Captain Waterman & His Bison

They said it couldn't be done, but during the 1940s until 1962, Julius Waterman, on the Deansboro-Waterville Road - State Route 315 - was able to train two buffalo, named Ned and Ted. With infinite patience and hard work, over time Waterman taught them to do simple tricks, such as counting; but perhaps his biggest accomplishment was in calming them down, so that they would lick his face, shake hands and not lunge at visitors. 

A man of many talents, he was also proprietor of a popular dance hall, a dealer in pork and purebred beef, and provider of ice for Waterville patrons. Prior to training the buffalo, he trained and traveled during the 1930s with a pair of oxen.

Captain Julius Waterman was born in 1879, the son of George and Lydia Waterman. In 1896, he served in the Spanish-American war, in Company E, 1st regiment of New York volunteers. The company was mustered out in February, 1899. In 1901, he married Mae Byaska of Brookfield. They had three sons: Earl, Leon, and Harold. For a while, the family lived in Brookfield, then bought the property in Dicksville, as it was then called, on the Deansboro-Waterville Road, from William Brooks. At one time there was a sawmill and cider mill on the property, which the Watermans operated until it was destroyed by fire in 1920.

In 1922, Waterman built what was called Willona Hall, a dance hall named for the stream running south-east which we now refer to as Big Creek. The dance hall was 90'x30', and there was plenty of room for parking. Refreshments featured were those such as ice cream and strawberry shortcake. Dancing was to the music of Gus Detlefsen's orchestra; the "popular jazz music" of the Kelly orchestra; Masters of Harmony, a 10 piece orchestra; Nick Hawk's Orchestra; The Albro Orchestra; even the Waterville Band under the direction of A.W. Mallory. Both round and square dancing were offered, and assurances were made to dancers that they would be instructed on the finer points of the popular fox trots of the day. Private dancing parties were also given: the Home  Bureau held a dance there in 1935; and in 1936, a party by "some Swiss families" was held, featuring what was reported as very fine yodeling.  Prizes were offered, and through the 1930s, Willona Hall dances went merrily on, the last mention of them being in 1936.

Captain Waterman must have been a restless man, who recognized the public's hunger for showmanship, because in 1940, he set out to train a pair of buffalo. He had trained oxen, as mentioned above, and showed them - with 100-year ox cart! - at several centennial celebrations around the country; however, the centennial business fell off little by little. After getting permission from Washington and the Canadian government, he traveled to Canada with one of his sons to capture two calves.

  

What we commonly call "buffalo" are actually bison. Both buffalo and bison are from the same family (Bovidae) but are different genus. The bison, found in cooler climates, have thick fur, short horns, a big head, and a distinctly large hump. Buffalo have longer horns and no hump, and can be found primarily in Asia and Africa. Bison were misidentified by early European settlers as buffalo, but although the difference was later clarified, today the terms are used interchangeably by most people. Habitat loss and unregulated shooting led to the near-extinction of the American buffalo, or bison, which once roamed the country in the millions.

Permission was granted to Captain Waterman by the United States government to capture two bison calves, with the caveat he'd have to catch them himself, attached with the warning that he'd risk being gored by the calves' outraged mother. But he was determined.

First, he engaged the services of a few cowboys in North Dakota to catch a couple of calves, but when the cowboys' truck was smashed during the process, the transaction was called off. Undeterred, Captain Waterman contacted the government of Canada, requesting permission to capture the calves. Canada agreed but again cautioned that bison were wild animals and the mother bison would be enraged at anyone who tried to take her young. The Watermans were charged $50.00 apiece.

In 1940, Julius Waterman and two of his sons set off for Canada, arriving in Saskatoon, in the province of Saskatchewan. They cut brush and created a kind of "duck blind," behind which they hid, waiting to lasso the first pair of calves which passed by. Two 8-month old, 900-pound bison calves were captured, and, with great difficulty, they managed to get them into the large truck. Consequently, Captain Waterman left them in the truck for four weeks once they got back to Deanboro, hoping they would be so hungry, they'd be easier to handle. With the help of his neighbor, Virgil Eastman, he led the bison from the truck.

Even so, at first the bison pawed the ground and lunged toward him. Over time, with infinite patience and kindness, he was able to train them to the point that they got used to halters and could be led around with a rope. How they got to be so docile is what Waterman called a "trade secret," one even the Ringling Brothers didn't know, he said; but it had a lot to do time, hard work and perseverance, until the wild bison became gentle pets. According to research, bison are very aggressive animals and very difficult, if not impossible, to domesticate. But Captain Waterman did it.

The bison were named Ned and Ted. The pair learned to dive from a ten-foot high platform into the waters of Willona Creek - Big Creek - just behind the house, which was a relief during the hot summer weather. They could be seen on Route 315 on the front lawn of the Waterman farm, where they were tethered with 50-foot ropes attached to  iron stakes.

Captain Waterman exhibited his bison several times at the Madison County Fair in Brookfield. Ned and Ted, with Captain Waterman, traveled with the James M. Cole Circus for 24 weeks. They were a hit: no one had ever before seen bison led into a circus ring to perform. They then joined the Wallace Brothers Circus, and traveled all over the country. They were briefly with the J.C Harlecker Circus and the Cole Brothers Circus, but Captain Waterman mostly enjoyed showing Ned and Ted at fairs and rodeos, letting people experience them up close. Fascinated visitors shook hands with them, watched them roll a barrel and do their diving trick, and let them lick their faces. The bison were also featured on television, on the Arthur Godfrey Show, and with Gerry Moore.

Perhaps the most important lesson Captain Waterman, with the help of Ned and Ted, taught the public was of the near-extinction of these noble beasts, and how they were protected by the government. At one time in the bison's history, 40 to 60 million of them roamed the United States; they were the principal food source of the Native Americans. When the 20th century began, there were fewer than 1,000 remaining. However, due to successful breeding and the regulation of hunting these beasts, they are no longer endangered and almost 500,000 can be found across North America.

In April of 1962, after more than two decades of a very varied, unusual and triumphant career, Captain Julius Waterman retired.  He sold Ned and Ted to Freedomland USA, an American history museum in the Bronx, where they continued to bring awe and admiration to the public, thanks to the perseverance of their master. Captain Waterman died May 17, 1962, just a few days short of his 83rd birthday. He leaves a legacy that few can match: he showed the world how love, kindness, and patience can tame even the wildest of beasts; and brought joy to millions of men, women, and children.

Moyer or Military Road

The Town of Marshall was originally part of Tryon County, but morphed into Montgomery County, then to Herkimer County, to Oneida County in 1798; and then to the Town of Paris from 1792-1827 to the Town of Kirkland in 1827. We finally came into our own in 1829 as the Town of Marshall, named in honor of Supreme Court Justice John Marshall (1801-1835).  All this is to explain the Moyer Road and how it came to be part of the Town of Marshall history.

The Moyer (or Military) Road, which ran westerly from German Flatts (Frankfort), through Sauquoit, to Bogusville Hill Road and beyond undoubtedly originated as an Indian trail, but was also used by settlers who believed soldiers, led by a General Moyer, traveled this trail, hence the name.

However, no such general can be found to have existed. 

