abner Graves was butcher in 1804. In September, 1803, Geo. Pomeroy advertised for sale at his drug store, " two tons of dye-woods and stuffs.'^ In 1804, Jesse Graves advertised himself as gold and sil- versmith, clock and watchmaker, in Cooperstown. In 1808, T. Gladding and A. James took profiles, which were like a shadow on a wall. In 1796, Timothy Barnes was here as clockmaker. In 1808, weaving reeds were made here by Isa.. Thurbur. There are now On the corporation twelve carpenters and joiners, seve- ral masons, and two cooper shoj^s. NEWSPx\PERS. The Otsego Herald^ or Western Advertiser^ was the first published in this village, and the second west of Albany. Its first number was issued April 3d, 1795, when Rochester was a swamp and Syracuse was a salt- lick. It was preceded by the Western Centinel, pub- lished at Whitesborough in January, 1794, by Oliver P. Eaton. Mr. Elihu Phinney was the Herald's editor and proprietor. Its motto from first to last was : " Historic truth our Herald shall proclaim, The law our guide, the public good our aim." It was folio, each page had four columns and was 17 inches long by 10 in width. Its paper was very coarse, and some of it was nearly sky blue. Its type was good, and its terms were S2 a year. Its matter consisted mainly of foreign and home news, politics, poetry and advertisements, and three items under the head of anecdotes. The first advertisements were : A sheriff sale, by Benjamin Gilbert, sheriiF; dry goods, by Rensse-laer Williams; dissolution of copartnership, by Jeremiah Landon, Charles Mudge and Norman Landon; dry goods, by J. & N. Landon, as " coarse, broad and elas- HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 105 tic cloths, from 23 to 44 shillings per yard," &c.', hard- ware, as " plated, washed and steel spurs, shoe and knee buckles, cow and sheep bells, cotton and wool cards;" Phinney's book store, etc., &c. This paper was continued by Mr. E. Phinuey until his death in 1813, after which it was published by his enterprising sons, H. & E. Phinney, up to the year 1821. It was of incalculable value to the early settlers of this region. It had one striking peculiarity, indi- cating the kindness of its proprietor to the struggling pioneers — it never asked its readers for paij until the last number, January 29th, 1821. The Impartial Observer. This paper was started Oct. 22d, 1808. Its appear- ance provoked considerable hostility from the Otsego Herald^ which frankly avowed that, not from any per- sonal feelings, it should oppose the new paper as an intruder. The sharpness of its satire evidently had the effect to change the name of the intruder^ speak- ing of it as meriting only the first part of its name — hnp. Judge Cooper was the sole owner of the press and types. It was edited by W. Andrews, and was printed by J. H. & H. Prentiss. It had two mottoes. The first was from Junius : " Let it he impressed on your minds that the liberty of the press is the p(dladimn of all the civil, political and religious rights of freemen." The other was from Cicero : " Lihertas est potestas fa- ciundi id quod Jure liceat." Its first editorial contained this couplet : " Cursed be the line, how well soe'er it flow, That tends to make one worthy man my foe." It had four columns, and its terms were $2 a year. The connection of Mr. Andrews with the Imparticd Observer was but brief, after which John H. Prentiss became its proprietor and editor, changing its name to 106 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. the Cooperstown FederaJht^ which name it bore until 1828, when it was entitled the Freeman'' s Journal. In 1849 Mr. Prentiss sold it to Messrs. Daniel Shaw & J. T. Titus. In 1851 it was sold to Mr. Samuel M. Shaw, its }3resent proprietor and editor^ who immediately im- proved it in type, size, paper and arrangement. The Switch. This appeared March 11th, 1809, and met with but little sympathy. After it had occasioned a conference between Judges Cooper, Phiuney and Metcalf, it was suppressed. It represented its editor's name to be Anthony Switchem, and its motto was : " To seek, to find the kennel'd pack, And lacerate the rascal's back, Detect their crimes, expose their pranks, And put to flight their ragged ranks." The Watch Tov/er. This paper was established at Cherry Valley in 1813; was removed to Cooperstown in 1814; published by Israel W. Clark until May, 1817, when Edward B. Crandal became its proprietor, and continued it until 1831. The Tocsin. It was established at Cooperstown, June, 1829, by Dutton & Hews. In 1831 its name was changed to The Otsego Republican. It was issued: 1st, by Dutton & Hopkins; 2d, by Hopkins; 3d, by Hopkins & Clark; 4th, by Andrew M. Barber; 5th, by I. K. Williams & Co.; 6th, by A. M. Barber. The Otsego Democrat. This made its first appearance from the editorial hand of James I, Hendryx, March 13th, 1847, and HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 107 was continued by him until October, 1855, when it was consolidated with the Otsego Repiihlican^ constituting the subsequent paper known as The Republican and Democrat. This was published by the firm of James I, Heudryx & Co., until 1856, from which date it was issued by the firm of Hendryx & J. B. Wood, until May, 1858, when Mr. Hendryx became the sole proprietor, by whom it is still published under the new name of The Otsego Republican, which name it received June, 1861, and is now a large and ably conducted political, literary, family paper. The Otsego Examiner. This was the last paper started at Cooperstown, ap- pearing first in 1855 ; published by Robert Shankland, and afterwards by B. W. Burditt, until 1857. Of the two newspapers now published here, the Freeman's Journal, by S. M. Shaw, and the Otsego Repuhllcan, by James I. Hendryx, each villager, and even the citizens of the county where they are read, may well speak in terms of high commendation. It is not without reason that they are said to be the largest and best papers in the United States, published in a village no larger than Cooperstown. Each, for several years, has been printed by its own steam press, and the two are looked for weekly by above 20,000 readers. Their eight-column pages, when compared with the small, four-column pages of the Otsego Herald and the Cooperstown Federalist, show plainly that the enter- prise and ability of our editors have in nowise fallen behind the continued advance of the village in other respects. It is hoped the public will never be so un- wise as to withdraw their patronage from these sheets, so well filled with carefully selected matter. 108 history of cooperstown. The Country Magazine Was started here, April, 1852, by Messrs Neville Stuart and James I. Hendryx. Contents entirely original. But a few numbers of it were issued. EDUCATION. Cooperstown, though not distinguished as a seat of learnino:, has ever manifested a commendable zeal for education. Joshua Dewey, as we have good reason to believe, was the first school teacher in the village. He was the son of Daniel Dewey, a farmer of Lebanon, Conn., where he was born, April 7, 1767. He entered college in his 17th year. In 1791 he located in Otsego county, and attended its first court. " He established the first school in the village of Cooperstown, and was the first teacher of J. Fenimore Cooper, whom [says one] he distinctly recollects as a boy learning his A, B, C." From this county he was sent to the legislature, repre- senting the people in 1787, 1799 and 1800. The last we learned of him he was living in the seventh ward of Brooklyn, and was about 90 years old. In 1856 he was well remembered in this vicinity by the Hon. Isaac Williams of Pierstown, and by Mr. Ebene- zer Lisk, the latter of whom was also born in Lebanon, Conn. Oliver Cory, who died but a few years since, was Mr. Dewey's successor, and efficiently continued as such for many years. The Otsego Academy. This was organized June 12th, 1795. It was by no means an inferior enterprise at that early period. James Averell was its first collector, and William Cooper was its first treasurer. It evidently had some distinction abroad, for in the Otseyo Herald of Sept. 1797, is found this notice : HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 109 " Last evening his Honor the Lieut, Governor, and the Rev. Thomas Ellison, arrived here from Albany, in order to visit the Otsego Acadertiy in this 2)^oce." Its character, too, is easily inferred from the following notice, published September 10th, 1806 : " The trustees of the Otsego Academy, in the village of Cooperstown, are happy in being able to inform the public that business will commence in said academy on the first Tuesday in November next, under the superin- tendence of the Rev. William Niell, who has been for several years a tutor in Princeton College, and comes highly recommended by the celebrated Dr. Smith, and who has been recently appointed principal of this insti- tution. Besides the Latin and Greek lanc^uas-es, English grammar, arithmetic and geography will be taught with care and attention. Young gentlemen who may wish to prepare themselves for any of the learned professions, without being at the expense of a college education, may here obtain an acquaintance with the rules of com- position, criticism and oratory ; also with the general principles of mathematics, natural and moral philoso- The price of tuition will fee ^16 a year. Board, washing and lodging will not exceed twelve shillings a week. Those parents who may think proper to send their sons to this academy may rest assured that the strictest, attention will be paid both to their instruction and their morals. Signed by order of the board of trustees. John Russell, R. F. Cooper, Committee." Other particulars of it are given in the Chronicles. Public Library. — For establishing this an associa- tion was organized at the Court House, December 27, 1796. 10 110 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. Female School. — In 1808, Mrs. and Miss An- drews of this village, opened a school for teaching needle work, reading, writing, accounts, English gram- mar, projection of maps and history, with an appropri- ate use of the globes, dancing, drawing, vocal and instrumental music, French, &c., &c. Academy and Boarding School. — This was opened by the Rev. Mr. Molther, in 1819. A Female Academy, was in operation here in 1822. A High School, spoken of in flattering terms, was kept here in 1828, by a Miss Gilberts, in the house now known as Edgewater, and the residence of Mr. Gr. P. Keese. CooPERSTowN Classical and Military Aca- demy. — This was conducted by Mr. W. H. Duff, and on July 29th, 1839, held its examination in the assem- bly room of the Eagle Hotel. The pupils of this school received a thorough military education under competent instructors, and were at one time reviewed by General Sanford, on the grounds of the academy at Apple hill. The Otsego Academy (a second one of this name), was opened in 1841, and some of the pupils still recol- lect with pleasure, the kind attentions there shown them by the visits of J. Fenimore Cooper, who, on one occa- sion, invited them to his house for a social festival. This school came to an end several years ago, and the building occupied now stands on the lot next west of the Baptist Church. A Select School for Young Ladies, kept here by Miss M. A. Spafard, was long continued and favora- bly known. A Classical School, was taught here in 1852, by HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. Ill Mr. E. L. Bangs, who has since been a teacher in the Deaf and Dumb Asylum of New York. The Otsego County Education Society. This was organized in 1838, and had for its object the improvement of the schools of the county. Officers. — J. Fenimore Cooper, President ; John Drake, Vice President ; Horace Lathrop, Recording Secretary ) Eben B. Morehouse, Cor, Secretary. Executive Committee. — Walter Holt, Alfred E. Campbell, Schuyler Crippen, Levi S. Chatfield, Sumner At a meeting of this society, September 5th, 1843, an address was delivered by Jerome B. Wood, Esq., H. A. Spafard, Secretary. Cooperstown Seminary. The first meeting for its establishment was held Dee. 20th, 1853. Several others ensued, at one of which, a ■committee for devising a plan of raising funds was appointed, consisting of Messrs. Elihu Phinney, F. A. Lee, a. W. Ernst, Wm. E. Cory and H. C- Fish, They proposed to raise the necessary funds for the seminary, by issuing shares of $50 each, the holders becoming a joint stock company. Early in 1854, $15,- 000 were pledged by the Methodist society in this vicinity, and $20,000 by the citizens of Cooperstown. Twenty-one trustees were appointed by the stockholders, who elected Elihu Phinney as their president. Rev. J. L. "G. McKown was engaged as principal. Mr. L. M. Bolles, architect, of this village, began the building in June, raised the frame in August, and had it finished within a little over four months from its commencement. The work on the edifice is indicated by the following statement : Its base boards were 3 miles in all ; plaster- ing, 2 J acres ; rooms, 160. The school opened Nov. 15th, 1854. Its faculty consisted of 16 professors and teachers. Board, in- 112 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. eluding furnished room, washing and fuel, $1.75 a week. It was dedicated Nov. 17, 1854 ; addresses by Bishop Simpson, F. A. Lee, Esq., and Prof. McKown ; for- mally dedicated by Rev. S. H. Batten ; benediction by Rev. M. C. Manning. By an act of the stockholders it was placed under the " general supervision and partial control " of the Meth- odist denomination, giving to that body the choice of a principal and the majority of trustees. During the first year there were 410 students of both sexes. In July, 1855, Prof. McKown closed his con- nection with- the seminary. Rev. P. D. Hammond was his successor as principal, in August of the same year. In June, 1856, the building was leased for five years by Messrs. Hammond and Pomeroy. In Feb. 1857, Rev. C. R. Pomeroy became sole principal. At this time the debt on the seminary was about $23,000. It was closed in the following spring, and remained so until Sept., 1859, when it was purchased by Mr. R. C. Flack, assisted by a loan of $5,000 from the citizens of Coop- erstown, without interest, as long as he keeps the school in operation. It was reopened by Mr. Flack, its present enterprising principal, Nov. 11, 1859, and gives promise of a growth and maturity which could not be the result of its unwieldy proportions at the beginning. Seats of learning, like men, must have an infancy to be fostered before they can maintain a firm independence. Common Schools. These have been sadly neglected in Cooperstown. For this some of the citizens are greatly in fault, while others have striven, but ineffectually, for years, to reme- dy the evil. As bad management in the nursery makes bad men and women, so miserable school grounds, houses and furniture, educate children to pursue a course of misery. HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 113 CHURCHES. In Aug., 1795, a call was issued in the Otsego Herald for the formation of a Presbyterian cliurch in this vil- lage. In July of the same year, a camp meeting of four days was held in this vicinity, consisting of all de- nominations. Before any church was organized, a Rev Mr. Mosely was employed by the Presbyterians for six months, and his name will here stand as the first minis- ter of their church, though employed before their organization. On the 6th of Aug., 1807, the Presbyterian house of worship was dedicated by the " church and congregation of Otsego." On the Tuesday preceding its pews rented for eleven months, for nearly $900. The Spiritual society was constituted in June, 1800. Its Clergy. — 1. Elisha Mosely, 1795. 2. Isaac Lewis, from 1800 to 1805. 3. William Neill, from 1806 to 1809. 4. John Smith, from 1811 to 1834. 5. Alfred E. Campbell, from 1834 to 1847. 6. Charles K. Mc Harg, from 1848 to 1850. 7. J. A. Priest, from 1851 to 1855. 8. S. W. Bush, from 1855 until 1862. Its membership in 1861, was 130. Its expenditures this year for religious purposes, including $3,500 spent on the house of worship, in remodeling it to a great ex- tent, amount to $4,900. Sabbath school scholars, on an average through the year, were 90 in number. Protestant Episcopal Church. {Christ's Church.) This was organized Jan. 1st, 1811. The church edi- fice was erected previously, and was duly consecrated by Bishop Moore on the 8th of July, 1810. Clergy.— 1. Daniel Nash, from 1811 to 1828. 2. Frederick T. Tifi"any, from 1828 to 1845. 3. Alfred B. Beach, from 1845 to 1848. 4. Stephen H. Batten, 114 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. from 1848 to 1858. 5. Stephen H. Synnott, from 1858 to the present. Its members in 1861, were 150 in number. Ex- penditures the same year, $3,000, including $1,000 for the erection of the charity house. This house has four sets of apartments, and is intended to accommodate four poor families, almost gratuitously. In I860, this church built a house, neat and commodious, for their sabbath school, on the church premises, at an expense of $1,050. Sabbath school scholars in 1861, averaged 100. Universalist Church. It was organized x\pril 26th, 1831. Clergy. — 1. Job Potter, from April, 1831, to April, 1836. 2. 0. Whiston, from April, 1836, to Dec, 1846. 3. J. A. Bartlett, from April, 1847, to Nov., 1849. 4. D. C. Tomlinson, from Nov., 1849, to June, 1850. 5. T. J. Carney, from June, 1850, to April, 1851. 6. J. A. Aspinwall, from April, 1851, to April, 1854. 7. C. W. Tomlinson, from August, 1854, to the present. Expendituj-es of this church in 1861, were $3,696.77, including an outlay of $3,071.08, upon the house of worship. Scholars in sabbath school, 77. Baptist Church. Organized January 21st, 1834. Clergy. — 1. Lewis Raymond, from 1834 to 1842. 2. Stephen Hutchins, from 1842 to 1843. 3. John A. Nash, 1843. 4. Francis Prescott, from 1843 to 1847. 5. R. G. Toles, from 1848 to 1849. 6. G. W. Gates, from 1849 to 1852. 7. E. S. Davis, from 1852 to 1853. 8. M. C. Manning, from 1854 to 1856. 9. S. T. Livermore, from 1856 to 1862. Expenditures of the year 1861, $1,106, including $450 for the Chapel, a neat and convenient building, on the church lot, for the smaller meetings. Sabbath school scholars, 50, on an average during tlie year. history of cooperstown. 115 Methodist Church. It was organized October 22d, 1816. Clergy. — Messrs. Chase, Benjamin, Paddock, Roper, Shank, Ercanbrack, Bixby, Martin, Marvin, Grant, Bristol, Row, D. W. Bristol, E. Gr. Andrews, Chas. Blakeslee, S. Comfort, M. L. Kern, John Crippen, J. L. Wells, a. W. Bridge. Its expenditures in 1861 were $1,000. Membership, 170. Sabbath school scholars, 90. Roman Catholic Church. Organized September, 1817. Clergy. — Messrs. Gilbride, Constantine, Kinney. Fur- long, Fitz Patric, Farrall. Members, 350. MISCELLANEOUS. Christ Church Sewing School. This was originated by Miss Susan F. Cooper, and is one of the voluntary and charitable enterprises for which she, its superintendent, has long been distinguish- ed in the village. It was organized in the winter of 1860, and has met with success and general approval, welcominir to its advantao-es the children of all classes and societies. The following extract from the first re- port of it to the church with which it is connected will give an outline of its character : "It is our object," says Miss Cooper, " to provide a school in which the girls of the parish may learn the simple, but most important art of using the needle in all its necessary useful labors. Sewing has been very much neglected in the education of girls of late. It is, at present, too often sacrificed to studies of a more pre- tending and ambitious character. And yet it is believed that such a course must always be injurious ; the comfort of many a home, nay, even the character of many a girl may be seriously injured by this course. The use 116 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. of the needle is such a plain and natural duty for wo- men that while neglecting it they can scarcely discharge faithfully the duties of that station in life to which it has pleased God to call them. " The number of scholars now (Dec. 18G1) amounts to about eighty. The general attendance has varied be- tween twenty-five and thirty-five, until the last month when we have had within one or two of fifty on each Saturday. The general conduct of the children is very good.^' The Otsego County Medical Society. This was organized at the Court House in this village, July 1st, 1806, pursuant to an act of the legislature of this state passed April 4th in the same year, authori- zing physicians duly licensed as such to form societies in every county in the state, and constituting them when so formed bodies corporate. At the first meeting of this society there were pre- sent fourteen physicians who constituted themselves members, and elected the following Officers. — Dr. Joseph White of Cherry Yalley, pre- sident ; Dr. Thomas Fuller of this village, vice-pre- sident ; Dr. Caleb Richardson of Burlington, secretary j Dr. Isaac North, treasurer. They also appointed Drs. Thomas Fuller, John Rus- sell, James S. Palmer, Ezra S. Day and David Little, censors ; and Dr. Gurdon Huntington of Unadilla, dele- gate to the State Medical society. The regular meetings of the society, two in each year, have always been held in this village, and have usually been well attended. The whole number of names now on the rolls of the society is two hundred and three, of whom only about sixty are supposed to be now living. Most of the ori- ginal founders of the society, as well as its earlier mem- bers, are known to have lived to an advanced age, and several of them have attained distinguished positions HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 117 in the profession. Two occupied for many years envia- ble positions as professors in a popular medical college in this state. One was for many years president of the same college, and three of the members of this society, at diiFerent periods, have been severally elected presid- ent of the State Medical society, a number larger, it is believed, than any other county in the state has fur- nished, excejDt New York and Albany, during the same period. The society had at one time a large and valuable library, procured mainly from a fund accumulated by an annual tax upon all its members for a series of years. But unfortunately, in 1848, the society having become deeply involved in debt, and unable to raise the requi- site funds by taxation, suffered the library to be sold, and have not since attempted to collect a new one. Members of this society have contributed several valu- able papers to the State Medical society, which have been published in its annual transactions. Its meetings are now well attended and practically useful as well as in- teresting, the principal object of these meetings being an interchange of views upon the prevalent types of disease and the discussion of professional subjects al- ways interesting to medical gentlemen, and incidentally the cultivation of a social and friendly intercourse be- tween the members of a common profession. Present officers. — Dr. Horace Lathrop, Jr., president; Dr. A. T. Bigelow, vice-president; Dr. J. S. Sprague, secretary; Dr. P. E. Johnson, treasurer. Drs. Lidell, Metcalf, Bassett, and Seeber, censors. Drs. John Drake and J. K. Leanning, delegates to the State Medical society. Dr. John A. Lidell, delegate to the American Medi- cal association, who is now brigade surgeon in the army. Drs. Curtis, King, Spafard, Harper, and others who practised in Cooperstown years ago, are still affectionately remembered by its citizens. 118 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. Female Cent Society. — On the 31st of Auo:ust, 1815. this society held its first annual meeting at the school house. It was probably similar to recent mite societies. Otsego County Bible Society. This was organized March 7th, 1813, by Jacob Mor- ris, John Smith, George Pomeroy, Isaac Cooper, Ralph Worthington, Ilinkley Walker, John Luce, John H. Prentiss, Seth Cook, James Averell, Jr., John F. Ernst, and Henry Jones, in the school house of the village of Cooperstown. It was legally incorporated on the 10th of the same month. First oj^cers. — Rev. Daniel Nash, president ; Rev. Andrew Oliver, 1st vice-president ; Rev. Eli F. Cooley, 2d vice-president ; Rev. John Smith, corresponding secretary ; Rev. Henry Jones, recording secretary ^ George Pomeroy, treasurer. Managers. — Jacob Morris, Rev. W. Colton, William Campbell, Calvin Hurlburt, Thomas Fuller, Elisha Foote, Isaac Cooper, Rev. Mr. Bostwick, Abraham Lip- pett. This society appointed Rev. Andrew Oliver of Spring- field, Rev. Eli F. Cooley of Cherry Valley, and Mr. James Feuimore Cooper of this village as delegates to cooperate with others in the formation of the American Bible so- ciety in 1816. By this fact it is seen that the former is the older society. In June, 1816, it became auxili- ary to the American Bible society, and still continues such. Masonic Lodge. At the time it was constituted, in this village, August 14th, 1795, about 500 people were present. A sermon was preached by the Rev. John Camp, and the conclud- ing prayer was off"ered by the Rev. Eliphalet Nott. These services were followed by a ball in the evening. A masonic festival was held in Cooperstown, Dec* 27th, 1796. It was the festival of St. John. HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 119 Washington Lives I This announcement, made here sixty-three years ago, produced a general jubilee, although it called together at no one place a large assemblage. The report of his death was published in this village on the 17th of Jan. 1799, and caused deep sorrow. But the next week's paper had a poem with the above heading, a few lines of which are here quoted : " Hail I Columbia's guardian powers, Still a Washington is ours, France may otter now in vain, Silvered lore or galling chain ; He can silence the vile horde With his wisdom and his sword. He's the glory of the age, Statesman, hero. Christian, sage ; Nor is Washington alone — Adams, too, is all our own ; Adams guides the civic car, Washington the wheels of war." Col. Richard Carey. Col. Richard Carey, one of the aids-de-camp of Gen. Washington, died in this village, Dec. 13, 1806. He was an upright, well bred and agreeable gentleman, possessed of wit and genius, and good humor. Visit of Gov. Lewis. On the 17th Sept. 180G, Gov. Lewis attended by Ad- jutant-General Van Rensselaer, visited Cooperstown, and reviewed Gen. Bates's brigade, consisting of six com- plete regiments, three troops of cavalry, and a company of artillery with two elegant brass field pieces, the whole of the officers and privates in the artillery and light in- fantry, in complete uniform and equipment. The governor and adjutant-general were escorted into the village from Cherry Valley by Capt. A"an Derveer's troop of cavalry. 120 history of cooperstown. Tenth of June, 1809. This was a high day in Cooperstown. The occasion of it was the prospect of the reopening of commercial intercourse with England. At that time the Otsego Herald and the Impartial Observer were published in this Tillage. Each reported the proceedings of its own party festivities, both parties rejoicing over the propi- tious event. The following is a brief account of the proceedings of a part who were then assembled here : At 10 o'clock A. M. Capt. Metcalf paraded the town with his company of artillery, with two fine brass field pieces, a choir of martial music, the company being in full and beautiful uniform. Col. Fitch, president; llufus Steer and John Russell vice-presidents. They met in the new Court House at 11 o'clock : 1st, Prayer, by Rev. Mr. Martin ; 2d, Prayer by the Rev. Mr. Bol- ton; Oration by Jabez D. Hammond. At the close of these exercises the people retired for refreshment to The Buicer. This was 126 feet long, decked with flow- ers, and furnished with a luxuriant table. In the even- ing the Court House was illuminated, and about twenty sky rockets purchased in Albany by Judge Metcalf, and " the first ever witnessed in this village, regaled the spectators by an ascent high in the air." At the same time another assembly were celebrating the day under the name of the Federal Festival. They met at Maj. Griffin's hotel. Dr. William Campbell and Robert Campbell, Esq., were presidents ; Messrs. E. Ripley and Isaac Cooper were vice-presidents. They were fiivored by a band led by Mr. Kilburn, and their toasts were accompanied with artillery. Many heroes of 1776 were present. The Elephant. The first foreign animal exhibition in Cooperstown, of which we find any account, was an elephant in 1813. Its arrival here was preceded by the following notice : HISTORY or COOPERSTOWN. 121 " Perhaps the present generation may never have an opportunity of seeing an elephant again, as this is the only one in the United States, and this is, perhaps, the last visit to this place." License. In 1813 John F. Ernst of this village received license to sell by retail, merchandise other than wines and spirits, by paying, as was the custom, ten dollars for his license, which was countersigned by Jedediah Peck. Peace Celebration. On the 1st of March, 1815, after the termination of the war with England, usually designated as the war of 1812, Cooperstown shared in the general rejoicing of our country over the declaration of peace with the mother country. On the day mentioned, in spite of snow and cold weather, the streets of the village were paraded by the military, guns were fired, and speeches delivered. President Van Buren's Visit. In September, 1839, President Yan Buren visited Cooperstown. He was conveyed from Fort Plain in an open barouche, accompanied by Judge Nelson and Messrs. Foote and Prentiss, being escorted into the vil- lage by about three hundred horsemen and a long train of carriages. He was received at the Eagle Hotel by a very appropriate address from Hon. E. B. More- house. His reply was characteristic of himself, and in- dicated the support which he desired in the approaching- presidential election. Having remained over Saturday and Sunday, on Monday he left the village, accompanied to Cherry Valley by Judge Nelson, Messrs. Morehouse. Prentiss, Crippen, Doubleday and Kinne. Canal Celebration, Oct. 26, 1825. [From the Freeman's Journal.] "The completion of the Erie canal has given rise ta joyous celebration in almost every village in the state. 11 122 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. On no occasion have we ever witnessed in this place such a dispkiy of unity of feeling and unfeigned hilarity, as was exhibited among our citizens on Wednesday last. That day having been assigned by the canal commissioners for letting the waters of lake Erie into the canal at Black Rock, and the artillery corps throuahout the state havino; been ordered to assemble at their usual places of rendezvous and to lire a na- tional salute on the auspicious event, our citizens, to- gether with others in the vicinity, agreeably to an arrangement made on Monday previous, assembled at Major Griffin's tavern at 11 in the forenoon, and formed a procession in the following order : Col. Gr. S. Crafts, 1st marshal, on horseback ; Maj. Benjamin's corps of artillery; band of music; Capt. Comstock's company of light infantry ; a volunteer corps of sappers, miners and excavators, under Capt. Wilson ; citizens and strangers ; committee of arrangements and chaj)lain ; Col. liogers, 2d marshal, on horseback. " In this order the procession moved through the principal streets of the village to the arsenal, near the mouth of the lake, when a national salute was fired by the artillery and answered by a detachment stationed upon the summit of Mount Vision, with a brass nine- pounder, whose roar must have been heard at a great distance. This arrangement had a fine eflect. The detachment were perfectly visible in all their move- ments, from the plain below, and had every appearance of a besieging party. " After the salute and a feu de jole from the light infentry, six cheers from the multitude made the welkin ring. The procession then moved forward to the Epis- copal church, upon entering which, in reversed order, they were greeted with ' Hail Columbia, happy land,' on the new and excellent organ just erected by Mr. Redstone of New York, accompanied by a choir of singers. An appropriate prayer was then made by the Rev. Mr. Potter, and was succeeded by a pertinent HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 123 extempore address from Samuel Starkweather, Esq., followed by ' Strike the loud cymbals,' on the organ. A benediction was then pronounced, and the procession was again formed and marched to Major Griffin's, w^here a large number feasted upon good things. After the removal of the cloth, 28 toasts were drunk, under the discharge of cannon, most of them being succeeded by hearty cheering and animating airs from the band. '• It was now announced by Capt. \yilson, that his corps of sappers, miners and excavators would form for the purpose of proceeding to the outlet of the lake.* '' Thus closed a celebration which gave pleasure to all who participated in it. It was an impulse of feel- ing hig'Jily creditable to the patriotism of our fellow- citizens, and will serve to convince our sister counties that the men of Otsego, although not residing upon the line of the canal, duly appreciate the importance of the work as connected with the great interests of the state and nation." Navigation of the Susquehanna. From the first discovery of Otsego lake and its outlet by Cadwallader Colden, in 1737, the navigation of the Susquehanna from its source became a subject of specu- lation, and continued to be agitated more or less for many years afterwards. In 1825, it was proposed by the people of Otsego county to navigate the river as far down as the coal mines at Belmont in Pennsylvania, and also to con- struct a railway or some other means of communication direct, and immediately between Cooperstown and the Erie Canal. In order to carry these projects into effect, at a large meeting held at Cooperstown, Oct. 14, 1825, of which Hon. John C. Morris was chairman, and Gren. George Morell was secretary, a committee of twenty- five influential citizens of the county was appointed *The account of their proceedings, as recently given by Capt. Wilson him- self, may be found in a note in the Chronicles where mention is made of Clin- ton's dam. 124 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. with power to carry out the object of the meeting. A deep interest was awakened in this project, one that was felt all along the river as fiir down as into Wayne and Susquehanna counties in Pennsylvania. In 1826, Robert Campbell, William H. Averell and Joseph B. Walter, Esquires, were appointed a commit- tee to raise funds to survey the route from Fort Plain to Binghaniton. During the month of August of the same year, Col. De Witt Clinton, Jr., as principal surveyor, with Dr. William Campbell and William Morell, sur- veyed the route as far down as Milford, and found the descent in nine miles not to exceed thirty feet. It was afterwards ascertained that the fall between Coopers- town and Unadilla was about one hundred and fifty feet. The fall in a distance of one hundred and ten miles down the river was about 350 feet. The ascent from the head of the lake to the summit, north, was 166 feet, and the descent from that point to the Erie canal was 1053 feet. In January, 1827, a petition was presented to the legislature for the construction of the Susquehanna canal. In April, 1829, the legislature directed the canal commissioners to examine the route from Fort Plain to the Chimney narrows in Steuben county. On the loth of July, 1830, a public meeting to further the enterprise was held in Cooperstown, at which Hon. (now Maj. Gen.) John A. Dix and others were ap- pointed to confer with the canal commissioners. A new survey of the Susquehanna was commenced by Mr. Sargeant in August, 1830. In this survey it was found that within the distance of 163 miles, 144 miles of the river were navigable, leaving 19 miles of canal to be constructed. The de- scent of this distance was 443 feet. Number of lift locks required, 75 ; number of dams, 65. The descent from Cooperstown to Binghaniton was 353 feet. The cost of this survey was $2,123. Since the above facts came to light, the project of HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 125 navigating the Susquehanna, from its head waters, seems to have been entirely abandoned, although it was suggested by Surveyor-General Golden in 1737, and by Washington in 1783, and was cherished from first to last during a period of about ninety years. OTSEdO LAKE. This is the chief natural attraction of Cooperstown. Some one, I think, has said it is a jewel in an emerald setting, surrounded as it is with hills adorned with evergreens. From time immemorial, it was a resort of the Red man for pleasure and for profit. Its Indian name indicates the friendly greetings upon its shores and the sports of the bark canoe gliding over its waters. Its Fish. — When Cooperstown was first settled the fish afi"orded the inhabitants were of great value. Shad then came up to the lake in the spring and returned to the ocean in the fall. Salt water herring also came up in such abundance that they could be caught in great numbers in a basket. It is said by good authority, that in the west branch of the Sus:,uehanna, the outlet of Schuyler's lake, they preserved the early settlers in the vicinity of Fly creek from starvation. And the testi- mony of the rocks of Mount Vision and of Hannah's hill furnishes ground for the belief that the time may have been when this thoroughfare of the shad and the herring — the Susquehanna — was the pathway of the leviathan who, in his gambols, may have made the deep boil like a caldron, directly over the place where Cooperstown is now located. For in the rocks of those high hills, on their very brows, are fossils, as frontlets, declaring to all that once the entire region of Otsego lake was the bed of the ocean. So much has been said of the water and fish of the lake that those acquainted with its peculiarities will read the following editorial of the Otsego Herald with interest : 126 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. " Lalce Otsego and its Products, — Lord Littleton, in his Tour through Wales, speaks of ' tlie town of Bala with its beautiful lake. It is about three miles in length and one in breadth ; the water of it is clear and of a bright silver color. The lake produces very fine trout, and a fish called whiting, peculiar to itself and of a very delicate taste. ^ "Could Lord Littleton (excepting as to dimensions), have described lake Otsego as to the beautiful appear- ance and quality of its water, and its finny productions, in more accurate terms ? Are not our large and deli- ciously flavored trout the finest fish in the world ? And can our rich and delicate whiting (improperly called bass), be exceeded by any fish in the scaly calendar ? As these fish are peculiar to lake Otsego, is it not rea- sonable to suppose that they are the same speciqs men- tioned by Lord Littleton ? The similarity of the water strengthens the opinion, and every body knows that Wales is a hilly country, like the vicinity of our lake. Our trout (vulgarly called lake fish) are of different sizes, weighing from one to rising of twenty pounds. One was caught on Saturday last with a hook, which weighed twenty-two pounds. " Our whiting are of all sizes, from that of a very small herring to that of a shad, none as yet having exceeded six pounds. They are of a bright, silver color, very plump, with a small head, and very few entrails. These are the most numerous of any fish in the lake. They never bite at a bait, and are taken only by a net or spear. "There are besides, in Lake Otsego, a large, ugly- looking fish called dogfish, considerably resembling a catfish. Large pike and pickerel, herring, perch, chub, roach or sunfish, mullet, catfish, with the common fry of pond fish ; also large and very fine eels, with a plenty of clams and other shell fish, which are sometimes eaten, but are of little use." — Otsego Herald, 1801, No. 322. HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 127 In May, 1852, Capt. Boden (spoken of in the Chroni- cles as the commodore) caught a dog fish in the lake, which weighed ten pounds, and was sent to the Smithsonian Institute as a curiosity. In September, 1855, Augustus Short (now, it is