HISTORY AND FOLKWRE OF HARBLETOWN

Lois D. P e1is

May, 1963

P PO f. J ames Edmunds

Folklore of the Empire State

Lit. 360

DEDICA'l'ION

To Jerry, Diane, steven and ThomasPelis

as part of their education and heritage,

I dedicate this paper which is much more

a labor of love tt~n a work of historical

art.

II

PREFACE ArID ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I have selected the histor,y and folklore of Marbletown as a reaearch

project for varied reasons. Marbletown is the location of our present home

and the place my sons and daughter have spent their entire lives. It has

been stated ••• "It is believed that a people who understand their heritage

are better equipped to face the present and the future ••• "l Since neither

my husband nor I spent our childhood in this area, this effort has been to

acquaint myself and my children with their heritage in regard to this bit

of Americana that is their ewn.

This project became more challenging as I discovered that nearly all

reference books dealing with early W~e County barely mention Marbletown

or ignore its existence cempletely. Source material and puzzling together

the bits and pieces of information were my only recourse. Time necessitates

a woefully incomplete picture of these early days. I believe if I were to

distribute copies of the infor.mation I have gathered here among families who

have lived here for two or three generations, enough contradictions and

additional folklore would come pouring in within the next year to write a

complete volume. Only then could I be satisfied that I had done rnybest

to produce a complete history of Marbletown.

I wish to acknowledge with grateful appreciation the many kind people

who so generaously gave me access to their family clippings, family records,

libraries. I have experiehced a deep personal humility that these people

felt me worthy of the tru$t they placed in me by entrusting their one-of-a-

kind, irresplaceable clippings and priceless old volumes in my possession

tp peruse at my leis,ure. I wish to express my sincere gratitude especially to:

Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth Miller Nelson and J.trrle Ridley Mr. George Lookup Mrs. C~cilia B. Jackson Mr. Robert Hoeltzel Miss Verona M. Marble Miss Elizabeth VanDusen

----r-~uis C:-~~~s , -oi;;cto;-of -N~~-YO;~ Stat;-ili;torical-As~iati~~------

III

Table of Contents

Location and Early History

Early Settlers

Industries

Churches of Marbletown

Ea.rly Schhols

Amusements and Pastimes

Last Days of the Little Red Schoolhouse

Cemeteries of Marbletown

. Folk Tales and Character Sketches

IV

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3

B

11

13

14

17

21

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HISTORY IND FOLKLORE OF MARBLE TOWN

LOCATION AND EARLl HISTORY

Marbletown, Town of Arcadia, County of Wqyne, was originally a

part of the Phelps and Gorham Purchase and is situated very close to the

old pre-emption line. The Phelps and Gorham Purchase comprised the

following area.

ItBeginning in the northern line of Pennsylvania due south of the corner or point of land made by the confluence of the Genesee River and Canaserga Creek; thence north on said meridian line to corner or point aforesaid; thence northwardly along waters of the Genesee River to a point 2 miles north of Canawagus village; thence running northwardly as to be 12 miles distant from the westerr bounds of said river to the shore of Lake Ontario. tt

Although Phelps and Gorham negotiated with Massachusetts for the

lands which, according to agreement, were to become a part of New York,

they also had to purchase them from the Seneca Indians. After much delay

and ~~ problems an agreement was finally reached at a meeting with the

Senecas held near the present site of Buffalo, whereby the purchasers

were to give the Indians five thousand dollars in hand and five hundred

dollars a year forever. This amounted to about one and one half cents

per acre. Financial difficulties forced Phelps and Gorham to allow about

two thirds of the original purchase to revert back to Massachusetts. This

land was later sold to the Holland Land Company and a portion called the

MOrris Reserve was sold to Robert Morris. (See fig. 1).

Due to an error in surveying, the boundary line was changed, resulting

in an irregular shaped piece of land called the "gorett between the old and

new preemption lines. The area known today as Wa:;rne County was officially

named April ll, 1823. It was made up of parts of Ontario and Seneca Counties

which included the gore and from Seneca County the land that had been set

aside as a land bonus for soldiers of the Revolutionary War and was called

1 Turner, History of the Phelps and Gorh/Jam Purchase, p. 140.

the Nilitary Tract. Wayne County was named in honor of General Ahthony

vJayne in remembrance of his great services in quelling the Indian upris­

ings in this section. (See fig. 2)

On February 15, 1825, two years after the formation of ~vayne County,

the Town of Arcadia was set off from Lyons. The name Arcadia is derived

from the Greek hero, Areas, and is the name of the largest political

division of the Peloponesus. Since Arcadia is the largest township in

tlayne County, there is a possibility that the similarity was the reason

the name of Arcadia was chosen.

UIn 1858 the town had 2,+,539 acres of improved land, real estate assessed at 1,421,601, personal property at 101,728; there were 2,832 male and 2,684 female inhabitants, 987 dwellings, 1 ,102 families, 796 free holders, 24 school districts and 1,993 school children, 1,453 horses, 1,735 oxen and calves, 1,493 cows, 10,821 sheep and 2,788 sw~ne. The productions were 44,032 bushels winter and 180,099 bushels spring wheat" 4,580 tons hay, 23,870 bushels potatoes, 38,424 bushels apples, 140,054 pounds butter, 5,331 pounds cheese and 803 yaras domestic cloths. ,,1

Tuck:)d j_n the southeast corner of the Town of Arcadia of Wayne County,

New York, lies the tiny c~ossroads community of Marbletown, less than a

mile from the Ontario County line. Today the settlement is composed of a

few dairy-garmers, a few general farmers, and many week-end fanners who are •

employed elsewhere and cultivate only their lawns and occasionally a vegetable

garden on the weekends. There has been an outcropping of so n~ny new homes

and trailers in the area that it ~ppears only a continuation of another

residential district of Newark. A m(;at market and a chicken processing

plant are the onoy industries in the communjty now. The old schoolhouse

has been purchased by the Home Bureau for use as a meeting place for social

affairs for both Home Bureau and 4-H Clubs.

1 Cowles, Landmark of Wayne County, p. 364

2

EARLY SETTLERS

The first settlers came to l~rbletown in the early 1800's. The

first. settlement was called Taunton for some years in memory of Taunton,

Massachusetts. The pioneers came on foot from Massachusetts and New

Jersey, and lat~r with wagons and oxen or horses. They were of English,

Scottish, and German descent. Mrs. James Burroughs, nee Polly Dunwell,

whose family was one of the earliest gave a graphic account of those

pioneer days in an interview given to Rev. A. Parke Burgess, a Presby-

terian minister in 1885.

"Seventy-nine years ago (18(;6) l",hen I wax three years old, my father moved with his family from Berkshire County, Massachusetts. We came with a team and were 27 days on the road. I remember that as we were leaving a tavern in Old Onondaga, now Syracuse, a man caught me up and ran to the doorsteps, calling to my father who was just driving out of sight with the rest of my family. There were so many of us that they had not missed me. Our team got mired in the swamp and when we reached here (Harblet01iU) we found a howl­ing wilderness.

The nearest store was at what is now Geneva. MY mother used to go there twice a year on horseback to trade, bring­ing home her frugal purchases in the saddle bag, which my father had used in the Revolutionary War under Washington. There was no grist mill nearer than Preston's Mills, located about two miles west of Sodus Bay on the Lake Road.

People make their sugar from maple trees and raised gigantic corn by planting in spots on the new clearing where log heaps had been burned.

ffihere were zig-zag roads and paths running through the forests and many swamps that were .... crossed by log ways. I'll warrant you there are six tiers of logs under the surface in some places now. nl

A story is told of a Burroughs that was chased by a bear. One of the

l~rbles tried to be a hero and help his neighbor, but was hugged by the

bear and well chewea on his thigh.