More likely, the name came from a Dutchman named Moyer who ran a tavern on the trail. It is further theorized that on April 19, 1799, a Col. Goosen Van Schiack and a detachment of 55 men used this trail to raid the Onondaga Indians. Also, to add insult to injury, early settlers claimed that Gen. John Sullivan led his troops over this road to massacre Indians to the west. He is supposed to have reconstructed sections with logs found nearby, as he advanced and camped just east of the Oriskany Creek near Bogusville, while his men attempted to erect a bridge over what they termed the Oriskany River. This cannot be verified, but if Samuel Kirkland was their chaplain and the Brothertown Indians their guide, as is alleged, this would be interesting indeed!

On the part of the trail travelling west from Post Street, called Concanon Road, later changed to Maxwell Road, is the site of an ancient Indian campground. In her notes, former historian Dorothy McConnell comments that her ancestors collected what they thought were arrowheads from the area, until they were examined by a Dr. Grayson of Hamilton College, who explained that they were actually spear points thousands of years old and used before the invention of the bow and arrow.

The trail ran down a steep ravine by Turkey Creek, named because the wild turkeys found in this area by settlers and Indians. The bottom of the ravine was also known as Moyers Hole, and was a resting place where travelers watered their horses, probably in Turkey Creek.

Further down the trail was what was known to early settlers as Whitney Corners - later Lumbard Road - past the abandoned Peck Road, which led to Hanover, a bustling place until around 1837, when the Chenango Canal opened.

The trail went on past the intersection of Grant Hill Road and Austin Road, then down past Gridley Paige Road and over Oriskany Creek.  At that point an Iroquois Indian settlement was established, and it was here that Col. Heinrick Staring was brought after being captured by Indians during the Revolutionary War. It is said he escaped in the dead of night as his captors slept, ran into the woods and swam downstream in Oriskany Creek, and eventually made his way to Fort Stanwix.

The trail continued to Bogusville Hill Road, so named because of the manufacture and distribution of counterfeit coins by a man named Hurd who was ostensibly fabricating silver spoons. On Bogusville Hill Road is an inaccessible Brothertown Indian cemetery, which is believed to be the burial place of Samson Occom, leader of the Brothertowns. The Moyer, or Military, Road continued up Bogusvillle Hill to Knoxboro and Munnsville, and on to Oneida Castle. The Brothertown Indians, who didn't completely settle until after the Revolutionary War, seldom traveled the trail eastward, but used it to travel to Stockbridge.

Little is left of that trail of antiquity today other than geographical landmarks, but one can imagine what the Moyer orMilitary Road must have been like all those years ago, and can appreciate how it was a boon to travelers in those times.

McAdam Stock Farm

At the turn of the 20th century, off Gridley-Paige Road  just beyond the intersection with Shanley Road, was a showplace, a farm of about 500 acres where pure Holstein-Friesian cattle were bred. The farm, which started out as a modest 70-some acres, had been owned by generations of Gridleys, from Nodadiah, one of first settlers, whose son Asahel Gridley built the brick main house, to Josephine Gridley, widow of Joseph Gridley. It was Josephine McAdam Gridley who, in 1900, sold the property to her brother, Quentin McAdam. 

Although he grew up in Deansboro in the Town of Marshall, McAdam lived in Utica and was treasurer and general manager of the largest cotton milling concern in the world, Quentin McAdam  & Co., which eventually became the Utica Knitting Company.

Quentin McAdam was an ambitious person - he joined the knitting mill at age 16 and was running it little more than 10 years later - and he started right out to make the Gridley property, which was at that time called the Brothertown Stock Company, the outstanding farmstead it was to become. New barns were built, more land was purchased, and repairs and modernization were made on the old buildings. The farm had its own fire department, compete with helmets, in the first part of the long barn (now converted into a home owned by, I believe, Dave and Tanya Brown).

Once the outbuildings were complete, McAdam, with the help of E.B. Van (or Von) Heyne as business manager, purchased 20 purebred Holstein-Freisians. Among them were four daughters of what was then the greatest sire of the breed; and included the famous Sadie Vale Concordia, who broke the world's record of 7 and 30 day milk and butter production. Many more successful cows came in succession, giving Brothertown Farms world-wide fame. Everything was done on an up-to-date scale, including an automatic watering system for the stock. Nothing was more important than the cattle breeding business. Wonderful care was given to those animals. It is reported that a nine-week old bull, with impeccable parentage, sold for $4,000, a price unheard-of at that time. The farm was one of the best of many outstanding farms at that time, with the land being cultivated as skillfully as the livestock was treated. Eventually, there were 100 head of cattle, young and old. The calf barn was "ablaze with electric light at night...looking like the busy marts of trade."

Over the years the acreage increased, as more and more neighboring farms were purchased. Besides the manor house were about six homes for the workers on the farm, creating a unique community. Once the stock farm was dissolved, the houses became private homes on a dead-end road - McAdam Road. Joanne Bolan, who lived up there, remembers it as a social kind of place where you knew and valued your neighbors.

Early in his ownership of the estate, Mr. McAdam set about to beautify the acreage. Surrounding the manor were acres of tilled, fertile farmland, as well as woodland and parks. At one time there were bridges over a trout brook, and deer enclosures; and today one can see the remnants of what was formerly an orchard of over a thousand apple trees. There were also 21 pools and waterfalls of different sizes, some of which still can be admired. Ed Bennett, who grew up on Gridley Paige Road, told  me that he goes over there often in an attempt to keep the property in shape.

Florist Adelaide Foote of Deansboro had the supervision of the flowers and shrubs around the homestead. A large variety of plants were stocked, and almost every wildflower which can flourish in this climate were planted. Also, Miss Foote experimented with several varieties of orchids.

Although Mr. and Mrs. Quentin McAdam lived on South Street, Utica, during the heydays of the Brothertown/McAdam stock farm, the McAdams spent weekends and most of the summer months at the homestead, overseeing the farm. The farm was a beautiful and successful estate during their tenure there.

Quentin McAdam died in December, 1918, and his sister Josephine Gridley, who lived in the Gridley Homestead,  passed away 18 hours after her brother's death. His nephew, Oscar Gridley, son of his sister Josephine, who was groomed to succeed his uncle, did so. By 1923 he split his time between his home in Utica and the Gridley Homestead; however, his heart was not in the running of the farm: he did not have his uncle's passion for the animals and the land; he spent less and less time there. Eventually, the stock was sold and the farm dissolved. For a while, Mr. & Mrs. John Losee of Richfield Springs (Mrs. Losee was Oscar Gridley's sister) lived there; now most of the land is possessed by the Zwiefels, and the homes are privately owned.

It was a beautiful place, and still is. The sad thing, in Mr. Bennett's opinion, is that no one knows it is there and few remember it's former glory. The pools and the waterfalls, not to mention the existing vegetation, are worth the trip to Gridley Paige Road to enjoy the view, and to revel in it all.

Fires in Town of Marshall

The huge fire in Oriskany Falls in December 2017, destroying a 100+ year old building, brought about thoughts of fires in the past of the Town of Marshall. Most were small and quickly put out; others, as we shall see, did considerable damage.

In 1888, before the fire department was organized, a fire was discovered in the store of Northrup & Smith (on the corner of Routes 12B and 315) in time to prevent a disastrous blaze. The fire caught from the heat of a large tubular lamp which was suspended from the ceiling. Had it made much more headway there would have been nothing else to do but to watch Deansboro go up in smoke.