be- lieved, the oldest Otsego fisherman, and one of the most successful), caught a trout that weighed twelve pounds. In May, 1856, he caught another that weighed fourteen pounds. In 1861, Capt. P. P. Cooper caught one in a gill net that weighed seventeen pounds. The fishery of the lake has been greatly improved through the skill and enterprise of Capt, P. P. Cooper, who came to Cooperstown about twelve years ago, and to whom the villagers are greatly indebted for the pleasure which he has afforded them and strangers, by means of his fleet and tackle. The following sketch of his life shows that he was a man of just the experi- ence that Cooperstown needed, for what would the people do for pleasure parties, were it not for his neat little vessels ? Capt. P. P. Cooper was born at Croyden, N. H., in 1815. His first voyage at sea was made from Boston to the straits of Belle Isle, as cook on board of a schooner, in quest of whale and codfish. He assisted in drawing the seine around 10,000 good sized fish at one haul. This voyage continued six months. In 1838, he left New Bedford on the whaleship Virginia, which made a voyage around Cape Horn, and cruised along the coasts of Chili, Peru and New Zealand, taking 52 whales, and any number of black fish, ob- taining 2700 barrels of oil, 500 of it sperm. Says the captain : "At one time we were amongst a school of sperm whales, when the steersman of the boat we were in was in the act of striking a whale, as another one of the school (for they were lying all around us thickly), came up under the bow of the boat and knocked him overboard, he fell upon the head of the whale, who rolled up on one side with his huge mouth open. The 128 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. steersman slid head foremost tlirougli the whale's mouth, and came out on the other side, though not until his flesh had been considerably torn by the monster's teeth. He was rescued finally." This voyage contin- ued 22 months. In 1840, he started from New Orleans on a merchant- man for Bremen, taking a cargo of cotton and tobacco. On her return she brought 138 passengers for Bal- timore. One death occurred on the voyage. At the funeral the crew and passengers, cleanly attired for the occasion, assembled on deck; the main-j^ard thrown back ; the corpse sewed up in a blanket with a bag of sand fastened to its feet, both laid on a plank, one end of which rested upon the railing, the other upon a barrel ; the Episcopal service read ) the end of the plank on the barrel raised up by four men ; the corpse slid off into the deep; a scream from those on deck, and all was over. This voyage continued six months. In 1811, he started from Oswego on a top-sail schooner, sailed upon lakes Ontario, Erie, Huron and Michigan during eight seasons ; four seasons as hand before the mast, one season as mate, and three seasons as master. In 1850, he came to Cooperstown to sell a pleasure sail boat ; could not sell it ; went to work with it ; had patronage enough to make the business profitable, as there were no boats then suitable for parties of ladies and gentlemen. He soon resolved to create a fleet for pleasure seekers, and in 1851 put six new, neat boats afloat. His patronage increased, and he enlarged his fleet until it now consists of 20 row boats, neatly fur- nished with oars, mats, cushions, &c., and five sailboats which cost $1800. Soon after his arrival in Cooperstown, he introduced a new mode of catching the bass, as previously they were caught only during a few weeks in the year. He used the gill net, and in this way he caught them throughout the summer. HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 129 From the year 1855 to 1862 he caught 9825 bass, and sold them for $2,390.73. In the spring of 1851 there were taken from the lake by four seines 25,000 bass. The above statements are from Capt. Cooper, which is a sufficient guaranty for their truthfulness among his acquaintances. The gill net introduced by Capt. Cooper, is made of the best kind of linen thread, with meshes from two to two and a half inches square. The net is about three feet wide, having leads attached to one edge, and corks to the other. The lead-ed edge is carried to the bottom of the water, while the other is buoyed up, making a complete fence across the lake at its bottom, even where it is hundreds of feet deep. The fish swim against this fence, which at once yields to their force, but as it yields, it forms a sack around them, whose meslies gather about their fins and tail, and make it impossible to back out, or to escape in any way. The more numerous their efforts, the more perfectly they are entangled, like a fly in a spider's web. Lake Parties. The £rst lake party, a source of amusement which has became so popular on the waters of Otsego, took place in the month of August, 1799. It was given by Judge Cooper, for the entertainment of a number of friends from Philadelphia. The party, numbering about twenty-five, embarked in Indian canoes and flat bottomed skifi"s, the place of rendezvous being the Two Mile point, on the eastern shore of the lake. Mrs. Metcalf and Mi's. Pomeroy, then young misses in their teens, and John Russell, were of the company. While upon the point, Shipman, the hunter (from whom the character of Leather Stocking was drawn), was in the forest with his hounds, when a frightened fawn, startled from his home by the approach of the dogs, dart- ed from the leafy thicket and plunged into the lake. In- 130 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWX. stantly the whole party were in motion, and every skiff was in requisition to rescue the little animal now swim- ming for its life. The boat in which were Mrs Metcalf and Mrs. Pomeroy (the latter of whom, now living, well remembers the exciting incident), succeeded in takino- it and in brin^in^- it to land. It was afterwards o CO conveyed to the village, and became a pet in the family where it remained until one day, alarmed by the ap- proach of strange dogs, it once more sought refuge in the forest. For a beautiful description of this scene, and the untimely fate of the fawn, the reader is re- ferred to the account in Miss Cooper's Rural Hours. It was the intention of the survivors of this lake party to have celebrated its sixtieth anniversary in August, 1859, upon the same point, but when that day arrived, 3Irs. Pomeroy was the sole remaining one of that festive scene to relate the incidents of the first pic nic of white persons on Otsego lake. During the summer of 1861, there were about fifty parties on the lake, at an average of over thirty persons in a party. Their popularity since Capt. Cooper pre- pared for the public his fleet of beautiful pleasure boats, may be inferred from the following extract from the Freemrnis Journal of August, 1851, in speaking of a party at Three Mile point : "Pic Nic at the Point. A large number of visitors are in town, and nothing- less than a Lake Party answers the requirements of hospitality. One of the most pleasant and numerously attended of these came off on Wednesday. Besides a goodly number of citizens, there were representatives from various parts of the Union, from Boston to St. Paul's, the former sending one of her fairest daughters, and the latter one of her most talented sons. Amono- the prominent gentlemen present were Gov. Marcy of Albany, Judge Samuel Prentiss of Vermont, Judge Nelson, and Mr. Blatchfoi*d of Auburn." HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 131 Many sabbath school parties go up the lake in sum- mer, not only from Cooperstown, but from the neigh- boring villages. While at the point some are sitting in the shade of the few fine old trees and of the under- growth there, while others are rowing, and others rambling through the grove, and others sailing, and others fishing, and others preparing refreshments, to which all are called in due time and assembled around those rural tables that have been washed by the show- ers, and dried by the sunshine of many seasons, where multitudes have feasted upon luxuries to which cheer- ful exercise, pure air and the finest scenery have given an unwonted relish. Three Mile Point. This is a little point of land, less than an acre, jutting out from the west shore of Otsego lake, in the shape of a flat-iron. It is covered with large forest trees and with undergrowth, among which are winding paths, springs, a brook, a house with doors ever open for all in case of a shower, and where the sabbath school children are assembled for religious services. The north side of it is grassy, and upon its gravelly shore the boats are moored. In 1837, and in 1820, it was known to some extent, as Myrtle grove. It takes its present name from its distance of three miles from the village. It was originally the property of Judge Cooper, and was willed by him to his lineal descendants in common until 1850, after which it was to be the sole property of his youngest descendant bearing the name of William Cooper. Yet it has been used by the vil- lagers for many years as a rural resort, as freely as though each were its lawful possessor. Thankfulness, at least, for its privileges will not be withheld from its proprietor by any of the generous citizens of Coopers- town. lg:2 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. The Echo. There is a point on the hike directly in front of Natty Bumpo's cave where the finest echo is obtained from the steep and rocky shore. Three are sometimes heard in regular succession, the first from the cave, the second from Mount Vision, and the third from Hannah's hill. Those who visit that point in the still summer even- ing, generally call out : "Natty Bumpo I Who's there ?'' and to the surprise of strangers, these and other calls are repeated up the mountain almost as distinctly as in the boat of the visiting party. Tricks, however, have been played upon strangers in search of the echo. At one time a young man of some wit saw a boat coasting along the foot of Mount Vision, and suspecting its crew were not very familiar with the grounds, placed himself in position to answer for the echo. Soon one called out from the boat, " Natty Bumpo !" — " Bumpo,'' was the reply from the thicket. " There," said one, " we have found the echo." Other calls were given and answered until a laugh was heard on the hill-side, and the rogue was suspected, when one called out from the boat "You're a liar !" to which the response, "You liar !'' was given, leaving the strangers in doubt whether the echo was a hoax or a reality. The Ice. In winter the ice becomes about sixteen inches thick, clear as crystal, and is gathered in large quantities by the villagers for the following summer. The outlet never freezes over at the head, while the ice a short distance above is thick and solid for several months. This is a phenomenon worthy of examination, as the banks there are not high, nor is the current rapid. A large fissure in the ice, too, that is found nearly every winter, has caused considerable speculation. It is seen about five miles above the foot of the lake, and extends across from shore to shoreu A few years ago it was so HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 133 wide that a team could not cross it, and a span of horses was driven into it accidentally. The lake is narrow where this opening takes place, and the fissure is supposed to be created by the expansion of ice from the north and from the south, causing the ice to rise several feet in the shape of a house roof just previous to the opening of the fissure, after which fragments of ice each side are piled up like the earth of an entrench- ment. Skating on the lake is becoming a popular amuse- ment with both sexes. Although the ice, most of the time, is covered with snow, yet there are times when it is like a mirror, and the writer well recollects a charm- ing view of the lake when Hannah's hill. Mount Vision and Clark's hill were reflected most perfectly. Nor will he soon forget the pleasure enjoyed in the early part of the winter of 18G1, as he went upon the lake to see the multitude of skaters glide to and fro so easily and so swiftly, where about twenty-five were playing the Thorny Way, a game which may be de- scribed briefly thus : Two goals are fixed on the ice about thirty ix)ds apart; mid-way between these is stationed one skater; at one of the goals are stationed all of the other skaters ; they rush past the center for the other goal, and the one at the centre springs among the flying flock, touch- ing this and that one, if he can, and thus takes them to his stand, and they join him in touching with the hand the rest as they return to the former goal again. Thus the game goes on until all have been brought to the centre, or until those there acknowledge their ina- bility to catch the last two or three who dart from goal to goal and dodge with such expertness, that they elude a dozen pursuers. While looking upon this sport, the writer and his friend Mr. S , the most graceful skater in Coopers- town, moving with no apparent efibrt, like a spirit, ad- mired the clearness of the ice, then about six inches 12 134 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. thick, and of the water beneath, about eight feet deep, where we were, through which we looked upon the bottom covered with pebbles and larger stones. This transparency awakened in our minds pleasing thoughts and hopes concerning the sea of glass spoken of in the Apocalypse. The exercise of skating prudently conducted may be made a source of great pleasure and benefit to the citizens of Cooperstown by their taking a little pains in clearing away the snow to keep the ice in good con- dition. Let the youth break out from the heated air of the fire-sides during the long Otsego winters, let them breathe the bracing out-door air, as they go upon the lake singing merrily — " Away, away, o'er the sheeted ice, Away, away we go ; On our steel-bound feet we move as fleet As the deer o'er Lapland snow. What though the sharp north winds are out ? The skater heeds them not ; 'Midst the laugh and shout of the joyous rout Grey winter is forgot." Horse Boat. In the summer of 1831, a boat propelled by horse- power was running on the lake, carrying parties to different points, furnishing meals, and music for dancing on deck. Its reputation became bad, and the more respectable citizens withdrew their patronage. In 1858, a small steamer was on the lake, large enough to carry half a dozen, but too small for conve- nience and pleasure. We find the accounts of ten deatJis in the lake by drowning since the settlement of Cooperstown. On Sunday, Aug. 26th, 1829, three men in a leaky boat, on the lake for pleasure, were drowned. HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 135 MURDERS AND EXECUTION. Stephen Arnold, Who was tried and convicted in tliis village, in June, 1805, for the murder of Betsey Van Amburgh, a child six years old, was the subject of the following perform- ance, the justice or cruelty of which is left to others to infer for themselves. It occurred on the 19th of July, 1805, and was thus described in the Otsego Herald : " llie Execution. — On Friday last, which was the day appointed for the execution of the unhappy Arnold, at about 7 o'clock in the morning, the principal street in Cooperstown, called Second street, which is 90 feet wide, and about 60 rods in length, was nearly filled with people who had traveled from so great a distance that not one to twenty were known to any of the vil- lagers. The concourse increased until nearly one P. M., when by the best calculation, they amounted to about eight thousand. About 12 o'clock the prisoner was taken from the jail (then standing on the south- east corner of Second and West streets) and placed in a wagon, and a procession previously arranged by the sherifi", consisting of the reverend clergy and other gen- tlemen, preceded by the sheriff'on horseback, moved with funeral music after the prisoner, guarded by Lt. Com'dt. Tanner's company of light infantry, and Lt. Comd't. Mason's comj^any of artillery, to the place of execution, where being arrived, the Rev. Mr. Williams of Wor- cester, opened the preparatory scene with an appropri- ate prayer. The Rev. Isaac Lewis of Cooperstown, delivered a pathetic, concise and excellently adapted discourse from Luke chap, xxiii, 42d and 43d verses. Elder Alining of , closed the religious exercises by a solemn appeal to the throne of grace for mercy and forgiveness, as well for the prisoner as the vast au- ditory. The unhappy prisoner appeared deeply affected 136 HISTORY or COOPERSTOWN. and resigned. His penitence was obvious and manifest, and drew forth the tears of sympathy from the sur- rounding spectators. When the exercises were over the prisoner seated himself on the coffin for a short space, when he was in- formed that if he wished to offer anything to the peo- ple he could now have an opportunity. He arose and addressed a few words to the surrounding multitude, earnestly urging them to improve by his fatal example to place a strict guard upon their passions, the fatal in- dulgence of which had brought him to the shameful condition in which they beheld him, notwithstanding he never intended to commit murder, and closed with the following sentence : " If appears to me that if you will not take learning at this ajfecting scene, you would Qiot he warned though one should arise from the dead.'^ The sheriff had adjusted the fatal cord, except fasten- ing it to the beam of the gallows. The prisoner remained apparently absorbed in silent meditation which was en- tirely abstracted from terrestrial subjects; the thou- sands of spectators were waiting in silent and gloomy suspense for the fatal catastrophe, when the sheriff, af- ter a few concise and pertinent remarks to the prisoner, produced a letter from his excellency Grov. Lewis, con- taininii; directions for A RESPITE of the execution until further orders. The prisoner swooned — the counte- nances of the vast concourse assumed a different ex- pression, and the whole scene seemed changed. The prisoner was reconducted to the prison in the same man- ner in which he was taken from thence. The spec- tators withdrew by thousands. No material accident occurred — no tumultuous conduct was witnessed, and before sunset the village assumed its accustomed tran- quility. The proceedings of the day were opened, pro- gressed, and closed in a manner which reflected honor on the judiciary, the executive, the clergy, the military and the citizens of the county. About 9 o'clock in the morning Mr. Jacob Ford, who HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 137 had been sent as an express with the Burlington peti- tion for a respite, arrived with a letter from his excel- lency Gov. Lewis, directed to Solomon Martin, Esq., sheriff of the county of Otsego, the purport of which was that the sheriff was directed to suspend the execu- tion until further orders, and that a reprieve should be forwarded soon, in due form. Mr. Ford had departed from Cooperstown at about 11 o'clock on the preceding Saturday, and arrived at Albany on Sunday evening, where he was informed that the governor was at his country seat at or near Staatsburgh, nearly 70 miles below Albany. Embar- rassed by this information he applied immediately to his honor chief justice Kent and acquainted him with the occasion of his journey, and handed him the petitions. His honor immediately wrote to his excel- lency, and advised Mr. Ford to proceed without delay, observing that although he might be disappointed, his exertions would be pleasing to the friends of the un- happy man. Early on Monday morning Mr. Ford started for the governor's country seat, where he was again disappointed, being informed that he was on his way to Albany. He then returned, and on Wednesday had the good fortune to find his excellency at the seat of the Hon. Robert R. Livingston, Esq., at Clermont, Columbia county. His excellency was prevented from issuing a formal reprieve, by his absence from the seat of government, but wrote as before mentioned. The sheriff with the advice of a few others, conceived it improper to divulge the respite, until the crisis in which it was communicated to Arnold; and even the reverend clergy remained uninformed thereof until it was produced on the stage.'' Cruel mockery ! By what right could sheriff Martin carry in his pocket the governor's respite, received in the morning^ and go through with all the forms of the 138 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. criminars execution, except the taking from him of his last breath ? " When Arnold was reconducted to prison, and be- fore he left the wagon, he requested that the sheriff might command silence. He warned the multitude to govern their passions, declaring that anger had brought him to the shameful condition in which they saw him. He expressed the warmest gratitude to all who had petitioned for his reprieve, to the governor of the state, and above all to the Governor of the universe, for his infinite mercy in Jesus Christ/' As an index to the customs and feelings of former times the following somewhat romantic description is here aiven as a continuation of the foresroino; account: "Unconnected with the solemn occasion, the appear- ance of such an extraordinary collection of the sexes, was beautiful in the extreme. The o-round at a small distance from the place of execution, which was a small flat, on the banks of the Susquehanna, arose towards the east in such a manner as to afford every beholder an uninterrupted view of the interesting spectacle. It seemed, when viewed from the high western banks of the river, a vast natural amphitheatre, filled with all classes and gradations of citizens, from the opulent landlord to the humble laborer. The display of about 600 umbrellas, of various colors : the undulating ap- pearance of silks and muslins of different hues ; the vibrations of thousands of fans, in playful fancy ; the elevated back ground of the landscape interspersed with carriages of various construction, and filled with peo- ple; the roofs of the buildings, which commanded a view, covered with spectators; the windows crowded with faces ; every surrounding point of view occupied, and the gleam of swords, bayonets, &c., in the centre afford- ed, whenever the mind was detached from the occasion, real satisfaction to the contemplative mind ; but on re- versing the picture, and reflecting that all those bloom- ing nymphs, jolly swains, delicate ladies, and spruce HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 139 gentlemen, fond mothers, and affectionate sisters, prat- tling children and hoary sages, servile slaves and im- perious masters, would be, in all probability, incorpo- rated with their native dust in 100 years, it strongly enforced the truth and pertinence of a maxim of one of the ancient sages, that j^r/r/e tvas not made for man. A recurrence to the occasion increased our humility." Arnold's gallows was erected on the flat a little below the brick house near the east end of the river bridge, the house now owned by Mr. Charles W. Smith. During nearly twelve months he had remained in a dark dungeon, having seen the sun meanwhile on only two occasions, the first as he was brought from the jail in Pittsburgh to the one in Cooperstown, and the second as he was taken to the gallows with the expectation of soon entering the darkness of death, after which he was again lodged in jail, where he was " heavily loaded with the well known log chain and the familiar hand- cuffs.^' His case now became a subject of legislation, and on the 13th of February, 1806, " the Assembly appointed a committee to prepare a bill directing the execution of Stephen Arnold." In April, 1806, the legislature extended his reprieve until the next March, and in this month it commuted his sentence from death to imprisonment for life. The following extract of a letter from him to his parents, shows with what feelings a murderer turns from the gallows to the prison : '' I feel very thankful to the Lord and the people that my sentence is thus mitigated, and (knowing I never intended any such thing) I hope it will, in the Lord's own time, be mitigated again." — Otsego Herald^ July 25th, 1805. Arnold was a school teacher, and his crime was that of whipping the girl to death, because she did not pro- nounce the word gig according to his directions, a thing which it is said she could not do, but continued 140 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. to pronounce itjifj- Omitting some of the worst fea- tures of his cruelty, it is sufficient to add that he took her out of his house, " into the severely cold evening air '^ (she lived with him, he had no children), and there whipped her naked body until he himself became cold He then took her in and tried to make her pro- nounce the word correctly, which she failed to do, and again she was taken out and whipped in the same manner. This act of barbarity he repeated seven times. The poor child languished four daj-s and expired. In the meantime he declared that he " liad as lieve icliip her to death as not." His crime was committed in Burlington, Otsego county. Levi Kelley. Abraham Spafard, who lived in the house of Levi Kelley, a house also occupied by the latter, about three miles north of Cooperstown, was shot by Mr. Kelley, on the 3d of September, 1827. In reference to this murder the editor of the Freeman'' s Journal remarked : "It is with mingled feelings of alarm and regret we mention the fact that, although this is ih.Q fourth trial for murder which has ever, since its organization, occurred in the county of Otsego, yet it is the tldrcl which has happened within the brief period of the last eighteen months. ^^ By this remark we learn how necessary it had become for the people to take immediate measures to check this worst of crimes. The sentence jironounced upon Mr. Kelley by his honor Judge Samuel Nelson, contains the particulars of his trial, the facts therein being appro- priately adduced as preliminary to the final decision of the court. His trial began on the 21st, and ended on the 22d of November. Kelley' s Sentence. — His honor Judge Nelson said : In the remarks we may deem it our duty to make, pre- liminary to the sentence of the law, it is not our inten- tion to say anything which may tend to distract your HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 141 miocl, or violate and abuse your feelings. That period of your life lias arrived when the language of reproof and denunciation would be idle and cruel. In calling your attention, on this solemn and interesting occasion, to the circumstances which have led to your conviction, we are only solicitous to awaken your mind to a proper sense of your guilt, its peculiar heinousness and enor- mity, and to the justice of that judgment which the law has denounced against it. We are the more encouraged to hope for this result from the fact that you have been born and educated in a well-informed and Christian community, and during your whole life, now past middle age, have been in habits of intercourse and association with respectable society and connections. Your melancholy end has not the apology of ignorance, nor want of early and paternal care in preparing you for life. The bounties of Pro- vidence have been bestowed upon you in reasonable abundance, and you possess a beloved family, indefatiga- ble to afford you all the comforts and enjoyments of do- mestic hajipiness. A mind thus educated and improved, thus acquainted with the various relations of society, the necessity of social order, of laws and the obligations to obey them, can not be insensible to the evidences of guilt, nor the propriety and justice of its punishment. In the solitude and silence of your prison, intermediate the sentence and the execution of the law, you will have time and opportunity afforded you for a thorough in- vestigation of all the circumstances of your guilt. It behooves you to examine them, not for the purpose of excuse or palliation to calm and quiet the anguish of a troubled soul, but with the intent of ascertaining its extent and aggravation. The character of Spafard, which appeared upon the trial conspicuous for many amiable and estimable quali- ties, particularly in those most interesting to you, for placability of temper, forbearance under strong provoca- tion, in his nature averse to contention and strife, will 142 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. not then fail to make a proper impression upon jour mind. You will remember how often while he lived under your roof as your tenant, these Christian virtues were severely tried and exemplified in his intercourse with yourself. Your irascible and impetuous passions, unreasonable and unfeeling conduct, assailed him in every mode your relative situation permitted, to outrage and exasperate his feelings, yet he bore your insults and abuse with that evenness and meekness of tem- per, that humility and forbearance of spirit, which should have softened and subdued the most ferocious passions, and recommended him to your afi"ection and confidence. A recurrence to the facts which appeared upon the trial must satisfy you that the life of this man was taken without provocation or excuse. You causelessly and violently attacked a boy, for the time under his care and protection. He would have been wanting in his duty as a citizen and in humanity as a man, if he had not interposed — he was bound to do so ; you w^ell knew that this was his only purpose ; he repeatedly so expressed himself ; when the fury of your passions was turned from the boy against him, he besought you to desist; he used no more force, exerted no more strength upon you than was necessary for his defence ; no blow was struck or violence committed ; you repeatedly re- fused to let him alone; he at last unclenched your hands from his throat, and retired quietly into his house ; you went into yours, but instead of remain- ing there quiet and peaceable, you seized your gun, returned and followed the deceased into hia room, and while there, unsuspecting your design, unconscious of your bloody purpose, in the midst of his family, in the presence of your own affrighted wife, you shot him to the heart. " Oh ! Lord, I am a dead man," were the only words he could utter, and he expired in the arms of his distracted and disconsolate family. You have been long under the dominion of cruel and HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 143 vindictive passions. Instead of endeavoring to restrain and subdue tliem, you have willingly yielded to their influence. The violent denunciations of the deceased, the threats of deadly malignity towards him, so fre- quently repeated, disclose their character and control. To their iuduljrence, without cause or excuse, must be attributed your ignominious end. Your malice to the deceased may not have been settled and implacable ; you may not have brooded over his fate, but the cir- cumstances under which the deadly purpose was accom- plished should convince you that your guilt is not there- by diminished. We recommend you to consecrate the remainder of your days to a reconciliation with your God. You have broken that injunction from above — " Thou shalt not kill," and are thereby exposed to the vengeance of Hea- ven. Wicked and guilty as you have been, the Bible which you have been taught to read may keep you from despair. The sacrifice of a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart, will not be despised. Hasten to make that offering, that your life in the world beyond the grave may not be as miserable as it has been wicked in this one. The sentence of the law is, that you, Levi Kelley, on the 28th of December next, between the hours of 12 at noon and 3 thereafter, be taken from the prison to the place of execution, and there hung by the neck until you are dead. And may Grod have mercy on your im- mortal soul. His Execution. — This occurred at the time specified, on the ground about 25 rods nearly south of the Semi- nary. We find the following painful account of it : The weather during the preceding day and night had been tempestuous, and on the morning of Friday the rain fell in torrents ; yet our village was thronged with men, women and children, before 12 o'clock m., at about which time the military, composed of Capt. 144 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. Clark's company of cavalry, Capt. Bourne's corps of artillery, Capt. Comstock's and Capt. Dixon's companies of infantry, and two companies of militia, were formed into a hollow square, under tlie direction of Capt. Com- stock and Quartermaster Sabin, as marshals, and marched to the jail, from which the convict was taken by Sheriff Hiser, apparently in a very feeble s.tate of health, and placed ujDon a bed in a sleigh drawn by his own horses. He was dressed in his usual apparel. The sleigh, with two others, in which were the Rev. Mr. Smith and the Rev. Mr. Potter, entered the hollow square, and the whole mass moved to the ground fixed upon for the j)lace of execution, situated south of the Court House, and not far from the Methodist chapel. On arriving at the gallows, a scene ensued which beggars all description. A staging of 100 feet in length and 12 in depth, the front being elevated 6 and the rear 8 feet from the ground, erected for the accominodation of spectators, and under and upon which it is computed there were at least 600 persons, suddenly gave way and fell with a tremendous crash. Then came the lamenta- tions of the multitude for the safety of their friends and relatives, and the rush to their relief. A scene, unex- pected and horrifying, was eminently calculated to ab- sorb ever}^ other feeling, and an assemblage of more than 4000 persons seemed for an instant enchained in their tracks. Efforts at relief, however, were promptly made, and a number of bodies were drawn from under the fallen timbers in a state of total insensibility. Among them was the body of Mr. Elisha C. Tracy, en- graver, of this village, the upper part of whose face was actually crushed in more than an inch. Life was wholly extinct. An elderly man, resident at Richfield, named Daniel Williams, had his leg and arm broken, and died at about 5 o'clock p. m. Mrs. Patten, wife of Mr. David Patten of Otsego, had a limb fractured, and a daughter of Mr. Jacob M. Platner of this village, HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 145 had her leg broken and body much bruised. Twenty or thirty other persons, among whom was a young man from Springfield, named Stanard, were severely hurt. So soon as the high excitement of this calamitous event had in some degree subsided, by the ascertain- ment of the injuries received, and by the removal of the dead and wounded from the ground, the convict was taken from the sleigh and assisted to ascend the gal- lows, and upon the rope being noosed about his neck by the sheriff, and his soul commended to the mercy of God, in a short prayer from the Rev. Mr. Smith, in which he appeared to participate, the drop fell, and after a few slight twitchiugs of his limbs, his body hung for thirty minutes, a monument of the vengeance of the law for the wrongful taking of the life of a sensible being in the violence of a passion. Upon cutting the rope and letting down the body, it was committed to- the care of his relatives for Christian burial. After Kelley had ascended the gallows he looked down upon the affrighted multitude and anxiously in- quired — " How many, and who are killed and injured?'^ David Darby. This man was tried here in December, 1826, for the murder of Smith B. Reynolds. He was convicted, and was sentenced by Hon. Samuel Nelson, but his sentence was commuted by De Witt Clinton, March, 1827, to confinement in prison during life. He died, however^ in Cooperstown jail. Dennison Rogers. His trial, for the murder of his wife, in Plainfield^ occurred here in April, 1845, Judge Gridley presiding. He was acquitted. '•' The case, however, exhibited enormities of conduct which, under an indictment for manslaughter^ would probably have immured him in the state prison during life.'^ His crime was committed in a fit of intemperance. A little lack of testimonv to 13 146 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. identify him as the one who inflicted the fatal blows, secured his acquittal. Patrick McNamara, He was tried in this village, June 28, 1859, for the murder of his wife in Richfield. His guilt was so evi- dent, that this community and that in which the crime was committed, saw hardly a possibility of his escape from the extreme penalty of the law. He was tried before Judge Balcom. The club with which he pound- ed her to a jelly — a club stained with her blood — was produced in the court. Concurrent testimony left no ground of doubt that he was the murderer. Yes, his own confession that he killed, and deliberately resolved to kill her, was produced. His confession to Morgan Bryan, as sworn to, was — " I thought I had hurt her so badly that she could not live, and then 1 took a cluh and finished her.'' How the jury before whom he was tried, in the face of their oaths and in view of the divine law that de- mands the life of the murderer, could pronounce such a wretch not gidlti/ of murder, will ever be a matter of surprise to many who attended that trial and heard the verdict of guilt which takes from a man only the privi- leges of society by his being confined in prison for life. Mrs. Elizabeth P. McCraney's Trial in this village, for murder, will long be remem- bered as an index of enormous crimes committed by some person. Her first trial for murder by poison, supposed to have been administered to her step-daugh- ter Huldah Baker, occurred in December, 1860, Judge Mason, presiding. She was acquitted. In June, 1861, she was tried again for murder, charged with the crime of having poisoned Allen Baker, her husband's brother, Judge Balcom, presiding. She was acquitted. HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 147 JUDGES. The first constitution of the state of New York, adopted in 1777, provided for a council of appoint- ment, who appointed a first judge in every county in the state, to hold the ofiice during good behavior, or until he attained the age of 60 years, and his associate judges held ofiice during the pleasure of the council, but new commissions were issued to them every three years. The second constitution, which took eff"ect in 1823, provided for the appointment of first judges of counties and their associates, by the governor and senate, for the term of five years. The third and present constitution, adopted in 1846, provides that there shall be but one " county judge in each county," to be elected by the people, and for four years. County Judges. 1. William Cooper, founder of this village, first judge, from 1791 to 1799. 2. Dr. Joseph White of Cherry Valley, from 1799 to 1823. 3. John C. Morris of Butternuts, from 1823 to 1828. 4. George Morell of Cooperstown, from 1828 to 1833. 5. James 0. Morse of Cherry Valley, from 1833 to 1838. 6. Jabez D. Hammond of Cherry Valley, from 1838 to 1843. 7. Charles C. Noble of Unadilla, from 1843 to 1848. 8. James Hyde of Richfield, county judge, from 1848 to 1852. 9. Samuel S. Bowne of Morris, from 1852 to 1856. 10. Levi C. Turner of Cooperstown, from 1856 until the present, having been reelected in 1859. 