When the Dunwells arrived in Marbletown, then called Taunton, the

Marbles were alreaqy settled here. Four Marble brothers, Nathaniel,

1 Irma. Stroup, Around the Town in Bygone Days, p. 6.

3

Abijah, Ephraim, Jeremiah, and a brother-in-law, Mr. Coates, were the

leading spirit of the settlemen~. The parents of the four brothers had

emigrated to this section with their children. Nathaniel, Sr. was born

in Sudbur,y, Massachusetts, in 1721, and died in Marbletown June 8, 1802.

His marker and that of his wife, Abigail, who died in 1825 at age ninety­

three, are in the Marbletown cemetery on Sweed Road.

The Marbles were energetic men and had planted a vigorous settlement.

Nathaniel owned three hundred acres between Marbletown Road and Vienna

Street Road. He dontated land for the cemetery, the church, and the

school. Although some of the Marbles moved to other sections, many of

them and their descendants lived in Marbletown for three generations.

Miss Verona M. Marble, who now residea in Newark is the great-great­

great-great granddaughter of the first Nathaniel Marble to settle in the

section that now bears his name.

Daniel and Abijah Marble had cattle earmarks registered in the first

town book of Phelps. Cattle were allowed to roam in the woods then and

the earmarks served the same purpose as branding cattle in the West.

Miss Verona Marble'S father, the late Ray W. Marble, was interested

in family history. He sent to a place in Massachusetts for a genealogy

of the Marble family. Of the several children and their descendants of

Edmund Marble, born in Andover, Massachusetts, in 1664, all had been

traced mmm except Nathaniel who, according to the family historian, had

emigrated to York State and never heard of again. Mr. Marble was pleased

that he could fill in the "missing link" to his family's history.

Some of the other early settlers were Hezakiah Dunham, Oliver Bailey,

John Crothers, Hatthew Ridley, Oliver Purchase, and the Dunwell, Edison,

Aldrich, and Burgess families. One of Oliver Purchase's sons, Thomas,

lived 103 years and another son, Robert, lived to be 100 years of age.

4

..

The fourth generation of Ridleys still live in Marb1etown. A clipping

from the Newark Union-Gazette of June 28, 1913, gives a brief history of

the Ridley family on the occasion of their tenth annual reunion.

Sketch of One of the MOst P~ominent Families of this Section.

"The 10th annual reunion and family picnic of the descendants of Matthew and Delila Ridley was held at Redfield Park in the village of Phelps, Saturday~ June 21, 1913. Over 100 members of the family attended, and an interesting programme composed of Ridley talent was given.

The family descends from one of the first settlers in the neighborhod of Newark. Matthew Ridley and his sister left England when he was about 18 years old because of business reverses which had been suffered by his father, to seek a home in America with his sister to care for and only one English shilling (25¢) in his pocket. They worked their way west until they came to this very fertile farming section surrounding Newark. By the hardest kind of work he succeeded in clearing 200 acres which is now known as the farm of the late Lyman Crothers, south of Newark.

As money was considered in those days, he became one of the wealthiest men in this part of the state. It is said as he was attaining moderate success he borrowed $10,000 which was paid back in two years. Before the days when poorhouses were established, he built a house on his far.m and made a home for the poor and aged of the community, thus showing a splendid charitable characteristic. Matthew lidley lived to the ripe old age of about 86 and it is a notable fact that practically all of the land which was cleared and bought by Mr. Ridley and his five sons, amount­ir~ to several hundred acres, is still held by his descend­ants today."

The many descendants were named in the report, some names which

seemed to fit into the Marbletown Alphabet poem which will be quoted

later. The "programme" is listed and consisted of recitations by the

children, songs, and a duet. "Reading the History of the Ridley Family"

was presented by HI'S. Delbert Ridley in a cominination of rhyme and blank

verse. We can only assume that the composition was original with thet

lady who read it. It is repooduced here as an example of the rhetoric

of that time.

5

In the year of 1780 In old England's balmy land Was born the Child whose descandants In Redfield's Park, today do stand.

While a young man full of courage With a cousin, Mr. Hall Matthew Ridley left his country For a country free for all.

He was stalwart and ambitious With shoulders broad and strong, Ready and willing to brave the hardships, Of a country needing brawn.

He was always bright and cheerful ruld for wholeheartedness renowned, Ready to help a fallen fellow, If worthy he was found.

In those early days, as at present, There were poor, who had no homes. So his was a house of refuge, He kept them cheapest of anyone.

He was married and the union Gave them children, seven in all, Six grew up to bless his old age, While one, Nelson, while younger was called.

There was Elihu and James, William, Lydia and Hiram, And Aunt Lyra who was youngest And the last to leave the hearthstonea

Elihu, nine children had All except one still alive. Harriet, Eelia, Sally, Mary, Eunice and Emma, far away. These had twelve grandchildren.

William had e~en grandchildren Five are living, six and dead, James and MOrrison, Libbie, Alice, Dell and eighteen grandchildren live.

Uncle Hiram, with five children, Florence, Grant, George, MYrta, Silas, With Aunt Lydia, a childless widow Went to Michigan years ago And in that state today, Nine grandchildren survive.

Last, Aunt Lyra had five children Nelson, Laura, Emmit, Marshall, And Rose, who died in Cal.famia, These had fifteen grandchildren.

6

Grandfather was thrifty, almost wealthy, And his children shared his wealth At their marriage each received A goodly sum to start in life.

All were married and had families, And their lifets work here is completed, And their children and grandchildren Today number one hundred nine.

Itm not here to tell their goodness Nor yet to mar their fame But will speak for us who have Married RIDLEYS, delighted to bear the name. May we all consider it a great privilege To ~ttend these yearly meetings.

God is kind and full of mercy And his hand is over all In the past year he has only asked for one, Willard, Who was willing and ready to answer His call.

One by one we are passing onward To a land unknown below. It behooves us all to listen To a story very old.

So when we are called to join them We'll be ready every one For a reunion in a brighter land When our lifets work here is done.

At the present time Nelson Ridley and his son MYrle live on their

farm on the Ridley Road about two miles from the original land cleared

by Matthew Ridley. "Uncle Nelt" as he is familiarly known" is now ninety­

tl-lO years old. His reminiscences of early t,days are mostly of hard work

from a very early age. He and his brother left school at ages seven and

eight respectively to help out with the work at home because the father

.. las stricken with meningitis. At twelve years old he was hired out to

his grandfather to help support the family. The early families were

indeed a hardy lott

7

WAR OF 1812 - BATTLE OF samus POINT

During the War of 1812 all able-bodied men and boys of Marbletown

went to the defense of Sodus Point. The women and children were left

behind in their log cabins to protect themselves from Indians and wild

animals as best they could.

INIlJ STilES

Marbletown supported industry in the early days, as well as fanning.

Hany of the Ufactories" were really workships within or connected to

the home.

There was a sawmill o\"med by a :Marble on Trout Run, as the small

springfed trout stream that meanders through our b~ck lawn, was then callad.

The brook was darmned to make a mill pond and power to run the mail was ob­

tained by running the water through a hollow log. Vestiges of the dam are

still visible and although the hollow log has rotted away, there are older

people of the community today thzt can recall seeing it there as they

played by the pond as children.

With the advent of a sawmill, people began to build with boards in­

stead of logs. The homes \'Vere built with strips of white wood, dove-tailed

at the corners. They were left unpainted for the most part. In 1809 it is

recorded that John Tooley l'lho had married Ephraim Marble's daughter built a

large gambrelroofed barn, the first of its kind in the neighborhood. Polly

Dunwoll, later to be :t-frs. James Burroughs, painted the date, the owner's

initials, and a picture of an eagle at the gable end of the barn.l

Ephraim Marble built a chair facto~r and did a thriving business for

many years. William :Marble of the next generation was a cabinetmaker in

Marbletown. Stephen Dunwell was a carriage maker and a blacksmith.