Therefore, in 1896, the Barton Hose Company in Deansboro was formed as an outgrowth of the Deanboro Water System, first known as the Deansboro Fire Company.  In 1906, David Barton of Waterville, whose family was one of the earliest white settlers in the Town Of Marshall, realized having a fire department was a huge benefit to the community and beyond, witness the way  fires were extinguished quickly and efficiently before they became serious. Fires both small and large were, unfortunately, common back in the 1800s.

Barton was an early benefactor of the fire company, donating money for a fire house; and the name was changed to the Barton Hose Company to honor him. The early equipment consisted of two hand-drawn horse carts, and the alarm for fires was at first the church-bells, then the whistle on the Condensery and finally an electric siren like the one we're used to hearing. Quite a far cry from the sophisticated equipment operated to such good purpose today. Every member of the Barton Hose Company is, then and now, a volunteer.

Although we have been fortunate enough to never have had a 15-alarm fire, as in Oriskany Falls, some of our fires have been pretty spectacular. Most recently, eight fire departments responded to the barn fire at the home of Doug Alberding on Skyline Drive. In that fire in September 2016, the barn and milking station were lost,  although Mr. Alberding and  volunteers were able to save the cattle. Mr. Allberding has started rebuilding on the site of the fire.

Very early in January, 2011, a big fire broke out in the Marshall Town Barn, destroying the barn and all the equipment in it. Firefighters from 10 departments were at the scene all day January 2 and into the night. Because so much equipment was lost (plows, front end loaders, tools), neighboring superintendents of highway departments offered the use of their plows, etc.,  until the Town Of Marshall could get on its feet. The fire was caused an electrical short in one of the parked trucks.  By the summer, plans were drawn for a new building and construction was complete by the next year.

Six fire companies responded to two fires within a week on Bill Edwards' farm on Route 12B toward Clinton (now owned by ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Charles Brubaker)  in 1981. First, the large dairy barn behind the residence was burned to the ground just after milking, so the stock was able to be saved. There was little wind, so the fire did not spread to the house. Then three days later, fire broke out in the tenant house across the road. Two families lived there,  and the family in the front of the house were relocated to a house on  Peck Road owned by the Edwards', while the other family was able to return to their apartment in the back of the house when the fire was extinguished.

A machinery-laden  barn  and  1000 bales  of  hay  were  burned  in November 1952 at the Virgil Eastman farm (now owned by the Blakeleys) on Route 315. The barn was leveled, and Mr. Eastman reported seeing what he called "young boy's tracks in the hay."  Children playing with matches was the cause of the fire on Bush Road, near Deansboro, in 1950. The fire wasn't too serious - just burning a hole in the ceiling of the barn - but it could have spread and been much more serious.

What was a serious fire was the one in 1960 which burned the GLF (Grange League Federation) feed store. The fire was caused by an overheated feed bed filled with brewer's yeast. The fire, fought by four fire companies, practically destroyed the two-story building, and injured two fire-fighters: Gerald McMullen, who was hospitalized after being burned; and Nick Sango, who suffered a cut on his face from falling debris. Although the building was heavily damaged, volunteers were able to bring out many bags of grain and feed due to the "mushrooming"  of the flames through the top of the building.

Just two years later, fire broke out on the corner store, then operated by Steven Congelo and called the Buy-Rite Superette. Damage was confined to the building already damaged by a runaway tractor-trailer truck; if it had spread it would have engulfed half the hamlet of Deanboro. The building was owned by Lida Earl.

A much scarier and more serious fire took place in 1956, when a teen-aged Gail Buell Blau and her family  were driven from their home near Oriskany Falls,  which was destroyed, into sub-zero weather. Although the nearly 50 firemen from four companies were unable to save the house, they managed to keep the fire from spreading, and most of the furniture was saved. The cause of that fire was defective electrical wiring. 

Another family escaped injury when their house on Route 315 was damaged by fire in 1985. Charles Williams, his wife and young child were able to get out of the building safety, as most of the damage was confined to the second floor and roof.

High winds fanned the fire at the then-Milton Wratten homestead (now owned by Ed Gallagher), destroying a large hay barn and adjacent shed in 1961. Luckily, the family wasn't home at the time, but one calf was lost. Seven fire companies responded to that fire.  

In 1933, Fire of unknown cause destroyed three buildings at the Condensery, at that time owned by Claude Hinman.  A shop, a garage and an ice house were burned. Commentary in the Waterville Times stated, "The local fire department did good work in saving the Condensery building located nearby."

Firefighters from three villages fought for more than three hours, but were unable to save two large barns on the Stewart Hinman farm on the north just outside of Deansboro, but they were able to save the house and three other buildings threatened by the wind-driven flames. In February 1955, fire broke out at the Donald Hinman L-shaped barn, destroying it. However, despite being hampered by freezing water lines, quick action by  firefighters from Deansboro and Oriskany Falls were able to save the rest of the farm buildings and rescue 25 head of cattle.

McConnell's Farm and Home Store on Route 315 was destroyed by fire in April of 1982. A shed and some tools and machinery were saved, but fighting the fire was problematic because of the combustible materials inside the structure and the high heat of the fire. That heat melted part of the siding of the house which was adjacent to the store, and oxygen was administered those firemen affected by the heat intensity. Marilyn and Louis Spina live there now.

Many remember the suspicious fire in 1981, which destroyed the former Macabee Hall in Deansboro.  The fire was reportedly sparked by an explosion in the early hours of the morning. Because the building, which at the time of the fire was  owned by A.R. D'Agostino of Clnton, and operated as JR's Tavern, was fully involved by the time the fire department arrived , firefighters concentrated on saving the house next to the 84-year-old structure. The Boro is in that location. 

Another suspicious fire is the one which burned the Cheese Factory near Oriskany Creek in 1891.

In 1961, a farm garage and shop, as well as an automobile, two tractors, a welder and a number of tools, were destroyed by fire before it was brought under control. The buildings were part of the Harry G. Goodson and Robert Lloyd farms. Firefighters were able to keep the flames from a house and a large barn of either side of the burning building.

In February 1931, the Deansboro Union Free School building, located on West Hill Road - Ruia's own the property now - was completely destroyed by fire. It was believed that the fire, which started in the early hours of the morning, was caused by the stove overheating. The structure contained six rooms.

Fire and smoke heavily damaged the Music Box Restaurant in January, 1968, now known as Kristen's Kountry Kafe. The fire began in the kitchen and the firemen were successful in preventing it from spreading, although the interior was heavily damaged by smoke and water.

Back in 1920, fire destroyed the saw and cider mill and a barn owned by Julius Waterman on Route 315, about one-half mile from Deansboro, practically wiping out his business. An automobile and two trucks were burned. The house, which was located nearby, was saved by the help of neighbors who gathered at the scene by the hundreds. A bucket brigade was formed and the house was saved. Some lumber and wood and about 200 barrels of cider and a lot of apples  were burned. The mills were among the largest of the kind at that time, as well as among the oldest. They were formerly owned by Charles Brooks. It is possible lanterns caused the blaze.

An electrical fire in January, 1999, leveled the large main barn on the Melvin Durant farm on Lewis Road. Although 22 heifers were lost, 60 heifers and 80 cows plus one bull were saved and subsequently sold. Later in the year, a hay barn was built on the site of the fire, and as well as a small barn to house about 20-25 heifers.