148 history of cooperstown. Resident Judges of Cooperstown. Hon. WtlUam Cooper., a native of Burlington, N. J., after whom this village was named, and the father of James Fenimore Cooper, was the first. Hon. Geo7'ge Morell was a native of Lenox, Mass., graduated at Williams college, became a resident of this village, and commenced the practice of the law in 1811. He removed to the state of Michigan in 1833, where he was one of the judges of the supreme court of the state. Brig. Gen. George W. Morell of the U. S. army, is the only son of Judge Morell, and was born in this village, and graduated with the first honors at West Point military academy. ^0??. Samuel Nelson^ a native of Washington county, N. Y., graduated at Middlebury college, Vt., and com- menced the practice of the law in Cortland county, in 1817, and was appointed circuit judge in 1823. In 1831 he was appointed one of the judges of the su- preme court, and in 1837 was appointed chief justice of the supreme court of this state, and in 1845, was ap- pointed associate justice of the supreme court of the United States, which office he now holds. At the time of this last appointment. Col. Prentiss, in his paper, re- marked : '' This information will be agreeable to the feelings of this community, where Judge Nelson is well known and most highly respected as a jurist and citizen." At this date, 18G2, after he has worn the judicial ermine of various grades during a period of nearly forty years, and that of the highest grade for seventeen years, it is still agreeable to the feelings of his fellow- citizens that he should bear the honors of his good behavior. Although his winters have been spent mostly in Washington, and his duties have kept him absent from Cooperstown much of the time, yet, on his return, the great dignity of his bearing is so much overba- lanced by the cordiality of his manners, and by his in- HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 149 terest in the political, social, religious and business affairs of this community, that all classes are attracted by his presence and greet him with pleasure. He married, for his second wife, the daughter of Judge Russell, and became a resident of Cooperstown in 1825. Hon. Ehen B. Morehouse. — Judge Morehouse was born at Hillsdale, Columbia county, N. Y., and at the time of his death was fifty-eight years of age. He was educated a physician, and served in the capacity of a surgeon in the militia on our northern frontier during the war of 1812. After the war he removed to this place, about the year 1815, abandoned the profes- sion of medicine, and commenced the study of law in the office of Stranhan & Jordan, in which profession he was actively and uninterruptedly engaged, with the ex- ception of a brief period when he served the county for one year in the legislature of this state, until the time of his death. He formerly held the office of dis- trict attorney some ten years, the duties of which he discharged with ability, and always maintained a high standing in his profession. At the first election under the new constitution, he was chosen judge of the supreme court of this state, in the sixth district, and drew for the longest term, having six years to serve from the 1st of January, 1850. During the brief period of his services upon the bench he acquired a high reputation. His mind, naturally strong and vigorous, was cultivated and disci- plined by a long course of patient application, and the evidence of his abilities will be found in his recorded legal opinions. The death of Judge Morehouse has not only de- prived the legal profession of an ornament, but has caused an irreparable loss in the social circle, which, by his intelligence, his good humor, and the kindly sym- pathies of his heart, he was peculiarly fitted to adorn. 150 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. Extract from a letter from Hon. J. D. Hammond to the editors of tlie Freeman's Journal : " His mind, both by nature and education, was pecu- liarly fitted for the able discharge of his official duties. Its discriminating and keen logical powers, improved and enlarged by extensive legal learning, excelled that of most men who attain the highest rank as jurists. At the bar he will long be remembered for his skill and tact in his profession, for his courtesy, candor and sin- cerity, and for his wit, which, though never called forth by ill humor, or unkind feeling, was keen and scathing as well as infinitely amusing. His integrity was stern and unyielding. Upon this man in high health, in the maturity of his years, and in the ripeness and full vigor of his intellectual faculties, has fallen the pall of death ! Alas, how irreparable the loss ! " I have been intimate with him for nearly forty years. I do not intend to write an eulogy on the dead, but I send you the wailings of a friend. J. D. H.'' Cherry Valley, Dec. 17th, 1849. At a meeting of the Otsego bar, in Cooperstown, Dec. 19th, 1849, appropriate resolutions in respect to him were passed, one of which was : That in the sudden and deeply lamented death of the Hon. Eben B. Morehouse, our community has been deprived of one of its most valuable citizens, the mem- bers of the bar of this and the surroundino- counties, of a brother, admired by his associates for the strength and brilliancy of his intellectual powers, venerated for his great legal learning, esteemed for his integrity and candor, and beloved for his courtesy and social qualities, and the state of New York of a bright and distinguished ornament of her supreme judiciary. He married a daughter of Dr. Thomas Fuller. He died Dec. IGth, 1849. Hon. Schuyler Crijypen, a native of Worcester, Otsego county, N. Y., resided and practiced law in his native town until 1836, when he removed to this vil- HISTORY CF COOPERSTOWN. 151 « lage. In 1851 lie was elected justice of the supreme court for the unexpired term (four years) of Judge Morehouse, deceased. He married for his second wife the daughter of Isaac Cooper, Esq., a brother of the eminent novelist. Both he and his companion have long been numbered among the most highly respected residents of Cooperstown. Bon. Levi C. Turner of this village, is a native of Claremont, N. H., and received his collegiate educa- tion at Dartmouth and Union colleges, studied law with Judge Morehouse of this place, and with Judge Jones of Schenectady, and became a resident of Cooperstown in 1827. He was elected county judge in 1855, and still holds that office, having been reelected in 1859. He married the daughter of Robert Campbell, Esq. During thirty years Judge Turner has been an habit- ual writer for political and periodical papers and maga- zines. He has been the principal editor of the Otsego Republican sixteen of the thirty years it has been pub- lished ; was five years editor of the Cincinnati Gazette^ and for ten years the weekly contributor to the Neio York Tribune^ and to the Cleveland Herald. Associate County Judges. From the first organization of the county in 1791 to 1847, when the present state constitution took effect, each county had a first judge, and associate judges. Since 1847 each county has had but one county judge. The associate judges of this county who were residents of Cooperstown, were Elihu Phinney, from 1796 to 1802; Elijah H. Metcalf, from 1806 to 1815; John Russell, from 1815 to 1821 ; Elisha Foote, from 1821 to 1840; Hiram Kinne, from 1837 to 1847. Judge Kinne was a resident of Butternuts when ap- pointed, but removed to this village on being appointed surrogate, and still resides here, highly respected for his intelligence, integrity and kindness. The other as- sociate judges have long since deceased. 152 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. MEMBERS OF THE BAR. These, during tlie year 1861, were seventeen in num- ber, viz : William H. Averell, Samuel A. Bowen, George Brooks, Luther I. Burditt, Richard Cooper, Edwin Countryman (district attorney), Schuyler Crippen (ex- justice of supreme court), Edwin M. Harris, Horace Lathrop, James A. Lynes, Thomas Mcintosh (surro- gate), Ezra Smith, Hezekiah Sturges, Levi C. Turner (county judge), Lyman J. Walworth, William Wendell, Jerome B. Wood. Law Firms. Averell & Wood, Burditt & Lynes, Crippen & Brooks, Lathrop & Harris, Sturges & Countryman, Walworth & Wendell. Among the most distinguished lawyers of Otsego county, the name of Robert Campbell should be men- tioned. He was born in Cherry Valley in 1782, was a graduate of Union college, became a resident of Coop- erstown in 1802, and resided here until his death. For more than a quarter of a century he was popularly designated far and near as the honest lawyer, and his legal opinions and advice among his professional breth- ren were highly appreciated, and were regarded as the end of the law. The following tribute of respect is from the pen of the late Hon. John H. Prentiss : " Mr. Campbell had been in the practice of law here about forty-five years, during all which time he main- tained a high character for integrity and ability in his profession ; and in the relation of citizen and neighbor he secured the respect and esteem of all, by an exem- plary deportment, and rendered himself useful as a member of society by a ready participation of his mind and means for benevolent and other commendable ob- HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 158 jects, connected with the improvement of the social condition of the village of his residence. THE CAMPBELL FAMILY. Here we are tempted to overstep the boundaries of the corporation. There are some incidents and events per- sonal and historical connected with the Campbell family, the relation of which will repay the reader for this brief digression, and we take this liberty the more readily since several of the members of that family have been and still are intimately associated with this village. Col. Samuel Campbell, the father of Robert Campbell, when a child, was brought to Cherry Valley, from Londonderry, N. H., in 1741. During the revo- lutionary days he was one of the Freeborn Sons of Liberty. In 1775 he was a minute man, was one of the committee of safety — participated prominently in the border warfare of the state, and was a commander at the bloody battle of Oriskany. He strongly fortified his homestead in Cherry Valley for the protection of his household, and as a place of refuge and safety, for the neighboring families against the attacks of Brant and Butler and their savage followers. At the Cherry Valley massacre (Nov. 11, 1778), Col. Campbell was absent from home. His house, and his barns filled with hay and grain, were burned, and his wife and four children were taken away captives. Af- ter cold and protracted wanderings, more than 300 miles, they reached an Indian settlement where Greneva now stands, and there Mrs. Campbell was sef)arated from her children, and was taken to Niagara, where she remained with the Indians until the summer of 1780, when she was taken to Montreal where she joined one of her children (James S. Campbell, then seven years old), and finally, with her children was exchanged for the wife and children of Col. Butler, and was restored to 154 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. her husband at Troy, but did not return to the Cherry Valley homestead until 1784. Col. Campbell had six children, five sons and one daughter, of whom the only survivor is James S. Campbell, the Indian captured boy, now past his nine- tieth birth day. He still resides upon the old homestead in vigorous health and faculties seemingly unimpaired. The 15th day of December, 1860, was the sixtieth an- niversary of Ms wedding, and on that day his eight child- ren, after a separation of twenty-eight years, scattered over the land from the St. Lawrence to the Isthmus and California, reassembled at their birth place to cele- brate the diamond wedding of their parents, and found the family circle still unbroken. Amonji" the ei^ht children were the Rev. Dr. x\lfred E. Campbell who was pastor of the Presbyterian church in Cooperstown during thirteen years, and the Hon. William W. Campbell, one of the present justices of the supreme court, in this state, and in this district. Judge Turner of this village, being the son-in-law of Robert Campbell, deceased, was also present, and as his brief speech on that joyous and memorable occasion discloses some exceedingly interesting facts and cir- cumstances connected with the family and homestead, it is here inserted. He said : " This is an occasion, distini>'uishable from others of the like kind, that have been observed and celebrated. " It is very seldom that a husband and wife celebrate the sixtieth anniversary of their wedding — scarcely ever has such an anniversary been observed at the same old homestead, where the parties have spent sixty con- tinuous years of wedded life ; and never before I ap- prehend, were their eight children present and partici- pating — being all the children born unto the venerable wedded pair — present and participating in celebrating their parents' sixtieth wedding anniversary, and at the old homestead where they were all born and bred ! " Yes, at this old homestead, where Washington was HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 155 a guest sixty-seven years ago — the same old homestead that is historically associated with the stirring events of the revolutionary days, and with the conflagrations, imprisonments, barbarities and massacres of Brant and his tory and savage allies, eighty-two years ago — the same old homestead of 200 acres, that is promi- nently distinguishable as never having been sold or de- mised — passing from father to son by gift, during the lifetime of the father, and the other children volunta- rily and gratuitously releasing their prospective interest therein to the son — the same old homestead that has never been incumbered by mortgage, judgment or other lien, during the one hundred and twenty years it has been in the possession of the family ! " These are some of the reasons for my saying, that this anniversary celebration is, personally and locally, distinguishable from any and all others of like kind, of which I have any knowledge. " But why am I here, to-day, participating in these joyous festivities? In answer to your call, I say that I am here, simply, as the matrimonial appendage of my better half — who, and her surviving brother, are the only representatives of the late Robert Campbell, Esq., who was raised upon this old homestead. And inasmuch as it is impossible to disclose family secrets to outsiders here to-day, you will permit me to say, that although my wife and I are, in many respects, twain^ the dissimilarity between us is so mutually attractive, that during over thirty years of wedded life, there has been no threat or intimation of secession or separation — each year strength- ening the cohesive attachment of our Union. But in all matters and things, opinions and sentiments of, and concerning, pertaining and appertaining to the Campbell clan, my wife and I are one — of one mind and one flesh. " And now, venerable and venerated bridegroom — Uncle Campbell — permit me to congratulate you on this joyous sixtieth anniversary of your wedding day; and 156 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. to greet you as among the most eminently favored of men — that your life has been spared to see this day, surrounded by all your children and so large a number of your children's children. " And you, Aunt Campbell, I congratulate most cor- dially and greet most affectionately. For thirty years I have respected you for your noble womanly quali- ties — honored you as the mother of these children. Children it is true, but now grown up to the aggregate height of nearly Jifty feet — individually honorable, honored and useful members of society, and all fine specimens of human kind. Few women have ever been blessed as you have been, and few, if any, more deser- vingly. " And now, children and grandchildren, and all others here present, consanguineously or matrimonially connected with the Campbell clan, I salute you all in- dividually and collectively, upon this joyous anniversary festival, for it is one we shall pleasantly remember so long as we shall live." PHYSICIANS IN 1862. P. E. Johnson, T. B. Smith, J. S. Sprague, S. Blodgett. Horace Lathrop, Jr., DENTISTS. E. P. By ram, C. I. Wadsworth. OLD RESIDENTS. ^ Citizens who have been permanent residents of the village fifty years and over, and who were living in the year 1861 : Elihu Phinney, Mrs. John M. Bowers, Calvin Grraves, William Nichols, Abner Graves, Mrs. William Nichols, Mrs. Isaac Cooper, Stephen Gregory, HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 157 Mrs. Stephen Gregory, Simeon Waterman, William Wilson, Seth Doubleday, Mrs. Wm. Wilson, Mrs. Setli Doubleday, Wm. H. Averell, G-eorge Pomeroy, Miss Emma Fuller, Mrs. George Pomeroy, Mrs. E. B. Morehouse, Mrs. Schuyler Crippen, Mrs. Lawrence McNamee, Miss Martha Bowers, Henry Scott, Mrs. Samuel Bingham, Henry Metcalf, Thomas Bronk [colored], J. R. Worthington, John H. Prentiss, George Story, Mrs. John H. Prentiss, Mrs. Levi C. Turner, George W. Ernst, E. B. Crandal, Richard Cooper, Mrs. E. B. Crandal, Henry B. Ernst, Mrs. J. I. Paul, Ariel Thayer. Thirty-eight in all. SOLDIERS OF 1812, NOW LIVING. Simon Yansice, Chauncey Chapman, William Ray, Ariel Thayer. PROMINENT CITIZENS. Although we can not detail the merits of all the worthy citizens of Cooperstown, yet there have been some, besides those specially mentioned in other parts of this volume, who are entitled to more than a passing notice. If any equally meritorious with those named are here omitted, the fault can not justly be ascribed to a respect of persons. The delicate task of speaking of even a few is undertaken with diffidence. Hon. Elihu Phinney. What his own pen claimed for himself many years ao^o, in the followiua; editorial, was doubtless accorded to him cheerfully by his fellow citizens; said he : " Ihe editor reminds his Otsegonian friends that in the win- ter of 1795, he penetrated a wilderness, and hrohe a 14 158 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. tracli through a deep snow, with six teams, in the depth of winter, and was received with a cordiality bordering on homage, to preserve which has ever been his aim. He trusts this will ensure to him the approbation of all the American citizens of Otsego, especially of those who, like himself, came through perils and dangers. Fourteen years, nearly, he has faithfully detailed the passing events, with a strict regard to his motto." (See Otsego Herald^ p. 104). He was distinguished for his wit and satire, often expressed in rhyme. His bookstore furnished a large section of country with an elementary literature, and with many historical works. It was in the printing office of Judge Phinney that Fenimore Cooper, when a boy, was in the habit of setting type "for fun," which experience he afterwards stated was very useful to him in his connection with the press as an author. Judge Hammond (author of Political Histoi^y of New York, etc.), in a public address at Cooperstown in 1852, referring to the men of a half century earlier, said : " I remember the Hon. Elihu Phinney with aifection- ate regard. His excellent judgment, his sparkling wit, and his fine social qualities, rendered him a most esti- mable citizen." The following is from the JVeiv York Gomimercial Advertiser of Aug., 1841, then edited by the late Col. William L. Stone, author of the Life of Brant, etc : '■ The Coo'perstown Freeman's Journal announces the death, on Saturday of Mrs. Mary Phinney, widow of the late Elihu Phinney, of that village, and mother of the celebrated inland book publishers, H. & E. Phinney, at the great age of 87. We remember the deceased, from the days of our boyhood. Judge Phinney, her husband, was the pioneer editor of the country west of Albany. After publishing a small newspaper {The Go- Imnhia Merciirij) for a few years in the town of Canaan, (now the county of Columbia) he removed to Coopers- town, soon after the founding of that beautiful village HISTORY OT COOPERSTOWN, 159 by Judge Cooper. He there established The Otsego Herald or Western Advertiser — and with the over- throw of John Adams' administration he went over to the ranks of Mr. Jefferson in opposition to the views of his patron, who remained a federalist. It was in the columns of the Herald that the essays, afterwards collected in a volume, The Political Wars of Otsego, were published. The parties to those papers were Gren. Jacob Morris, Moss Kent, Jedediah Peck, Joseph Strong (late of this city), and Gen. Ten Broeck. This last mentioned gentleman was the original of Cooper's parenthetical lawyer in the Pioneers^ his compositions having been remarkable for parentheses. All are dead save Gen. Morris. In 1808, Col. John H. Prentiss, editor of the Freeman's Journal, and late a member of congress, went into Otsego from the office of the New York Evening Post, to oppose the Otsego Hercdd. Judge Phinney continued in the conduct of the Hercdd until about'the year 1813 ) soon after which he died, having been for several years infirm." Henry and Elihu Phinney. These were two sons of the one above mentioned. Their zeal and integrity in the publishing business added much to the life and growth of the village dur- ing a period of nearly half a century. The editions of their Bibles, religious books in general, school books, histories, &c., &c., found their way into nearly every vil- lage in the interior and western parts of the state. Their firm continued to enjoy the respect of the people, and was prospered even amid great reverses by fire until the death of Henry. The surviving brother, Elihu, now one of the oldest and most highly respected citizens of the village, for a number of years has lived in com- parative retirement from business, enjoying his well earned competence. The following is abridged from Blake's Biographical Dictionary, Phila., 1856. " Henry Phinney, born Oct. 20, 1781, died Sept. 14, 1850; of the firm of H. 160 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. & E. Pliinney, who attained the highest respectability as citizens as well as publishers and booksellers. No house out of our largest cities, and but few in them at that period, evinced greater or more efficient enterprise in the book trade, than these gentlemen, who, following the business of their father, and enlarging upon it, established the book business, early in the present cen- tury, in the village of Cooperstown, and as early as 1820, a stereotype foundry, casting a set of plates for a quarto Family Bible (one of the first ever made in the United States), from which some 200,000 copies were manufactured by them. They also soon reprinted seve- ral standard English books, religious, historical and educational. In 1839, Henry Frederick Phinney eldest son of Elihu, became a partner [the name of the firm remaining unchanged] and the business was much enlarged. They published the Naval Hhtory of Feni- more Cooper ; Judge Hammond's Political History of Neio York; Col. Stone's Life of Brant, etc-.; a volume of selections from Washington Irvina;, several volumes by Rev. Jacob, and John S. C. Abbott; Town's Series of School Books; Hale's United States, etc., etc. The de- struction of their establishment by fire, in 1849, led to the removal of the general business to Buffalo, where H. F. & E, Phinney, jr., represented the family in the firm of Phinney & Co., which continued some ten years. In 1854, H. F. Phinney removed to New York, formijig with H. Ivison, the educational pub- lishing house of Ivison & Phinney. Henry Phinney was for some thirty years treasurer of Otsego county, being the successor of his father in that office. He was then chosen president of the Otsego County bank, and held that position till his death, when his brother Elihu succeeded him. Among the many persons employed by the Messrs. Phinney, several have subsequently become clergymen, statesmen and editors, as well as printers and booksellers. Henry Phinney died aged 69, leaving an instructive HISTORY OF CaOPERSTOWN. 161 example of talents and integrity with industry and fru- gality, resulting in respectability and wealth.'^ To the above, from the large biographical work of Rev. Dr. Blake, it may be added that the Messrs. Phin- ney commenced business with a trifling sum earned by their own hands. In 1809, they lost everything by an accidental fire. Unknown to them, Judge Cooper im- mediately started a subscription (which he headed with $100) to aid them in beginning again ; a respectable sum was thus tendered them, which although grateful for the liberal kindness which dictated it, they declined, preferring to go on their own resources. They accepted a loan of $1000 for a year or two, from Dr. John Rus- sell, and by application and economy, soon retrieved their losses. In one of their early publications, they procured the literary services of Rev. E. Nott, then preaching in Cherry Yalley, and since the distinguished president of Union college ; in regard to others, they had the advice of their pastor Rev. Dr. Neill and other judicious friends. It is believed that no work of im- moral or irreligious tendency has ever proceeded from their presses or those of their successors, who continue for the third generation, in the publishing business. The little almanac, or Phinnei/^s Calendar^ so familiar to our fathers, was started by Judge Phinney and con- tinued by his sons and grandsons. It still lives and must have reached near three score years and ten. Very few, if any, serials in the United States have reached the age of this plain little annual. Its astronomi- cal calculations for many years have been made by Prof. George R. Perkins, once a boy in their employ, and subsequently a professor and author of mathematics, and principal of the New York State Normal school. Phinneys and Todd owned the first paper mill in this part of the country. The Messrs. Phinney originated several peculiar me- thods of business, among which were large wagons in- geniously constructed to serve as locomotive bookstores. 162 HISTORY OP COOPERSTOWN. These had moveable tops and counters, and their shelves were stocked with hundreds of varieties of books. Their traveling agents or colporteurs drove these to many villages where books were scarcely attainable otherwise. They also had a canal boat fitted up as a floating book- store, which carried a variety beyond that found in ordinary village bookstores, anchoring in winter at one of the largest towns on the Erie canal. By these means a large amount of money was collected from a circuit of many hundred miles, which was mostly expended here in their manufactory ; this with the trade of the families of the proprietors and their workmen, con- stituted an important part of the business of the village. They also stocked and maintained for many years, the largest bookstores in Utica, Buffalo, Detroit and other large towns. Their introduction of new power presses necessa- rily abridging the amount of hand labor, caused some jealousy among the workmen discharged, of those re- tained. Anonymous threats w-ere received, of burning the manufactory unless the old order was restored. No attention was paid to these, and the entire manufactory was burned at night, in the spring of 1849, causing, of course, great distress to scores of workmen and their families, and inducing the removal of the publishing to Buffalo. A large portion of the loss was covered by insurance. The building was replaced by a better one in stone, and the local business is continued by Elihu Phinney and W. H. Ruggles. The month of March, 1865, will complete the term of 70 years since the first Phinney 's bookstore was opened in Cooperstown. The two sons of Mr. Elihu Phinney, H. F. and Elihu, jr., have long been extensively engaged in the publishing business, and have emulated the example of their fathers. The former, H. F., is widely known as a partner in the firm of Ivison, Phinney & Co., of New York, and the extent and merits of their publica- HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN, 163 tioDS may be inferred from the following notice taken from many others similar : " Ivison & Phinney, as educational publishers, hold incontestibly the first place in the American ranks, both for the enterprise of the house and the character of its issues." — New York Christian Advocate and Jour- nal. John M. Bowers. In addition to what is said of him elsewhere, the following editorial of the Freeman's Journal of March 7, 184(3, will be gratifying to many : ^^ Passing Away. — ^These thoughts struck us while witnessing the funeral of Mr. Bowers, on Sunday last, which was numerously attended, and a sermon preached by the Rev. Mr. Campbell. " The pall-bearers, eight in number, were venerable looking men, whose heads had been whitened by seven- ty winters, and whose interests were identified with the deceased by the occupancy of lease-hold farms, and long intercourse in the relation of landlord and tenant. We heard them speak with the kindest feelings of the deceased in that regard, which was no more than an emanation of justice, for it is proverbial of him that he was the friend of those connected with him by that re- lation, and ever disposed to succor those straitened for means and struggling in the pathway of life." He died Feb. 24, 1846, in his 74th year. Lawrence McNamee. He was one of the early settlers; was for many years an enterprising and successful merchant; and was well known as a kind, courteous, benevolent citizen. It has been said that he managed his own large estate until he was eighty years old. He died July 10, 1854, aged 82 years. He was uncle to Theodore McNamee, Esq., who was here when a boy, and who afterwards became one of the 164 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. merchant princes of New York, in the long well-known firm of Bowen & McNamee, which was dissolved several years since. James L. Fox, M. D. During a period of fifteen years, Dr. Fox was re- garded as an ornament to his profession, and was highly esteemed as a citizen. He died Jan. 16, 1857. Mr. and Mrs. Simon Vansice. These two individuals are here mentioned as exam- ples of respectability in humble life. Both have been residents of the village thirty years, and members of the Baptist church twenty years. He is a pensioner of 1812, having been in the battles of Fort Erie, Chip- pewa and Lundy's lane. At the last named place a cannon ball passed so near his head as to make him insensible for a considerable time, and he has never fully recovered from its stunning shock. Long will he be remembered in the village as the one who carried the charity basket for the religious societies. Mrs. Vansice has distinguished herself by her industry, as an index of which we need only mention, that during five years she, as laundress, received of J. Fenimore Cooper between five and six hundred dollars, earning in the meantime about an equal amount in doing the same work for others. James Stowell Was a thorough and successful business man, and a highly esteemed citizen for about twenty years. He died May 4, 1855. George Pomeroy. This name, for three score years, has been the com- mon inheritance of every household in the village. Dr. Pomeroy, as he was called, from his long experi- ence as druggist, is so familiar a name to our ears that, HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 165 while it is before the mind, we reluctantly admit that the individual has passed away. He was born in Northampton, Mass., in 1779 ; re- sided in Albany several years, and came to Coopers- town in 1801 ; was the first druggist in the village and county, and continued in the business for forty years. In 1803 he married Miss Ann Cooper, sister of J. Feuimore Cooper. She is still living. He was esteemed as an enterprising, upright, kind citizen, and was beloved as a Christian. The day after his death, which occurred Dec. 24, 1861, the officers and managers of the Otsego County Bible society passed the following preamble and resolutions : Whereas, in the providence of God, Mr. George Po- meroy has been recently removed by death, and was, previous to his decease, the last survivor of the original founders of this society, and who for nearly half a cen- tury was officially and actively concerned in its opera- tions, therefore, Resolved, That while we reflect with sadness, that the Bible cause has been thus bereft of an earnest and efficient friend, we have reason to be grateful for the service and the testimony of his long and useful life, and for the rare example of Christian character it has affi^rded. Resolved, That we tender our united and cordial sympathies to the family of the deceased in their deep affliction, and that these proceedings, properly attested, be published in the village journals. Frederick A. Lee, President. Chas. W. Smith, Rec. Sec'y. Theodore Keese, Esq. Mr. Keese was a native of the city of New York, and during the larger portion of his life, a resident thereof; but being connected, by marriage, with one of our pio- neer families, and, having for more than twenty years made this village a summer resort and residence — and 166 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. during the last ten or twelve years his permanent abode — he was claimed and regarded as one of our older residents. As a New York merchant, he was not simply suc- cessful, but prominently distinguishable for his busi- ness sagacity and prudence, and undoubted integrity and trustworthiness. He was not a merchant merely, ex- clusively or chiefly intent on worldly gains, but ever and always made the acquisition of heavenly riches the controlling aim and object of his life. Acquiring at early manhood a competency, with im- paired health, he retired from constant and active par- ticipation in business ; making this village, at first his summer residence, and finally his permanent abode. Incapable of being satisfied and happy by indulging in luxurious ease, and his liberal impulses and Christian spirit revolting at miserly accumulations and penurious savings, he o-ratified his cultivated taste and educational refinement in beautifying and adorning his residence ; and responded unostentatiously and generously, as an imperious religious duty, to all truly charitable, benevo- lent and religious objects. With health gradually improving, came the con- scientious promptings to participate again in the actings and doings of business men; and accordingly, some two years ago, he accepted the presidency of the Bank of Cooperstown, not as an honorary position, but as its chief financial officer and supervisor ; and became, not simply the liberal contributor, but the controlling coun- selor and director in all improvements which he re- garded of public utility and local embellishment. Mo- dest, courteous and unassuming in all his intercourse with his fellow men, he was also eminently bold, firm and determined in the assertion and practice of the right. But it was as a Christian man, whose daily walk and conversation attractively exemplified the beauty of holi- ness, and as a member and.warden of Christ's church, HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 167 ever laboring to extend its saving influences and to " adorn the doctrine of Grod our Saviour in all things,'' that the life and character of the deceased were pre- eminently distinguished. His anchor-hope was fixed in heaven, and his life and death practically and truth- fully illustrated, that goodness and godliness are " pro- fitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come." He died at his residence in this village, Sept. 27, 1858, in the 58th year of his age; and the following, as well as the preceding, is an expression then made in the Otsego Republican, of the loss that was felt in the community. Although we have the consoling assurance, and in that assurance an abiding faith that to die is gain, unto such a Christian man and good citizen, still his death is not only an afflictive dispensation of Providence and irreparable loss to this community, but it is also a public calamity. " Death has no terrors for the Christian soul," and when the mortal of our deceased friend was putting on immortality ; when his immortal spirit was resignedly, hopefully, peacefully and cheerfully taking its depart- ure to God who gave it, he knew that : " Death's but a path that must be trod, If man would ever pass to God." He knew that when his earthly house of this taber- nacle should be dissolved, he had a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. The funeral services were held at his late residence and the village church, on Friday morning; and his remains were deposited in Lakewood cemetery, and (in the words of the dedicatory ode, by the deceased), there, " By the lake, whose sparkling waters Lie before us, clear and deep ; In the grove and by the hill-side, May our beloved sleep. 168 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. And when our pilgi'im journey Brings us here, at last, to rest, Be our footsteps safely guided In the pathways of the blest." At a meeting of the board of directors of the Bank of Cooperstown, held Sept. 27, 1858, on the occasion of the death of Theodore Keese, Esq., late president of the institution, appropriate resolutions were unanimously adopted. John H. Prentiss. [From the Freeman's Journal.] Col. John H. Prentiss was born in Worcester, Mass., April 17, 1784. In 1808 he was foreman in the office of the New York Evening Post; and on the 8th of Oc- tober in that year he came to Cooperstown and estab- lished this paper, which he continued to edit and publish — with the exception of a single year — until January, 1849, a period of over forty years. He was a man of untiring industry in his business, and as an editor he always maintained a prominent position. He represented this district in congress during the four years of Mr. Van Buren's administration, having been reelected on the expiration of his first term. He was a useful member, of sound practical views, who served his constituency in an acceptable manner. For over half a century Col. Prentiss was a resident of Otsego, and during that time he had much to do in shaping its more important affairs. In all public matters affecting the welfare or interest of the county he was much consulted, and was generally an active participant. Decided and clear in his views, energetic and resolute in his action, with a great deal of natural strength of character and firmness of purpose, he was well suited to public life, and admirably calculated to stem the opposition which a man of prominence is al- most certain to meet. His interest in public affairs was maintained during life. As vice-president and afterwards as president of the HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 169 Bank of Cooperstown, he brought to the discharge of his duties a clear head and a general knowledge of bu- siness affairs which rendered him a safe adviser and a good officer. He died June 26th, 1861, after an illness of about three months. He bore his sickness and partial con- finement with a cheerful resignation remarkable in one who, during a lifetime of nearly four score years, had enjoyed almost uninterrupted health. We spent some time with him on Monday, and up to that date, and during all his sickness his mind was clear and strong. Indeed we never noticed at any time the first symptom of mental decay or weakness. During an hour spent with him two weeks ago to-day he remarked : "I think this disease has finally got the better of me ; I have examined the case carefully, compared it with similar ones treated of in a medical work I have, and am con- vinced that there can be little if any hope of recovery; few old people, I find, are cured of dropsy. If it could have pleased a good Providence, I should have been, glad to have lived a year or two longer, that I might have had a watch-care over the interests of my family during these troublous times, and perhaps have wit- nessed the restoration of peace to my country ; but I am an old man, and have been greatly blessed in the enjoyment of uniform good health, for which I feel very grateful, as well as for the kindness of my friends.'' He then alluded to the pleasure he had derived from, the perusal of some excellent books which had been sent him by different friends — for he continued to be until almost the day of his death, a great reader. Calmly he contemplated the approach of death ; and in the mercy of a good and forgiving God expressed his hope and confidence. Col. Prentiss married for his first wife a daughter of Gen. Jacob Morris, and for his second wife a daughter of Thomas Shankland, Esq., of this village. He leaves a widow and four children. 