B

Jonuthan Fisk owned and carried on a factor,y which stood near the highway,

for mafking watering troughs. 1-'Iiss Elizabeth VanDusen whose home has been

in her family for over a huudred years, recalls going to a huge watering

trough fed by constantly running spring water, to eet the water supply for

the district school where she attended. She describes the watering trough

as o.t least fifteen feet long a:,rl us wide as an average roomo The water

was always cold, clear, and fresh from the ever-bubbling spring that dripped

into it. It was a 'favor::.tl') place for travelers to water their horses and

for farmers to draw water from when their own supply ran low. I expect this

was a relic of an advertising campaign of so long ago.

Edward Fiskfs father ran a complete tanner,y and leather business.

Spinning wheels were manufactured by Stanford Trowbridge in a shop at

Douglass f store noar the four corners. Mr. Douglass came to t1arbletown

from Do\~ East to teach in the school. He apparently had little experience

in merchandising some products as the :ImdtIiIl tale abol~t him testifies. The

story was told \'lith some anrusement that he complained of having no cellar in

9

which to store the whiskey barrels and was afraid that the whiskey would freeze.

A "large pond near the present crossing of the Pennsylvania railroad was

the site of the Heacock wooden bowl factory. The forests were searched for

knotty and gnarly wood to turn into knobby ~rooden ware used in n~ early

homes. George Rush operated a blacksmith shop across from the school.

"A Mr. Aldrich operated a machine shop and near by Warren S. Bartle had a furnace. These were pioneer industries conducted in the vicinity of Marbletown, where Mr. jaJlmg Stansell also had an early saw mill. lIl

In the early 1850fs a Sodus Point and Southern railroad ass proposed

to Iron from Sodus Polimt through Newark and Phelps to connect with a branch

from Hall's 60t'ner's and on to Canandaigua. Money was raised by subscription

from the towns and from individual farmers. In 1852 the work was begun but

lCowles, 2ll. £!i., p. 11

the mone,y gave out before the grading was done. Farmers had' donated land

and dravID gravel for the grading, but some, in their disillusionment,

planted crops again on the land that was to be used lor the failroad. Due

to the financial panic of 1857 the work on the railroad which had moved

very slowly before, was abandoned completely. The project was revived,

however, in 1870. The railroad beds and tracks laid previously were

renovated and the unfinished part completed. The first train passed over

the line on July 4, 1872. The first fence built on the railroad in Marblle­

town was taken from a race track on Sodus Point, brought to Marbletown, and

placed on what is now the Sweed farm. Passenger service was maintained on

this line until 1935. It was considered a fashionable summer outing to take

the train to Sodus Point and back for a weekend or a Sunday trip. Although

land was set aside for a depot in Marbletown and at one time the farmers

built a platform for loading cabbage, the plans for a station here were

never realized. However, th~ train would stop to let off passengers who

were visiting in Marbletown and made many other unscheduled stops. It has

been told that there was a custom in Fairville observed by whose wishing a

ride into the town of Newark. They \-lOuld stnd by the tracks waving a tin

pail of hard cider. The thirsty engineer wouid stop the tllilri and take the

"hitchhiker" into town in exchange fOD the cider. If the people of Marble­

town used thi~ system, no mention has been made of it.

The railroad was sold to the Northern Central line in 1880, and again

to the r:~nnsylvania Railroad in 1914. The UPennsy" still runs through

Marbletown but doesn't stop. It carries only freight and coal to Sodus Point.

Some of the farms still predict the weather by the sound of its whistle.

lrlith the opening of the Erie Canal un 1825 Newark took on prominence

and Harbletown's rising star descended.to final oblivion. In 1867 it was

recorded that the population of Marbletown was one hundred, composed

primarily of farmers. Peppermint oil aas the chief agricultural crop as in

the rest of Wayne County at that time. Altho1.J.gh Lyons was the leading center

10

for the distilling of the oil, there was a distillery at Lockville nearby and ,

two near Marbletown. These were small individually owned and operated stills

which were important only to the immediate niighborhood.

Marbletown was the leading place in this vicinity in the very early days,

being larger than Lockville, Newark, Lyons or Clyde. Rochester had but a few

houses and a small tavern. An announcement of a Whig meeting to be held at

the l1arbletown schoolhouse on October 28, 1838, whifh appeared in the ~rwayne

S~and.ardtl showed the importance of Marbletown as an early settlement.

nOne hundred and sixty years ago Marbletown appeared to have a great

future until thet opening of the ItGrand Canal If drew people away from this

isolated rural community.t~

CHURCHES OF MARBLETOVm

As in most early settlements, when the log cabins were built and a crop

or two harvested, the ppioneers began to turn their thoughts to a place of

worship and to the education of their children. There was a Christian

Church Society organized in Marbletown as early as 1825. Benjamin Farley

was the preacher. The deacons serving at that time were William Marble and

his wife Sarah, Austin Parks, Peter Garlock, and Wealthy Rogers. A brick

mmm church was built in 1834 and in 1844 there was a membership of sixty-five.2

"Marbletown is a rural hamlet in the southeast part of Arcadia on Trout Run, and formerly contained a church, , .... hich was later moved to Newark •

••••• The Christian Church of Newark was organized at Marbletown in 1834 and re-organized June 4, 1836, from which date until 1845. Elders E. M. Galloway and Benjamin Bailey served as pastor's. They were followed by Rev. a. C. Burgdurf, S.D. Burdzell, A.S.1angdon, W. Coffin, Irving Bullock, O. T. \Vyrnan, D.W. Moore and the present incumbent Rev. J.W. Wilson who is also superintendent of the Sunday Schoole lt3

lCecilia B. Jackson, "Remains of Early 11arbletown Settlers Lie

II

in Cemetery off the S'~ .... eed Road", NmV'ark Courier-Gazette, Apr.16,1959. 2Irma G. Stroup, 2l?. ill., p. 24 3Cowles, 2l?. cit., p. 877

Since I can find no other reference to Benjandn Farley I believe it

should read Benjamin Baile7. Two generations of Baileys were clergymen

and the fact of Benjamin Bailey's leadership in the church has been

further corroborated by Mr. Robert Hoeltzel. l

Hand written records of the early days are often very difficult to

decipher. Due to the similarity of the two names" it is likely that an

error was made in reading old records.

Services were still being held in the Christian Church of Marbletown

as late as 1853 but apparently were discontinued within a few years. In

1863 the building was sold to a group of German people in Newark for con­

struction of a church on the corner of Miller and Norton (now Colton Ave.)

streets. Men" women and children of the German cvngregation helped take

down the old church, cleaned the bricks and transported them to the new

site in East Newark. The church was finished in 1864 and incorporated as

the "German Evangelical Association of Arcadia.2

Two other authorities refer to this as the German Methodist Church.

,ervices were held periodically in the schoolhouse after the dis-

mantling of the church. Outstanding among the itinerant preachers was

the Rev. William Roe, who was also a school teacher at Marbletown. He

had started his career of Evangelism at the age of eighteen at Plains-

ville, New York, and continued for many years to hold revival meetings in

various communities. He was known for his lengthy sermons.

'~der Roe was accustomed to discourse three to four hours. Singing of the pioneer choir was as attractive as the sermon was tedious.,6

Stories are told of frenzied crowds at the revivals stopping the

horses of passers-by and exorting them to join the revival and receive

the "Spirit".

lRobert L. Hoeltzel, History of the Presbyterian Church, Unpublished, 1960.