In 1961, a fire destroyed the barn next to where I lived as a teenager, which was rented by Norm Ingersoll to shelter the tractor trailers for his business, Glenor Carting. We had to evacuate but thanks to the firemen who concentrated on keeping the fire from spreading to our house and the Ingersoll's house across the street, we were able to go back to bed, although the firemen continued to keep watch during for flare-ups. We will forever be grateful for their presence. The metal-clad pole barn put up in the barn's place is now rented by L&F Custom Builders.

There have been more fires in the Town of Marshall; perhaps you readers remember some. If so, I would be grateful if you contact me at townofmarshalblogger@gmail.com.

It's obvious that we owe all volunteer fire departments in the area a huge debt. They are fighting to save our homes under what can be excruciating conditions: freezing weather; bitter cold; hot, humid temperatures (with all that gear!); or brisk wind, all at any hour of the day and night. And we can't forget the fact that the firefighters are often hampered by sightseers, drivers who refuse to move when they know there is a fire truck behind them, equipment which sometimes doesn't cooperate. Firefighters always go to the scene of a fire with the expectation they may be injured, either at the scene itself, or on their way to assist. For example, when the former CCC camp on Route 315 by Oriskany Creek, then a migrant camp, burned in 1951, a man on his way to help battle the flames was hit by a car and badly injured. Firefighting is serious work and every volunteer department in the area has won our deep gratitude. We can return the favor by supporting them in their various endeavors (chicken barbecues, ham dinner, fish fries), and give what you can to their annual fund drives.

National Gate Company

Does anyone remember the National Gate Company? It was a concern started in 1903 for the manufacture of an invention by Mr. George S. Patrick of Dicksville in the Town of Marshall.

That invention was described as a "self opening and closing gate," made of iron pipe and wire. The gate was constructed so that the wheels of a wagon passing over a small iron hoop which, when pressed down, pulled a small chain fastened at the  bottom of the hinge end of the gate. This caused the latch to lift and the weight swung the gate inward. When the wagon had passed through, the chain was released and the gate closed.

The National Gate Company was in the old cheese factory on Route 315, where an engine and other machinery for the manufacture of the gates were installed. The capital stock was $15,000, and the officers were as follows: president, Robert Hadcox; vice-president W.F. Kimball; secretary and treasurer Abram Van Vechten; superintendent of construction, George S. Patrick.

Mr. Patrick, who was a prominent hop grower and farmer, secured a patent for his innovative design through patent attorneys in Utica. He exhibited the self-opening gate at the Brookfield Fair in 1903, which captured the attention of many people, including W.C. McAdam, who termed the invention an important industry for the Town of Marshall and became it's attorney.

The only other mention of the National Gate Company was notice of the dissolution of the company in 1915. Mr. Patrick, after serving the town in one capacity or another, passed away in 1928.

Diners in Deansboro

What's in a name? The small diner adjacent to Buell's Fuel (formerly the Musical Museum) has had many names over the years. Built by Art Sanders in 1955 next to the increasingly popular Musical Museum, it was first intended as a place visitors could go for coffee, ice cream, pie, as well as use the expanded rest rooms. But after some thought, it was decided to make it larger with a manager, cook, wait staff, several tables and a separate kitchen, offering three meals a day. It was called the Music Box, and was opened July 5, 1955.

George Rittenberger was the first person to rent the restaurant, with the help of Barney Quakenbush and several local workers. He was there until the fall of 1955, when Johanne Jipson, Doris Hinman and Sue Kennard took over, which lasted until 1962.

After that, a series of people ran the Music Box restaurant with varying degrees of success. At that point, the Sanders family, who owned the building and the equipment associated with the restaurant, decided that they would be responsible for insuring and maintaining the building only. The renters from then on out should purchase their own equipment, insure it, and maintain it.

The next people to manage the Music Box restaurant was in 1962, when the Carroll Dow family, who lived on Route 315, where Jackie Williams lives today, were responsible for day-to-day operations. They planned to open at 6:00 a.m., and remain open until 9:00 p.m. The Dows planned a noon special every day. The restaurant was also the scene of a bake sale, for the benefit of the Deansboro Grade School.

Following the Dows, the restaurant was operated by the Bernard Tucker family, of Dugway Road, including the older and younger generations. They came in 1965 until 1968. A few months after the Tuckers left, the Music Box restaurant was heavily damaged by fire and smoke.  A passing motorist spotted smoke coming from the building, which had been closed, and the Barton Hose Company was quickly on the scene. They were successful in preventing the fire in the kitchen from spreading but found it necessary to open the roof to allow the intense heat to escape, thus preventing an all-out blaze. The remainder of the interior was extensively damaged by smoke and water. Art Sanders, owner of the Music Box and the adjacent Musical Museum, commended the quick action of the firemen and reported that the restaurant would be opened again soon under new management.

The new management was in 1968 under Leona Ludwig from West Winfield, who renamed the restaurant the Dinner Bell. That continued to be the name until 1971. Then it was taken over by Joyce Leaf of Deansboro, who, with her husband Edward, ran it for several years until his death in 1974, and then continued to run it until 1982. At that time, it was called Joyce's Dinner Bell. The restaurant was closed for a couple of years, and was then re-opened by Gene Bickford and his wife Beverly from Crogan.

After the Bickfords, the restaurant was rented by Edna and Paul Bickoski and Bev Kennard in the mid-1980s, still called the Dinner Bell. In 1992, Wesley Wendt took over and called the restaurant Apple Betty's Dinner Bell. That continued until 1997 when Joan McNamara, who worked at the diner, purchased the equipment from him and went into business. A few years later, she acquired the entire property, including that which was formerly the Musical Museum, at auction. She operated the diner for many years as Joan's Country Cafe. Joan's staff consisted of Kathy Tallman, Helga Rush, Linda Elliot, and Helen Wormouth, as well as part-time help including her daughter Cami on weekends.  The atmosphere at Joan's was friendly and cozy.

In the mid 2000s, Joan sold the property to Mike Buell, who operates a thriving business dealing in heating oil, kerosene and diesel fuel. He rented the restaurant to Kris Eisenhut, who ran it until Kristen Jones took over in the fall of 2014. Kristen, with Scott Jones and Howie Jennings, manage what is now called Kristen's Kountry Kafe, with the same homey, cozy, familiar ambiance as well as fantastic food. It's a great place to meet and greet fellow townsfolk.

No matter what it's named, it remains a first-class diner, and Deansboro is very fortunate to retain it.

Cheese Factory

Just before Oriskany Creek going south on Route 315 was the Deansboro Cheese Factory, owned by F.H.  VanVechton. The factory was built in 1883 and was operated from 1886 until 1891, when a fire broke out. The fire was discovered to have been set by two disgruntled farmers whose milk, which was sent to the factory, was found unsatisfactory. Around 12,000 to 13,000 pounds of cheese were destroyed, and while the loss on the building was considerable, it was partially insured. Therefore, it was rebuilt that same year.

The cheese factory produced only two sizes, large round wheels weighing 30 pounds and 60 pounds, under the management first of James D. Kelly and then of J.H. Gazlay. Gazlay was also in charge of the cheese factory on Peck's Corner (corner of Peck Road and Shanley Road). During the months of May through November, when the cheese factory was open, around 700,000 pounds of milk were received, and over 66,000 pounds of cheese were manufactured.