15 170 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. LAKE-WOOD CEMETERY. One of the most interesting features of the village is the resting place in the grove — God's first temple — Lake-Wood cemetery. Its origin is indicated by the following remarks from the report of its trustees in 1857 : The Lake-Wood cemetery was organized by a number of gentlemen of the village of Cooperstown, during the summer of 1856, to meet a requirement which had long been felt by the village and its vicinity, of pro- viding some more suitable place for the interment of the dead than the very limited accommodations of our already over-crowded churchyards. Its location seems particularly adapted to the pur- pose for which it is intended. Its natural advantages are great ; lying under the immediate shadow of Mount Vision and Prospect rock, and commanding a fine view of the lake, village and valley beyond, no requirement of a pleasing and quiet landscape is wanting ; while in the deep shade of the pines, which ever and anon sing their requiem for the departed, or under the lighter foliage of the chestnut and the maple, or in the tract on the southern extremity of the grounds, ever open to the sunlight, all tastes and feelings in the selection of lots can be gratified. Its first board of trustees consisted of: Samuel Nelson, Levi C. Turner, Frederick A. Lee, Ellery Cory, Theodore Keese, Joshua H. Story, John R. Worthington, Henry J. Bowers, Horace Lathrop, jr. At a subsequent meeting the following ofiicers were appointed : F. A. Lee, president ; Theodore Keese, vice-president; Jerome B. Wood, secretary ; Dorr Rus- sell, treasurer. In one of the village newspapers of September 18th, 1857, is found this statement : " It is due to truth and justice, however, to accord to Frederick A. Lee, Esq., the sole credit of originating this cemetery. It HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 171 was this gentleman who selected the grounds, who ne- gotiated their purchase, and who, at much expense of time and labor, succeeded in securing subscriptions for that purchase." It was dedicated on the 3d of September, 1857, at which time a chaste and appropriate address was de- livered by Mr. Gr. P. Keese, and a dedicatory ode writ- ten by Theodore Keese, Esq., was presented. The grounds, 20 acres, artistically laid out, lie aboaat a third part of a mile from the village, connected with it by a plank walk part of the way, the rest being gra- veled and turf-bordered. Many lots have been taste- fully decorated and enclosed. Several beautiful monu- ments have been erected, especially Cooper's and others, which are intended to bear the record of entire families. It has a substantial receiving vault, and a keeper's lodge at the entrance — Mr. Edwin Bell is keeper. The expenditures up to July, 1859, amounted to $6,589, and its receipts were $6,427. SLAVERY. At the present but few imagine that once in the village were heard "the crack of the whip and the footsteps of fear." But such was the case. In 1799 the following notice was published in the Otsego Herald : A Young Wench — For Sale. — She is a good cook, and ready at all kinds of housework. None can exceed her if she is kept from liquor. She is 24 years of age — no husband nor children. Price $200 ; inquire of the printer. Cooperstown, 19, 1799. At the time all the slaves of the state became free, a largely attended celebration of the colored population of the county was held at Cooperstown. Thomas Bronk, formerly a slave, supposed to be about 100 years old, and for many years respected for his morality and politeness, and now a member of Mr. W. H. Averell's household, is the last relic of the "peculiar institution" in the village. 172 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. HOPS. These constitute the most important branch of trade in the mercantile business of the village. The hop culture was introduced into Otsego county about thirty years ago. In 1845 only 168,605 pounds were pro- duced. During the month of January of that year there was formed at Cooperstown the Hop GrRowERs' Association, of which John W. Tunnicliff was appointed president, George W. Ernst, secretary, and G. W. Ryckman, cor- responding agent for foreign countries. From the small amount in 1845 there was an in- -crease to 3,122,258 pounds in 1855. This amount was produced from 4,132 acres. TEMPERANCE ORGANIZATION. In 1846 the subject of temperance was generally agitated, and in Otsego county it had many strong- ad- vocates, among whom Abraham Beeker, Esq., should be mentioned. In September of that year a society was organized in Cooperstown, and the following officers were appointed : John H. Prentiss, president; John Mason, William Kirby and L. Casler, vice-presidents; William C. Fields and John F. Mather, secretaries. At different times many other similar organizations have existed in Coop- erstown. RELIEF FOR IRELAND. At a numerously attended meeting, held in the Court House, March 4th, 1847, those present organized them- selves into an association for the relief of the starving in Ireland. Robert Campbell, Esq., was chairman and Charles McLean was secretary. The meeting was ad- dressed briefly by J. Fenimore Cooper^ who moved the appointment of a committee of seven to draft appropri- HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 173 ate resolutions. He was appointed chairman of that committee, consisting of himself and Messrs. Phillips, Harvey, North, Averell, Davis and McNamee. They drew up a set of resolutions which recommended the appointing of a central committee with full power to do all in the premises that humanity and discretion might dictate. The central committee were appointed, and their names are found in their address in the biographi- cal sketch of Cooper. They thoroughly aroused the sympathy and benevolence of the county, and as a re- sult of their zeal shipped for Ireland 125 barrels of corn and other grain. PIERSTOWN. This neighborhood, mentioned in the ChronicleSy holds a very intimate relation to the village. Its old- est inhabitants, among whom are the elder Warrens, Julius, Russell and Cyrenus, well known as industrious ■famers and upright citizens, have participated in all of the religious, social and civil interests of Coopers- town from its infancy, and some of its inhabitants have obtained public distinction, among whom we should mention the name of Hon. Isaac Williams. He came to Pierstown in 1793. His first office was that of under sheriiF in 1810 ; he was afterwards sherifi". He was member of congress in 1813, was reelected in 1817, and also in 1823. Long may his descendants remember the happy thanksgiving assemblies around the hearthstone of this honored Otsego patriarch, who has recently closed his earthly career. MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS. On the 5th of November, 1800, darkness came over the village so dense that at 10 o'clock a. m. lighted 174 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. candles were necessary to transact ordinary business with accuracy. A similar day occurred in 1819. In 1808, in the garden belonging to Judge Phinney, a radish 27 inches in length, 19 inches in circumfer- ence, and weighing 8 pounds and two ounces, was raised by Mr. Isa. Thurbur. The Otsego Rocket, a fast horse, owned in the village by Mr. S. T. Winslow, was sold in January, 1856, for $1,100. In 1852, the Otsego County bank was robbed of about $30,000. The rogue has not been detected. During this year, between twenty and thirty shoemakers in the village " made a strike." In 1852, Rev. Mr. Chapin and P. T. Barnum, of New York, were the orators of the Fourth in Cooperstown. It will be remembered, too, by many as the year in which Mr. F. A. Lee bought the house formerly owned by Mr. Henry Phinney, and in which Mr. G-. W. Ryckman bought the Hall and grounds previously in the possession of J. Fenimore Cooper, paying for them the sum of $10,000. Mr. Ryckman was at great expense in the improvement of the Hall, and opened it as a public house in July, 1853. In October, 1853, the Hall, or Cooper House, as it was called, and also known as the Ryckman House, was burned, having been insured for $32,000. In July, 1852, a swarm of bees took possession of one of the chimneys of Edgewater, the residence of Mr. Theodore Keese, and were not easily dislodged. This fact will remind many of the rendezvous which the swallows, for several years, at their first appearance, have made of one of the chimneys of the house on West street fronting Third street, where, for about a week, thousands have congregated each evening, form- ing a circle about fifty feet in diameter, one point of which was over the chimney, into which many were HISTORY OF cboPERSTOWN. 175 constantly dropping, while the rest continued flying on in the circle, until all, after about a half an hour, had crowded into their retreat for a night's lodgings. A course of lectures delivered by Dr. Gleason in Cooperstown in the winter of 1858, will not soon be forgotten by his hearers. While his lectures upon human anatomy and physiology were very instructive, illustrated by an extraordinary set of skeletons varying in size from the smallest to the largest, and by several manikins, he had his hobby, which he rode with great success, assailing pork as being almost the chief source of all cases of scrofula and scrofulous humors. He almost produced a panic in this way, and caused con- siderable loss to at least one pork speculator in the vil- lage, so many became convinced of its unhealthy nature, and ceased to use it for food. In September of this year, a company of the Wash- ington Continentals, of Albany, visited our village, and called together a large number of the citizens of the county to witness their parade. They were received by a brief and appropriate speech from Hon. L. C. Turner. In 1859, the village was greatly improved by the erection of houses on Chestnut street, and by the erec- tion and improvement of stores on Second street; stores occupied by Bingham & Jarvis, E. Hollister, and C. J. Stillman. In July, 1860, a gentleman ascended from the Fair grounds in an enormous balloon filled with heated air and smoke, rising high enough to pass over Mount Vision, beyond the top of which he was safely landed. A few days afterwards, he proposed to go up again, but after the balloon had risen he was seen among the spectators, and, to the surprise of many, " one of the boys " of the village was announced as the aeronaut. The balloon passed from the Fair grounds steadily 176 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. towards the lake, until it dropped down into Second street, near his father's door, without injury. OTSEGO COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. The first agricultural meeting of this county was held at the house of Col. Henry, of this village, Jan. 1st, 1817, to organize a society for the promotion of agricul- ture and the useful arts. Matthew Derbyshire, of Hart- wick, chairman; Samuel Coleman, of Otsego, secretary. The committee unanimously appointed to draft a con- stitution and " necessary papers" for the organization of the society, and to submit them for adoption on the 5th of February following, were : Rev. John Smith, Mat- thew Derbyshire, James Cooper, Strong Hayden, and William Crandal. Its First Officers were : Jacob Morris, president ; John H. Prentiss, recording secretary \ James Cooper, cor. secretary. The corresponding secretary, now so extensively known as an American author, then exhibited a deep interest in the agricultural prosperity of this county, as may be seen by a glance at his address to its citizens, found in the biographical sketch of him in this vol- ume. The first premiums offered were, for Spring Wheat ^ best 2 acres, $12 00 " 2d best, 8 00 Indian Corn^ best 2 acres, 12 00 " " 2d best, 8 00 Peas, best 2 acres, 10 00 " 2d best, „ 5 00 Barley, best 1 acre, 7 00 Ma2:>le Sugar, best 200 lbs., 10 00 Cheese, best 20 lbs., , 5 00 Buch Lamh, best, , 5 00 Bull, best 3 years old, 10 00 Swine, best male and female, 5 00 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 177 Oxen^ best, not over 5 nor under 3 years, .... 10 00 Cows^ best milcli, 7 00 " 2d best, 5 00 Cloth (domestic), best 20 yards made by ex- hibitor, 10 00 Pressed Cloth (women's wear), best 20 yards, (a set of silver teaspoons), 8 50 Linen Clotli^ best 20 yards made by exhibitor, (a set of silver teaspoons), 8 50 Flannel^ best 15 yards, 3 00 Total, $149 00 The first fair was h^ld on the 14th of October, 1817, in the Presbyterian Church. The services consisted of — 1, Vocal and instrumental music; 2, Prayer; 3, Presi- dent's address ; 4, Music ; 5, Awards of premiums ; 6, Music. After this, a procession was formed and marched to Col. Henry's to dinner. The clergy were " invited to honor the occasion, and dine with the society." Elisha Foote, J. H. Prentiss, Com. of Arrangements. • De Witt Clinton's Letter. At the first county fair, an address was delivered by Gen. Jacob Morris, and the premiums were proclaimed by Elkanah Watson, Esq., by whose request the secre- tary read the following letter from Grov. Clinton : Albany, Oct. 1, 1817. Sir : Considering the establishment of societies for the promotion of agriculture greatly conducive to the prosperity of our country, I shall always be happy to manifest my sense of their importance and value, and my high opinion of the public spirit and intelligence of 178 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. their founders. And I now accept with pleasure, the honor of admission as a member of the Otsego County Agricultural society. I avail myself of this occasion to transmit for trial by such of your members as may see fit, some wheat of un- common excellence. It was forwarded to me by Gur- don S. Mumford, Esq., a respectable citizen of New York, and was raised at his country seat on the island of New York. Four acres prepared and manured in an ordinary way produced 100 bushels. In the fall of 1815, he procured from on board a vessel in the harbor about half a peck of it, being struck with the peculiarity of its appearance. The produce of this composed the seed wheat of four acres. The straw is represented as rather small and stiff; the ear, of the common size, and the beard of uncommon length. The grains, you will ob- serve, are pretty transparent, and approach nearly to the hardness of rice. The place of its origin can not be exactly ascertained ; but it is either the coast of Barbary or the island of Sicily. The wheat is uncom- monly heavy, and according to a certificate in my pos- session, weighs 65 pounds and four ounces a bushel. I am, sir, very respectfully, Your most ob't serv't, ^ De Witt Clinton. James Cooper, Esq., cor. sec, &c. While Mr. Cooper was reading the letter, the bag of wheat was brought to the foot of the pulpit of the church — " the novelty had an impressive effect.^' To the thousands who are accustomed to meet upon the Fair grounds, the following article from Mr. Gr. P. Keese, will be read as a valuable historical document : The passage of the act of 1841, by which S8000 were divided among the several counties of the state for the encouragement of agriculture, gave a new impetus HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 179 to the various societies, and revived many which had become nearly extinct from lack of energy among the members. Pursuant to a call, published in the county papers, a meeting of f^irmers and other citizens of the county of Otsego, was held at the public house of Wm. Lewis, in the village of Cooperstown, on the 14th day of August, 1841, for the purpose of organizing a county agricul- tural society, in accordance with the recent act of the legislature. Joseph Phelon was called to the chair, and Samuel Russell chosen secretary. The meeting ap- pointed a committee to draft a constitution, which was subsequently submitted and approved. The society was thus declared duly organized, and proceeded to elect officers for the ensuing year, and to designate Coopers- town as the place for holding the first fair. The officers of the society at first consisted of a president, three vice-presidents, a secretary, a treasurer and an executive committee of five members, all elected annually. In 1842, an amendment was made by which the executive committee consisted of nineteen members. The fairs were held in Cooperstown about the 1st of October in each year, until 1S52, when, owing to the adoption of a proposition for the absorption of the agri- cultural society of Morris and the adjoining towns into the county society, and an agreement to hold the fairs alternately in the southern portion of the county and at Cooperstown, the fair was accordingly held at Morris. This is believed to be the only occasion in the history of the society, when the fair was held at another place than Cooperstown. Previous to the year 1851, the receipts of the society were mainly from memberships at one dollar each, and $148 annually from the state ; a small sum from dona- tions and sale of badges, made the total amount not far from $350. During the year above named a successful effi)rt was made to procure a tent for the purpose of ex- hibiting articles of domestic manufacture and the 180 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. products of tlie dairy, and as a small entrance fee was charged, the annual receipts were increased about $75. The fortunes of the society did not vary much for a few succeeding years ; but the want of suitable grounds was severely felt, the lot on which the fairs were usually held was altogether too circumscribed, and it soon be- came evident that if the society was to make any per- manent advancement, an enlarged area, permanent buildings, and in fact a thorough reorganization, were imperatively necessary. The passage of the act of 1855, by which societies could be more readily and efficiently organized than heretofore, afforded a good starting point. Accordingly at a meeting held at Cooperstown on the 10th of Octo- ber of that year, it was resolved, that a committee of seven, to be called the central committee of the county, be appointed, with authority to call a county agricultural convention, to consist of three delegates from each town, for the purpose of reorganizing the Otsego County Agri- cultural society ; said committee to have power to call meetings in the various towns, and to specify the time both for holding the meetings of the towns and of the county convention. The following were the gentlemen composing the committee : Francis Eotch, Frederick A. Lee, Richard Franchot, 0. C. Chamberlain, Alfred Clarke, Gr. Pomeroy Keese, Kenneth G. White. Pursuant to a call of the committee, the convention assembled in the Court House, on the 13th day of De- cember, when thirty-eight delegates, representing sixteen towns, appeared and took their seats. After much discussion upon the question whether the society organize under the recent act of the legislature, it was finally resolved, " That the convention adopt the old constitution, as amended in 1842, with a further amendment that the executive committee consist of twenty-four members. And it was further resolved that said committee have HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 181 power, whenever they deem it expedient, to reorganize the society under the law of 1855." It having been decided that it was expedient to select a place for a permanent location, and to purchase and prepare grounds in time for the next annual fair, the executive committee were empowered to receive pro- posals to that effect, and to select such place as seemed to promise best for the future interests of the society. In furtherance of this object, a meeting of the officers of the society was held in Cooperstown on the 8th of January, 1856, when proposals were received from the towns of Hartwick, Morris, Otsego and Springfield ; but, as some of them were not complete and distinct as to their offers, and in order to afford more time for con- sideration, the meeting adjourned to meet in Morris on the 22d of the same month. At this time the offers were renewed, and were, in substance, to furnish from eight to fifteen acres, properly inclosed, provided with suitable buildings, and a well graded track for the ex- hibition of horses. x\fter an animated and prolonged discussion, a formal ballot. was taken, at which twenty- five votes were cast, which resulted in the selection of Cooperstown by a majority of one vote, as the place for permanently holding the fairs. The executive committee, by virtue of the authority vested in them, then proceeded to reorganize the society under the law of 1855. The first ofiicers elected under the new organization were : Francis M. Rotch of Mor- ris, president ; Alfred Clarke of Springfield, vice-pre- sident; Jerome B. Wood of Cooperstown, secretary; G-.- Pomeroy Reese, of Cooperstown, treasurer; and in place of the executive committee, a board of six directors, composed of Henry Roseboom, Jacob C. Rathbun, Ken- neth Gr. White, William Davison, Richard Franchot and Linus N. Chapin. Immediately after their election, the officers appointed, certain of their number to secure the redemption of the pledge by the village of Cooperstown, and prepared the 16 182 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. grounds for the fair. A ten years' lease of the lot bounded by West and Water streets and the mill roadj containing about eight acres, was tak-en from Mr. W. H. Averell, with a privilege of purchase at any time within five years. The payment of the annual rent was guaran- tied without cost to the society, and the sum of $2000 was subscribed in the village and vicinity, to be expend- ed in enclosing the grounds, in the erection of the neces- sary buildings and pens, and in the construction of a track for the exhibition of horses. All this was accom- plished in a satisfactory and creditable manner, and within the sum above named. The first fair was held upon the new grounds in Oc- tober, 1856, and was in all respects a complete success; the number and quality of the stock and articles ex- hibited far exceeded any former occasion, and the receipts from memberships and for admission to the grounds reached the sum of $1200. Hesults so satisfactory stimulated the directors to renewed exertions, and they continued to improve the grounds by the erection of new buildings and other requirements, as the increased prosperity of the society from time to time seemed to demand. The greatly augmented numbers who attended the fair of 1861, added to the stock and articles on exhibi- tion, so thronged the Fair grounds that it became evi- dent that additional space would soon be needed to keep pace with the rising fortunes of the society. The officers, having previously completed the purchase of the original eight acres in accordance with the terms of the lease, proceeded to secure a ten years' lease of the adjoining lot, the property of Mr. George Clarke, which, when inclosed, will nearly double the size of the present bounds, and aiford every facility for all the requirements of the society for many years to come. The gross receipts of the society for the year 1861 were over $2000, and they have already paid nearly the whole amount of the purchase money of $4000, besides HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 183 offering an annual premium list of about $1500, These are certainly substantial evidences of prosi3erity. The society holds a winter meeting in December of each year, at which premiums are awarded on field crops, dressed meat, and fruit ; the annual election of officers takes place at this time. A pamphlet of about fifty pages is published annually, about the first of April, containing a list of officers and members, the premiums awarded at the previous fair and those offered for the present year, the reports of the several depart- ments, and other matters of interest. We will close this sketch with a record of the officers from 1841 to the present : Presidents. — David H. Little, 1841; Elisha Double- day, 1842; Joseph Bennett, 1843-45; 0. C. Cham- berlain, 1846 ; Wm. A. Walker, 1847 ; Williams Rath- bun, jr., 1848 ; Joseph W. Ball, 1849-50 ; William Davison, 1851; Samuel S. Bowne, 1852; Homer Cole- man, 1853; Alex. H. Clark, 1854; Joseph W. Ball, 1855; Francis M. Botch, 1856-57; Alfred Clarke, 1858-62. Vice-Presidents. — 0. C. Chamberlin, 1841 ; John W. Tunnicliff, 1842-43; 0. C. Chamberlain, 1844-5; Halsey Spencer, 1846 ; Williams Rathbun, jr., 1847 ; Joseph W. Ball, 1848; Luther Smith, 1849; Gustavus White, 1851; Henry J. Bowers, 1852; Alex. H. Clark, 1853; 0. N, Shipman, 1854; Benj. Pierce, 1855; Alfred Clarke, 1856-57; Jonah Davis, 1858- 59; Arthur A. Brown, 1860; George Clark, 1861; William I. Compton, 1862. Secretarys. — Charles McLean, 1841-1851 ; Chester Jarvis, 1852 ; Chas. J. Stillman, 1853 ; Jerome B. Wood, 1854-56 ; G. Pomeroy Keese, 1857 ; Chas. J. Stillman, 1858-61 ; Horace M. Hooker, 1862. Treasurers. — David L, White, 1841 ; Henry Phin- ney, 1842-1846; George W. Stillman, 1847; Seth Doubleday, 1848-1851; A. C. Moore, 1852; H. P. Metcalf, 1853; G. Pomeroy Keese, 1854-62. 184 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. THE GREAT FIRE OF 1862. As such it will long be remembered, for it was pro- bably greater than all the fires combined since the vil- lage was founded. It is with much sorrow, and with strong sympathy for our numerous friends whom it has caused to suifer, that we make our last local record in this book of a calamity so appalling. It is hoped that the dreadful scene of the night of the 10th of April, 1862, will be impressed deeply upon the minds of all who witnessed it, and that it, as a sermon of destruction, may teach them how suddenly earthly treasures may fly away upon the wings of fire. Thus, by properly heed- ing the teachings of Providence, they may learn to lay up more abiding treasures. As we were absent from the village at the time of the fire, our record of it will consist of the following accounts taken from the Free- man^ s Journal, and Otsego Repuhlican : The Great Conflagration at Cooperstown. One third or more of the business portion of Coopers- town is in ruins ! Strangers who come in from sur- rounding towns to look at the desolation brought upon us, hardly recognize the place, it is so sadly changed in appearance. From Mr. Phinney's residence on the west side of West street, and up Main, on both sides, to near Chestnut street (with the exception of Cory's stone store), nothing is seen but the foundation walls where a week ago stood hotels, stores and dwellings. Burgess Hall, containing three stores and a shop, and three or four of the stores on Main street, were erected only two years ago. Our beautiful village has received a blow from which it cannot entirely recover in many years. About half past ten o'clock on the evening of the 10th, the alarm of fire was sounded, and those who were on the ground in a very few minutes, saw the flames already bursting from the upper story and roof of Edwards's cabinet shojo, and in a few minutes more HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 185 the entire building was a sheet of flames, whicli rapidly communicated to Scott's large store house on the east, and to L. Brown's building on the west. The heat in the narrow street now became intense, and when the flames still further extended to Short's house on the east, and to Robinson's grocery on the west, it required the almost constant exertions of one engine and a num- ber of men with buckets, to keep the heat from setting fire to the buildings opposite. By the eflbrts of another machine stationed near the town pump, and by tearing down a shed on Willoughby's premises, adjoining Rob- inson's, the fire was prevented from extending further west. Thus Willoughby's, Cockett's and the Empire House were saved. While the fire raged in the stores on the north side of the Eagle Hotel, one of the machines was brought to play upon that large wooden pile, in the vain hope of saving it, and confining the fire to the north side of Main street. It was now about 2 o'clock, and a slight wind sprung up from the northwest. " The Eagle is going !" was the cry, and in an instant the flames had it in their fierce embrace. An alley way of a few feet only sepa- rated it from Burgess Hall. Before that building caught, the fire swept down upon the barns and sheds in rear of the Eagle, Hall's, Keyes's and Mrs. Carr's, and all that property was destroyed. At half past four, it was doubtful whether the fire would stop short, in that direction, of Winslow's and the Empire House. No. 3 disputed the supremacy at this point, taking her sup- ply from the never-failing town pum^D ; an old shed was ■ torn down, and about 5 o'clock the victory was decided in favor of the weary men who all night long had bat- tled against the devouring element at the west end of the town. When the north end of Burgess Hall took fire, and the angry flames shot up thirty feet above its roof, men who had labored for hours to stay the progress of the flames, became discouraged and appalled. A slight 186 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN- breeze from the west, it was seen, would lay the entire business portion of the town, and many dwellings, in ruins. Now commenced one of the hardest fights of that awful night. The heat opposite the Eagle and the Hall was intense, and it was hardly possible to stand there a moment without a screen of some kind to ward it off. Old No. 2, which has served this village for about half a century — was stationed as near the hydrant in front of Phinney's block as men could stand it to work ; and while one man held up an old door as a fire screen, two others brought the pipe to bear upon the Davis and Phinney buildings as often as the engine could be filled with water. Men were busily engaged in removing goods from all the stores east of the corner; others had manned the brakes for hours and were tired out, and it was left for a score or two of persons to maintain what at one time seemed to be an unequal fight at this point. More than twenty times within an hour, one or the other of these buildings was on fire around the windows or near the roof, and as often extinguished by old No. 2 and persons in the buildings. The flames passed on from the Burgess block to Mr. Kip's house, to Peck's hotel, to Groat's large building and the out-buildings attached, and finally to Mr. Wal- worth's handsome residence on the hill. No. 2 con- tinued to protect the buildings on the opposite side of the street, and kept the fire from spreading over that part of the village. Just as Mr. W.'s house caught fire from the rear buildings of Mr. Groat, the machine was taken there, and could a supply of water have been promptly obtained, the house might have been saved. Seeing their labors there unavailing, a more successful effort was made to save the residence of Mr. Phinney ; and thus the southern boundary of the fire was fixed. The fire had now raged for seven hours ; but so stir- ring had been the scenes of that dreadful night, so ac- tively employed had been every willing hand, so full of apprehension every head and heart, that the break of HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 187 day took nearly all by surprise. The night was calm and beautiful ; for three hours not the slightest breeze wafted the flames to either point of the compass — (for that earnest men thanked Grod) — and at no time did it to any considerable degree influence the fortunes of that memorable night. The pale moon looked coldly down upon the long time unavailing efforts of man to check the career of the mad element — her light eclipsed by the flames which lit up the sky from acres of burning buildings. At times the scene was one of awful gran- deur and sublimity, which the pen cannot describe, but which those present will never forget. The firemen labored manfully, the citizens generally worked with a will ; scores of noble women stood in the lines for hours passing buckets, while others aided in removing furniture, &c., from buildings threatened with destruction — the soldiers under Lieut. Yanderslice were seen wherever hard work was to be done. We have heard a great deal of fault-finding, but taking it alto- gether, there was much more to praise. The following is a list of the number of buildings burned, the number of occupants, value and insurance : Build- No. of Owners. ings. occupants. Value. Insurance. L. J. Walworth, } 3 $2,500 H. Groat, 3 1 2,000 $1,000 D. Peck, 3 1 1,000 1,000 Kipp & Grant, 2 2 2,500 J. H. Burgess, 3 5 4,000 3,000 Wm. Lewis, 6 1 7,000 2,000 W. Van Booskirk, ..... 1 1 1,000 W. C. Keyes, 6 3 3,500 Mrs. Carr, 2 1 1,000 Z. Willoughby, 1 150 A. Robinson, 1 2 1,000 800 L.Brown, 3 3 1,200 E.& H.Cory, 2 1 1,500 J. F. Scott & Co., 2 1 2,500 1,000 No. of ;cupant£ !. Value. Insurance. 2 1 Sl,500 500 1 1,500 2 2 4,000 2,000 $3,500 2 5,000 2,500 5 2,000 1,000 500 188 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. Build- Owners, ings. J. J. Short, 2 E. & H. Cory, 3 J. Wood, 3 Bingham & Jarvis, 3 H. Hollister, 2 S. Nelson, 3 H. N. Robinson, 1 M'Namee's estate, 3 57 40 $48,850 $16,800 The following is a sum of the losses, other than buildings : Loss, $53,175 ; Insurance, $3,300. Another Large Fire ! — Just as the eloom was beginning to lift a little from our afflicted village, an- other severe blow has fallen upon us, leaving aii ugly scar in the eastern part of the town. The Otsego Hotel, with its barns and sheds, the large building ad- joining on the east, and Mr. Bingham's house and barn on the north, was destroyed by fire on Monday night last. Eleven horses, and several wagons, harness, &c., were consumed in this barn. In two hours the pro- perty above described was in ashes, and a number of families turned out of doors* Total loss at this fire, about $10,000 ; insured for $4,000. BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCH OF JAMES FENIMORE COOPER. « < • » > HON. WILLIAM COOPER. As the founder of the village of Cooperstown, after whom it was named, as the father of the celebrated James Fenimore Cooper, and as a man of enterprise arid benevolence, he is entitled to our respectful and affectionate remembrance. The assistance which he rendered in the early settlement of this county, and his lenity towards the settlers who were struggling with the trials of pioneer life, may be inferred from the following address to many of them, published in the Otsego Her- ald^ December, 1797 : " Mr. Cooper presents his compliments to such of the inhabitants of this county who have purchased land of him, and are in arrears for payment, and informs them that he is unexpectedly called upon for a large sum of money, which must be paid by the twentieth day of January next. He hopes, therefore, as this is the first time in eleven years that he hath called for money in his own right, that those on the old patent will strive to assist him ; those on the Hartwick patent are greatly in arrear, if they can not pay, they may come and tkea perpetual leases ; those on the Otsego patent ought to pay ; those on Morris's patent are expected to appear -, 190 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOAVN. those on the Hillington patent that expect any advan- tage from their contracts must perform, on their part, the covenants that have hitherto been neglected ; those on the Jew's patent will do well to pay in part -, those on the Wharton creek patent will, no doubt, bring something forward, as well as those on Schuyler's pa- tent. The smallest sums will be received by, gentlemen, " Your friend, " William Cooper/' u In 1798 he was appointed commissioner to open the great jDublic highway from Cooperstown to the Cayuga lake." Here is a part of his proclamation : " Such of the inhabitants as will mark out the way " (by blazing the trees he undoubtedly meant), " may be assured that every route will be actually explored by the subscriber, and that way opened which is best for the public ; and as there are but $3000 appropriated to cut out a four-rod road, of 90 miles in length, the set- tlers on the course must expect no reward for their in- formation, but that of having the main state road (on which the public post will travel) pass through their settlements, and the distance from Cayuga to Albany shortened 40 miles at lea^t. After the route is esta- blished, contracts will be entered into for cutting and erecting bridges on the same." In 1791, as stated in the CAro?z/c^es, he was appointed the first judge of the county. In 1794 he was elected, by a large majority, representative to congress, and during his term of service in the national council, we learn from good authority, he was an efficient member. In 1796 he presented to congress 5365 names of free- holders appended to a petition for the passing of a treaty, I think, with Spain. On his return to Cooperstown, June 26, 1796, he was received in Cherry Valley with enthusiasm from the citizens, and before reaching home he was met by an escort of horsemen, and was welcomed into the village HISTORY or COOPERSTOWN. 191 by a file of his townsmen on each side of the street, ex- tending their lines to the river bridge, while sixteen guns were reverberating between Hannah's hill and Mount Vision. Some anecdotes told of him show that he had much vivacity of spirit, A tenant who had failed to pay his rent came to Mr. Cooper and excused himself on the ground of sickness, which hindered him from sowing and planting in sea- son. Said Mr. Cooper, in reply : " Well, you look healthy enough now, and I take you to be something of a wrestler." " Yes," said the man, " all of that is true.'' " Then," replied Mr. C, "I'll wrestle with you in public on the wager of your farm. If you throw me, at square hold, I'll give you a deed of your farm ; if I throw you first, you lose this offer." The challenge was cheerfully accepted, and the Judge notified the vil- lage, as far as convenient, of the contest, bringing to- gether a large number to see his corpulent honor exhi- bit the laughable spectacle of wrestling on a wager. The contest, on Fair street, was soon over, as the Judge, flat on his back, amid a shout of laughter, exclaimed : " The farm is yours." He would gladly submit to a good joke at almost any expense. An eccentric neighbor was going to Albany, and Mr. C. handed him a bill of considerable amount to collect there, saying to him : " You collect this and I'll give you half." A few days after the man returned and, just looking into the Judge's office, said : " I have collected my half of that money, and will get yours as soon as I can." The joke was the creditor's half. His great benevolence and energies were enlisted chiefly in assisting early settlers to furnish themselves with comfortable homes in the wilderness. Mr. Jared House, one of the oldest settlers of Lowville, Lewis county, N. Y., still recollects the singular appearance of Judge Cooper, in his two-wheeled carriage with several men each side of it to keep it from upsetting, as he was 192 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. leading, by way of Lowville, a large company of pio- neers through the dense forests to De Kalb, in St. Law- rence county, where he had erected a house, said to be sixty feet square, for their accommodation, until they could build houses for themselves. When J. Fenimore Cooper was traveling in England, he was happily surprised one day as his eye fell upon a litttle volume of Directions for Emigrants to America, the author of which was his own father. He is remembered by some of the oldest residents of this village, and is spoken of as a man of great kindness to the poor. It is said that he visited them in person, and carried wine and food to those in sickness. The following testimony of him is taken from the Cooperstown Federalist of December, 1809 : " Died. — In the city of Albany, on the morning of the 22d inst., the Hon. William Cooper, aged 55 years. His remains were removed to his seat in this villao-e, and on Monday following were interred in the Episco- pal burying ground. " Though at this day eulogy, by some, is considered as but common fame, yet it would be withholding a tribute justly due not to say that the many shining qualities of Judge Cooper are bright examples for imitation. His enterprise, perhaps, without a parallel, contributed more to the settlement and prosperity of this county than that of any other person, and this vil- lage, which so deservedly bears and ought to perpetuate his name, remains a monument of his public zeal and benevolent designs. His friends, while they cease not to lament his death, will cherish with satisfaction the recollection of his virtues. An afflicted family have to mourn the loss of his paternal care and affection, while the poor and unfortunate look in vain for their departed friend and benefactor. " His piety, for he was thoroughly persuaded of the truth of revelation, was accompanied with the warmest benevolence to his fellow creatures. No one could more HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 193 strongly feel tliat tlie love to God was to be united with love to man. Nor was this a principle that rested in kind wishes and pathetic feelings for the happiness of others ; but it was manifested in the most active exer- tions for their welfare. No scheme of doing good was ever suggested to him into which he did not enter with ardor. But the generosity of his mind was most dis- played in assisting the erection of places of divine wor- ,ship, and in spreading the gospel among those who were strangers to it. In these he took the lead, and by his example he inspired others with the same spirit.'