2William Wagn~r, Histo of the New York Conference of the Evangelical Church, 1948 no publisher given •

3Cowles, 2£. cit., p. 876

12

Although Marbletownites held church membership in various churches

of Ne~lark, a need was felt for a place of community worship. In 1900

Frederick C. Miller sold a plot of land for the erection of a chapel for

the sum of one dollar with the reservation that the property be returned

to him when it was r:o longer needed fpr that purpose. Accordingly, a

small but attractive chapel house was constructed by cownunity labor and

donated materials. It was equipped ldth pews and a small pump organ,

which my mother-in-law recalls playing for the services when she was about

thirteen. Both devotional and Sunday School services were held. Itinerant

preachers conducted the services, and when they were unable to be present,

men from the community led the service. The pastor at the cha.pel for many

years was Rev. Henry Hyman, who died this ;/03,:;" at ninety-three years of age.

The chapel organ is now in the possession of Mr. and ~~s. Kenneth

l~ller whose grandfather dona.ted the land. The chapel has been used now

for many years as a tenant house to the lilller farm.

EARLY SCHOOlS

There seems t. be no available record of the date wfien Nathaniel

:tI.a.rble donated land for the first log school, but i_t was 0arly in the

settlement's histor,y. It has been ascertained that there were at least

two log schools, one uf which was destroyed by fire, and a frame school

building before the present brick school was built in 1876. Maps of

Arcadia dated 1854 and 1858 both show two schoolhouses in Marbletown on

opposite sides iof the road. However, I can find nothing that indicates

they were both in operation at the sa me time, so probably one was abandoned

or used for other purposes. According to their location both of these

schools were made of logs. - The frame schoolhouse vias bllilt on the same

site where the brick school now stands.

13

The teCl.chers listed in the early schools were Sela Crosby, Jonathan

vlinslow, Austin Stearns, Michael Seager, Rev. William Rowe, and then a

female teacher, Alanson Knapp who later married Matthew VanDusen and

moved to ~uchigan.

Rev. Roe also held revival meetings at the schoolhouse every two

weeks. He was known for extreme severity in discipline as a teacher. The

story is told that some boys inserted pins in strategic positions in Rev.

Roe's chair at school in retaliation for his sell'ere treatment of ti:..o:rn.

Ezra Douglass came frem DGwn East, which probably refers to Massa-

chusetts, to teach at Marbletown. He was the first teacher to assume his

duties in the new frame building that had been erected as the last of the

log schools had burned down.

A1-USENENTS AND PASTIMES

The scheol was a center of community activities as well as a place

for education and worship services. Two alphabet poems are reproduced

here which were the product of a literary circle organized at Marbletown

in 1878. They were pr~inted in lIThe Marbletown Enterprise". Neil records

are to be found of a newspaper printed in the settlement, so we must

assume "The Marbletown Enterprise" was a section in the Newark-Union

published in Newark in that era by Hudson Fisk.

THE MABBLETOWN ENTERPRISE

H.H.FISK, Editor Ellen Kelley, Associate Editor

Being the product of a literary circle organized at Marbletown in the winter of 1878, and in which pleasantries were profusely used about people still well known in the community.

Marbletown Alphabet A stands for Alfred, who lives near the brook, Also for Alfred who loves a good book. B stands for Burroughs, one Silas by name, Who as chairman presided with fame; C stands for Carrie who, with a flower does go, For a vine without a rose would be lost, you know.

14

to,

D stands for Delia and Dora, who live near together, Also for Drusa who goes in all weather. E stands for Ellen, who lives on a hill And Edith and Ella, who sing with a will. F stands for Fannie, so well known to all and Frankie and Frank, who on the ladies call. G stands for Ge0rgie, whose hair will not curl, still he is admired by a beautiful girl. H stands for Harper and Hudson, who think sound sense, And Horatio and Helen, who a mBde cannot tell from a tense. I stands for Ida and Irving, who are true To the pledge they made of "wearing the blue". J stands for John and James, who number five Wlthout whom this circle would scramble alive. K stands for knowledge, which all ought t. gain, Though to force through some heads weuld take a hurricane. L stands for Iqdia, whose reading is goed And Linda, who ceuld de well if she would. M stands for Madge and Matie so grave And Milton, who knows not how to behave. N stands for Nettie, who likes a flirtation And for Nellie, who thinks home is her station. o stands for order that all should pzserve, With Which this Iqceum, success will deserve. P stands for president whom all should obey, And don't let us mind the ling words he doth say. Q stands for question, who this article did write, The author will intonn you is not very bright. R stands for road that we must take,. At half past six or else be late. S stands for Stephenson; Dickie, you know And Stell Uso Sa.nnny says", is at a loss for a beaux. T stands for Tiimie, though name not very vast, Yet I can tell you she if far from the last. U stands for useful, that all sihould be, When we are Editor, then you will see. V stands for Vigor with which wrk is done. Now write for this paper, everyone. W stands for Will, who likes to play ball, And always is really at fun's first call. X stands for Xantippe, an unmerciful scold, Of whom to say mc>re 'WOuld be exceedingly bold. Y stands for yough who shouldn't be seen, Though their olders admit they are often quite keen. Z stands for Senobia, whioh we resemble in tears, Lest our piece be declined, for such is our fears.

Marbletown School Alphabet

A stands for Albert, a nice little man Who goes home with Edith whenever he can. B stands for Burroughs, our Fr&-~ who gets mad At Dora if she speaks to another young lad. C stands for Carrie who has but one beau And always with Rosee is willing to go.

15

D stands for Dora, the daughter of Jim Whom Frank thinks was born on purpose for him. E stands for Eddie who is some on the dance And ne'er goes with the girls when he dantt get the chance. r stands for Fannie, small and delicate, yet grand Whose affections are placed on one Belle, we understand. G is for George, a young man of credit Who left his Mary Emma, his paper to edit. H stands fer Harper, sho presides here with fame Who tries the affection of Miss Butts to gain. I is for Irvin, tall, graceful and fair Who ",uts upon Nettie with wonderful care. J stands for John whGS e nice-name id Diek Who reads of the mule and its wenderful trick. K stands fer kisses What pleasure they bring But our school dontt indulge in any such thing. L stands for Lida, who don't want a beau A peculiar trait of old maids, you know. M is for Matie whom all peeple kn&W Is not very fond of making a show. N stands for Nellie, a nice little Rush But when she meets Charlie, she can't help but blush. o is for order which we must insist On having on all such occasions as this. P stands for Percy, one Nettie by name Who for eading and speaking has made a great name. Q is for quwstions the teacher does ask And often puzzles the whole of the class. R stands for Rarey, whom Loren can beat In breaking colts to use for the street S stands for Sanford a steady young man Who waits upen Stell as well as he can T stands for Timmie who is one of our girls With her face half-covered with frizzes and curls U is for useful which all should be And then our schhol will improve you see. V stands for VanDusen, both Drusie and Clara Who are both chuck full of the very old Hara. W is for Will, who is quite sure to call On a girl whose name is Ella Westfall. X is the crossroads on which our schoolhouse does stand And yeu can take which you choose on leaving our land Y stands for Young Americans of which we have some Who always stand ready to beau the girls home. Z is for Beni th and none can get higher So let us strive that height to aspire.

--ftScholar"

Miss Elizabeth VanDusen gave the School Alphabet poem to me and was

able to supply last names for many of the persons mentioned and of some

that were linked romantically in the poem that had married when they grew up.

16

,.

..

Husking bees, spelling bees, quilting bees, and house and barn raisings

were ferms of amusement in l~bletown as th~ were in all early .mmmm settle-

ments. The box social was very popular in this section as a form of social

recreation and a fund raising project. The women would vie with ene another

to fill their boxes with delectable viands and to decorate the oUDside

attractively. The bOKes were auctioned off to the males present who received

a fine meal as well as the company of the ladey who had prepared the box. It to

was not unconnnon to mark a box in a special way known only/the swain who was

expected to buy it. It was a point of pride with the ladies to have their

hexes bid up to a high price.