In 1901, the stock holders of the company met to discuss the future of the factory. At that meeting, G.B. Northrup, J.D. Kelly, Ralph Lumbard and John Toole were elected directors.  Apparently, the future of the Deansboro Cheese Factory was not very bright, as the next mention is of the building being purchased by Robert Hadcox in 1903. He intended to install an engine and other machinery for the manufacture of self-opening farm gates, using a patent held by George S. Patrick.

The National Gate Company, Hadcox and Patrick's enterprise, went out of business in 1916, and in 1919 there was a concerted effort by members of the Dairyman's League to reopen a cheese factory in that location which did not come to fruition. The building burned in the early 1920s, sat unused for several years, and finally disintegrated.

Fast forward to 2008: The DOT proposed a bridge replacement project over Oriskany Creek, but before that could be started, archaeologists from the New York State Museum's Cultural Resource Survey Program were dispatched in October of that year to conduct shovel test excavations, searching for evidence of prehistoric or historic sites. Since the cheese factory, and later the National Gate Company were in that location, the search was extensive.

The archeologists found numerous artifacts that are typical of historic and roadside litter, but most noteworthy was the discovery of the remains of the Deansboro Cheese Factory. The shovel tests partially uncovered a stone masonry slab that may have been the factory's entrance, and revealed the outlines of the building's foundation. Other artifacts recovered from the shovel tests were architectural (nails, bricks, lumber fragments and window glass); and general items such as brackets, hooks, bolts, pulleys, rods, bars and a large padlock.

David Staley, New York State archeologist and project manager for the Cultural Resource Survey Program  presented the findings of the dig at the Marshall Historical Society in October, 2009.

Adelaide Foote Greenhouse

Around the same time plans were being made to build a condensery in Deansboro, and the Blanding Feed and Grain Company was underway, another little-known business was just starting up: Adelaide Foote's Greenhouse.

Miss Foote lived with her family on Mill Street (2673 State Route 315) with her parents, Orin and Mary Foote, and her sister and two brothers. She was a great-granddaughter on her mother's side of John Failing, who allegedly was held captive for four year by an Indian tribe in 1776 and subsequently sold to a British officer in Canada for whiskey (he walked to his home in St. Johnsville).

From a relatively early time, Adelaide Foote was recognized for her skill in landscaping and her eye for color and decoration, and she transferred these attributes to opening a greenhouse at the Mill Street location. The greenhouse was built in 1902, and at first she intended to provide only roses and carnations but later branched out to all floral varieties.  In later years, she drew up plans for a large extension to the greenhouse, added an iron gate in front of the main house, changed the heating from steam to a hot water system, and had a driveway built from the road to the greenhouse, with the result that the enterprise was called "a credit to the community."

Miss Foote supervised the growing of the flowers and shrubs around the McAdam (Brothertown) Stock Farm on Gridley-Paige Road, which was known for the breeding of pure, prize Holstein-Friesian cattle. Several varieties of orchids had been transplanted, and she experimented with various other beautiful wild growths. She also was a judge at many garden club exhibits and competitions. But outstanding among the flowers in her gardens were dahlias,  with stalks up to 5 feet high and some blossoms six inches across, of all colors which, Miss Foote asserted, were grown from seeds from California.

Adelaide Foote placed an advertisement in the The Deansboro Holler in 1922 for her greenhouse which reads, "Rouge up your house and ground with some flowers." She offered geraniums, vincas, petunias, verbonas, pansies and more for window boxes, lawns and gardens. The ad went on to state that Miss Foote also conducted a "magazine subscription agency," where patrons could subscribe to a magazine of his or her choice.

That same year, a fire broke out in the Feed & Lumber Company, which threatened the greenhouse; however, quick action by the fire department saved the building from ruin.

The business was so successful that at one point, Miss Foote commented that rumors she was going out of business were "much exaggerated."  She was very much in demand as a speaker and expert on horticulture, and there were many reports that her business was steady and growing.

Miss Adelaide Foote became ill in 1937 and was taken to Rome Hospital. I could not find an obituary for her, but mention was made in 1938 that the property was sold to Clement and Emily Smith, who planned to operate a green house. The next transaction was in 1943, when the Smiths moved to Main Street, Deansboro - State Route 12B - into the house now owned by Betty Hughes and Dave Georgius. They moved the large greenhouse, which had been at the back of the house on Mill Street, with them. Dale Tuttle Lints, who lived there as a girl, tells me that a smaller greenhouse located in the front of the garage was later moved to 12B. The Tuttle family lived there until the 1960s, then the Lewis Brood family; and then the Willard Marsh family. Chad Seifert, who now owns the property, showed me around his back yard where, he said, the outline of the former greenhouse could be seen.

ADDENDUM: One of the many pleasures of researching history and sharing the results is the feedback from readers. The recent column on Adelaide Foote's house brought several comments, among them Dale Tuttle Lints of Waterville, who lived in the house from 1947 until the 1950s. Her parents bought the house directly from the Smiths, who bought it in 1938, eliminating the "party from Clark Mills" which was reported.

The Smiths, meanwhile - brother and sister Clement and Emily Smith - purchased the house on 2791 Route 12B, which is now owned by Betty Hughes and David Georgius, and moved the large greenhouse up there. Mrs. Lints remembers the smaller greenhouse, which was located in front of the garage adjacent to the house, was moved later on.

Adelaide Foote was Joan Barker Benedict's great aunt, her grandmother Minerva Foote Barker's sister - her husband's name was John. Mrs. John Barker's father was Oren Foote, who married Mary Failing, a sister of the John Failing who was captured and escaped during the Revolutionary War. Oren Foote built the flat-roof homes in town, for example the Deansboro Hotel and the house next to it. Many of us remember Mrs. John Barker' son, J. Oren, who ran a TV and Appliance center in the center of Deanboro, which was formerly the Hamilton House, where his family lived: Oren Jr.; Joan, Carol (Koren) and Sandy; and is now operated as an antique shop called Ye Olde Canal Shoppe, started by Joan Barker Benedict with her late husband Allen and still run by Mrs. Benedict today.

And the first television in Deansboro? It was at J. Oren Barker's appliance center in the 1950s. Joan Benedict remembers that her father set a bench in front of the store window so people could sit down and witness this miraculous invention.

History of the Condensery in Deansboro, NY

The dairy situation in the Town of Marshall has a long, interesting and sometimes convoluted history. In the late 1800 (1886), farmers took their milk to one of two cheese factories. One was located down Mill Street (Route 315) near Oriskany Creek, and the other on Peck's Corners, both of which were in charge of J.H. Gazaly. The cheese factory near the Oriskany Creek burned in 1891, was rebuilt, and both closed in 1902. Apparently, there was also a station which took raw milk, according to early newspaper articles, and the surplus milk was sent to the factory to make cheese and butter. 

Reportedly, the station delivered 100 cans daily which were sent to the Mutual Milk Company in New York via the railroad. There is no mention of where this plant was located, except presumably  by the railroad: does anyone know?  This enterprise ended in 1900, or at least that's the last mention of a milk station other than the Condensery on Route 315, which was called the United States Condensed Milk Company, home of Sunshine Condensed Milk; Mohawk Condensed Milk Company; and finally Hinman Farm Products.