^ MRS. WILLIAM COOPER. Her eulogy was written by Solomon, in the words : " She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness." Her maiden name was Elizabeth Fenimore, and her son James, by a legislative enactment, changed his own name from James Cooper to J. Fenimore Cooper. " His mother, whom in personal aspect, as well as in mental and moral traits, he greatly resembled, was the daughter of Richard Fenimore of New Jersey, a family of Swedish descent, and great personal excellence and social distinction. She, too, like her son, possessed remarkable energy of character, and a cultivated and commanding intellect, and is remembered to have been fond of romance reading. Her immaculate housekeep- ing, personal beauty, and family consequence, made her to a memorable degree a sharer in the influence of her husband, both in the household and in the community." — New Am. Cyc. Names of Judge Cooper s CMldven^ in the order of birth. — Richard Fenimore; Hannah, killed in Butter- nuts, by being thrown from a horse ; Ann, died in in- fancy ; Abraham and Isaac, twins, the former died in infancy ; Abraham, died in infancy ; Ann, the present Mrs. Pomeroy ; William and Elizabeth, twins, the latter 17 194 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. died in infancy; Samuel; James Fenimore ; Henry Fry, the only one born in Cooperstowu, died in infancy. Twelve in all. Of all who lived to maturity we shall not be expected to speak in detail. Yet, two of them have merited all the notice which they here receive. HANNAH COOPER.* The eldest daughter of Judge Cooper, Miss Hannah, was a young lady whose suj)erior endowments alone would well adorn a memoir. She was greatly beloved by her acquaintances, and especially by the poor and the suffering, to whom, in times of scarcity, she was as an angel of mercy. Sharing largely in the benevolence of her father, she was accustomed to carry, on horseback, provisions to the needy in the vicinity. She visited the prisoners in the jail frequently, giving them books, and sometimes talked with them through the grates of their windows, endeavoring to imjiress upon their minds the truths of morality and religion. By her winning, tender and persuasive conversation, their hard hearts, at times, were deeply affected. The following notice of her death is taken from the Otsego Herald : Melancholy Catastrophe. " From stately palaces we must remove, The narrow lodgings of the grave to jDrove ; Leave the fair train, and the light, gilded room, To lie alone benighted in the tomb." It becomes our duty, with mournful regret and poig- nant grief, to announce the melancholy exit of Miss Hannah Cooper, eldest daughter of William Cooper, Esq., of this place, on Wednesday evening the 10th inst., at the town of Butternuts, in this county. Miss Cooper having the preceding morning set out * See page 50 of the Chronicles. HISTORY OP COOPERSTOWN. 195 with her brother, Richard Fenimore Cooper, Esq., on horseback, on a visit to Gen. Morris's, of Butternuts, and having arrived within about two miles of their destination, the horse on which Miss Cooper rode took an affright, and threw her against the root of a tree with such force as to fracture her skull in so terrible a manner as almost instantly to deprive her of existence. Her remains were the next day conveyed to the Mansion House of Judge Cooper, and the day following her funeral was attended by a very large concourse of weep- ing citizens. A sermon was delivered on the melan- choly occasion by the Rev. Daniel Nash, which was very applicable and impressive ] but nothing could heighten the deep gloom which pervaded the countenances of the whole assembly. In Miss Cooper her relatives and the community have sustained an inestimable loss. Possessing every amiable quality which could endear her to society, every worldly blessing which could render life desira- ble, and every pious sentiment which could disarm death of its terrors, in the bloom of life, in a moment she was snatched away from all the fond anticipations of her relatives and friends, and her proposed agree- able visit was changed to a visit to that country " from whose bourne no traveler returns." Adieu, dear departed excellence ! Thou art gone from us, but so long as benevolence and charity, inno- cence and purity, gentleness and piety, dignity and modesty shall be respected, so long shall thy memory be cherished by all with whom thou wast conversant. The maidens of the village shall frequently repair to thy tomb — they shall recollect thy virtues, and shall there renew their vows to imitate " thy bright examples till they shine like thee." An affectionate remembrance of her, it is said, was the occasion of giving her name to Hannah's hill, an eminence northwest of the village, from which one of the finest views is obtained. 196 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. JAMES FENIMORE COOPER. He was born in Burlington, New Jersey, September 15th, 1789. In his infancy he was brought by his parents into the then wild regions of Otsego, where his childhood was spent amid the variegated scenes of nature and of pioneer life, where the Indian fishing and hunting grounds were still visited by fragments of once powerful tribes — scenes so vividly impressed upon his mind, that in riper years he was able to reproduce them in his tales, now so popular in many lands. In his boyhood he evinced some extraordinary traits of character. Yet, his schoolmates knew him only as being " Jim Cooper," as he is still designated by some who were once his playfellows. He was a generous and resolute lad. The following is from his daughter. Miss Susan Cooper, and is found in the Pages and Pictures^ a volume whose leaves of "flexible ivory" and costly embellishments place it beyond the reach of many of our readers : " His childish recollections were all closely connected with the forests and hills, the fresh clearings, new fields and homes on the banks of the Otsego. It was here his boy's strength was first tried in those sports to which gray-headed men, amid the cares of later life, delight to look back. From the first bow and arrow, kite and ball, to later feats in fishing, riding, shooting, skating, all were connected with his highland home. It was on the waters of the Otsego that he first learned to handle an oar, to trim a sail. Healthy and active, he delighted in every exercise of the kind — a brave, blithe- hearted, impetuous, most generous and upright boy, as he is remembered by those who knew him in child- hood." His first teacher's name was Joshua Dewey, who taught him his alphabet. His next teacher was Oliver Cory, who taught the village school many years, and HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 197 made liis pupils food of public exhibitions, among whom James Cooper, when only about eight years old, was somewhat conspicuous for his recitations, especially of the Beggar's Petition. We next find him at Albany, under the instruction of R-ev. Mr. Ellison, where he remained no great length of time. His opportunities for an education were good, and were evidently well improved, for, at the age of thirteen, he was admitted to Yale college. Here he remained only three years, and left probably with an imagination too active and an ambition too strong to be kept longer sub- servient to the arbitrary rules of scholastics. It was not enough for him to sit in the lecture room to trace out the adventures of ^neas ; nothing but an actual contest with the winds and the waves would satisfy his impetuous nature, and accordingly, in his sixteenth year, he went to sea, his first voyages being to England and to Spain. Soon after these voyages he entered the navy, in 1805, it is said, which shows that he must have had strong impulses and considerable competency to have sought and obtained this position before he had seen seventeen years. His voyages to England and Spain had been made before the mast, but on the naval vessel he was entered as a midshipman, from which he was afterwards promoted to a lieutenantcy. During six years he followed the sea, the last part of which period, however, he was on lake Ontario, after which he re- turned to the scenes of his childhood amid the hills of Otsego. As a young man he was intelligent, and yet not learned scholastically ; ambitious, generous and fond of amusement. At this age he gave an index of his cha- racter and physical enersfies by the following incident : While in company with some of his young compa- nions, as athletic exercises were then common, a foot race was proposed. The course was to be around the square, that is, from what is now Davis's corner south to Third street, throuo-h this to Water street, down this to 198 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. Second street, and then to the place of starting, a dis- tance of about 100 rods. James Cooper was mentioned as one of the competitors, and his antagonist was select- ed. Girls and boys, men and women, were to be spec- tators, according to the custom. James, like a young- horse glorying in his strength, looked at the wager — a basket of fruit — then at his competitor, and accej)ted the challenge, but not on even terms. It was not enough for the young sailor simply to outrun the lands- man, he would do more. A little girl stood by, with a countenance bright with animation in prospect of the race. He caught her up in his arms, and with the pride and muscle of a Grecian athlete, exclaimed : " I'll carry her with me and beat you !" They started, and away they flew, the little girl upon his shoulders ; one corner was turned, and the amused and excited villagers saw with surprise young Cooper with his burden keep- ing pace with the other flying youth ; another, and soon another corner were passed, and both, one in fear of dis- graceful defeat, and the other with the unflinching re- solve to obtain a more than ordinary victory, sprang forward like race horses near the end of the course. But Cooper, with the little black-eyed girl upon his shoulders, and with sweat from his manly brow pouring down his cheeks, was first to reach the goal and to be proclaimed the victor, with such cheers and hurrahs as are heard only where the freedom of utterance among pioneers is enjoyed. The basket of fruit was his, which he distributed among the spectators, and that little girl, afterwards the wife of Capt. William Wilson, now lives in the village to tell the story of her ride upon James Cooper's shoulders. She recollects him as a " pleasant, familiar, young man." Not long after this he was married and was brought into the arena of letters where, notwithstanding his missteps, he has fairly won a chaplet that will not soon fade away. In his twenty-second year, Jan. 1, 1811. he married Miss Susan Delaucey, sister ©f the well-known Bishop HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 199 Delancey. Slie is affectionately remembered by the citizens of Cooperstown, as a lady of high accomplish- ments and of religious devotion, and ever should she be esteemed by the literary world for having gently be- dewed with her approval the first bud of Cooper's genius, as he read to her his first chapter of his first book, a bud which she might have withered with a look, yea, with a word might have blasted the tree. His first novel. Precaution, attracted considerable attention both in this country and in England. The following notice of it, in 1821, was found in an English paper, showing that a new genius had arisen to take its place in the galaxy of letters, and that the first rays of its light fore- told its future brightness. " Precaution. — Whoever may be the writer, we have to congratulate the public on the accession of a new novelist possessing a peculiar felicity of talent for this species of composition." Immediately after his marriage he lived some time in Westchester caimty, after which he became a resident of Cooperstown, where he remained several years. During this period, though devoted principally to lite- rature, he paid considerable attention to agriculture and social interests in general. He was the first secretary of the first agricultural society formed in Otsego county, and as such, at the age of twenty-eight, his correspond- ence with eminent men, one of whom was De Witt Clinton, showed the interest he felt in the society, to be that of a citizen in full sympathy with a rural com- munity whose welfare he was ardently seeking. This is seen by the following address : To the Freeholders of the County of Otsego : During the last sitting of the court of common pleas, an association was formed with a view to advance the agricultural interests of this section of the state, by the title of The Otsego County Agricultural Society. At the time of its formation, the business of the court had assembled in Cooperstown a large number of respectable 200 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. freeliolders from all the adjacent towns. Most of them were favorably inclined to the organization of this so- ciety, and many of them have become its members. But a more general contribution to its funds, and co- operation with the measures of its patrons, are necessary to give vigor to the institution. It has become my official duty to invite your attention to its usefulness, and solicit your patronage for its sup- port. The result of similar societies in our own country affords undeniable evidence of their usefulness. The Pennsylvania Agricultural society has wrought a sur- prisingly advantageous change in the mode of farming in the elder counties of that state, and opened the most en- viable of all mines to the possession of its inhabitants — a certain and ample return for the labor of the husband- man. Hundreds of farmers in that, as well as in other states, are in the successful practice of modes of hus- bandry, in the use of labor saving instruments, or in the possession of improved breeds of cattle, who are ignorant from what source it is that, under God, they derive those blessings. Even we, in the possession of English grasses, and the varieties of apples, plums, &c., and in the use of plaster, are reaping the fruit of seed sown by different societies of this nature. Unity of action can alone give vigor or extension to experiments in husbandry ; and singleness of direction can not fail to increase their effects. Thus, many things which may strike you as foreign to our particular inte- rests and at variance with most favorite customs, but which excited the attention of distant institutions, must be excluded from our own. Acquainted with the pecu- liarities of our own soils, climate, situation, our wants and our resources, the Otsego Agricultural society will act directly on the interests of ourselves. The county of Otsego has passed its infancy, and is rapidly maturing into manhood. It is hoped that this institu- tion will influence its character. Most of you Lave been able to witness the good prodnced by the neat, judicious HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 201 and economical fcirmer in a neighborliood ; what may we not expect from a combination of such men ? The presenting to the observation of the public the result of successful experiments will enable the poor man to profit by the wealth of others, without hazarding his contracted means. In short, it has become a truism, that while there is nothing of a temporal nature so im- portant as husbandry, there is no science of which men are in general so ignorant. It is, that this society may receive a support that will enable the board of officers to give a practical demon- stration of its usefulness, that I now address you. Any person, paying one dollar, and agreeing to pay one dol- lar annually, can become a member ; without beconiing a member no one can be a candidate for a premium. The constitution is published, and to that I beg leave to refer you for the manner in which it is proposed to conduct this association. I have addressed circulars throughout the county, with a request that the gentle- men to whom they are directed will use their influence with their neighbors in the furtherance of this object. But fearful that many, in every way entitled to the re- spect of a particular notice may, in the hurry of busi- ness, be omitted, I now address this general invitation to the freeholders of the county of Otsego, that they will give the subject their consideration, the proposed measure a trial, and, it is hoped, the society eventually, their cordial support. James Cooper, Fenimore, March 13, 1817. Cor. Secretary. After a short residence in Cooperstown, Mr. Cooper removed to New York, where he became intimate with the principal literary characters of our country at that time. After having enjoyed the advantages of their society a few years, especially in his Bread and Cheese club, he, in 1826, with his family sailed for Europe, where he traveled quite extensively and resided during a period of about seven years. At the time of his sub- 202 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. sequent visit to CooperstowD, not long after liis return from Europe, Col. Prentiss published in his paper the following" notice : " Our distinguished fellow citizen, James Fenimore Cooper, is now on a visit to this his native village, after an absence of about sixteen years, much of which time he spent in England and France, and while abroad, by the efforts of his productive pen added greatly to the literary reputation of his country, and aided in giving character to her political institutions." The period here specified must include his residence in New York, which would make the time of his re- moval to that city to be the year 1817 or 1818, pro- bably the latter, for in September, 1817, he was present at the first Otsego county fair. To the three years spent at Yale add the six years he was at sea, the time of his residence in New York and his absence in Europe, and it will be seen that the portion of his life at Coop- erstown previous to 1834, was less than that during which he was away, making it impossible for him to be intimate with all the villagers, many of whom were new comers and to him strangers. Soon after his return from abroad he became a permanent citizen of the vil- lage, to which his name will ever be a distinguished ornament. As a citizen Mr, Cooper, like all others, had his de- fects, but these were so far outnumbered and overba- lanced by his virtues, that none but habitual detractors speak of him otherwise than with praise, as his charac- ter in the aggregate is considered. The amount of labor which he performed left him but little time for socia- bility. When he jvalked the streets his mind, abstract- ed from present scenes and passers-by, was doubtless threading the forest, wandering over the prairie, or en- gaged in a sea fight. This, with the fact of his spend- ing so much time in his study, accounts for the seeming distance there was between him and many of his fellow citizens. HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 208 ' The following recollections of him are furnished by Mr. S. B. Chamjjion, editor of the Bloomville Mirror^ who was formerly connected with the office of the Free- mcnts Journal : " Mr. C. usually took a morning walk, then devoted himself to his works until late in the afternoon, after which you would see him out again. He walked erect, usually carrying a cane ; seldom conversed with persons in the street. At times he would visit the Journal office, nearly every morning, on his way to the post office. He seldom sat down, but paced the room back and forth, engaged in such conversation with Col. Pren- tiss as the news of the day suggested. He watched the Mackenzie trial with interest, and in fact every event of importance of a na^io?2a? character, such as developed the power of self government and decisions that were to be precedents in history, especially those relating to foreign nations. The Journal of Commerce and the Evening Post were the principal papers on his table. " In his suits ao-aiost several editors, he seemed to entertain the opinion that it was his duty to defend him- self 2i^ an author and citizen, not for the purpose of ob- taining the awards as a pecuniary profit. He liked fair criticism. " To show his power of composition, on one occasion he told Col. Prentiss to set the type and he would give him the article. This was done without a word being; written. Occasionally he wrote articles for the Journal. If he happened to come in when Col. P. was absent, he would enquire for some particular paper, and converse a few minutes with the compositors. No one in his com- pany could feel otherwise than as being in the presence of a man endowed with more than ordinary ability and power of mind. "As a citizen he was kind to the poor, liberal in every way to advance the good of society and the wel- fare of the inhabitants of the village. He did not play the egotist. He sought not the applause of the people 204 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. He relied on the lasting effects of his labors upon the public mind both at home and abroad, for the establish- ment of his fame as an author. He visited his publish- ers (Lea & Blanchard, Philadelphia), often, generally o-oino" by stage to the rail road. He kept no fast horses and fine carriages. He had a horse, and sometimes rode him along up the side of the lake, but seldom rode in a carriao-e. When not in his study he was frequently enjoying a walk about his own premises, examining his shrubbery, plants and flowers, of which there was an abundance." Another has characterized him thus : " Impulsive by nature and positive by habit, he expressed his opinions decidedly, and, not unfrequently, required acquiescence therein imperatively." His grounds were beautifully adorned with fruit trees, shrubbery and flowers, over all of which he kept a watchful and observing eye. It was very annoying to him to have his enclosure crossed by promiscuous individuals as though it were as public as a pasture. At one time two women came through his gate, made an errand to the domestic apartment of the Hall, and as they went away leisurely strolling along the walks, one of them, not making a sufficient distinction between a forest and a gentleman's pleasure garden, picked a rose without permission. The next she knew, Mr. Cooper appeared, with stentorian voice and cane flourishing. Her fright was not so great as to hinder her from re- membering that she took " an awful lecture," and that he said to her : '• It is just as bad to take my flowers as to steal my money." On another occasion, as he was walking with some ladies in his grounds they came to a tree laden with fine apples, and wishing to reach them, called to him a little boy then in the street, introducing him to the ladies as one of the best bo3"s of the village — one who never molested his fruit. Mr. Cooper raised the little fellow up to the limbs from which he picked ap- HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 205 pies enougli for the company, after which he was told to fill his own pockets, and as a reward of his honesty was promised more apples when he should come again. The boy, delighted with his treatment, waited patiently a few days and then repeated his visit to the tree, forgetting to ask permission. Mr. Cooper, at consider- able distance, unable probably to distinguish the boy from others that had been frequent intruders, with his loud and threatening voice, accompanied by the savage barking of the watch dog, frightened the well meaning little fellow terribly, and incurred not a few censures which may have been unmerited. But how many have greater faults than he, without having half his virtues ! The elements of his nature brought out in kindness to this little boy, one day, by goodness in the child, and in severity by an apparent wrong, a few days after, are delineated incidentally in the following lines from the pen of his daughter : " Enjoyment of the humorous, a relish of the comical and ludicrous, were very strongly marked in Mr. Cooper's familiar life. At the table, by the fireside, his conver- sation was full of cheerful vivacity, of fun and pleas- antry. He talked invariably with great freedom and fullness — often with an earnestness, a power and an eloquence which riveted the attention of those about him. While touching upon some subject of a grave nature — especially when moral feeling was fully aroused — language and manner, and countenance, would appear severe and stern in the extreme. An hour later, perhaps, the same fine countenance would become beam- ing with kindness, or glowing with merriment. He delighted in a humorous anecdote, in a witty remark. When, in the course of reading, anything of this na- ture came in his way, he was never satisfied unless it was shared with others ', very frequently the laughable passage was carried immediately into the family circle, and read by him with infinite zest, and with a singularly 38 206 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. hearty laugh — tears of merriment, meanwhile, rolling down' his cheeks." — Pages and Pictures. These statements are illustrated by anecdotes still related of him by his acquaintances. The one follow- ing is told by an eye witness : While Mr. Cooper was superintending the repairs on the Episcopal church, as the wood of the pews was oak, he wished to see the effect of oil on his favorite grain. He turned to his man David, who was usually employed about the Hall and said — " David, go to Bo- den's and tell him to come up here and bring with him a quart of boiled oil." David hesitated, looked con- fused, and very respectfully said: "What did you say ?" Mr. Cooper replied, placing his right forefinger in the palm of his left hand at the full, distinct and deliberate utterance of each word, repeating his order for the holled oil, the latter words being sounded out with all the dipthongal riches which his sonorous voice could impart. But David was yet doubtful, and said : " Mr. Cooper, do you not mean hiled He T^ After a hearty laugh peculiar to himself he said to his man — " yes, David call it hiled He if it suits you any better." Often did he react this scene for others and enter into it with a zest that resulted in tears of laughter. Notwithstanding his passions were naturally impetu- ous, they were habitually under the control of an iron will and a generous sensibility. At one time, on re- turning from New York, not finding the book cases finished in his library, while his carpenter was there at work, he began to write where the harsh and painful sounds of the saw and hammer were continuous. His pen stopped several times, and his brow became cloudy. Soon he arose, put the sheet in the fire, and said plea- santly to the workman — " it is a pretty place to write a novel in a carpenter's shop, and if you don't look sharp I shall have you in one" He then seated himself at his table and wrote without the least appearance of dis- turbance amid the noise. HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 207 At another time, while at the Court House in the midst of one of his vexatious law suits, he was called out from court to see some work which had just been done on the Hall by his carpenters. They had done it quite contrary to his direction, but, with a brain heated by a legal contest with detractors, and with this blunder of his workmen before his eyes, not an unpleasant word w.as uttered, not a scowl was seen on his face, a fact Cjuite surprising to his workmen, to whom he simply made known his wishes in the matter. The following statements concerning him from Mr. Thomas Clarke who came to Cooperstown in October, 1833, and worked as carpenter with Cyrenus Clarke and his son Harvey F. Clarke, will be read with inter- est and with the fullest confidence by all who are ac- c^uainted with their author : " I commenced work for J. Fenimore Cooper, Oct. 8th, 1834, working on his dwelling house. Our first work was shingling. Mr. Cooper came up through the scuttle and said — ' Well, Harvey, I see you have a new hand this morning.' ' Yes,' was the reply, ' he is one of our men who has been at work on another job.' Then Mr. Cooper turned and said to me, — 'What is your name?' Who were your parents, and where do they reside ? What was your mother's maiden name?' After listen- ing to my replies, he said he did not recollect of ever having known them. Mr. Cooper and family occupied the house while we were making repairs the next sum- mer. The next winter H. F. Clarke and myself made oak doors for the first story. In the spring of 1838 we worked as partners, and continued to do a great deal every year for Mr. Cooper on his house and at his farm. We also reseated the Episcopal church in 1839 with oak, under his supervision. In 1849 our partnership was dissolved and L. M. BoUes entered business with me, and we continued together until 1860. We worked for Mr. Cooper until his death, and I am happy to say 208 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. that from the first to the last of my labor for him I never received an unkind word or look. " He visited us daily while working on his house, at his farm, and on the church, and frequently at our shops, and much of our work was of his own design- ing and new to us. We often had to call upon him for explanations, and many times made considerable alterations at a loss of time and material, but he never found any fault. " I have had many good patrons, but consider Mr. Cooper second to none. He was always very cheerful and talkative when with us, ever ready for a lively story and hearty laugh. Sometimes he would deliver us a historical or moral lecture and at its conclusion laugh- ingly say — ' I have preached you a sermon, now pay me !' I consider him the best talker I ever heard. " He seldom sat down long when with us, but walked back and forth energetically, and talked with great earnestness, and would often refresh himself with a drink from our pitcher of water. He usually walked with a very common stick, seldom with a polished one. H. r. Clarke was a warm Whig ; he and Mr. Cooper often exchanged sharp political jokes. " Mr. Cooper was very active. When the masons were repairing his house, he would ascend their steep and narrow walk to the topmost scaffold on the gable end, and as late as 1839, when he was very fleshy, he walked the ridge of his house when a chimney was on fire. And still later in life I have known him with his stick to start from his house and very shortly come back and say : ' Well, I have been up to the Vision, now I must go to work,' meaning with his pen. " We never had to call on him the second time for the payment of a bill; he brought us his check. *^Vhen I knocked at his library door, it was surprising how quickly I heard the energetic — come in ! He would rise from his writing, walk the room, enquire what im- provements were going on in the village, &c. When I HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 209 met him in the street, in winter, he often said : ' Well, Thomas, what are jou driving at ?' And if work was dull he would try to think of something to set me about. " He lectured occasionally to the villagers, gratui- tously. His descriptions of naval actions were very animating. He represented the fleets on a blackboard, erased and changed their positions, removing one ship after another as the contest progressed, at the same time stating the facts in history, using his cane for a pointer. " At his funeral, I think all had left the room but those about to close the cofiin and myself. I was standing some distance back, looking at the corpse, and suppose I was the last person who saw his face, and I felt that I had lost one of my very best friends.'* The following incidents of Mr. Cooper's every-day life, are furnished by Mr. Gr. P. Keese, a prominent citizen of Cooperstown, and a relative of Mr. Cooper : Daily Life and Habits of Mr. Cooper during HIS LAST residence IN CoOPERSTOWN. He was habitually industrious, not alone as author, but in all the business of life. He rose early, and a considerable portion of his writing was accomplished before breakfast, which did not usually take place until about nine o'clock. In the summer, hardly a day passed that he did not visit his farm, known as the Chalet, situated about a mile from the village on the eastern shore of the lake, and from its heights com- manding an extensive view of the village, and val- ley of the Susquehanna at the south, and bounded at the north by the hills which girt that extremity of the lake. It was this view, one of the most beautiful in the vicinity, that was the occasion of the purchase of the farm by Mr. Cooper. Its attractions to the agri- culturist are not commensurate with the beauty of the situation, indeed, a more forbidding spot could not 210 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. well be chosen, as far as a mere return for the labors of the husbandman is considered. The whole farm, of about two hundred acres, is in fact a mountain abruptly risino- from the shore of the lake to the height of about four hundred feet, and with the exception of two or three level terraces of a few acres each, is an unbroken hillside, dotted with stumps in the clearings, but a large part still covered with the primitive forest. It was on this farm that Cooper sought relaxation from his mental labors ; and he might be seen almost any summer's day, not far from eleven o'clock, issuing from the gate of his mansion driving a tall sorrel horse not remarkable for his personal attractions, who rejoiced in the name of Pumpkin, bestowed upon him by a mem- ber of the family, from no fancied resemblance between the animal and the vegetable, but because his first labor after coming into their possession was drawing a load of pumpkins for the use of his companion in the stable, Seraphina, the cow, whose euphonious name was received from the same source. His distino;uish- mg characteristics seemed to be a very light wisp of a tail, and a singularity in gait, which consisted in occasionally going on three legs, and at times elevating both hind ones in a manner rather amusins; than alarm- ing; and when is added to this a propensity, which sometimes developed itself, towards a retrograde move- ment when he should have advanced, and a dyspeptic trot, of more benefit to those afflicted with that com- plaint than of pleasure to the rider, we believe we have noted his more prominent peculiarities. His name we would fain rescue from oblivion, although occupying a more humble place in historic records than Bucephalus or Old Whitey. Mrs. Cooper frequently accompanied her husband on his excursions, and when the state of her health would not admit of exposure, he would take up some friend whom he hailed on the street, and make him the com- panion of his trip. He was generally aj:)sent about HISTORY OP COOPERSTOWN. 