Square dances held in various homes were occasions attended by the

entire community. Babies were laid on the bedstead while their parents,

grandparents, and brothers and sisters danced to the music of one or two

fiddlers and pirouetted to the caller's commands until the wee, small hours

of the morning. They were well fortified with refpreshments both solid

and liquid.

LAST DAYS OF THE LITTLE RED SCHOOLHOUSE

Although it is not very ancient history, the children of today have no

real concept of life in a one-room school. A history of Marbletown should

necessarily indlude reference to this era so recently passed frem the New

York scene. The "little red schoolhouseu ha9!nany limitations, but there

were also numerous compensations that I wish our children G)f today c(l)uld

experience.

ID was often the custom in the 1930's and ~rlier for teachers to get

experience in a rural school before they would be considered as applicants

in a city or village system. It was also a prevailing rule in most graded

systems that married teachers were not allowed to teach there, but they were

acceptable in rural schools.

The citizens of each school district gathered at the school the second

17

Tuesday in May each year to transact the necessar,y school business, discuss

budget, and to elect a trustee. This lone trustee had llmost unlimited powers

over school policy and expenditures. In those forgotten days when there were

more teachers than there were jobs, applications found it advantageous to

wait outside the annual school meeting and accost the newly elected trustee

before anyone else could in order to secure a position.

All eight grades were taught in many outlying districts but because

Newark was nearbJ[, by 1936 which I first came into contact with Marbletown

school district #5, Town of Arcadia, the seventh and eight grades were being

transported to Newark and only grades one through six were taught in this

district. It would more properly be called nurser,y Bchool through sixth

grade since children were sent to school by the age of five. I remember

one mether of six who took employment outside her home and sent a little

four year old to school with his older mmmmmmm brothers and sisters. He

would sit quietly all day with legs dangling several inches from the floor,

and when it was nap time he would fall fast asleep with his head on the desk.

School was in session from nine A.M. until ten-thirty when a ~ fifteen

minute ·recess was declared. Children were called to classes by a bell which

hung above the schoolhouse in a belfr,y and was rung by vigorously pulling on

a rope. Children would vie for the privilege of ringing the bell and it was

great fun when the pull of the bell rope would lift the feet of the small ones

from the floor. After recess classes were resumed until the lunch hour from

noon until one otclock. From one until four otclock school was in session

again with the first and second graders being excused at th888 otclock.

Recess was toa short for a real ball game, but "Annie Eye Over" and

various forms of tag in warm weather gave the pupils plenty of exercise.

In the winter months the blackboard would be cleared for games of "tic-tac-toe"

and the ffhang-a-man" spelling game. More often than not the children would

ploY "school" in their free time and the teacher had a good opportunity to see

herself as her students saw her.

18

When I see our modern children being herded through a lunch line in the

cafeteria, constant~ admonished to be quiet and stay in line, ~ mind goes

back to those days in the country school again. The children took their

lunches from the cloakroom shelf, and in groups of two or more found a

shady tree to sit under with their best friends and enjoyed their lunches

free from any adult interference. Sometimes in the winter when the sliding

was good, we would decide to skip recess for a longer lunch hour. Then

everyone ate lunch as fast as he could and teacher and students would go to

a nearby hill to slide down on teacher's ten-foot toboggan for an hour gefore

classes had to resume. In summer the most popular activity was baseball.

Since there were never enough children for two teams, the teacher played a

position as well as being arbitrator of the mahy disputes that arose.

The usual procedure was for the teacher to "hearU each class in rotation

- every subject, every grade - on a recitation bench in front of the teacher's

desk. Meanwhile the others¢, were studying their lessons and completing

assignments far more quietly and independently than they do in our supervi~ed

stu~? periods today. Older children took responsibility for smaller ones and

helped'with difficult overshoes and hard to reach buttons.

A janitor, usually an older boy of the school, was hired by the trustee to

keep fires in winter and to sweep the floor. Children would beg for the

privilege of going to a neighboring house for a pail of water for school use

or to "clap" the erasers to clean chalk dust from them.

The heating and plumbing systems left much to be desired. The ceiling

was 15 feet high so it took all the heat the coal stove could put out to warm

the top half of the room. I can remember wearing woolen ankle socks over my

stockings &ll winter to keep ~ feet warm. It took so long to heat the room

on winter mornings that sometimes we would start classes with coats on and

sitting on top of desks with feet in the seats because the floor was so cold.

19

On a few below zero days when it was impossible to heat the room, the

children all walked the quarter mile to the teacher's house where they

studied on bridge tables and every available space. It was unthinkable to

close school because the law required an exact number of days of instruction

and any missed days had to be made up at the end of the school year. There

were no substitute teachers. The teacher went to school whether she was well

or sick. In case of severe illness of any duration, another teacher would be

secured but sick leave ~was unheard of in those days.

The plumbing at that time had advance from the sepaaate outhouse of ~

childhood school days to a chemical arrangement within the school building.

The theory no doubt was fine, but in principle it became an outhouse on the

inside and the stench became unbearable when the wind was right. ltr most

unhappy experience in rural school living came early one spring. The chemical

toilets were on the west side of the building and our winds prevai~ed from

that direction. Inside the room I had one family of five children who custom­

arily remained unbathed and wore the same clothes all winter. When in Despeaa.­

tion I woul~ open the windows to the east, our nostrils were assiled by the

odor of a dead horse that had died in the pasture that winter and the farmer

had not yet taken time to bur,y it.

Although the subject content for each grade was taught to each grade

individually, there were many activities carried on by all the children of

all ages. During fire prevention week we built tiny controlled fires in the

school yard and the students practiced putting them out with the chemical

fire extinguisher working in teams of two. All joined together in singing

and music instruction and in a rhythm band for which the children made their

own band hats from construction paper. As a soci~ studies proje.dt on Indians,

all classes studied the phases of Indian life am suited to their grade level

and capabilities. The culminating activity was to build a real teepee in the

school yard and be real Indians in homemade costumes.

20

When I see our modern children being herded through a lunch line in the

cafeteria, constant~ admonished to be quiet and stay in line, row mind goes

back to those days in the country school again. The children took their

lunches from the cloakroom shelf, and in groups of two or more found a

shady tree to sit under with their best friends and enjoyed their lunches

free from any adult interference. Sometimes in the winter when the sliding

was good, we would decide to skip recess for a longer lunch hour. Then

everyone ate lunch as fast as he could and teacher and students WGuld go to

a nearby hill to slide down on teacher's ten-foot toboggan for an hour gefore

classes had to resume. In summer the most popular activity was baseball.

Since there were never enough children for two teams, the teacher played a

position as well as being arbitrator of the mahy disputes that arose.

The usual procedure was for the teacher to "hearn each class in rotation

- every subject, every grade - on a recitation bench in front of the teacher's

desk. Meanwhile t.he others¢, were studying their lessons and completing

assignments far more quietly and independently than they do in our supervised

stu~· periods today_ Older children took responsibility for smaller ones and

helped'with difficult overshoes and hard to reach buttons.

A janitor, usu~ an older boy of t.he school, was hired by the trustee to

keep fires in winter and to sweep the floor. Children would beg for the

privilege of going to a neighboring house for a pail of water for school use

or to "clap" the erasers uo clean chalk dust from them.

The heating and plumbing systems left much to be desired. The ceiling

was 15 feet high so it took all the heat the coal stove could put out to warm

the top half of the room. I can remember wearing woolen ankle socks over my

stockings &ll winter to keep IIIY feet warm. It took so long to heat the room

on winter mornings that sometimes we would start classes with coats on and

sitting on top of desks with feet in the seats because the floor was so cold.