In the early days of the 20th century, with the cheese factory and the milk station closed, the question of what to do with the supply of milk which was produced became acute, and a group of industrious  citizens of the Town of Marshall met to organize a milk condensery.  The United States Condensed Milk Company was incorporated at Albany and commenced operation in August, 1902. The directors for the first year were Charles A. Hovey, Quentin McAdam, George I. Hovey, Howard E. Miller, Robert H. Hadcox, William Kimball, all of Deanville; and John  A. Roof, who hailed from Fort Plain, the site of another United States Condensed Milk plant which was founded in 1888. As a matter of fact, the plant in Deansboro was built and equipped under his supervision, and he was the first superintendent of the plant. 

United States Condensed Milk Plant

Capital stock of $50,000 was secured and a site was purchased on Mill Street (Route 315) adjoining the Ontario & Western rail road tracks, served with a special branch track, across from the railroad station. The main building, which still stands today, was 50x140 feet in size, and was two stories high. Grove Hinman and Hubert Bishopp were two carpenters on the job. There was also a round brick smoke stack 72 feet high, built of special ventilated brick, which was demolished in 1987. The milk was received in a wing on the west side, and a coal house was in the rear. At  the right of the entrance  hall were the business offices,  and adjoining were  lavatories and all sanitary  conveniences.  In the rear was a large store room and  back of this was the process  room,  with a  concrete  floor.  On the second floor  was the large vacuum pan, where the milk was condensed. The whole of the front portion of the building was given to the manufacture of tin cans and the cases in which the milk was shipped. The cans held 14 and 16 ounces, and each case contained 48 cans. The capacity of the plant was from 400 to 500 cases per day.

At least 50 people in the Town of Marshall were employed by the Condensery, which received large quantities of milk of "fine quality", no milk testing  less than 8%.  A whistle of about 10 or 15 feet was put on the Condensery to signal noontime and again when work stopped for the day. The whistle was also used as a signal for fire until the 1930s, when the motorized siren was installed in the fire house.  Patrons were sought and contracts signed, and they were in business.

In August, the contracts through January 1903 for the price of milk per hundred was 95 cents; September, $1.10; October $1.20; November $1.30; December $1.40; January $1.40. In the winter, it was reported that milk receipts shrank due to the feed for the cattle.

In  August of 1903, tragedy struck the Condensery in the form of a suicide of a foreman at the plant. Edward S. Grower, who took his own life, was described as a good workman and never appeared to be depressed in any way.  Even with this little setback, the plant expanded and farmers received the highest price for milk ever paid in the vicinity. The plant was described as "first class in every way." The price of milk delivered to the Condensery in May, 1904, was $1.45 per one hundred.

In  1904, a case came before the state in which the defendant was Patrick W. Madden of the Town of Marshall. Mr. Madden was accused of violating agricultural law by selling milk not up to standard. He sold milk to the United States Condensed Milk Company which contained some 88% of water and less than 12% milk solids. Mr. Madden claimed the milk was tampered with and denied diluting it at all, but the judgment was for the plaintiff.

That same year, the supply fell off slightly owing, in great measure, to the "annoyance caused by flies." The price remained the same ($1.45 per hundred).

The Condensery used more water than that which could be supplied by the Deansboro Water Company, so a new reservoir, located on West Hill, was built around 1905 by the company, and was used as a storage reservoir from which to fill the Deansboro Water Company's reservoir when necessary. They also installed a large Seneca Falls pump at Blanding's mill (located south of the plant) and attempted to get water from the Oriskany Creek so there would be ample supply for the plant.

At an annual stockholder's meeting of the United States Condensed Milk Company, the report of the superintendent showed that the past season - 1906 -had been a prosperous one. Indeed, foundations were laid for another addition to the Condensery. Plans were for the receiving room to be enlarged, and for covering the entrance for the teams of horses. The milk supply at the Condensery  was said to be very good and the future predicted to be bright; considerable overtime work was required to take care of the milk. The farmers were getting higher prices than ever for their milk. Things were going along smoothly, and there came a slight bump in the road.

In July, 1908, a number of people were laid off, due to the shipments of milk in forty quart cans. The help which were laid off were those who worked at making the cans and the labels. The "vacation" came to an end in September when those workers were back at their posts.

An interesting case that attracted considerable attention was an action entitled "United States Condensed Milk Company of Deansboro against Max and Jacob Smith of New York."  According to the suit, during a stated period the Condensery in Deansboro shipped a great quantity of milk to New York City. 727 cans in all were used. An inspector found that the cans shipped were undergoing a change: the initials U.S.C.M. Co. were being removed and the initials M. Smith & Son were taking their place. The Condensery sued the New York men for $4,650, or $50 a can. The jury found for the United States Condensed Milk Company, and determined that anyone tampering with milk cans in the future would face a fine. This victory was notable, and had a important impact on the milk business. Before this came to light, there had been numerous complaints about the purloining of milk cans.

After this triumph, the supply of milk fell off again, this time reportedly due to the expense of feed for the cows; therefore, the price of milk fell off as well. Still, the Condensery employed a force of men to build a dam in the channel of the abandoned Chenango Canal, which created a pond from which ice was cut for the Condensery ice house. And spirits were high: an editorial in 1906 proclaimed that "the little village is taking on quite a boom.  Houses are scarce, and...the business of the town is increasing right along."

However, in 1909, the directors of the United States Condensed Milk Company petitioned the court for a voluntary dissolution of said corporation. Justice DeAngelis of the court in Utica, who presided over the petition, asked the directors to show cause why the corporation should be dissolved, and the directors stated that they had "lost a large portion of capital stock, and were unable to conduct business satisfactorily." The United States Condensed Milk Company was subsequently sold to St. Johnsville Condensed Milk Company, and was known as the Mohawk Condensed Milk Company (sometimes called Mohawk Valley Condensed Milk Company).

Before that transaction, the Condensery announced that no new contracts would be entered into until the affairs of the corporation were settled. Until that time, a large amount of milk was accumulated in storage. Suggestions were made that  a creamery - such as the one in Paris - and another cheese factory were the answers to the set-back in the dairy business.

Neither was necessary. In April, 1909, the transaction from the United States Condensed Milk Company to Mohawk Condensed Milk Company was complete, and new patrons were received.  A machine for making the lock seams in the cans was placed in position at the Condensery. Once it was in operation, the old method of side seaming with solder was discontinued. Work also began in 1910 on an addition which was used for storing ice. The building, which was delayed because of the non-arrival of some irons and then by the laying-off of the brick layers, was 75 feet long and 48 feet wide, two stories. There was a space of some 15 feet between the two building, which were (still are) adjacent to each other which. Along with a fire wall, this was required by the insurance company. When the annex to the Condensery was completed, the building formerly used for storage was remodeled into a house for employees, which still stands.

An interesting article in the Waterville Times in December, 1910, stated that "there has been more than the ordinary amount of excitement in and about the condensery." Anonymous letters were received by two of the condensery employees.  The article did not mention what the letters contained, but apparently efforts were made to find out who wrote the letters and why. Also at the same time, an employee lost the envelope containing his week's wages. And the article goes on to add that "some of the milk producers are becoming careless and are late." The article cited one farmer who left his can of milk on the receiving platform on a Sunday which subsequently froze.