211 three hours, or until near his dinner hour; during which time he superintended the various operations of the farm, which usually consisted in drawing stumps, of which there was no lack, or in the somewhat arduous undertaking of building a winding road to the top of the hill, the foundation of which was logs and stumps and the superstructure coarse dirt and stones from the hillside, involying an occasional cutting in the edge of the solid rock ; the construction of many rods of stone wall, and the digging of frequent ditches for the drain- age of the few "acres of level laud, made up the sum total of the most important operations of the farm ; the cultivation of the crops occupying a secondary position. The live stock of the farm consisted of four or five cows, at the most two yoke of oxen, and a few pigs and fowls. From this it will naturally be inferred that the cash receipts could not be very large, indeed, Cooper was heard to announce with considerable satisfaction, after the farm had been in his possession some ten years, that he believed for this year the farm tuould actually pay its exjyenses. Although the pecuniary results were not large, yet the benefits to him personally were in- calculable ', and with no small degree of satisfaction would he claim that his butter and pork were the sweetest, and his eggs the whitest and freshest of any in the county ', while his wood which was heaped upon the hearth with unsparing hand, sent its cheerful blaze up the capacious mouth of his ample chimneys. The vegetable garden claimed a considerable share of his attention ; and it was his pride and delight to have each vegetable as early in its season as possible, and he might frequently be heard to call to a neighbor in the street, announcing that he had picked his first mess of peas, or had green corn fit for the pot. Turnips and new potatoes he always boasted of having especially early, although a minute enquiry from some rival gar- dener would force him to admit that they were of lili- 212 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. putiaii proportions, and had made their first appearance on the table in the form of soup. As his grounds were extensive, he cultivated every- thing on a liberal scale, and there is hardly any one among the circle of his acquaintances who can not re- member on more than one occasion, having received a bountiful supply. jMusk-melons particularly were raised in great abundance, being his favorite fruit, and the writer recalls with sadness, the pleasure they seem- ed to afford him during his last illness. The varied duties of the day being accomplished, the gathering shades of twilight frequently found Cooper promenading the large hall ; his hands crossed behind his back, his brow carrying the impression of deep thought, his head also doing duty, as far as pos- sible in the way of gesticulation, by frequent and deci- sive nods of approval or otherwise of his thoughts, to which he often gave utterance in audible sounds—^ no doubt to be committed to paj^er the following morn- ing, as he rarely wrote much in the evening. These perambulations were often continued after tea; although usually in the evening he was to be found in the midst of his family, either reading the papers, or indulging in his favorite game of chess with Mrs. Cooper. The library, the room in which Cooper invariably wrote, was a well proportioned apartment of about twenty by twenty-four feet and twelve in height, situated in the most retired part of the house and having a southern and western exposure. Its deep recessed windows, dark oak wainscoating and the thick shade of the numerous trees in the vicinity, shutting out the glare of the sun's rays, combined to give it an appear- ance of quiet and repose so eminently befitting a room of its character; while the sides were well lined with books of a miscellaneous description — which was in a measure owing to an agreement at one time in force with his publisher, by which he received a copy of HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 213 every book issued by the firm. There were, however, many works of much interest and value, although it is believed a complete set of his own works was not among the number. A number of curiosities were to be found in differ- ent parts of the room, the gifts of various friends ; among which we may mention a huge pair of antlers at- tached to the top of one of the book cases, holding in their embrace a calabash from the south seas ; a small black box made of the wood of the Endeavor, the vessel in which Captain Cook made his first voyage. This box was presented to Mr. Cooper by the town of Newport, R. I., the opening scene in the Red Rover, and had on its cover a silver plate, on which was engraved a repre- sentation of the Royal Caroline ; it was highly prized by him. A large folding screen occupied one corner of the room, upon which were pasted a collection of engra- vings representing scenes known to the family during their tour and residence in Europe ; and also containing a number of notes and autographs from persons of dis- tinction, mostly French. A similar screen was in the hall. The author's writing table which stood in the library, was a plain one of black walnut, esteemed as a family heir loom, its origin dating back beyond recollection. It was brought from Burlington with the settlement of Cooperstown in the last century, and was known as Rankocus, from the creek which formed a boundary of the farm in New Jersey. It is fondly remembered by those who knew the Hall in Judge Cooper's day, as the conservator of the cake basket, that excellent house- keeper, Mrs. Cooper, having kept the legs so highly polished that no mouse was ever known to ascend them. To the above the following from Pages and Pictures, may be added : " x\lmost every morning, writing hours over, he drove 214 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. to the Chalet, looking after the stock and the dairy, the pigs and the poultry. It was a frequent remark of the workmen that the animals all soon learned to know and to follow him, from his invariable kindness to dumb creatures. Farming, in all its forms, had given liim pleasure through life ; but he chiefly delighted in taking a fresh piece of land, and, commencing with the very first stages of cultivation, bringing it into shape and fruitfulness." Mr. Cooper's mind grasped not merely the manners and interests of his own home and village. He had a common sympathy for all mankind, and while indi- viduals may have thought him wanting in sensibility to them personally at times, they had no more just reasons for this conclusion than they would have for a censure upon the secretary of state for excluding individuals from his presence that he may attend to the affairs of nations. His absence from Cooperstown, more than twenty-five years of his life, in all, the great amount of his writings, his recreations at the farm, and his at- tention to persons of distinction, necessarily made him seem like a stranger to many of his fellow citizens. Whenever an opportunity occurred, however, to identi- fy himself with their interests as a whole, or to engage with them in any public enterprise, he embraced it heartily. He took a very active part in sending relief to the starving in Ireland, in 1847, as may be seen by the following appeal, of which he was the author, pre- sented at a public meeting held in the Court House at Cooperstown, in March, 1847: Address of the Central Committee. Fellow citizens : At the meeting held for the relief of Ireland, on the 4th instant, we were appointed a central committee, with powers to superintend the re- ceipt and distribution of your donations. It was also made our duty to lay before j^ou a plan of operations. We respectfully submit to your consideration the HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 215 resolutions of the meeting, and in furtherance of their views, we also submit the following plan : Plan of Proceedings recommended hy the Central Committee : That town committees be immediately formed in every town in the county. That the school districts be taken for subdivisions of the towns, and that each has its own subcommittee. That as much of the money contributed in each town as can be so disposed of to advantage, be used in the town itself, in the purchase of such articles of food as will bear transportation by sea, reserving only enough to pay for the necessary inland transportation, expenses of barrels, packages, &c. ; and that all surplus funds be transmitted to Henry Scott, Esq., Cooperstown, the central committee's treasurer. That the community be earnestly entreated to con- tribute in corn, beans, peas, smoked and salted meats of all kinds, and in every sort of grain that will be use- ful in the circumstances, as well as in old cloths, the smallest contributions being acceptable. That those towns favorably situated for such pur- poses, forward their collections to the valley of the Mohawk, acquainting our secretary of the place and the nature of the articles thus sent; and that those towns which are south of us, forward their contributions to the village of Cooperstown. Clark & Nukerck will receive an account of the committee at Fort Plain. That citizens visiting the county town on business, bring their own and their neighbors' contributions with them. We hope that at the court of next month many will avail themselves of the opportunity to comply with this request. That the subscription papers, which we shall trans- mit to the towns, be placed in the hands of efficient men, and circulated with energy and zeal in your re- spective neighborhoods, and that they be returned to 216 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. our secretary, Greo. A. Starkweather, Esq., when done with. Under this head we earnestly entreat of the young men to take their sleighs and other vehicles, and pass from house to house, in their own neighbor- hoods, soliciting relief for the famishing. If the youth- ful female should also go on this errand of mercy, while the snow lasts, it might encourage their brothers and friends, and aiford them more pleasure in the re- flection, than any other excursion of a like nature ever enjoyed. That all the packages made up in the towns be plainly marked " Relief for Ireland, Otsego county, New York, town of ." That all the correspondence of the town committees, &c., be addressed to our secretary, Mr. Starkweather, to whom application can be made for any necessary information. Fellow citizens : In urging you again to aid us in eff'ecting this great and humane object, we believe very little argument will be necessary. As some persons, however, appear to think the accounts of suffering ex- aggerated, and that there is not a pressing necessity for our interference, we will answer that objection. The English government, necessarily in possession of all the facts, is now, and has been for many months, bestowing tens of thousands weekly for the support of the perishing poor of Ireland. This certainly would not be done without sufficient evidence of its necessity. It is in proof that hundreds perish every week, in spite of this assistance. But money can not relieve famine. Food is wanting, and that we possess in abundance. It is beyond cavil that the last potato crop was nearly a total failure in Ireland. Acquainted as we are with the habits of the people of that country, we know that intense want must follow. We do not appeal to your pride and your feelings of competition with those around you. What we ask is HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 217 solicited in the name of charity, and in obedience to the commands of God. A case has arisen when all who can, are bound to bestow of their superfluities, and we doubt not your readiness to do so, as soon as its neces- sities are presented to your minds. We refer you to the numerous well authenticated instances of sufFerino; that are reported in the journals, as proofs of the horrid want that afflicts portions of Europe, and we feel that no stronger appeals can be made to your sympathies. Dated March 8, 1847. J. Fenimore CoopeRj Henry Phinney, Henry Scott, Gr. A. Starkweather, Seth Doubleday, GtEO. W. Stillman, Lawrence McNamee, Central Committee. The following portraiture of him as a public writer, drawn by Hillard, in the Atlantic Monthly^ is true of him, to a considerable extent, as a citizen : " Cooper's character as a man is the more admirable to us, be- cause it was marked by strong points which are not common in our country, and which the institutions of our country do not foster. He had the courage to defy the majority; he had the courage to confront the press; and not from the sting of ill success, not from mortified vanity, not from wounded self-love, but from an heroic sense of duty. How easy a life might he have pur- chased by the cheap virtues of silence, submission and acquiescence ! Booksellers would have enriched him ; society would have caressed him; political distinction would have crowned him : he had only to watch the course of public sentiment, and so dispose himself that he should seem to lead where he only followed, and all comfortable things would have been poured into his lap. But he preferred to breast the stream, to speak 19 218 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. ungrateful truths. He set a wholesome example in this respect; none the less valuable because so few have had the manlinesss and self-reliance to imitate him." Such testimony as this ought to do much to relieve his former fellow citizens from the painful anxiety they once felt as he entered the arena, not as a racer, but as a combatant with a multitude who pounced upon him with apparently fearful odds, leaving him for a time blackened with libels and overclouded with the dust of unpopular feeling. Hear what the New American Cy- clojisedLa fi-Hi^?, of him, while in that struggle, alluding to the twenty distinct suits for libel which he brought against his calumniators : " For these prosecutions Cooper has been much censured ; but an impartial sur- vey of the whole painful episode will go far toward, we do not merely say relieving his course from the odium of vindictive passions, but towards investing the whole procedure with something of the dignity and merit of public service. The law of libel, at the commencement of these suits, was undefined and well nigh nugatory. Practically, there was but little defence of private cha- racter against the most wanton assaults of the press. If the restraints of the law of libel were justifiable at all, there was now ample occasion for giving it a new definition and emphasis ; and from all that transpired of Cooper, whether in public conductor private speech, nothing is more clear than that the correction of this great evil was the leading motive for plunging into the sea of troubles which awaited him. When it is con- sidered that the press of the country was mostly arrayed against him, and that he fought in the open face of unfriendly juries, reluctant judges, and a strong popu- lar prejudice, this simple fact goes far towards furnish- ing a vindication of his course. That he also wrought a reform in the habits and manners of the press, as well as revived the practical efficiency of a much neglected safeguard, is not now seriously questioned." " Personally, Mr. Cooper-was a noble specimen of a HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 219 man, possessing a massive and compact form, a coun- tenance strikingly marked with the indications of intel- lectual strength, and glowing with manly beauty. His published portraits, though imposing, by no means do justice to the impressive port and vivacious presence of the man. In his social traits, so far as his native re- serve and strong predilections would permit, he was magnanimous, hospitable and kind even to a fault." " Frank, generous, independent, and not over-refined either by native constitution or culture, enemies were as plentifully made as easily reconciled by his singular admixture of opposing qualities." This last observa- tion reminds us of the sayings of Carlyle that " no man lives without jostling and being jostled; in all ways he has to elbow himself through the world, giving and receiving offence. His life is a battle, in so far as it is an entity at all." His Works. To these we have no intention of applying the micro- scope of the critic, but simply to enumerate them with their dates of "jmblication, prefacing the list with this extract from Hillard : "The novels of Cooper, in the dates of their publi- cation, cover a period of thirty years ; beginning with Precaution^ in 1820, and ending with The Ways, of the B.om\ in 1860. The production of thirty-two volumes in thirty years is honorable to his creative energy as well as to the systematic industry of his habits. But even these do not constitute the whole of his literary labors during these twenty-nine years. We must add five volumes of naval history and biogra- phy, ten volumes of travels and sketches in Europe, and a large amount of occasional and controversial writings, most of which is now hidden away in that huge wallet wherein time puts his alms for oblivion. His literary productions, other than his novels, would alone be enough to save him from the reproach of idle- 220 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. ness. In estimating a writer's claim to honor and re- membrance, the quantity as well as the quality of his work should surely be taken into account ; and in sum- ming up the case of our great novelist to the jury of posterity, this point should be strongly put." — Atlantic Monthly. Works. Published. 1. Precaution, 1820 2. Spy, 1821 3. Pioneers, 1823 4. Pilot, 1824 5. Lionel Lincoln, 1825 6. Last of the Mohicans, 1826 7. Prairie, 1827 8. Red Kover, 1827 9. Notions of the Americans, bv a Traveling Bachelor, \.. 1828 10. Wept of Wish-ton-Wish, . 1829 11. Residence in Europe, 12. Bravo, 1831 13. Monnikins, 1835 14. American Democrat, '. . . 1835 15. Sketches of Switzerland,. . ..... 1836 16. Gleanings in Europe, , 1836 17. Homeward Bound, 1838 18. Home as Found, 1838 19. Naval History of the United States, 1839 20. Path Finder, 1840 21. Mercedes of Castile, 1840 22. Deerslayer, 1841 23. Two Admirals, 1842 24. Wing and Wing, 1842 25. Wyandotte or Hutted Knoll, 1843 26. Afloat and Ashore, 1844 27. Miles Wallingford,. 1844 28. Satanstoe, 1845 29. The Chainbearer,.' 1845 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 221 Works. Published. 30. The Redskins, 1845 31. Water Witch, 32. Heidenmauer, 33. Headsman, 34. Crater, 1846 35. Oak Openings, 1848 36. Sea Lions,, 1849 37. Ned Myers, 1843 38. Jack Tier, or the Florida Reef, . . 1848 39. The Ways of the Hour, 1850 After the completion of so many works, it should not be surprising that some of the wheels of his nature evinced disorders that soon stopped the whole machine- ry. Of the first apptearance of his disease, its deve- lopment, final issue, and the sufferer's state of mind, his physician, Dr. Francis of New York city, has given us the following information : "It is well known that for a long period, Mr. Cooper, at occasional times only, visited New York city. His residence for many years was an elegant and quiet man- sion on the southern borders of Otsego lake. Here — in his beautiful retreat, embellished by the substantial fruits of his labors, and displaying every where his exquisite taste^ his mind, ever intent on congenial tasks, which, alas ! are left unfinished, surrounded by a de- voted and highly cultivated family, and maintaining the same clearness of perception, serene firmness, and in- tegrity of tone, which distinguished him in the meridian of his life — were his mental emj^loyments prosecuted. He lived chiefly in rural seclusion, and with habits of methodical industry. When visiting the city he min- gled cordially with his old friends ; and it was on the last occasion of this kind, at the beginning of April, that he consulted me with some earnestness in regard to his health. He complained of the impaired tone of the digestive organs, great torpor of the liver, weakness of 222 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. muscular activity, and feebleness in walking. Such suggestions were offered for his relief as the indications of disease warranted. He left the city for his country residence, and I was gratified shortly after to learn from him of his better condition. " During July and August I maintained a correspond- ence with him on the subject of his increasing physical infirmities, and frankly expressed to him the necessity of such remedial measures as seemed clearly necessary. Though occasionally relieved of my anxieties by the kind communications of his excellent friend and attend- ing physician. Dr. Johnson, I was not without solicitude, both from his own statements as well as those of Dr. Johnson himself, that his disorder was on the increase ; certain symptoms were indeed mitigated, but the radical features of his illness had not been removed. A letter which I soon received induced me forthwith to repair to Cooperstown. and on the 27th of August I saw Mr. Cooper at his own dwelling. My reception was cordial. With his family about him, he related with great clear- ness the particulars of his sufferings, and the means of relief to which he was subjected. Dr. Johnson was in consultation. I at once was struck with the heroic firmness of the sufferer, under an accumulation of de- pressing symptoms. His physical aspect was much altered from that noble freshness he was wont to bear ; his complexion was pallid ; his inferior extremities greatly enlarged by serous effusion ; his debility so ex- treme as to require an assistant for change of position in bed ; his pulse sixty-four. There could be no' doubt that the long-continued hepatic obstruction had led to confirmed dropsy, which, indeed, betrayed itself in sev- eral other parts of the body. Yet was he patient and collected. That powerful intellect still held empire with commanding force, clearness and vigor. I ex- plained to him the nature of his malady ; its natural termination when uncontrolled ; dwelt upon the favora- ble condition and yet regular- action of the heart, and HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 223 other vital functions, and the urgent necessity of en- deavoring still more to fulfill certain indications, in order to overcome the force of particular tendencies in the disorder. I frankly assured him that within the limits of a week a change in the complaint was indispensable to lessen our forebodings of its ungovernable nature. " He listened with fixed attention ; and now and then threw out suo-o-estions of cure such as are not unfre- quent with cultivated minds. " The great characteristics of his intellect were now even more conspicuous than before. Not a murmur escaped his lips ; conviction of his extreme illness wrought no alteration of his features ; he gave no ex- pression of despondency ; his tone and his manner were equally dignified, cordial and natural. It was his hap- piness to be blessed with a family around him whose greatest gratification was to supply his every want, and a daughter for a companion in his pursuits, who was his intelligent amanuensis and correspondent, as well as indefatigable nurse.* "I forbear enlarging on matters too professional for present detail. During the night after my arrival he sustained an attack of severe fointing, which convinced me still further of his great personal weakness. An ennobling philosophy, however, gave him support, and in the morning he had again been refreshed by a sleep of some few hours' duration.' I renewed to him and to his family the hopes and the discouragements in his case. Never was information of so o-rave a cast received by any individual in a calmer spirit. He said little as to his prospects^of recovery. Upon my taking leave of him, however, shortly after, in the morning, I am con- vinced, from his manner, that he shared my apprehen- sion of a fatal termination of his disorder. Nature, however strong in her gifted child, had now her health- ful rights largely invaded. His constitutional buoyancy * The accomplished authoress of Rural Hours. 224 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. and determination, by leading him to sliglit that distant and thorough attention demanded by primary symp- toms, doubtless contributed to their subsequent aggra- vation, " I shall say but a few words more on this agonizing topic. The letters which I received, after my return home, communicated at times some cheering facts of renovation -, but, on the whole, discouraging demonstra- tions of augmenting illness and lessened hope, were their prominent characteristics. A letter to me from his son-in-law, of the 14th of September, announced : ' Mr. Cooper died, apparently without much pain, to- day at half past one, P. M., leaving his family, although prepared by his gradual failure, in deep affliction. He would have been sixty-two years old to-morrow.' " A life of such uniform and unparalleled excellence and service, a career so brilliant and honorable, closed in a befitting manner, and was crowned by a death of quiet resignation. Conscious of his approaching disso- lution, his intelligence seemed to glow with increased fullness as his prostrated frame yielded by degrees to the last summons. It is familiarly known to his most intimate friends, that for some considerable period prior to his fatal illness, he approi^riated liberal portions of his time to the investigation of scriptural truths, and that his convictions were ripe in Christian doctrines. With assurances of happiness in the future, he graciously yielded up his spirit to the disposal of its Creator. His death, which must thus have been the beginning of a serene and more blessed life to him, is universally re- garded as a national loss." Mr. Cooper died on Sunday, September 14th, 1851, aged sixty two years lacking one day. His funeral was on the 17th, at the Episcopal church; sermon by Rev. 3Ir. Batten. The body was viewed at the Hall, and then buried, after which the services in the church were conducted. Among the pall bearers were Hon. HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 225 Jolin H, Prentiss, Henry Scott, Horace Lathrop, Col. Magher, some of whom had been intimate with the de- ceased from his boyhood. One of the village papers placed on record the follow- ing tribute : " The death of such a man is a national loss. But in this immediate vicinity the death of Mr. Cooper will be most seriously felt, in the character of a citizen, neighbor and friend. As a citizen, he was emi- nently conservative, public spirited and liberal ; as a neighbor he was uniformly kind, generous and obliging; as a friend he was faithful and true. " A great and good man has fallen — fallen in the maturity of his usefulness — in the enjoyment of a world-wide reputation; but we are rejoiced to know and to say, that he fell asleep, cheerfully and trustingly, in the arms of Him, through whose intercession and expi- ation alone comes everlasting life." Action of Christ Church. At a meeting of the vestry of Christ church, called upon the occasion of the death of James Fenimore Cooper, one of the wardens of this parish, the following resolutions were unanimously adopted : Kesolved, That while we bow with humble reverence and submission to the dispensation of divine providence, we cannot but mourn in the death of Mr, Cooper, the loss of a man of the purest principles, the most inflexi- ble integrity, and constant Christian character. Resolved, That in his death, his family have been called to mourn the loss of an affectionate husband and tender father, one whose generous heart and ready sym- pathies, have endeared him to them in an especial man- ner. And this church has lost one of her most liberal, active and efficient laymen. Resolved, That the clerk of the vestry be requested to communicate a copy of our proceedings to Mrs. Fenimore Cooper, and her family, as an expression of 226 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. our sympathy with them in their bereavement, and that he furnish a C02:)y for publication. Henry Scott, Senior Warden, Wm. a. Comstock, Clerk. Chairman. His grave is in the spacious family lot on the north side of the beautiful grounds of the Episcopal church, where the plow-share was never run, under the pines of nature's planting, in whose branches the woods bird is often heard singing — a befitting place of rest for him whose spirit had found so much in the wildness of nature and in the circles of refinement to instruct and amuse, and its chief consolations in the Christian reli- gion. The place wdiere he lies is designated simply by a fine marble slab about six inches thick, thirty inches wide and six feet long, lying over his grave. On it is a plain inscription of his name, death and age. By the side of this lies the slab (of the same dimensions) of his wife, who survived him not four months. His Children. — Elizabeth, died in infancy; Susan Augusta, authoress of Rural Hours ; Caroline Martha, Mrs. Henry Frederick Phinney ; Anne Charlotte ; Maria Frances, Mrs. Richard Cooper -, Fenimore, died in infancy ; Paul F., member of the bar in Albany. The beautiful mansion and grounds which he left soon passed into other hands, a competency, however, being inherited from him by his family. After the Hall was burned, as stated in another place, from the bricks that remained, a very tasteful dwelling for his daughters, Susan A. and Anne Charlotte, was erected on the west bank of the Susquehanna, having some of the oak doors snatched from the flames of the Hall, and overlooking the grounds of the latter. His Will. Will. — I, James Fenimore Cooper, declare and pub- lish this to be my last will and testament. I give and bequeath to my wife, Susan- Augusta, all my property HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 227 now in possession, or to wliicli I may liave any claim now, or hereafter, whether real, personal or mixed, to be enjoyed by her, her heirs and assigns forever. I make my said wife the executrix of my will. Signed, &c. Very soon after his death, measures were taken in New York city, to honor his memory both by public assemblage of his literary and numerous friends, and by the erection of a suitable monument, as seen by the following extracts from the Memorial of Cooj^er^ pub- lished by Putnam in 1852 : Meeting at the City Hall. At a meetina- of friends of the late James Fenimore Cooper, held in the City Hall, in the city of New York, pursuant to notice, on the 25th of vSeptember, 1851, Washington Irving in the chair, and Fitz-Greene Hal- leck and Rufus W. Grriswold, secretaries, the following gentlemen were appointed a committee to make the necessary arrangements for a suitable demonstration of respect for Mr. Cooper's memory : Washington Irving, Lewis GJ-aylord Clark, Gulian C. Verplanck, John A. Dix, John Duer, George P. Morris, James K. Paulding, Samuel Osgood, John W. Francis, Charles Anthon, Richard B. Kimball, Charles F. Briggs, Francis L. Hawks, Maunsell B. Field, William C. Bryant, Parke Godwin, William W. Campbell, Jona. M. Wainwright, Fitz-Greene Halleck, Donald G. Mitchell, Rufus W. Griswold, Geo. P. Putnam, Charles King, N. P. Willis, George Bancroft, J. G. Cogswell, J. Starbuck Mayo. At this meeting the following letters were read : 228 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. [From Wasliington Irving.] Sunnyside, Thursday, Sept. 18, 1851, My Dear Sir : The death of Fenimore Cooper, though anticipated, is an event of deep and public concern, and calls for the highest expression of public sensibility. To me it comes with something of a shock -, for it seems but the other day that I saw him at our common literary resort at Putnam's, in full vigor of mind and body, a very " castle of a man," and apparently des- tined to outlive me, who am several years his senior. He has left a space in our literature which will not easily be supplied I shall not fail to attend the proposed meeting on Wednesday next. Very respectfully, your friend and servant, Washington Irving. Rev. Rurus W. Griswold. [From William C. Bryant.] Rochester, Friday, Sept. 19, 1851. My Dear Sir : I am sorry that the arrangements for my journey to the west, are such that I cannot be pre- sent at the meeting which is about to be held to do honor to the memory of Mr. Cooper, on losing whom not only the country, but the civilized world and the age in which we live, have lost one of their most illus- trious ornaments. It is melancholy to think that it is only until such men are in their graves that full justice is done to their merit. I shall be most happy to concur in any step which may be taken to express, in a public manner, our respect for the character of one to whom we were too sparing of public distinctions in his life- time, and beg that I may be included in the proceed- ings of the occasion as if I were present. I am, very respectfully, yours. Rev. R W. Griswold. Wm. C. Bryant. HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 229 [From Bishop Doane.] Riverside, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 1851. My Dear Sir : .... I beg you to say, generally, in your discretion, that I yield to no one who will be pre- sent, in my estimate of the distinguished talents and admirable services of Mr. Cooper, or in my readiness to do the highest honor to his illustrious memory. His name must ever find a place among the " household words " of all our hearts ; a name as beautiful for its blamelessness of life, as it is eminent for its attainments in letters, which has subordinated to the higher inter- ests of patriotism and piety, the fervors of fancy and the fascinations of romance. Very faithfully, your friend and servant. Rev. Rurus W. Griswold. Gr. W. Doane. [From James K. Paulding.] Hyde Park, Sept. 28, 1851. My Dear Sir : .... You will state the reason of my absence, .... at the same time giving assurance of my cordial cooperation in any tribute they may offer to the memory of one who occupied so high a place among the distinguished authors of the age, and whose many esti- mable qualities merited the sincere regard of all who knew him. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Rev. Dr. Griswold. J. K. Paulding. [From G. P. R. James.] Stockbridge, Mass., 23d Sept. 1851. Dear Doctor Griswold : I reg-ret extremelv that it will not be in my power to be present at the meeting to testify respect for the memory of Mr. Cooper. I grieve sincerely that so eminent a man is lost to the country and the world ; and though unacquainted with him per- sonally, I need hardly tell you how highly his abilities as an author, and his character, were appreciated by Yours faithfully, G. P. R. James. 20 230 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. [From Mr. Bancroft.] Newport, R. I., Thursday, Sept. 18, 1851. My Dear Sir : I heartily sympathize with the design of a public tribute to the genius, manly character, and o:reat career of the illustrious man whose loss we de- plore. Others have combined very high merit as au- thors, with professional pursuits. Mr. Cooper was, of those who have gone from among us, the first to devote himself exclusively to letters. We must admire the noble courage with which he entered on a course which none before him had tried ; the glory which he justly won was reflected on his country, of whose literary in- dependence he was the pioneer, and deserves the grate- ful recognition of all who survive him. By the time proposed for the meeting, I fear I shall not be able to return to New York, but you may use my name in any manner that shall strongly express my delight in the writings of our departed friend, my thorough respect for his many virtues, and my sense of that surpassing ability which has made his own name and the names of the creations of his fancy, household words throughout the civilized world. I remain, dear sir, very truly yours, Rev. R. W. Griswold. George Bancroft. [From Mr. Everett.] Cambridge, Sept. 23, 1851. Dear Sir : I received, this afternoon, your favor of the 17th, inviting me to attend and participate in the meeting to be held in your City hall, for the purpose of doing honor to the memory of the late Mr. Fenimore Cooper. I sincerely regret that I cannot be with you. The state of the weather puts it out of my power to make the journey. The object of the meeting has my entire sympathy. The works of Mr. Cooper have adorned and elevated our literature. There is nothing more purely American, in the highest "sense of the word, than se- HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 231 veral of them. In his department he is facile princeps. He wrote too much to write every thing equally well, but his abundance flowed out of a full, original mind, and his rapidity and variety bespoke a resolute and manly consciousness of power. If among his works there are some which, had he been longer spared to us, he would himself, on consideration, have desired to recall, there are many more which the latest posterity " will not willingly let die." With much about him that was intensely national, we have but one other writer (Mr. Irving) as widely known abroad. Many of Cooper's novels were not only read at every fireside in England, but were translated into every language of the European continent. He owed a part of his inspiration to the magnificent nature which surrounded him ; to the lakes, and forests, and Indian traditions, and border life of your great state. It would have been as difficult to create Leather- stocking any where out of New York, or some state closely resembling it, as to create Don Quixote out of Spain. To have trained and possessed Fenimore Cooper will be — is already — with justice, one of your great- est boasts. But we cannot let you monopolize the care of his memory. We have all rejoiced in his genius ; we have all felt the fascination of his pen ; we all de- plore his loss. You must allow us all to join you in doing honor to the name of our great American novel- ist. I am dear sir, with great respect, Very truly yours, Edward Everett. Rev. Rufus AY. Griswold. [From Charles Jared IngersolL] Fonthill, Philadelphia, Sept. 30th, 1851. Dear Sir : Your favor, inviting me to a meeting of the friends of Fenimore Cooper, did not reach me till this morning, owing probably to an irregularity of the post-office. Otherwise I should have tried to attend 232 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. the proposed meeting, not only as a friend of Mr. Cooper, but as one among those of his countrymen who consider his memory a national trust for honored preservation. In my opinion of Fenimore Cooper as a novelist, he is entitled to one merit to which few if any one of his contemporary European romance writers can lay claim, to wit, originality. Leatherstocking is an original cha- racter, and entirely American, which is probably one of the reasons why Cooper was more appreciated in con- tinental Europe than even Scott, whose magnificent f[incy embellished every thing, but whose genius, I think, originated nothing. And then, in my estimate of Mr. Cooper's superior merits, was manly independence — a rare American virtue. For the less free English- man or Frenchman, politically, there was a freeness in the expression as well as adoption of his own views of men and things. And a third kindred merit of Cooper was highminded and gentlemanly abstinence from self- applause. No distinguished or aj^plauded man ever was less apt to talk of himself and his performances. Un- like too many modern j)oets, novelists, and other writers, apt to become debauchees, drunkards, blackguards and the like (as if, as some think, genius and vice go to- gether), Mr. Cooper was a gentleman remarkable for good plain sense, correct deportment, striking probity and propriety, and withal unostentatiously devout. Not meaning to disparage any one in order by odious com- parisons to extol him, I deem his Naval History a more valuable and enduring historical work than many others, both English and American, of contemporaneous pub- lication and much wider dissemination. In short, if the gentlemen whose names I have seen in the public jour- nals with yours, proposing some concentrated eulogium, should determine to appoint a suitable person, with time to prepare it, I believe that Fenimore Cooper may be made the subject of illustration in very many and most HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 233 striking lights, justly reflecting him, and with excellent influence on his country. I do not recollect, from what I read lately in the newspapers, precisely what you and the other gentle- men associated with you in this proceeding propose to do, or whether anything is to take place. But if so, whatever and wherever it may be, I beg you to use this answer to your invitation, and any services I can render, as cordial contributions, which I shall be proud and happy to make. I am, very respectfully, Your humble servant Rev. Rufus W. Griswold. C. J. Ingersoll. Letters of similar import were read from George Ticknor, William H. Prescott, John Neal, William Gilmore Simms, William Ware, and other eminent literary men, and the meeting was attended by Dr. Francis Lieber, Henry C. Carey, and other persons of distinction from different parts of the country. Meeting of the New York Historical Society. At the meeting of the New York Historical society, on the evening of Tuesday, the 7th of October, the Hon. Luther Bradish in the chair, after the transaction of the regular business, the following resolutions were moved by Bev. Bufus W. Griswold : Whereas, It has pleased Almighty God to remove from this life our illustrious associate and countryman, James Fenimore Cooper, while his fame was in its full- ness, and his intelligence was still unclouded by age or any infirmity, therefore : Besolved, That this society has heard of the death of James Fenimore Cooper with profound regret ; that it recognizes in him an eminent subject and a masterly illustrator of our history ; that in his contributions to our literature, he displayed eminent genius and a truly national spirit ; that, in his personal character, he was honorable, brave, sincere and generous, as respectable 234 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. for unaflfected virtue, as lie was distinguished for great capacities ; that this society, appreciating the loss which, however heavily it has fallen upon this country and the literary world, has fallen most heavily upon his family, instructs its officers to convey to his family, assurances of respectful symf)athy and condolence. Mr. George Bancroft having seconded these resolu- tions, Dr. John W. Francis said : I am rejoiced at the pre- sentation of these resolutions to the society. Among the many great literary men whom our country has j^ro- duced, there were none greater than Mr. Cooper. I knew him for a period of thirty years, and during all that time I never knew any thing of his character that was not in the highest degree praiseworthy. He was a man of great decision of character, and a fair expositor of his own thoughts on every occasion ; a thorough American, for I never knew a man v/ho was more en- tirely so in heart and principle. He was able, with his vast knowledge, and a powerful physical structure, to complete whatever he attempted. Men might dissent from his opinions, but no one ever successfully im- pugned his facts. He had studied the history of his country with a large philosophy, and understood our people and their character better than any other writer of the age. He was not only perfectly acquainted with our general history, but he was also conversant with that of every state, county, village, lake and river of the country. New York, with its history, was his delight. Mr. Cooper was emphatically a New York man. And with this vast knowledge he was no less remarkable for his ability as an historian than for his intrepidity of per- sonal character. I will trespass but a moment longer on the time of the society. It was natural to infer, that a life of such integrity, so usefully and so honorably passed, as Mr. Cooper's, should be closed By a death equally entitled HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 235 to our notice. With the cahiiness of a Christian phi- losopher he listened to the details of his critical situa- tion, I had every reason to believe, from my profes- sional interviews with him, and from what I learned afterwards from his interesting family, by whom he was surrounded in his dying hours, that death had no ter- rors for him ; that he was fully prepared to enter into eternity. He had for some considerable time previously devoted himself to the study of the holy scriptures — had become an active member of the Protestant Episco- pal ■ church — and had received its sacraments, in the administrations of his pastor, the Eev. Mr. Batten. He had for many years been chosen a delegate of the church at Cooperstown, to the annual conventions of the Protestant Episcopal church in New York ; and on a recent occasion, and at an important crisis, he exhibit- ed commanding powers in justification of the views he expressed in the defence of certain principles in church discipline, and on the purity of the ministerial office. In the full fruition of the promises of the Christian fjuth, he died, at his beautiful sylvan retreat, on Otsego lake, at half-past one o'clock, P. M., on Sunday, the 14th September, 1851, one day before the completion of his sixty-second year. He expired, calm and resigned, in full possession of his intellectual powers. I leave to others of our associates to enlars-e on the magnificence of his gifts — his intellectual labors — the benefits he has conferred on letters, and on society, and the beneficence he exercised to the poor and to the needy. I could not allow this opportunity to pass with- out paying my tribute to the merits of this truly great man. Mr. Bancroft next addressed the society. My friend, he said, has spoken of the illustrious deceased as an American — I say that he was an embodiment of the American feeling, and truly illustrated American great- ness. We were endeavoring to hold up our heads be- fore the world, and to claim a character and an intellect 236 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. of our own, when Cooper appeared with his powerful genius to support our