19

The school entertainments were a popular form of community activity. At

Christmas and again at the close of school in June there would ~e an entertain­

ment prepared by the children consisting of songs, recitations, and plays.

Preceding the entertainment there would be a community dinner where young and

old participated. Each family brought table service and a dish or two to pass

and the result was a feast of delicious food and an evening of unparalleled

fellowship. In our larger centralised districts it is impossible to recapture

the pupil's pride in accomplishment or the loyalty and cooperation of parents

that prevailed in the rural school.

CENETERIES OF MARBLETOWN

Three abandoned cemeteries in an about l~rbletown provided an interesting

and rewarding Easter afternoon. The first one we i'isited is located on Sweed

Road on a knoll a short distance from the dirt road that runs parallel to the

Pennsylvania railroad tracks. It is overgrown with wild grape vines, bramble

bushes and myrtle. Many stones were weathered to such an extent that the

engraving was worn quite smooth, yet one nearby would be fairly legible. 1.fy

sister and two sons, who accompanied me, helped decipher the stone markings.

By finning in the indentations with pencil lines and observing from various

angles of light, it was possible to get the epitaphs on those few stones that

bpre an epitaph. Another method that pyeved helpful was to place a clean

sheet of paper over a word we could not make out and scribble over it.

S&~ples are shown on the opposite page.

There seems to be a controversy ovee who was the first to be buried in

this cemetery. The oldest visible stone there is that of Nathaniel Marble

who died in 1802. Mrs. stroup, a historian believes Marble was the second

to be buried there preceded by an Elder Marble. still another student of

history. believes that a Mrs. McDonnell was the first, Elder Marble second

and Nathaniel }lIarble the third. Hred Sweed, whose farm adjoins the cemetery

21

and who played there as a boy tells us that there were some wooden markers

there which have been destroyed by time as well as some markers of plain

field stone that have been lost. This could account for the variance in

opinion, but at least Nathaniel l~rble has the oldest marked grave there.

A rather ghoulish story is told about this cemetery. John Granger had

taken a crazy man from Down East by the name of Daniel Thompson to care for

in his home. When Mr. Thompson died, his ~emains were placed outside the

cemeter,y limits because it was not deemed proper that he be buried with the

others because of his insanity. Many years later when man were taking gravel

from a pit near the cemeter,y a skeleton was turned up. It could not be

ascertained whether these were the remains of Daniel Thompson or of another

person who was not considered fit society for the revered aead.

I was particularly interested in the Daniels' family plot since the

earliest name shown on the deed and search of our own property reads "Anna

Roth from Delira and William Daniels, May 5, IB83. tI

The following notes are copies from some of the headstones in the

Sjeed Road cemetery.

Jospph Daniels - died Sept. 15, lB18

Lury, daughter of Joseph and Phoebe Daniels died Sppt. 5, 1818 at age 16

George, son of Joseph and Phoebe Daniels died July 'Z7, 1818 at age 14

With three deaths in one f~ in so short a time, one wonders what

pestilence or virulent disease struck them down. Fortunately, I suppose,

the father lived to care for his children until their deaths. Upon inquir,y

I was informed that a scarlet fever epidemic had caused the three deaths so

close together. There was obviously another Phoebe Daniels as in the same

section there is a stone foz a Phoebe, the wife of Samuel Daniels. A small

daughter survived her mother by only_ three days and had her name on the same

tombstone. The stone reads:

22

Phoebe wife of Samuel Daniels Born Dec. 16, 1828 Died Oct. 11, 1857

Entna E., daughter of S. & P. Daniels Born Feb. 29, 1855 Died Oct. 14, 1857

The terse listing "Anson Daniels, died June 17, 1846 in his 48 yearf.n

23

gave us no clue as to his relationship to other members of the clan buried there.

Numerous Tooleys were buried here, the oldest stone reading "John Tooley,

July 30, 1832 - 52 years." John Tooley was married to one of Ephraim Marble'S

daught.ers.

There must have been many children who died in infance as many family

plots bore tiny markers with just initials on them which would appear to be

the grave of a baby. The pioneers were either too busy and practical about ,

their daily taSks, or too prosaic to indulge in anything but the barest vital

statistics on the tombstones. In a few instances there are epitaphs we could

not decipher but these were few in number. MOst af them bore only the date

of death and age of the person buried there. The Tooleys were probably Irish

and given to a little more verbiage than most. One reads:

In Memory of Ephraim Tooley

Who died Aug. 14, 1835 in the 21 year of his age.

Another member of the Tooley family who must have been cherished has this maker:

Jane, Daughter of E. and A. Tooley Died Aug. 27,1849 In her 16 year

E'er sin could blight or sorrow fade Death came with friendly care This opening bud to heaven convey'd And bid it blossom there.

The gaps in comtinuity of family histories were usually acoompanied by an

unusually wide distance between stones which could be attributed to stones

fallen over and covered with soil and grass or otherwise damaged and lost.

We found stones iImDa here for ttJames Reed, June 27, 1804 - Jan. 1,1867"

and Lucy, Wife of James Reed, Sept. 2, 1804 - Oct. 7,1871. Then we found

nllolly, Wife of John Reed, died Sept. 5, 1838 in her 71 year." We found no

record of John Reed nor of any children of either family.

There are stones here for William }~rble who died October 27, 1857, and

one for "Dolly, Wife of Willli am Marble, died Jun 1, 1873, her 79 year. 1f In

the old church records, William Marble's wife was named as Sarah but we found

n~ stone for her. Willlam was the son of Abijah Marble and grandson of the

first Nathaniel Marble. The stones for Nathaniel Marble and his wife read:

In Memory of Nathaniel Marble

Who died June 8th, 1802 in the 82nd year of

his age

In Memory of Abigail Wife of NathaB

niel Marble who died April 1st, 1825 in the 93rd year of her age

Although we found no stone for Mrs. Averill here, we felt sure that she

composed the following epitaph to her husband. His% stone reads:

Vvni. Harrison Averill Born Jan. 9, 1820 Died Nov. 26, 1863

While Harrison lived the day was bright \Vi th something more than a conunon light His death-bed 'twas a glosious scene He sank to sleep with a brow serene As an infant when it sinks to rest Gently and calmly on its mother's breast He had no fear, his trust was i11 God And meekly he kissed the chastening rod (God)?

Mr. Sweed tells me that the cemetery encompasses a half-acre of SOund

which was donated for that purpose by Nathaniel Marble. He said he had counted

t~e graves as a child and that eighty-five graves were there although they

cannot all be found now.

The other two cemeteries we explored are located on opposite sides of a

lane t$at is used today by ~ father-in-law, Henry Pelis, as a tractor and.

truck access to his fields. It was once a highway cormecting Marbletown

Road with what is now Finewood Road, but has become a lane that ends in a

tangle of undergrowth and plowed fields. The cemeteries are on the top of

a steep hill and are grown over thickly with wild grape vines, thorn apple

trees and ~rtle. The tiny cemetery on the south side of the lane is a

private family burial ground surrounded by a foot high stone wall. The

stone posts where an iron entrance gate once hung are still standing. Here

members of the Purchase family were laid to rest. Oliver Purchase was one

of the original settlers of Marbletown and this place seems to be the

family of his son, Robert.

Three stones in a row with a gap between the first and second were

mystifying at first. They read:

"Sarah - Wife of Robert Purchan died Aug. 12, 1812 Age 63 ft

l~liza Batee - Wife of Robert Purchase died Sept. 21, 1830 Age 64 years"

"Laura - Wife of Robert Purchase died Oct. 28, 1844, Age 37"

After checking earlier notes, it was discovered that Robert Purchase

lived to the age of one hundred years so he really had time to bury three

wives of a normal life span for that time. The notes also state thal t

Robert's brother Thomas lived to be one hundred and three. However, we

found a stone in the Purchase Cemetery for ''Thomas Purchase, died Sept.