The Condensery was an important enterprise in those times, and the above article indicates that whatever happened there was of no small interest to the village and surrounding counties. The Condensery was receiving 50,000 pounds of milk daily and the monthly payroll to the farmers was $22,000 - a princely sum in 1910. They received $2.00 per hundred for their milk then. Consequently, the Condensery was a source of great pride.

In the mornings, the milk trucks came rolling in by the hundreds from the hills on either side. Walter J. Mapes was the superintendent then, and he lived across the street in the big stucco house. The house was heated from steam generated by the boilers at the Condensery through an insulated pipe under the road into the cellar. When the pipe broke, it was decided not to replace it, and a furnace was installed. F.L. Nelson was the bookkeeper. There were over 200 patrons of the Condensery.

The success and continued operation of the milk plant, however, had some drawbacks, among them smoke from the factory chimney, which generated many complaints. However, Mapes, accompanied by Mr. Gibbie from the St. Johnsville plant, inspected and purchased several appliances in Buffalo and Rochester which could be attached to each boiler, thereby reducing the smoke.

Many refused to join the Dairyman's League out of respect for the Condensery, which always treated their customers fairly.  The League officials worked hard to arrive at some plan satisfactory to both the League and the Condensery, and to keep fluid milk being shipped to New York. Some liked the plan, and others were not so satisfied. That was unsettling, because the Condensery was the biggest industry in Deansboro in terms of payout at that time, and was a source of great wealth to the farmer. 

No one needed to worry that the Mohawk Condensed Milk Company would go out of business; it grew so that by 1918 it was reaching out for more milk, and the plant was becoming so large it was necessary to employ a blacksmith - Don Williams. The railroads were booming along with the Condensery. Car loads of cans, tons of sugar, and soft coal were brought in by train.

But by February 1920, the Condensery was having a hard time finding enough sugar for their product. There was a blockade in Albany with the result two carloads were held up. Some sugar was delivered from Frankfort, brought to Clinton by trolley and then delivered to Deansboro, but that was only a stop-gap measure. Concerns were that if the plant could not secure enough sugar it would close, although every effort was made so that would not happen.

By spring, however, the Condensery was closed. The farmers were trying to find some way to dispose of their milk. Some, like the Eisenhuts on East Hill, separated their own milk; others took their milk to nearby  milk stations or creameries; some even sold their cows. Deansboro, it was reported, was quiet in the mornings for the first time in many years - not a single milk wagon could be seen.

The milk situation remained in an uncertain state until April, 1921 when the Condensery resumed operations. By the end of the month, it was receiving 30,000 pounds of milk daily. The canning of the milk continued, requiring more help - good news to a lot of people - and the hustle and bustle returned.

Ralph Moore was the superintendent then, and he oversaw a great increase in the production of condensed milk. To understand how the product was manufactured, one must start with the knowledge that the condensed milk  produced was not the sweet, sticky product used today; it was more like evaporated milk, only thicker.

The boilers ran all the time at the Condensery. The coal came in a railroad car, and a conveyer belt with buckets would transfer the coal too the hopper. Milk was weighed and recorded, and poured into a vat, where it was heated. Once the milk cooled, it was pumped into large holding tanks, ready to be canned. That was where the ice house came in. Before refrigeration, cakes of ice were used to keep the milk cool. Milk was received from all over, and the Condensery was a busy place.

However, fortunes rise and fall, and the Mohawk Condensed Milk Company was not immune to this. In March, 1933, notice was given to the patrons that the plant, Deansboro's only remaining industry other than farming, would be closed. It was short notice, and the news which circulated that the plant would remain open until at least July was taken with something of a grain of salt. Again, the question arose: what to do about the milk?  At that time, no word was received about the future of the plant.

The Hinmans to the rescue! In 1933, the Condensery was purchased by Claude and Grove Hinman and was called Hinman Farm Products. At first, they sold fluid milk, as well as manufacturing dry milk powder. In addition,  the company sold eggs, fruits, grain, hay, straw, poultry, meats, feed and fertilizer, and made cheese and buttermilk.

Hinman Farm Products

After a while, the Hinmans abandoned, for the most part, the dry powder and shipped the large stainless steel bulk tanks to New York City. For a long time - into the 1970s - the plant shipped 40-pound cans, longer than any other milk concern. The powder milk machine was used when there was a surplus of milk, for things such as pet food and livestock food enrichment.

In July 1933, a fire of unknown origin destroyed three buildings: a shop, which had recently been built; a garage; and an ice house. The loss amounted to about $3,000. Because of the cement wall which had been installed in 1910, firefighters were able to save the main part of the plant from the blaze, which is still standing. Some trucks which had been stored at the plant were hauled out by the firemen and were able to be restored. The Hinmans started right away to rebuild.

Hinman Farm Products continued to be beneficial to the hamlet of Deansboro and its inhabitants for many years. Through the firm, farmers were kept up-to-date on the latest developments and information regarding better production and sanitation. The Hinmans also established a dealership for tractors and farm implements at that location.

Jack Fennimore was superintendent of the plant from about 1940 to 1955, and the Charles Williams, who had been milk tester, took  over that position.  He arranged for a milk can washer machine to be installed in the receiving room of the site in 1947.

The operation went something like this: the farmer would place his cans on the conveyor belt going into the building. The lid would be taken off and if the smell was right, the lid would be put loosely on the can and sent to the tester, who inserted a special piece of paper to get a sample of the milk. After further testing,  the sample was placed in a rack under the farmer's name, and the can was emptied into a vat of milk before going  into a holding tank. That milk was rapidly circulated through pipes and into a cooler for transport to New York City.

Meanwhile, after the can had been emptied of its milk, it was drawn into the new washer. Successive stream jets - boiling hot jets, then cold rinses - went into the can and the lid. At the end, the lid was put firmly into place and returned by conveyor belt to the farmer, who loaded it onto his truck.

And the milk that didn't pass the initial "smell test?" The lid was immediately pounded on the can and put on another conveyor belt - the reject line - and likewise returned to the farmer.

After many successful years, Hinman Farm Proucts announced that it was closing in March, 1983. At that time, there were 183 customers and there was much consternation among them. They blamed competition from the large cooperatives for the closing of the plant, and feared they would not get as much money for their milk, as well having to pay for it to be hauled long distances, while losing that personal touch.

Residents of Deansboro and the surrounding area chimed in with words of regret. "It will leave a hole in our economy," Norman Ingersoll, then-supervisor of the Town of Marshall was quoted as saying. Others mourned the fact that the closing of the plant hurt badly, due to the loss of jobs; but also the loss of a thriving industry in the heart of the village. Efforts to persuade the Hinman brothers to keep Hinman Farm Products open failed, and farmers eventually found other outlets for their milk. In 1987, the 72-foot chimney, part of the original factory, was torn down, putting an end to that chapter.

The building exists today. Part of it is occupied by Stuart Lindfield of Lindfield Transmision and Repair, and part serves as headquarters of Final Touch, operated by Rich Bennett. The Hinmans still own the property.

History of the O&W Railroad

Walking along the Town of Marshall Towpath Hike and Bike Trail, and on until Dugway Road in the Town of Kirkland - which is actually the abandoned O&W Railroad bed - is very peaceful and relaxing. One can easily imagine people from the 1800s and early 1900s looking out the windows of the passenger cars of their trains as they traveled through and seeing essentially the same sights we enjoy today.