pretensions. He came forth im- bued with American life, and feeling, and sentiment. Another like Cooper cannot appear, for he was pecu- liarly suited to his time, which was that of an invading civilization. The fame and honor which he gained were not obtained by obsequious deference to public opinion, but simply by his great ability and manly character. Great as he was in the department of ro- mantic fiction, he was not less deserving of praise in that of history. In Lionel Lincoln he has described the battle of Bunker hill better than it is described in any other work. In his Naval History of the United States, he has left us the most admirable composition of which any nation could boast on a similar subject. Mr. Bancroft proceeded in a masterly analysis of some of Mr. Cooper's characters, and ended with an impressive assertion of the purity of his contributions to our literature, the eminence of his genius, and the dignity of his personal character. My friend, he said, has alluded to the religious senti- ments of Mr. Cooper. It has been said, " an unde- vout astronomer is mad," but with as much truth may it be said of an irreligious man of letters. Following the subtle processes of human learning, busied with the nicest operations of the mind, pursuing truth as the great object, shall he, in tracing the streams, forget the Fountain of all truth ? Mr. Cooper certainly did not do so. Meeting at Metropolitan Hall. The evening of the 25^th of February having finally been selected for the public commemorative proceedings in honor of Mr. Cooper, the spacious Metropolitan Hall was filled at an early hour with an assembly comprising a large representation of the intelligence and literary culture of the city. Mr. Webster took the chair at half- past seven o'clock. On his right hand were seated Mr. HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 237 Bryant, Mr. Lutlier Braclisli,Mr, Kingsland, the Mayor, and Dr. Francis ; on his left Mr. Washington Irving, chairman of the committee, Rev. Dr. Griswold, secre- tary of the committee, and Mr. Bancroft ; and on the stage, besides members of the committee, were Bev. Dr. Henry and Professor Adler of the University ; Mr. Gr. P. R. James, Chancellor McCoun, Chief Justice' Jones, Mr, Charles O'Conor, Mr. Ogden Hoffman, Rev. Dr. Bethune, Professor Hackley of Columbia college, Mr. Curtis, author o^ Nile Notes ; Mr. Young, editor of The Alhion ; Mr. George Ripley, Mr. H. T. Tuckerman, Mr. Benjamin F. Butler, Mr. Pell, Dr. Wynne, and many other persons of distinction. In the speeches pronounced during the evening, and in most of the subsequent reports in the journals, the opinion was expressed that there had never before been assembled for any purpose so large an audience of the most intellectual and socially eminent classes of the city, as was then present. The meeting was called to order by Washington Irving, who was received with great enthusiasm. He said : I was sorry to find it reported that I intended to deliver an address this evening. I have no talent for public speaking ; if I had I would be most hapj)y to do justice to the genius of one whose writings entitle him to the love, respect and admiration of every Ame- rican. I appear before you, on this occasion, as chair- man of the committee of arrangements, to present to you the Hon. Daniel Webster, who will preside at this meeting. Mr. Irving here introduced Mr. Webster to the audience, amidst loud, enthusiastic and long-continued applause. AYhen quiet was restored, Mr. Webster advanced and said : Ladies and gentlemen: I deem it an honor to be called upon to occupy the chair of this meeting. The 238 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. object is to promote the purpose of erecting an appro- priate statue to the memory of a distinguished citizen of New York, who has not only honored the state to which he belonged, but also the whole country, of which he was a citizen, by his distinguished contribu- tions to American literature. Ladies and gentlemen, There are roads to fame of various character. Feats in arms acquire renown, military achievements take strong hold of the minds of men, and transmit the names of their authors to the knowledge of posterity. Political life has also its distinction, and those who have proved eminent in this career, especially if connected with events greatly af- fecting, and favorably affecting, the liberty of their country and of mankind, have equal right to be che- rished in the grateful recollection of succeeding gene- rations. He, in whose honor we are now assembled, was never a soldier in arms, nor was it his lot to com- mand the attention of listening senates. But by the diffusion of his literary productions, by his taste, talent and industry, he had become so much an object of national regard, as one to whom all classes were in- debted, for knowledge and literary recreation. Ladies and gentlemen, Is there any reputation more to be desired than that which is established by address- ing itself to the taste and the cultivation, the morality and the religion, of civilized men ? Who can more properly deserve praise than he who elevates the liter- ature, enlightens the moral power, and strengthens the religious character of the age in which he lives ? I should not be here to-night, ladies and gentlemen, to raise my feeble voice in honor of the memory of Fenimore Cooper, however distinguished by genius, talent, education and the art of popular writing, if in the character of his productions there was any thing to be found calculated to undermine the principles of our religious faith, or debauch the morality of the country. HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 239 Nothing of genius or talent can atone for an injury of this kind to the rising generation of the commu- nity. As far as I am acquainted with the writings of Mr. Cooper, they uphold good sentiments, sustain good morals, and maintain just taste \ and, after saying this, I have next to add, that all his writings are truly pa- triotic and American, throughout and throughout. It is for these reasons that I deem it an honor to be here, on this occasion, to perform my humble part, to rear a proper statue or monument, to the memory of Fenimore Cooper. I consider him as having- contri- buted largely to the reputation of American literature, at home and abroad. He is known everywhere; his writings have been read not only all over this country, but wherever our language is read ; and wherever read they have in- spired good feelings and given rational pleasure. He possessed the power of amusing, and of enlightening readers among the younger classes of the country, without injury to their morals, or any solicitation of depraved passions. This is his great praise, and what is more honorable, or more likely to endure, than the fame which is secured by writings of this tendency ? and these writings, at the same time, are full of inform- ation respecting our country, the early habits of the people, and our own scenery, and are therefore likely to o-o down with OTeat interest to the generations which are to succeed us. and to transmit his delineation of American character, in the age before his own, to those which shall come after him. There has been no Ame- rican writer (I suppose) who imbued his own mind with a fresher or stronger feeling of the habits and manners of the early settlers of this country, who both understood the scenery and modes of life, on the fron- tier, between civilization and the forest, or who has pre- sented that scenery or those modes of life with more variety and effect. He has gone; but he has left a 240 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. name behind liim, which it is ours to cherish and to honor ; and so far as marble or bronze can perpetuate it, let marble and bronze be employed. But it is rather, I think, for the purpose of manifesting our own grati- tude for his well-deserving efforts, that we ardently contribute by these material fabrics to the object of transmitting his memory to our children. The endur- ing monuments of Fenimore Cooper are his works. Those, and this meeting, composed as it is, of many of the most distinguished of the men of letters of his age and country, with other thousands of his admiring fel- low-citizens, assembled in honor of his memory, consti- tute his fame. He might say with the great Roman orator, Quibus pro tantis rehus^ nullum ego a vobns jirsemiujyi virtutis^ nullum insigne honoris, nullum 7non- umentum laudls postulo, 'prseterquam hujus cliei mcmo- riam semj^iternam. In animis ego vestris omnes triuiii- plios meos, omnia ornamentci honoris, monumenta glor ise,, laud is insignia, condi et collocari volo. Living in an enlightened age, an age of literature and science, of history, poetry and recital, the monument of Mr. Cooper exists in the minds of men, and, like other thoughts and sentiments, is transmitted from man to man in the ordinary succession of generations. While mind and memory and taste, the veneration of religion, the love of country and of good morals, continue to prevail, his remembrance will exist in the hearts of the people. Ladies and gentlemen, my duty on this occasion is very simple. It is to signify my sense of the honor conferred on me, by being called to the chair of this meeting, and to prepare you for the proceedings and the remarks which are now to succeed. Turning to the secretary of the committee (Mr. Fitz- Greene Halleck, one of the secretaries, being detained from the meeting), Mr. Webster then said : Dr. Griswold will now proceed to read letters that have been addressed to the committee of friends of Mr. Cooper, by gentlemen who 'are not present. history of cooperstown. 241 Discourse on the Life, GIenius and Writings of James Fenimore Cooper, BY WM. CULLEN BRYANT. It is DOW somewhat more than a year since the friends of James Fenimore Cooper, in this city, were phinning to give a public dinner to his honor. It was intended as an expression both of the regard they bore him per- sonally, and of the pride they took in the glory his writings had reflected on the American name. We thought of what we should say in his hearing ; in what terms, worthy of him and of us, we should speak of the esteem in which we held him, and of the interest we felt in a fame which had already penetrated to the re- motest nook of the earth inhabited by civilized man. To-day we assemble for a sadder purpose : to pay to the dead some part of the honors then intended for the living. We bring our oflering, but he is not here who should receive it 5 in his stead are vacancy and silence; there is no eye to brighten at our words, and no voice to answer. " It is an empty office that we perform," said Virgil, in his melodious verses, when commemorating the virtues of the young Marcellus, and bidding flowers be strewn, with full hands, over his early grave. We might apply the expresion to the present occasion, but it would be true in part only. We can no longer do any thing for him who is departed, but we may do what will not be without fruit to those who remain. It is good to occupy our thoughts with the example of great talents in conjunction with great virtues. His genius has passed away with him ; but we may learn, from the history of his life, to employ the faculties we possess with useful activity and noble aims ; we may copy his magnanimous frankness, his disdain of every thing that wears the faintest semblance of deceit, his refusal to comply with current abuses, and the courage with which, on all occasions, he asserted what he deemed truth, and combated what ho thought error. 21 242 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. The circumstances of Cooper's early life were remark- ably suited to confirm the natural hardihood and manli- ness of his character, and to call forth and exercise that extraordinary power of observation, which accumulated the materials afterward wielded and shaped by his ge- nius. His father, while an inhabitant of Burlington, in New Jersey, on the pleasant banks of the Delaware, was the owner of large possessions on the borders of the Otseo'o lake, in our own state, and here, in the newty- cleared fields, he built, in 1786, the first house in Coopers- town. To this home. Cooper, who was born in Burlington in the year 1789, was conveyed in his infancy: and here, as he informs us in his preface to the Pioneers^ his first impressions of the external world were obtained. Here he passed his childhood, with the vast forest around him, stretching up the mountains that overlooked the lake, and fiir beyond, in a region where the Indian yet roamed, and the white hunter, half Indian in his dress and mode of life, sought his game, — a region in which the bear and the wolf were yet hunted, and the panther, more formidable than either, lurked in the thickets, and tales of wanderings in the wilderness, and encounters with these fierce animals, beguiled the length of the winter nights. Of this place. Cooper, although early removed from it to pursue his studies, was an occasional resident throughout his life, and here his last years were wholly passed. At the age of thirteen he was sent to Yale college, where, notwithstandino; his extreme vouth — for, with the exception of the poet Ilillhouse, he was the youngest of his class, and Hillhouse was afterward withdraw^u — his progress in his studies is said to have been honorable to his talents. He left the college, after a residence of three years, and became a midshipman in the United States navy. Six years he followed the sea, and there yet wanders, among those who are fond of literarj^ an- ecdote, a story of the young sailor who, in the streets of one of the English ports, attracted the curiosity of the HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 243 crowd, by explaining to his comj^anions a Latin motto in some public place. That during this period he made "himself master of the knowledge and the imagery which he afterward employed to so much advantage in his romances of the sea, the finest ever written, is a common and obvious remark ; but it has not been, so far as I know, observed that from the discipline of a seaman's life he may have derived much of his readiness and fertility of invention, much of his skill in surrounding the personages of his novels with imaginary perils, and rescuing them by probable expedients. Of all pursuits, the life of a sailor is that which familiarizes men to danger in its most fearful shapes, most cultivates pre- sence of mind, and most effectually calls forth the re- sources of prompt and fearless dexterity by which immi- nent evil is avoided. In 1811, Cooper, having resigned his post as midship- man, began the year by marrying Miss Delancey, sister of the present bishop of the diocese of western New York, and entered upon a domestic life happily passed to its close. He went to live at Scarsdale, in the county of Westchester, where he occupied himself with the im- provement of a farm, and occasionally with landscape gardening, then an art little practised in this country, and while here he wrote and published the first of his novels, entitled Precaution. Concerning the occasion of writing his work, it is related, that once, as he was reading an English novel to Mrs. Cooper, who has with- in a short time past been laid in the grave beside her illustrious husband, and of whom we may now say, that her goodness was no less eminent than his genius, he suddenly laid down the book, and said, " I believe I could write a better myself." Almost immediately he composed a chapter of a projected work of fiction, and read it to the same friendly judge, who encouraged him to finish it, and when it was completed, suggested its publication. Of this he had at the time no intention, but he was at length induced to submit the manuscript 244 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. to the examination of the late Charles Wilkes, of this city, in whose literary opinions he had great confidence. Mr. Wilkes advised that it should be published, and to these circumstances we owe it that Cooper became an author. I confess I have merely dipped into this work. The experiment was made with the first edition, deformed by a strange punctuation — a profusion of commas and other pauses, which puzzled and rej)elled me. Its au- thor, many years afterward, revised and republished it, correctino- this fault, and some faults of style also, so that to a casual inspection it appeared almost another work. It was a professed delineation of English man- ners, though the author had then seen nothing of English society. It had, however, the honor of being adopted by the country whose manners it described, and being early republished in Great Britain passed from the first for an English novel. I am not unwill- ing to believe what is said of it, that it contained a promise of the powers which its author afterward put forth. Thirty years ago, in the year 1821, and in the thirty- second of his life. Cooper published the first of the works by which he will be known to posterity, the ^py. It took the reading world by a kind of surprise ; its merit was acknowledged by a rapid sale ; the public read with eagerness and the critics wondered. Many withheld their commendations on account of defects in the plot or blemishes in the composition, arising from want of practice, and some waited till they could hear the judgment of European readers. Yet there were not wanting critics in this country, of whose good opinion any author in any part of the world might be proud, who spoke of it in the terms it deserved. " Are you not delighted," wrote a literary friend to me, who has since risen to high distinction as a writer, both in verse and in prose, " are you not deliglited with the Spy^ as a work of infinite spirit and genius V In that word genius lay HISTORY OF COOPEKSTOWN 245 the explanation of the hold which the work hud taken on the minds of men. What it had of excellence was peculiar and unborrowed ; its pictures of life, whether in repose or activity, were drawn with broad lights and shadows, immediately from living originals in nature or in his own imagination. To him, whatever he described was true ; it was made a reality to him by the strength with which he conceived it.^ His power in the delinea- tion of character was shown in the principal personage of his story, Harvey Birch, on whom, though he has chosen to employ him in the ignoble office of a spy, and endowed him with the qualities necessary to his profes- sion — extreme circumspection, fertility in stratagem, and the art of concealing his real character — qualities which, in conjunction with selfishness and greediness, make the scoundrel, he has bestowed the virtues of generosity, magnanimity, an intense love of country, a fidelity not to be corrupted, and a disinterestedness beyond temptation. Out of this combination of quali- ties he has wrought a character which is a favorite in all nations and with all classes of mankind. The intro- duction of General Washington as one of the personages of the story, was a blemi,sh in the work which Cooper^ in later years, regretted to such a degree that he spoke of writing the Spy over again. It is said that if you cast a pebble into the ocean, at the mouth of our harbor, the vibration made in the water passes gradually on till it strikes the icy barriers of the deep at the south pole. The spread of Cooper's reputation is not confined within narrower limits. The Spy is read in all the written dialects of Europe, and in some of those of Asia. The French, immediately after its first appearance, gave it to the multitudes who read their far-diffused language, and placed it among the first works of its class. It was rendered into Castilian, and passed into the hands of those who dwell under the beams of the Southern cross. At length it crossed the eastern frontier of Europe, and the latest record I have 246 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. seen of its progress toward absolute universality, is con- tained in a statement of the International Magazine, derived I presume from its author, that in 1847 it was published in a Persian translation at Ispahan. Before this time, I doubt not, they are reading it in some of the languages of Hindostan, and, if the Chinese ever translated anything, it would be in the hands of the many millions who inhabit the far Cathay. I have spoken of the hesitation which American critics felt in admitting the merits of the Spy, on ac- ' count of crudities in the plot or the composition, some of which no doubt really existed. An exception must be made in favor of the Port Folio, which, in a notice written by Mrs. Sarah Hall, mother of the editor of that periodical, and author of Conversations on the Bible, gave the work a cordial welcome ; and Cooper, as I am informed, never forgot this act of timely and ready kindness. It was perhaps favorable to the immediate success of the Spy^ that Cooper had few American authors to divide .with him the public attention. That crowd of clever men and women who now write for the maga- zines, who send out volumes of essays, sketches, and poems, and who supply the press with novels, biogra- phies, and historical works, were then, for the most part, either stammering their lessons in the schools, or yet unborn. Yet it is worthy of note, that just about the time that the Sjyy made its appearance, the dawn of what we now call our literature was just breaking. The concluding number of Dana's Idle Man, a work neglected at first, but now numbered among the best things of the kind in our language, was issued in the same month. The Sketch Book was then just com- pleted ] the world isvas admiring it, and its author was meditating Bracehriflge Hall. Miss Sedgwick, about the same time, made her first essay in that charming series of novels^ of domestic life in New England, which have gained her so high a reputation. HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 247 Percival, now unhappily silent, had just put to press a volume of poems. I have a copy of an edition of Halleck's Fanny ^ published in the same year ; the poem of Yamoi/clen, by Eastburn and Sands, appeared almost simultaneously with it. Livingston was putting the finishing hand to his Report on the Penal Code of Louisiana, a work written with such grave, persuasive eloquence, that it belongs as much to our literature as to our jurisprudence. Other contemporaneous Ameri- can works there were, now less read. Paul Allen's poem of Noah was just laid on the counters of the booksellers. Arden published at the same time, in this city, a translation of Ovid's Tristia, in heroic verse, in which the complaints of the eifeminate Ro- man poet were rendered with great fidelity to the ori- ginal, and sometimes not without beauty. If I may speak of myself, it was in that year that I timidly en- trusted to the winds and waves of public ojjinion a small cargo of my own — a poem entitled The Agea, and half a dozen shorter ones, in a thin duodecimo volume, printed at Cambridge. We had, at the same time, works of elegant litera- ture, fresh from the press of Great Britain, which are still read and admired. Barry Cornwall, then a young suitor for fame, published in the same year his Marcla Colonna ; Byron, in the full strength and fertility of his genius, gave the readers of English his tragedy of Marino Faliero^ and was in the midst of his spirited controversy with Bowles concerning the poetry of Pope. The Bpy had to sustain a comparison with Scott's An- tiquari/^ published simultaneously with it, and with Lockhart's Valerius^ which seems to me one of the most remarkable works of fiction ever composed. In 1823, and in his thirty-fourth year. Cooper brought out his novel of the Pioneers, the scene of which was laid on the borders of his own beautiful lake. In a recent survey of Mr. Cooper's works, by one of his ad- mirers, it is intimated that the reputation of this work 248 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. may have been in some degree factitious. I can not think so ; I can not see liow such a work could fViil of becoming, sooner or later, a favorite. It was several years after its first appearance that I read the Pioneers, and I read it with a delighted astonishment. Here, said I to myself, is the poet of rural life in this coun- try — our Hesiod, our Theocritus, except that he writes without the restraint of numbers, and is a greater poet than they. In the Pioneers, as in a moving picture, are made to pass before us the hardy occupations and spirited amusements of a prosperous settlement, in a fertile region, encompassed for leagues around with the primeval wilderness of woods. The seasons in their dif- ferent aspects, bringing with them their different em- ployments ; forests falling before the axe; the cheerful population, with the first mild day of spring, engaged in the suu'ar-orchards ; the chase of the deer through the deep woods, and into the lake ; turkey-shooting, during the Christmas holidays, in which the Indian marksman vied for the prize of skill with the white man ; swift sleigh rides under the bright winter sun, and perilous encounters with wild animals in the forests : these, and other scenes of rural life, drawn, as Cooper knew how to draw them, in the bright and healthful coloring of which he was master, are interwoven with a reuular narrative of human fortunes, not unskillfully construct- ed ; and how could such a work be otherwise than ]3opular ? In the Pioneers, Leatherstocking is first introduced — a philosopher of the woods, ignorant of books, but in- structed in all that nature, without the aid of science, could reveal to the man of quick senses and inquiring intellect, whose life has been passed under the open sky, and in companionship with a race whose animal percep- tions are the acutest and most cultivated of which there is any example. But Leatherstocking has higher quali- ties ; in him there is a genial blending of the gentlest virtues of the civilized man with the better nature of HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 249 the aboriginal tribes ; all that in them is noble, gener- ous, and ideal, is adopted into h"s own kindly charac- ter, and all that is evil is rejected. But why should I attempt to analyze a character so familiar ? Leather- stocking is acknowledged, on all hands, to be one of the noblest, as well as most striking and original creations of fiction. In some of his subsequent novels, Cooper — for he had not yet attained to the full maturity of his powers — heightened and ennobled his first conception of the character, but in the Pioneers it dazzled the world with the splendor of novelty. His next work was the Pilot, in which he showed how, from the vicissitudes of a life at sea, its perils and escapes, from the beauty and terrors of the great deep, from the working of a vessel on a long voyage, and from the frank, brave and generous, but peculiar character of the seaman, may be drawn materials of romance by which the minds of men may be as deeply moved as by any thing in the power of romance to present. In this walk, Cooper has had many disciples, but no rival, lill who have since written romances of the sea have been but travelers in a country of which he was the great discoverer, and none of them all seemed to have loved a ship as Cooper loved it, nor have been able so strongly to interest all classes of readers in its fortunes. Amono: other personages drawn with great strength in the Pi- lot, is the general favorite, Tom Cofiin, the thorough seaman, with all the virtues, and one or two of the in- firmities of his profession, superstitious, as seamen are apt to be, yet whose superstitions strike us as but an irregular growth of his devout recognition of the Power who holds the ocean in the hollow of his hand ; true- hearted, gentle, full of resources, collected in danger, and at last calmly perishing at the post of duty, with the vessel he has long guided, by what I may call a great and magnanimous death. His rougher and coarser companion, Bolthorpe, is drawn with scarcely less skill, and with a no less vigorous hand. 250 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. The Pioneers^ is not Cooper's best tale of tlie Ameri- can forest, nor the Pilot^ perhaps, in all respects, his best tale of the sea; yet, if he had ceased to write here, the measure of his fame would, possibly, have been scarcely less ample than it now is. Neither of them is far below the best of his productions, and in them ap- pear the two most remarkable cre3tions of his imagi- nation — two of the most remarkable characters in all fiction. It was about this time that my acquaintance with Cooper began, an acquaintance of more than a quarter of a century, in which his deportment toward me was that of unvaried kindness. He then resided a consider- able part of the year in this city, and here he had found- ed a weekly club, to which many of the most distin- guished men of the place belonged. Of the members who have since passed away, were Chancellor Kent, the jurist; Wiley, the intelligent and liberal bookseller; Henry D. Sedgwick, always active in schemes of bene- volence ; Jarvis, the painter, a man of infinite humor, w^hose jests awoke inextinguishable laughter; I)e Kay, the naturalist; Sands, the poet; Jacob Harvey, whose genial memory is cherished by many friends. Of those who are yet living, was Morse, the inventor of the elec- tric telegraph ; Durand, then one of the first of engrav- ers, and now no less illustrious as a painter; Henry James Anderson, whose acquirements might awaken the envy of the ripest scholars of the old world ; Hal- leck, the poet and wit; Verplanck, who has given the world the best edition of Shakspeare for general read- ers ; Dr. King, now at the head of Columbia college, and his two immediate predecessors in that office. I might enlarge the list with many other names of no less distinction. The army and navy contributed their pro- portion of members, whose names are on record in our national history. Cooper when in town was always present, and I remember being struck with the inex- haustible vivacity of his conversation and the minute- HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 251 ness of liis knowledge in every thing which depended upon acuteness of observation and exactness of recollec- tion. I remember, too, being somewhat startled, coming as I did from the seclusion of a country life, with a cer- tain emphatic frankness in his manner, which, however, I came at last to like and to admire. The club met in the hotel called Washington Hall, the site of which is now occupied, by part of the circuit of Stewart's marble buildino-. Lionel Lincoln^ which can not be ranked among the successful productions of Cooper, was published in 1825 ; and in the year following appeared the Last of the jUohicans, which more than recovered the ground lost by its predecessor. In this work the con- struction of the narrative has signal defects, but it is one of the triumphs of the author's genius that he makes us unconscious of them While we read. It is only when we have had time to awake from the intense interest in which he has held us by the vivid reality of his narrative, and have begun to search for faults in cold blood, that we are able to find them. In the Last of the Mohicans we have a bolder portraiture of Leather- stockinc: than in the Pioneers. This work was published in 1826. and in the same year Cooper sailed with his family for Europe. He left New York as one of the vessels of war, described in his romances of the 3ea, goes out of port, amid the thunder of a parting salute from the big guns on the batter- ies. A dinner was given him just before his departure, attended by most of the distinguished men of the city, at which Peter A. Jay presided, and Dr. King addressed him in terms which some then thought tooglowino-^ but which would now seem sufficiently temperate, express- ing the good wishes of his friends, and dwelling on the satisfaction they promised themselves in possessino- so illustrious a representative of American literature in the old world. Cooper was scarcely in France when he re- membered his friends of the weekly club, and sent fre- 252 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. quent missives to be read at its meetings ; but the club missed its founder, went into a decline, and not long afterward quietly expired. The first of Cooper's novels published after leaving America was the Prairie . which appeared early in 1827, a work with the admirers of which I wholly agree. I read it with a certain awe, an undefined sense of sublim- ity, such as one experiences on entering fc^r the first time upon these immense grassy deserts from which the work takes its name. The squatter and his family — that brawny old man and his large-limbed sons, living in a sort of primitive and patriarchal barbarism, sluggish on ordinary occasions but terrible when roused, like the hurricane that sweeps the grand but monotonous wil- derness in which they dwell — seem a natural growth of those ancient fields of the West. Leatherstocking, a hunter in the Pioneer^, a warrior in the Lijtst of the Mo- hicans, and now, in his extreme old age, a trapper on the prairie, declined in strength, butundeeayed in intel- lect, and looking to the near close of his life and a grave under the long grass as calmly as the laborer at sunset looks to his evening slumber, is no less.in harmony with the silent desert in which he wanders. Equally so are the Indians, still his companions, copies of the American savage somewhat idealized, but not the less apart of the wild nature in which they have their haunts. Before the year closed. Cooper had given the world another nautical tale, the Re(J Rover, which with many is a greater favorite than the Pilot, and with reason, perhaps, if we consider principally the incidents, which are conducted and described with a greater mastery over the springs of pity and terror. It happened to Cooper while he was abroad, as it not nnfrequently happens to our countrymen, to hear the United States disadvantageously compared with Europe. He had himself been a close observer of things, both here and in the old world, and was conscious of being able to refute the detractors of his country in regard to HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 253 many points. He publislied in 1828, after lie had been two years in Europe, a series of letters entitled Notions of the Ameincans htj a Travellny Baclielor^ in which he gave a favorable account of the working of our insti- tutions, and vindicated his country from various flippant and ill-natured misrepresentations of foreigners. It is rather too measured in style, but is written from a mind full of the subject, and from a memory wonderfully stored with particulars. Although twenty-four years have elapsed since its publication, but little of the vindi- cation has become obsolete. Cooper loved his country and was proud of her his- tory and her institutions, but it puzzles many that he- should have appeared, at different times, as her eulogist and her censor. My friends, she is worthy both of praise and of blame, and Cooper was not the man tO' shrink from bestowing either, at what seemed to him the proper time. He defended her from detractors abroad ; he sought to save her from flatterers at home.. I will«ot say that he was in as good humor with his countrv when he wrote Home as Found, as when he wrote his Amotions of the Ame7'icans, but this I will say, that whether he commended or censured, he did it in. the sincerity of his heart as a true American, and in= the belief that it would do good. His Notions of the Amo'icans were more likely to lessen than to increase his popularity in Europe, inasmuch as they were put forth without the slightest regard to European j^reju- dices. In 1829 he brought out the novel entitled the Wept of Wish-ton- Wish, one of the few of his works which we now rarely hear mentioned. He was engaged in the- composition of a third nautical tale, which he afterward published under the name of the Water- Witch, when the memorable revolution of the Three Days of July broke out. He saw a government ruling by fear and in defi- ance of public opinion, overthrown in a few hours with little bloodshed ; he saw the French nation, far from 22 254 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. being intoxicated with their new liberty, peacefully ad- dressing themselves to the discussion of the institutions under which they were to live. A Vork which Cooper afterward published, his Residence in Europe, gives the outline of a plan of government for France, furnished by him at that time to La Fayette, with whom he was then on habits of close and daily intimacy. It was his idea to give permanence to the new order of things by associating two strong parties in its support, the friends of legitimacy and the republicans. He suggested that Henry V should be called to the hereditary throne of France, a youth yet to be educated as the head of a free people, that the peerage should be abolished, and a legis- lature of two chambers established, with a constituency of at least a million and a half of electors ; the senate to be chosen by the general vote as the representatives of the entire nation, and the members of the other house to be chosen by districts as the representatives of the local interests. To the middle ground of politics so ostentatiously occupied by Louis Philippe at flie be- ginning of his reign, he predicted a brief duration, be- lieving that it would speedily be merged in despotism or supplanted by the popular rule. His prophecy has been fulfilled more amply than he could have imagined — ful- filled in both its alternatives. In one of the controversies of that time Cooper bore a distinguished part. The Revue Britanniqne, a period- ical published in Paris, boldly affirmed the government of the United States to be one of the most expensive in the world, and its people among the most heavily taxed of mankind. This assertion was supported with a cer- tain show of proof, and the writer affected to have es- tablished the conclusion that a republic must necessarily be more expensive than a monarchy. The partisans of the court were delighted with the reasonino- of the arti- cle, and claimed a triumph over our ancient friend La Fayette, who, during forty.years had not ceased to hold up the government of the United States as the cheapest HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 255 in the world. At the suggestion of La Fayette, Cooper replied to thisattack upon his country, in a letter which was translated into French, and together with another from General Bertrand, for many years a resident in America, was laid before the people of France. These two letters provoked a shower of rejoinders, in which, according to Cooper, mis-statements were mingled with scurrility. He began a series of letters on the ques- tion in dispute, which were published in the National^ a daily sheet, and gave the first evidence of that ex- traordinary acuteness of controversy, which was no less ^characteristic of his mind than the vigor of his imagina- tion. The enemies of La Fayette pressed into their service Mr. Leavitt Harris of New Jersey, afterward our charge d'affaires at the court of France, but Cooper replied to Mr. Harris in the National of May 2, 1832, closing a discussion in which he had effectually silenced those who objected to our institutions on the score of .econorny. Of these letters, which would form an impor- tant chapter in political science, no entire copy, I have been told, is to be found in this country. One of the consequences of earnest controversy is al- most invariably personal ill will. Cooper was told by •one who held an official station under the French gov- ernment, that -tli£ part he had taken in this dispute con- cerning taxation, would neither be forgotten nor for- given. The dislike he had incurred in that quarter was strengthened by his novel of the Bravo ^ published in the year 1831, while he was in the midst of his quarrel with the aristocratic party. In that work, of which he has himself justly said, that it was thoroughly Ameri- can in all that belonged to it, his object was to show how institutions professedly created to prevent violence and wrong become, when perverted from their original design, the instruments of injustice, and how, in every system which makes power the exclusive property of the strong, the weak are sure to be oppressed. The work is written with all the vigor and spirit of his best novels ; 256 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. the magnificent city of A^enice, in which the scene of the story is laid, stands continually before the imagina- tion, and from time to time the gorgeous ceremonies of the Venetian republic pass under our eyes, such as the marriafi-e of the Doi>e with the Adriatic, and the contest of the gondolas for the prize of speed. The Bravo him- self and several of the other characters are strongly con- ceived and distinguished, but the most remarkable of them all is the spirited and generous-hearted daughter of the jailer. It has been said by some critics, who judge of Cooper by his failures, that he had no skill in drawing female characters. By the same process it might, I suppose, be shown that Raphael was but an ordinary painter. It must be admitted that when Cooper drew a lady of high breeding, he was apt to pay too much attention to the formal part of her character, and to make her a mere bundle of cold proprieties. But when he places his he- roines in some situation in life which leaves him nothing to do but to make them natural and true, I know of no- thing finer, nothing more attractive or more individual than the portraitures he has given us. Figaro^ the wittiest of the French periodicals, and at that time on the liberal side, commended the Bravo ; the journals on the side of the government censured it. Figaro afterward passed into the hands of the aristo- cratic party, and Cooper became the object of its at- tacks. He was not, however, a man to be driven from any purpose which he had formed, either by flattery or abuse, and both were tried with equal ill success. In 1832 he published his Heidcnmauer^ and in 1833 his Headsman of Berne, both with a political design sim- ilar to that of the Bravo, though neither of them takes the same hiii:h rank amono- his works. In 1833, after a residence of seven years in difi'erent parts of Europe, but mostly in France, Cooper returned to his native country. The welcome which met him here was somewhat chilled by the effect of the attacks made HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 257 upon liim in France, and remembering with what zeal, and at what sacrifice of the universal acceptance which his works would otherwise have met, he had maintained the cause of his country against the wits and orators of the court party in France, we can not wonder that he should have felt this coldness as undeserved. He pub- lished, shortly after his arrival in this country, A Letter to his Countrymen^ in which he complained of the cen- sures cast upon him in the American newspapers, gave a history of the part he had taken in exposing the mis-state- ments of the Revue Britannique^ and warned his coun- trymen against the too common error of resorting, with a blind deference, to foreign authorities, often swayed by national or political prejudices, for our opinions of Amer- ican authors. Going beyond this topic, he examined and reprehended the habit of applying to the interpretation of our own constitution maxims derived from the practice of other governments, particularly that of Great Britain. The importance of construing that instrument by its own principles he illustrated by considering several points in dispute between the parties of the day, on which he gave very decided opinions. The principal effect of this pamphlet, as it seemed to me, was to awaken in certain quarters a kind of resent- ment that a successful writer of fiction should presume to give lessons in politics. I meddle not here with the conclusions to which he arrived, though I must be al- lowed to say that they were stated and argued with great ability. In 1835 Cooper published the Monnikhis^ a satirical work, partly with a political aim, and in the same year appeared his American Democrat^ a view of the civil and social relations of the United States, dis- cussing more bravely various topics touched upon in the former work, and pointing out in what respects he deem- ed the American people in their practice to have fallen short, as they undoubtedly have, of the excellence of their institutions. He found time, however, for a more genial task, that 258 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. of giving to the world his observations on foreign coun- tries. In 1836 appeared his Sketches of Sicitzerkinfl, a series of letters in four volumes, the second part pub- lished about two months after the first, a delightful work, written in a more fluent and flexible style than his No- tions of the Americans. The first part of Gleanings in Europe.