15, 1821, age 80 years. rr Since these families used the same given nanle

at least once or twice in every generation, it would be difficult to

. determine which Thomas is buried here.

There were the usual tiny initialed stones denoting the loss of

babies in the Purchase family. The stone labeled

25

"In memory of Oliver, son of Robert and Bets, Purchase who departed this life October ~, 1839 AgE~d 40 years 8 rna. & 11 days It

leads to the oonjecture of whether Robert had the fourth wife or if Betsy

was a nickname for Eliza Batee.

Among all the Purchases lies one and only one of another name. Her

stone reads:

"Hannah Wilson died Oct. 4, 1834 aged 53 years"

Who could Hannah Wilson be? A maiden sister-in-law of a Purchase? A

trusted and faithful servant? A ''bound girl" who never married? The

half-told stories of the past from these old gravestones can be truly

fascinating.

The community burying ground on the north side of the lane is even

more inaccessible than the other two, but is well worth the effort involved,

for here I found family names of nearly all of the earliest settlers of

Marbletown.

Ih this cemetery one stone reads, "In memory of Capt. Hezikiah Dunham

who died October 11, 1893, aged 85 year and 7 days.1f This grave is decorated

each Memorial Day with a flag to honor this man as a veteran. He seems to

be a little old for the Civil War, but was certainly too young for the War

of 1812 so must have been a Civil War veteran. The Name Hezakiah Dunham is

listed as one of the original settlers of Marbletown, but this must have

been the son, since he was born in 1808 and this settlemene is believed to

have started around 1800.

The Aldrich family stones show a connection to the Robert Purchase

family and also the fact that they lost many infants and young children.

The Aldrich stones we could read were:

26

UIn memory of Sally Wife of Aaron Aldrich Daughter of Robert and Betsy Purchase Departed this life March 6, 1839 Aged 29 years 11 month & 23 days

(Brother Oliver, in the Purchase plot across the road died this same year.)

"William Son of Aaron & Sally Aldrich who died March 20, 1837 aged 11 mo. & 3 days Also an infant son died March 19."

In the same row is another stone which probably means that Aaron had another

wife before Sally or else we have not deciphered the lettering accurately.

It}'fary Jane daughter of Aaron and **** Aldrich died Feb. 22, 1812 age 3 yearstt

Much has been said earlier about the Ridley family. According to the

family history poem, William Ridley buried six of his eleven children. We

were able to find stones for only three of them in the dilapidated cemetery.

They are:

"Clarry Amelia daughter of van. and Eliz. Ridley June 10, 1832 21 years"

"George D. Son of Win and Eliz. Ridley (obliterated) -- 1821tt

"Esther Ann daughter of Em and Eliz. Ridley died May 3, 1816 age 2 yr 3 mo 10 days

Other historic names from Marbletown's early da~s listed from their

final record on earth are:

"WIn. P. Loveloy Died June 25, 1816 in his 28 year"

"Armida Hotchkiss died Aug. 11, 1842 aged 35 years" (obviously an "old maidtt )

27

"Hary, Wife of David Burroughs died March 1, 1846"

"Elder Joseph Bailey departed this life July 13, 1846 age 5811

'Tatty, Wife of Joseph Bailey died March 1, 1860 age 74 years"

We could make out only the last name of Dunwell on one stone, but the

dates were obliterated by time. The name Dunwell is listed among the earliest

settlers of this area.

In this cemetery the Burgeee 'amily seems to be about the only ones who

indluged in epitaphs in addition to the plain statements of date of death

and age. We found t~ura, wife of MOses Burgess, died Dec. 26, 1847, age 53

years, and "Cere" daughter of }'loses and Laura Burgess, died March 18, 1823,

age 10 yr. 2 mo.n The following verses were copied with some difficulty from

?Burgess family stones and show sharp contrast to the stark statements of

fact on the other stones.

"Charles, Son of J ames and Laurry Burgess died March 7, 1858 age 4 yr. and 22 days

Oh my sweet Charles Art thou away And has the gBIIl grave become thy bed Has thy cherubic spirit flown To live before the Saviour's throne."

The following cryptic message seems to be more of an attempt to contact the

spirit of the deceased than to unform the public of his virtues.

"Benjamin Burgess 2nd died Aug. 27, 1840 in the 38th year of his age

Dearest thou dids't bid me meet thee With my little ones I hope to give thee Oh may we all in heaven meet And that be found at Jeslis' feet."

28

Perhaps there is an unrecognized morbid tendency in me, but I found it

truly fascinating to explore these old graveyards and to try to visualize

family histories from the brief stories they told. Upon the cemetery

research i can only reiterate the sentiments of my ten year old son who

remarked at the conclusion of our journey, I~hat was sorta spooky, MOm,

but wasn't it fun?"

FOLK TALES AND CHARACTER SKETCHES

The tale is told around Marbletown by those old enough to remember of

a tragic situation that nevertheless provided the neighborhood with wry

amusement. The wife of an elderly farmer became mentally ill in her later

years. With psychiatric help unheard of and no hospitals to care for such

illnesses, there was no solution but to care for her in the home. Because

it was unsafe to leave her unattended, the farmer, who was known for his

kind treatment of his wife, took her to the fields with him each day. She

would follow him up and down the furrows and on her more violent days would

throw rocks at him shouting over and over so all could hear, nSay something

nice to me, you d ______ old fool. Say something nice to me or I'll

dust a rock off'n your ____ head. 1I Like a ballad of old, I never heard

the final ending of the tale, but only this one incident repeated many times.

The following tale was related to us by an old man who lived to be

eighty-four years old and has now been dead at least twelve years. It seems

that as a lad of about fifteen years, he was asked by two brothers, who were

respected in the neighborhood as righteous men, to accompany and help them

on a trip to purchase cattle for their farm. Cattle were purchased at a

location near Rochester and had to be driven home to Marbletown at a snail's

pace. A night's lodging for the men and corrals for the cattle could be

obtained at the country inns and taverns along the way, and their stop-overs

were planned accordingly.

To the great consternation of the boy, his companions made it their

29

practice to rise before dawn and be first to leave each inn they stopped at.

Each time the cattle were driven from the corral, a few more were added on -

it's very difficult to sort out cattle accurately in semi-darkness until the

number of cattle brought home far exceeded the number purchased at the

cattle sale.

Since cattle rustlers were dealt with most severely without benefit of

a jury trial, the boy never cared to accompany his neighbors on a trip again.

The train bandit, Oliver Curtis Perry, has a place in Marbletown history.

Oliver Perry was an ex-railroad man who had turned bandit. His last escapade

was his most daring and colorful one. On February 22, 1892 at the age of

twenty-seven years, he hid himself on a ten-coach train leaving Syracuse.

One of the card contained one fourth of a million dollars and was protected

by only one guard. When the train got as far as Jordan, Perry entered the

money car from the roof by means af a cleverly constructed rope laGWler. He

broke the train window with the butt of his revolver. A gun fight with the

guard ensued with the guard being struck by a bullet. Before he collapsed

the valiant guard kicked out the lamp and pulled the emergency cord, thus

foiling the robber,y attempt.

When the train stopped at Port Byron the bandit was gone. He was sighted

by members of the train in the Lyons railroad yard. When the crew pursued him,

Perry commandeered an engine and took off down the taack tiG>ward Newark.

The railroad men gave chase in another engine on a parallel track. As the

railroad men overtook him, Perry reversed his engine firing at his pursuers

as he passed them. Each time he was overtaken he would go in the opposite

direction raking the other engine with bullets until the railroaders finally

gave up the chase.