^ giving an account of his residence in France, followed in the same year, and the second part of the same work containing his observations on England, was published in April, 1837. In these works, forming a series of eight volumes, he relates and describes with much of the same distinctness as in his novels ; and his remarks on the manners and institutions of the difi"erent countries, often sagacious and always peculiarly his own, derive from their frequent reference to contemporary events, an historical interest. In 1838 appeared Homeward Bound, and Hom,e as JPound, two satirical novels, in which Cooper held up to ridicule a certain class of conductors of the newspaper press in America. These works had not the good for- tune to become popular. Cooper did not, and, because he was too deeply in earnest, perhaps would not, infuse into his satirical works that gayety without whicL satire becomes wearisome. I believe, however, that if they had been written by any body else they would have met with more favor ; but the world knew that Cooper was able to give them something better, and would not be satisfied with anything short of his best. Some child- ishly imagined that because, in the two works I have nist mentioned, a newspaper editor is introduced, in whose character almost every possible vice of his pro- fession is made to find a place. Cooper intended an in- discriminate attack upon the whole body of writers for the newspaper press, forgetting that such a portraiture was a satire only on those to whom it bore a likeness. We have become less sensitive and more reasonable of late, and the monthly periodicals make sport for their readers of the follies and ignorance of' the newspaper HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 259 editors, without awakening the slightest resentment ; but Cooper led the way in this sort of discipline, and I remember some instances of towerini;- indignation at his audacity expressed in the journals of that time. The next year Cooper made his appearance before the public in a new department of writing; his Naval His- toric of the United States was brought out in two octavo volumes at Philadelphia, by Carey & Lea. In writing his stories of the sea, his attention had been much turned to this subject, and his mind filled with striking- incidents from expeditions and battles in which our naval commanders had been eno-ao-ed. This made his task the lighter, but he gathered his materials with great industry, and with a conscientious attention to exactness, for he was not a man to take a fact for grant- ed, or allow imagination to usurp the place of inquiry. He digested our naval annals into a narrative, written with spirit, it is true, but with that air of sincere deal- ing which the reader willingly takes as a pledge of its authenticity. An abridgment of the work was afterward prepared and published by the author. The Edinhimjh Review^ in an article professing to examine the statements both of Cooper's work and of The History of the English JVavf/, written by Mr. James, a surgeon by profession, made a violent attack upon the American historian. Unfortunately, it took James's narrative as its sole guide, and followed it implicitly. Cooper replied in the Democratic Revieiv for January, 1840, and by a mas- terly analysis of his statements, convicting James of self-contradiction in almost every particular in which he differed from himself, refuted both James and the re- viewer. It was a refutation vdiich admitted of no re- joinder. Scarce any thing in Cooper's life was so remarkable, or so strikingly illustrated his character, as his contest with the newspaper press. He engaged in it after pro- vocations, many and long endured, and prosecuted it 260 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. tlirongh years with great energy, perseverance, and practical dexterity, till he was left master of the field. In what I am about to say of it, I hope I shall not give offence to any one, as I shall speak without the slightest malevolence toward those with whom he waged this controversy. Over some of them, as over their re- nowned adversary, the grave has now closed. Yet where shall the truth be spoken, if not beside the grave ? I have already alluded to the principal causes which provoked the newspaper attacks upon Cooper. If he had never meddled with questions of government on either side of the Atlantic, and never satirized the news- paper press, I have little doubt that he would have been spared these attacks. 1 can not, however, ascribe them all, or even the greater part of them, either to party or to personal malignity. One journal followed the exam- ple of another, with little reflection, I think, in most cases, till it became a sort of fashion, not merely to decry his works, but to arraign his motives. It is related that, in 1832, while he was at Paris, an article was shown him in an American newspaper, pur- porting to be a criticism on one of his works, but re- flecting with much asperity on his personal character. " I care nothing," he is reported to have said, '' for the criticism, but I am not indifferent to the slander. If these attacks on my character should be kept up five years after my return to America, I shall resort to the New York courts for protection." He gave the news- paper press of this state the full period of forbearance on which he had fixed, but finding'- that . forbearance seemed to encourage assault, he sought redress in the courts of law. When these litigations were first begun, I recollect it seemed to me that Cooper had taken a step which Avould give him a great deal of trouble, and effect but little good. I said to myself — " Alas 1 Leviathan is not so tamed I" HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 261 As he proceeded, however, I saw that he had under- stood the matter better than I. He put a hook into the nose of this huge monster, wallowing in his inky pool and bespattering the passers by ; he dragged him to the land and made him tractable. One suit followed an- other ; one editor was sued, I think, half-a-dozen times ; some of them found themselves under a second indict- ment before the first was tried. In vindicating himself to his readers, against the charge of publishing one libel the angry journalist often floundered into another. The occasions of these prosecutions seem to have been always carefully considered, for Cooper was almost uniformly successful in obtaining verdicts. In a letter of his, written in February, 1843, about five years, I think, from the commencement of the first prosecutions, he says, " I have beaten every man I have sued, who has not retracted his libels." In one of these suits, commenced against the late William L. Stone of the Commercial Advertiser^ and referred to the arbitration of three distinguished law- yers, he argued himself the question of the authenticity of his account of the battle of Lake Erie, which was the matter in dispute. I listened to his opening ; it was clear, skillful and persuasive, but his closing argu- ment was said to be splendidly eloquent. " I have heard nothing like it," said a barrister to me, "since the days of Emmet." Cooper behaved liberally towards his antagonists, so far as pecuniary damages were concerned, though some of them wholly escaped their payment by bankruptcy. After, I believe, about six years of litigation, the news- paper press gradually subsided into a pacific disposition towards its adversary, and the contest closed with the account of pecuniary profit and loss, so far as he was concerned, nearly balanced. The occasion of these suits was far from honorable to those who provoked them, but the result was, I had almost said, creditable to all parties ; to him, as the courageous prosecutor, to the 262 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. administration of justice in this country, and to the do- cility of the newspaper press, which he had disciplined iiito good manners. It was while he was in the midst of these litio'ations that he published, in 1840, the Pathfinder. People had begun to think of him as a <30utroversialist, acute, keen and persevering, occupied with his personal wrongs and schemes of attack and defence. They were startled from this estimate of his character by the moral beauty^ of that glorious work — I must so call it ; by the vividness aiad force of its delineations, by the unspoiled love of nature apparent in every page, and by the fresh and warm emotions which everywhere gave life to the narrative and the dialogue. Cooper was now in his fifty-first year, but nothing which he had produced in the earlier part of his literary life was written with so much of what might seem the generous fervor of youth, or showed the faculty of invention in higher vigor. I recollect that near the time of its appearance I was informed of an observation made upon it by one highly distinguished in the litera- ture of our country and of the age, between whom and the author an unhappy coolness had for some years ex- isted. As he finished the reading of the Patlifinder. he exclaimed, •• They may say what they will of Cooper, the man who wrote this book is not only a great man, but a good man." The readers of the Pat^t finder were quickly reconciled to the fourth appearance of Leatherstocking, when they saw him made to act a different part from any wliich the author had hitherto assigned him — when they saw him shown as a lover, and placed in the midst of asso- ciations which invested his character with a hig-her and more affecting heroism. In this work are two female characters, portrayed in a masterly manner — the corpo- ral's daughter, Mabel Dunham, generous, resolute, yet womanly, and the young Indian woman, called by her tribe the Dew of June, a personification of female truth, afi"ection and sympathy, with a strong aboriginal cast, HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 263 yet a product of nature as bright and pure as that from which she is named. Alercedes of Castile^ published near the close of the same year, has none of the stronger characteristics of Cooper's genius; but in the Dcerslayer^ which appeared in 1841, another of his Leatherstocking tales, he gave us a work rivaling the Pathjinder. Leatherstock- ing is brought before us in his early youth, in the first exercise of that keen sagacity which is blended so har- moniously with a simple and ingenious goodness. The two daughters of the retired freebooter dwellino' on the Otsego lake, inspire scarcely less interest than the prin- cipal personage ; Judith, in the pride of her beauty and intellect, her good impulses contending with a fatal love of admiration, holding us fascinated with a constant in- terest in her fate, which with consummate skill, we are permitted rather to conjecture than to know; and Hetty scarcely less beautiful in person, weak-minded, but wise in the midst of that weakness beyond the wisdom of the loftiest intellect, through the power of conscience and religion. The character of Hetty would have been a hazardous experiment in feebler hands, but in his it was admirably successful. The Two Admirals and Wmg-atid- Wing were given to the public in 1842, both of them taking a high rank among Cooper's sea-tales. The first of these is a sort of naval epic in prose ; the flight and chase of armed vessels hold us in breathless suspense, and the sea-fights are described with a terrible power. In the later sea- tales of Cooper, it seems to me that the mastery with which he makes his grand processions of events pass before the mind' s eye is even greater than in his earlier. The next year he published the Wyandotte or Hutted Knoll ^ one of his beautiful romances of the woods, and in 1844 two more of his sea-stories, Afloat and Ashore and Miles Walling ford its sequel. The long series of his nautical tales was closed by Jack Tier or the Florida Reef, pub- lished in 1848, when Cooper was in his sixtieth year, and 2G4 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. it is as full of spirit, energy, invention, life-like pre- sentation of objects and events — The vision and the faculty divine — as anything he had written. Let nie pause here to say that Cooper, though not a manufacturer of verse, was in the highest sense of the word a poet ; his imagination wrought nobly and grandly, and imposed its creations on the mind of the reader for realities. With him there was no withering or decline, or disuse of the poetic faculty : as he stepped downward from the zenith of life, no shadow or chill came over it; it was like the year of some genial climates, a per- petual season of verdure, bloom and fruitfulness. As these works came out, I was rejoiced to see that he was unspoiled by the controversies in which he had allowed himself to become engaged; that they had not given, to these better expressions of his genius, any tinge of mis- anthropy, or appearance of contracting and closing sym- pathies, any trace of an interest in his fellow-beings less large and free than his earlier works. Before the appearance of his Jack Tier^ Cooper pub- lished, in 1845 and the following year, a series of novels relating to the Anti-rent question, in which he took great interest. He thought that the disposition manifested in certain quarters to make concessions to what he deemed a denial to the rights of property, was a first step in a most dangerous path. To discourage this disposition, he wrote Satanstoe^ The Chainhearer and The Redb-kuia. They are didactic in their design, and want the free- dom of invention which belong to Cooper's best novels ; but if they had been written by anybody but Cooper — by a member of Congress, for example, or any eminent politician of any class — they would have made his repu- tation. It was said, I am told, by a distinguished jurist of our state, that they entitled the author to as high a place in law as his other works had won for him in lite- rature. HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 265 In 1848 Cooper published his novel entitled Oak Openings, or the Bee-Hunter. This work bears many traces of the author's fondness for discussion. He often pauses in his narrative briefly to reprehend some pre- vailing error, to refute some groundless boast of his countrymen or some attack made upon them by foreign- ers ; to settle some point of theology, or even to set his readers right on some question of orthoepy or of the use of language, The scene is laid in the park-like groves of Michigan, where a Pennsylvanian, whose oc- cupation is that of a bee-hunter, has fixed his solitary summer residence, and astonishes the savages who oc- casionally visit him by the exhibition of his craft. The bee-hunter has many qualities that interest us ; he is brave and generous by nature, wary by experience, calm in danger, full of resources, and the gentlest and best-mannered man that ever followed his solitary call- ing. A personage performing an equally important part in the story, and marked by still stronger characteristics, is the Indian who has acquired the surname of Scalping Peter, a powerfully drawn impersonation of the art and dissimulation ascribed to the American savage. To- ward the close of the narrative Peter is won over to Christianity by the moral beauty of a prayer made by a simple-hearted iMethodist missionary, who, at the very moment that they are about to take his life, fervently implores the mercy of God for his remorseless enemies. The various expedients of a bee-hunter's life, the dan- gers of the wilderness, full of lurking savages bent on hostile designs, the stealthy flight of a small party of white people, and the equally stealthy pursuit of the aborigines, furnish matter for a narrative of a most pain- ful interest. There is great art shown in complicating the difficulties which beset the hero of the story, in prolonging the pauses of suspense, and in devising the means by which he is extricated. The other characters of the novel are well distinguished from each other, and among them Margery is one of Cooper's better class of 23 266 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. female portraits — full of gentleness, sweetness, and native dignity. I had thought, in meditating the plan of this discourse, to mention all the works of Mr. Cooper, but the length to which I have found it extending has induced me to pass over several written in the last ten years of his life, and to confine myself to those which best illustrate his literary character. The last of his novels was the Wgt/s of the How, a work in which the objections he enter- tained to the trial by jury in civil causes were stated in the form of a narrative. It is a voluminous catalogue — that of Cooper's pub- lished works — but it comprises not all he wrote. He committed to the fire, without remorse, many of the fruits of his literary industry. It was understood some years since, that he had a work ready for the press on the Middle States of the Union ^ principally illustrative of their social history ; but it has not been found among his manuscripts, and the presumption is that he must have destroyed it. He had planned a work on the Towns of Manhattan^ for the publication of which he made arrangements with Mr. Putnam of this city, and a part of which, already written, was in press at the time of his death. The printed part has since been destroyed by fire, but a portion of the manuscript was recovered. The work, I learn, will be completed by one of the fam- ily, who, within a few years past, has earned an honor- able name among the authors of our country. Great as was the number of his works, and great as was the favor with which they were received, the pecuniary re- wards of his success were far less than has been gener- ally supposed — scarcely, as I am informed, a tenth part of what the common rumor made them. His fame was infinitely the largest acknowledgment which this most successful of American authors received for his labors. The Ways of the Hour appeared in 1850. At this time his personal appearance was remarkable. He HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. ' 267 seemed in perfect health and in the highest energy and activity of his faculties. I have scarcely seen any man at that period of life on whom his years sat more lightly. His conversation had lost none of its liveliness, though it seemed somewhat more gentle and forbearing in tone, and his spirits none of their elasticity. He was contem- plating, I have since been told, another Leatherstocking tale, deeming that he had not yet exhausted the charac- ter, and those who consider what new resources it yielded him in the Pathfinder and the Deerslayer^ will readily conclude that he was not mistaken. The disease, however, by which he was removed was even then impending over him, and not long afterward his friends here were grieved to learn that his health was declining. He came to New York so changed that they looked at him with sorrow, and after a stay of some weeks, partly for the benefit of medical advice, returned to Cooperstown, to leave it no more. His complaint gradually gained strength, subdued a constitution origi- nally robust, and finally passed into a confirmed dropsy. In August, 1851, he was visited by his excellent and learned friend. Dr. Francis, a member of the weekly club which he had founded in the early part of his lite- rary career. He found him bearing the sufferings of his disease with manly firmness, gave him such medical counsels as the malady appeared to require, prepared him delicately for its fatal termination, and returned to New York with the most melancholy anticipations. In a few days afterwards Cooper expired, amid the deep affliction of his family, on the 14th of September, the day before that on which he should have completed his sixty-second year. He died apparently without pain, in peace and religious hope. The relations of man to his Maker and to that state of being for which the present is but a preparation, had occupied much of his thoughts during his whole lifetime, and he crossed with a serene composure, the mysterious boundary which divides this life from the next. The departure of such a man in the full strength of 268 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. his faculties — on whom the country had for thirty years looked as one of the permanent ornaments of its litera- ture, and whose name had been so often associated with praise, with renown, with controversy, with blame, but never witii death — diffused a universal awe. It was as if an earthquake had shaken the ground on which we stood, and showed the grave opening by our path. In the general grief for his loss, his virtues only were re- membered, and his failings forgotten. Of his failings I have said little ; such as he had were obvious to all the world ; they lay on the surface of his character ; those who knew him least made the most ac- count of them. With a character so made up of positive ^qualities — a character so independent and uncompromis- ing, and with a sensitiveness far more acute than he was willing to acknowledge, it is not surprising that occa- sions frequently arose to bring him into friendly collision and sometimes into graver disagreements and misunder- standings with his fellow-men. For his infirmities, his friends found an ample counterpoise in the generous sin- cerity of his nature. He never thought of disguising his Gjjinions, and he abhorred all disguise in others ) he did iBot even deign to use that show of regard toward Ihose of whom he did not think well, which the world -tolerates and almost demands. A manly expression of opinion, however different from his own, commanded his resj>ect. Of his own works he spoke with the same free- dom as of the works of others; and never hesitated to express his judgment of a book for the reason that it was written by himself; yet he could bear with gentle- ness any dissent from the estimate he placed on his own writings. His character was lik-e the bark of the cinna- mon, a rough and astringent rind without and an intense sweetness within. Those who i>enetrated below the sur- face found a genial temper, warm affections, and a heart with ample place for his friends, their pursuits, their good name, their welfare. 'They found him a philan- thropist, though not precisely after the fashion of the HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 269 day ; a religious man, most devout wliere devotion is most apt to be a feeling rather than a custom, in the household circle ; hospitable, and to the extent of his means, liberal-handed in acts of charity. They found, also, that though in general he would as soon have thought of giving up an old friend as of giving up an opinion, he was not proof against testimony, and could part with a mistaken opinion as one parts with an old friend who has been proved faithless and unworthy. In short, Cooper was one of those who, to be loved, must be intimately known. Of his literary character I have spoken largely in the narrative of his life, but there are yet one or two re- marks which must be made to do it justice. In that way of writing in which he excelled, it seems to mo that he united, in a preeminent degree, those qualities which enabled him to interest the largest number of readers. He wrote not for the fastidious, the over-re- fined, the morbidly delicate ; for these find in his genius something too robust for their liking — something by which their sensibilities are too rudely shaken ; but he wrote for mankind at large — for men and women in the ordinary healthful state of feeling — and in their admira- tion he found his reward. It is for this class that pub- lic libraries are obliged to provide themselves with an extraordinary number of copies of his works : the num- ber in the Mercantile library, in this city, I am told, is forty. Hence it is, that he has earned a fame, wider, I think, than any author of modern times — wider, cer- tainly, than any author, of any age, ever enjoyed in his lifetime. All his excellencies are translatable — they pass readily into languages the least allied in their ge- nius to that in which he wrote, and in them he touches the heart and kindles the imagination with the same power as in the original English. Cooper was not wholly without humor ; it is some-j times found lurking in the dialogue of Harvey Birch, and of Leatherstocking ; but it forms no considerable 270 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. element in his works ; and if it did, it would have stood in the way of his universal popularity, since, of all qualities, it is the most difficult to transfuse into a foreign language. Nor did the effect he produced upon the reader depend on any grace of style which would escape a translator of ordinary skill. With his style, it is true, he took great pains, and in his earlier works, I am told, sometimes altered the proofs sent from the printer so largely that they might be said to be written over. Yet he attained no special felicity, variety, or compass of expression. His style, however, answered his purpose ; it has defects, but it is manly and clear, and stamps on the mind of the reader the impression he desired to convey. I am not sure that some of the very defects of Cooper's novels do not add, by a certain force of contrast, to their power over the mind. He is long in getting at the interest of his narrative. The progress of the plot, at first, is like that of one of his own vessels of war, slowly, heavily, and even awkwardly working out of a harbor. We are impatient and weary, but when the vessel is once in the ojien sea, and feels the free breath of heaven in her full sheets, our delight and ad- miration are all the greater at the grace, the majesty and power with which she divides and bears down the waves, and pursues her course, at will, over the great waste of waters. Such are the works so widely read, and so universally admired, in all the zones of the globe, and by men of every kindred and every tongue ; works which have made of those who dwell in remote latitudes, wanderers in our forests, and observers of our manners, and have inspired them with an interest in our history. A gen- tleman who had returned from Europe just before the death of Cooper, was asked what he found the people of the continent doing. " They are all reading Cooper," he answered ; "in the little kingdom of Holland, with its three millions of inhabitants^ I looked into four dif- ferent translations of Cooper in the language of the HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 271 country." A traveler, who has seen much of the mid- dle classes of Italy, lately said to me, "I have found that all they knew of America, and that was not little, they had learned from Cooper's novels ; from him they had learned the story of American liberty, and through him they had been introduced to our Washington ; they had read his works till the shores of the Hudson and the valleys of Westchester, and the banks of Otsego lake had become to them familiar ground." Over all the countries into whose speech this great man's works have been rendered by the labors of their scholars, the sorrow of that loss which we deplore is now diffusing itself. Here we lament the ornament of our country, there they mourn the death of him who delighted the human race. Even now, while I speak, the pulse of grief which is passing through the nations has haply just reached some remote neighborhood; the news of his death has been brought to some dwelling on the slopes of the Andes, or amidst the snowy wastes of the north, and the dark-eyed damsel of Chile, or the fair-haired maid of Norway, is sad to think that he whose stories of heroism and true love have so often kept her for hours from her pillow, lives no more. He is gone ! but the creations of his genius, fixed in living words, survive the frail material organs by which the words were first traced. They partake of a middle nature, between the deathless mind and the decaying body of which they are the common offspring, and are, therefore, destined to a duration, if not eternal, yet in- definite. The examples he has given in his glorious fictions, of heroism, honor and truth, of large sympathies between man and man, of all that is good, great and ex- cellent, embodied in personages marked with so strong an individuality that we place them among our friends and favorites ; his frank and generous men, his gentle and noble women, shall live through centuries to come, and only perish with our language. I have said with our language ; but who shall say when it may be the 272 HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. fate of the English language to be numbered with the extinct forms of human speech ? Who shall declare which of the present tongues of the civilized world will survive its fellows ? It may be that some one of them, more forrunate than the rest, will long outlast them, in some undisturbed quarter of the globe, and in the midst of a new civilization. The creations of Cooper's genius, even now transferred to that language, may remain to be the delight of the nations through another great cycle of centuries, beginning after the English language and its contemporaneous form of civilization shall have passed away. COOPER'S MONUMENT Washington, New York and Mount Vision were de- signated at different times as its location. An associa- tion, formed in New York, March 25th, 1852, of his literary friends, had in their possession $1000 for a monument of him, to be erected in one of the public squares of that city. The greater part of this money was obtained by an association afterwards organized in Cooperstown, and this, with the funds raised by the latter, secured the erection of the monument now standing in Lakewood cemetery, where it overlooks the lake, the village, and many points already made familiar to a countless number of his readers It is located just below the road referred to in the opening of the story of the Pioneers, and near the point of the panther scene. This monument is of white Italian marble, resting on a granite base six feet square. The shaft, including the base, die and cap from which it rises, is about 25 feet in height, and is surmounted by a richly carved Corinthian capital. The four sides of the die are beau- tifully sculptured in bold rejiief; the front with the name of Fenimore Cooper, surrounded by a wreath of palm and oak branches, the latter with acorns, one fall- HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN. 273 ing and another fjillen ; the north side, with appropriate naval devices, viz : the anchor, oars crossed, command- er's sword and spy-glass; the south side, with Indian emblems, such as bow and arrows and quiver, lance with scalp-locks attached, tomahawk and necklace of bear's claws. On the east side are literary emblems, books and manuscript, with the student's lamp just ex- tinguished, an inkstand, the pen from which has just been seized and borne aloft by an eagle. On its capital stands the statuette of Leatherstocking;, 4 J feet hish, representing him in the act of loading his rifle, and gazing intently in the direction of the game, while the dog (nearly a full sized hound), by liis side, looks anxiously into his master's face, waiting for permission to bound away. The merit of the entire work is due to Launitz, the accomplished sculptor of the city of New York. INDEX. Academy, Otsego, 39. dimensions, 43. reputation, &c., 108. Academies and other pcliools, 110. Agricultural Society, 176. Alarm, Indian, 46. Anecdotes, 29. Apple Hill, 72. Arnold, Stephen, 135. Averell, James, 35. Bank, Otsego County, 70. Banks in 1862, 97. Bar, members of, 152. Bible Society, 118. Birth, flrst on the patent, 33. Black Hills, 79. Boarding houses, 85. Bookstore, only one, 58. Bowers, John M., 163. Boy frozen, 96. Brewery, 43. Bridge, first, 44. Business, 60, 90, 93,97. Cabinet. ware manufactory E. & H. Cory, 84. Campbell family, 153. Carey, Col. Riclmrd, 119. Carriage, first, 43. Casting, iron, 84. Celebration ot 1815, peace, 121. canal, of 1825, 121. Census of 1820, &c., 69. Cent Society, 118. Changes, 58. Charter election, first, 90. Charter of 1829, 89. Churches, edifices, &c., 50, 52, 53. Churches m 1861, 113. Clerks, ICO. Clinton's encampment, and* dam, 15, 17. [De WittJ letter, 177 Colden, Cadwallader, 87. Commencement of the village, 28. Congressmen, 58. Conveyance of land from Indians and others, 12, 18. Cooper, Miss Hannah, 194. James Fenimore: his infancy, boyhood, teach. ers, 196. foot race, 197. Cooper, James Fenimore : marriage, 198. agricuUural address, 199. N. Y. residence, 201. habits, 203. "awful lecture," &c , 204. love of the humorous, 205. Mled He, 205. home life, by Thoa. Clarke, 207. life, habits, &c., by G. P. Keese, 209. plea for Ireland, 2M. personal traits, libel suite, &c., 217. works, 219. illness, 221. death, 224. grave, will, 226. meeting at City Hall, N. Y. , 227. at Metropolitan Hall, 236. monument, 272. Capt. P. P., 127. Richard Fenimore's death, 61. Mrs. William, 193. Cooper's (William) first visit, 13. settlement, 23. family brought, 30. journey in 1795, 48. election, 42. life, anecdotes, death, &c., 189. children, 193. Cooperetown, growth, buildings, &c. 55. Coroners, first, 96. Corporation, limits of, 90. Cory, Oliver, 3.', 108. Countj', buildings, &o., 96. formed. Court House, &c.. 31. Court House, new, 59. Darby, David, 145. Death, first adult, 28. Devrey, Joshua, 108. Discoverj', flrst, 87. Dix, John A., 73, 90. Drowning, 68. Ebbal, 29. Echo, 122. Education, lOS. Electorn, 45. Elephant, first, 120. 276 INDEX. Ellison, 24. Eminent men, 84. Engine presented, 60. Epiacopal Bervice, first, 48. Ernst, Rev. Jolin F., 4'9. Exhibitions, Mr. Cory's, 41. Families, long resident, 70. Females, 82, 84. Fires, 43, 64, OS, 154. Firms, mercantile, 83. Fish, 28, 47, 78, 1^5. Fox, James L., M. D., 164. Frey, Col., 29. Gas Light Company, 101. Gov. Lewis, visit at Cooperstowu, 119 Gregory Stephen, 84. Guild, Mr., 24. Hall, built, repaired, 45, 73. Hartwick, Mr. 11. Hassy, 47. Hat manufactory, 84.. Hausraan, -56. Hawley, Rev. Gideon, 87. Height above tide, 79. Horse boat, 139. Horses, 61, 68, 70, SI. Ice in the lake, 132. in 1796, 45. Incorporation, 59, 88. Indian rite, 83, Judges, county, resident, associate, 147, US, 151. Keese, Theodore, 165. Kelley, Levi, 140. Lake, 125 Lake and shores, 77. Lakelands, 44. Lakewood Cemetery, 170. Lawyeis, first, &c., 32, 67, 83. Le Quoy, F. Z., 35, 37. Letters in P. O. io 1795, 42. Library, first, 46. Library, first, 57. License to sell merchandise, 121. McCraney, Mrs., 146. McDonald, Rev. Jno., 49. McNamara, Patrick, 146, McNaniee, Lawrence, 163. Market, 59. Masons, 46, 58, 118. Medical society, 116. Merchants, 37. Militia, first, 63. Miller, 25. Miscellaneous items, 103, 173. Morehouse, Elien B., 73. Mount Vision, 79. Murders and execution, 135. Music, 82. Navigation of Susquehanna, 123. Nelson, Hon. Samuel, 72 Newspapers, 61, 83, 104. Oldest reeidents, 156. Omnium gatherum, 95. Otsego, meaning of, 12. . Herald, 41. township, 44. in 1821. 95. Phinney, Hon. Elihu, 62, 157, Henry and Elihu, 159. H.F. and Elihu, jr., 162. Physicians, first, 33, 83. physicians in 1862, 156. Pic Nics, 1.30. Pierstown. 173. Pomt, Three Mile, 131. Pomeroy, George, 164. Post office, 49, 103. Prentiss, John H., 168. Printing, Phinney's, 84.. Provost judgment, 62. Recruiting, 62. Red Lion, 31. Relief for Ireland, 172. Keligious instruction, 38. Road, first, 43. Schools, 3S, 82. Seminary, 111. Sermon, Thanksgiving, first, 43. Sewing school, 115. Shipman, the Leatherstocking, 28. Site of the village, 11. Skating, .33. Slavery, 171. Small pox, 38. Society, village, 80. Staging, 102. State road, 44. Store, first, 30. Stores, 61. Stowell, James, 154. Streets, 74. Tannery, 84. Telegraph, 102. Temperance organization, 172. Tenth ol Jnne, 1S09, 120. Van Buren's visit. 121. Village in 1792, 35. in 1812, 60. location, houses, &c., 76. trade, 82. to be like those in England, 86. of Otsego, 89. Villas, 80. Vansice, Mr. and Mrs , 164. Walks, 102. Washington lives, 110. Wa.shinyton's visit, 13, 88. Water works, 75, 102. Whipping post, 42. Williams^ Hon. Isaac, 174, Woodside, 73. I B Ja?0 Xi