Perry abandoned the engine on the Blue Cut Road outside of Newark. He

30 '"

31

stole a riding horse, then a Horse and cutter, and finally fled across the

fields on foot. He fortified himselr behind a rock pile at the edge of what

was then called Benton's Swamp, a short distance from Marbletown. There he

was captured by Sheriff Jeremiah Co1lins and his posse.

Oliver Perry was tried at ~ons and sentenced to serve forty-nine years

and three months in jail. While in prison he made several unsuccessful

" escape attempts. He went on hunger strikes and refused to wear prison garb.

When a1l his pleas for a pardon were refused, he blinded himself. ...

He died

in Danemora madhouse after serving thirty-nine DIll years of his sentence.

Perry was always very proud of his feat and boasted that he was the only

man who ever stole a railroad train singlehandedly.

JULIA VANDERBROOK

One dear little old lady, only four feet nine inches ta1l, who has always

exemplified the true pioneer spirit of later times was Mrs. Julia Vanderbrook.

Some twenty years ago before her death I spent many pleasant hours chatting

with her since her residence was just across the road from the rural school

of Marbletown where I taught. She also had the only nearby telephone for

emergency use.

Mrs. Vanderbrook came to this country from Holland at the age of six.

She told me they were herded into steerage like so many cattle and had a

miserable crossing. Upon arrival in Newark, New York, they were 8iven

quarters in the old Central Hotel by the New York Central railroad station.

They were so crowded that some had to sleep on pallets on the floor. There

they stayed for two weeks or more until they could hire out to a farmer for

board and wages.

[n Holland at that time, it was not considered proper for girls to

-attend school so ~~s. Vanderbrook had no formal schooling there, yet she was ~

one of the best informed people of her day. It was the custom to have Bible

reading each day in her father's home. Miss Julia committed the Bigle verses

she heard so often to memor.y, then matched up her memorization to words in

the Bible, thereby teaching herself to read Dutch. Eventually she persuaded

her father to allow her to read from the Bible at the family devotions. She

attended school in Newark ~t the Central and had as much education as most

people of that time.

After her marriage she had a nice horre in the village but moved to the

countr.y beaause of her husband's health and because she felt it would be a

better place to bring up their children. They moved to l1arbletown in March,

1908, and lived there forty-five years until her death in 1953.

At time of our acquaintance she was many times a grandmother, having two

grown daughters and three grown sons who were all well educated. She believed

with all her heart in all the education a person could get and continued her

own education through newspapers, magazines, and the radio. She once remarked

to me after listening to a radio lecture on child psychology that she deeply

regretted the fact that she had not learned of many of these ideas earlier in

life. She felt that she would have done a better job of bringing up her own

children. How few in their seventies are able to accept new concepts of a

different philosophY from their own established onet t.. It was as near as I

ever heard her come to a complaint with her lot in life.

When they had a "good yearn on the apple crop, they finished paying for

thej.r farm and bought a piano. I don't believe Grandma Vanderbrook herself

could playa note, but felt it was a worthwhile investment for the cultural

development of her children and grandchildren.

When she was about sixty-eight years old at about the time her husband

was almost ready to retire from farming, they had planted three or four acrea

of beans near the Pennsylvania Railroad which formed the western boundar.y of

their farm. In time the weeds that were not killed by cul~ivation grew taller

32

than the beans. To Grandma. Vanderbrook this was a sin against nature as well

as a personal disgrace. Thereupon she assumed the task of ridding the bean

patch of weeds. Her singleness of purpose and tenacity were amazing in a

lady of her age and diminutive size. Immediately after breakfast each day

33

she prepared sandwiches for lunch so that she could save time going and coming

from the field, and then set out for the bean firld. She pulled weeds diligently

until the noon whistle from the village announced lunch time. Then she found a

shady spot for eating lunch and a few moments of rest after lunch. After her

rest she pulled weeds again until time to start preparing the evening meal.

This routine was continued every day except Sunday for three weeks or so until

the bean firld was cleared completely of weeds and again a credit co the

Vanderbrook name.

Her lively interest in people of the community, her children and grand­

children was never dampened by the hours of hard work she was so a8c~tomed

to. There was always time for a bit of kindly advice and a cup of coffee with

friends.

There are others l'lho, although they do not go back so many years in history

contributed to the folk lore and general tone of the neighborhood of their time.

Grandma Miller, whose hands were broader than most men's from many years of

m.Uking cows and heavy fam. chores, always found time ':to make a box of her

special Christmas cookies for every small child in the neighborhood. Mrs.

DeWeaver was an extremely retiring person who did not mix greatly with her

neighbors, but she crocheted a lovely doll coverlet for my daughter at two years

of age because she had lost a little girl at about that age. Although neighbors

still rally in cases of extreme emergency and are friendly, the old kindly

interest in people just because they were neighbors and taking time to '~ass

the time of dayU with others has been lost in these days of rush and ourry

and easy transportation.

1. Bibliography

Books

Adams, Samuel Hopkins. Grandfather Tales. New York: Random House, 1955.

American Agriculturist Farm Directory of Ontario and Wayne Counties, New York. Orange Judd, 1914.

Anderson, Mildred Lee Hills. Genesee Echoes. Dansville: F. A. Owen:.. 1956.

Barthel, otto, and others. New Century Atlas of Wayne County, New York. Philadelphia: Century Map Company. 1904.

Beers, D.G. and Company. Atlas of Wayne County. New York. Philade1jlhia: Beers and Company, 1874.

Carmer, Carl. Listen for a Lonesome Drum. New York: Farrar & Rinehari, 1936.

Clark, Lewis H.. Military History of Wayne County. Sodus: Clark, Hulett and Gaylord, 1884.

Cowles, Hon. George W., (ed.). Landmarks of Wayne County, New York. Syracuse: D. Mason, 1895.

Edmonds, Walter. Chad Hanna. Boston: Little Brown & Co., 1940.

Edmonds, \valter. Drums Along the Mohawk. Boston: Little, Brown & Co.

Green, Walter Henry. Great Sodus Bay. Rochester: Henderson Mosher, 1947.

MacIntosh, W.H.. History of \vayne County, New York. Philadelphia: Everts, Ensign and Everts, 1877.

Hau, Clayton. The Development of Central and \tlestern New York. Rochester: DuBois, 1944.

Merrill, Arch, Down the Lore Lanes. New York: American Book -Stratford Press, 1961.

______ • Our Goodly Heritage. Nevi York: American Book -Stratford Press, (undated)

____ .....,.._. Slim Fingers Beckon. New York: American Book -Stratford Press, 1951.

______ • The Lakes Country. Rochester: Louis Heindl and Son, 1944.

______ • The Ridge. Rochester: Democcat and Chronicle, 1944.

______ • The Towpath. Rochester: Louis Heindl and Son, 1945.

Oaks, Mabel E •• Phelpstown Footprints. Geneva: Carpenter - He Prints, 1962.

2. Bibliography

Turner, 0.. HistorY of the Pioneer Settlement of Phelps and Gorham's Purchase and Horris Reserve. Rochester: William Alling, 1851.

w,yld, Lionel. Low Bridge. Syracuse: Syracuse University Press, 1962.

:t-1iscellaneous

Hoeltzel, Robert. HistorY of Presbyterian Churc~ Unpublished report, 1961.

Jackson, Cecilia B. One Hundred Years of Newark. 1853-1953. Newark, N.Y.: Courier-Gazette, 1953.

Stroup, Irma G.. Around the Town in Bygone Days. Newark, N.Y.: Courier­Gazette, 1957.

\vagner, William. Histo of the New York Conference of the Eva elical Church. (no publishing house given 1948.