The history of the trains going through the Town of Marshall begins, really, with the Erie Canal. Many communities along the route saw increased businesses, more opportunities for employment, and soaring property values; and other villages and towns that weren't on the Erie Canal route wanted their own canal. The Chenango Canal was opened in 1837, "from Binghamton up the valley of the Chenango River and then to the Erie Canal, via Oriskany Valley."

The Canal transformed the little settlements along its path, and they flourished. However, although the cost of building the Canal was approved by the New York State Legislature, the tolls which were charged didn't make up for what the canal was costing the State. In 1876, the state announced the closing of the Chenango Canal.

Meanwhile, in 1836, the year before navigation began on the canal, the Utica & Schenectady Railroad had started operation between those two cities, and the Syracuse & Utica Railroad had begun construction as well. Even though the canal had proved to be a boon for the communities along the trail, it was obvious to a lot of people that railroads were the wave of the future: more freight could be carried, sometimes hours and days faster than the Canal. Also, the railroad wouldn't freeze in the winter months, as the canal did, so freight and passengers could be on their way no matter the weather. The trouble was the railroad didn't run along the Chenango Valley pathway. The New York Central Railroad was formed in 1853 from the U&S railroad and the S&U railroad along the course of the Erie Canal, and the New York & Erie Railroad ran trains to Binghamton, bypassing the communities along the Chenango Canal altogether.

In 1853, the demand from towns from the Oriskany, Chenango and Sauquoit Valleys became so loud that is was resolved a railroad connecting the New York Central line with the New York & Erie line was necessary for the continued prosperity of these communities. The Utica & Binghamton Railroad was formed. They proposed to construct a railroad between Utica and Binghamton along the Chenango Valley. Now to choose a route for the new railroad.

There were three routes proposed, but the one chosen - the canal route (Sherburne-Earlville-Hamilton-Bouckville- Solsville-Oriskany Falls-Deansville-Franklin Springs-Clinton) - was deemed to be the most economical to operate because the path ran through settled areas, which presented the greatest potential for passenger and freight business.

However, once the route was determined, there was bitter disagreement between those towns and villages which were on the selected route and those that weren't. Delaying tactics were tried which were mostly unsuccessful; but, even so, construction was put off on the Utica & Binghamton railroad. Then the New York State Legislature came out with more laws which made implementing the U&B railroad impossible. So that idea came to an end, but the desire to have a railroad along the Chenango Valley corridor didn't.

Two men reignited interest in a railroad: John Butterfield of Utica; and Othniel Williams of Clinton (he once lived in Waterville). In 1862, the Utica City Railroad Company was incorporated. That was initially once to be a only streetcar system from Utica to New Hartford, but Butterfield petitioned the New York State Legislature to change to name of the Utica City Railroad to the Utica & Waterville Railroad, the first sign that the railroad would extend further south and up the Chenango Valley.

In 1866, work began on the extension from Utica to Clinton. Efforts were made to extend the line beyond Clinton. Residents of the Town of Marshall, for example, were particularly anxious the railroad be extended along the canal route. The question of bonding came up to pay for the extension: in other words, through personal subscription or higher taxes.

In the meantime, two other railroads were organized to serve the communities south of Clinton: The New York & Oswego Midland Railroad and the Utica, Chenango & Susquehanna Valley Railroad. The routes proposed were to go along the Chenango Valley to Norwich, as was the Utica & Waterville, although through different towns and villages.  This led to a battle of finding bonding for the construction of these railroads, leaving some communities conflicted over which would best suit their needs.

Most communities pinned their hopes on the Utica & Waterville Railroad. Despite its name, Waterville was never on the proposed route of the railroad, so the name was unofficially changed to Utica, Clinton & Chenango Valley railroad and ran roughly along the canal route, which was deemed "the shortest and most feasible route, the easiest to grade, the cheapest to build, and the best route for business and travel." The Utica, Clinton & Chenango Valley railroad later extended a line into Waterville. In 1868 the name was officially changed to Utica, Clinton & Binghamton Railroad. In 1872, the New York & Oswego Midland railroad took it over, and it was later operated by the Ontario and Western railroad.

On July 30, 1867, work began to extend the Utica & Waterville railroad, or the more aptly titled Utica, Clinton & Binghamton railroad, from Clinton to Deansville. 300-350 men worked on the railroad. A "turntable" was built so the locomotive could get back to Utica. Embankments were cut back and the roadbed was stabilized, and in 1868, regular service commenced. A year later, the track was enlarged to Oriskany Falls, and in later years, beyond. A trestle 1,950 feet long (called the "mile-long trestle"), going into Oriskany Falls was built, and the dirt for this came from Deansville. The fill was brought on flat cars and unloaded by having a sort of an iron plow (like a village snow plow) drawn by the engine over the cars filling in the sides; then it was leveled off by workmen. The prefabricated bents needed to support the trestle were delivered by nine boatloads down the Chenango Canal.

The site of the Deansville Depot was selected - on the south side of the road leading to Waterville, hoping for some interest from the residents of Waterville to ride to Clinton. It was the first traditional railroad board-and-batten depot built along the line of the Utica, Clinton & Binghamton Railroad (later the O&W). It is a unique structure, at 24' x 72'. The first station agent was James J. Hanchett, a prominent member of the community. The first conductor was Jack Excell, who formerly ran a stagecoach from Utica to Binghamton.

The railroad was a windfall for Deansville (later Deansboro) for many reasons, most particularly due to shipping hops and grain, and receiving the all-important coal. Its importance was highlighted when land was purchased for the new condensery, called the United States Condensed Milk Company and later the Mohawk Condensed Milk Company, near the railroad in 1902. Instead of many local farmers having to take their milk to Waterville or Clinton other places, they were able to come right to Deansboro to have it processed and shipped via railroad to New York City. The condensery also received coal to fuel its operations.

O&W Railroad through the Quarry, ca. 1910

But the railroad was also a boon to passengers, who wished quick, convenient, and comfortable travel to Clinton, Utica and all places which, before the railroad, would have taken days of difficulty to reach. The cars were clean, checked baggage service was offered, and business people and shoppers could leave and return home on the same day! Commuters who took the train from Deansboro north, including students who went to Clinton High School, paid for the sidewalk from the Depot to Route 12B, and put their initials in the cement of each slab. If one looks closely, it's possible to see an initial or two, but most have eroded with time.

Ella Ingersoll, who lived on Main Street, Deansboro for many years, and whose father-in-law Clarence Ingersoll worked as a station agent on the O&W, grew up in a farm north of Deansboro in the Town of Kirkland. The railroad bisected the farm and because of the number of trains going through in those times (1905), there were many hobos hitching rides. Mrs. Ingersoll remembered at least nine passenger and milk trains, plus freight trains. During the summer, there was a path from the tracks to the woods behind the family farm which was called the Hobo Jungle. The hobos helped themselves to whatever they needed: vegetables from gardens, eggs, milk to drink. Many thefts were blamed on the hobos.  Sometimes when a farmer needed extra hands during hop picking or haying, he would stop by the Hobo Jungle to see if anyone wanted to work. Once the railroad disappeared so did the hobos.

Many accidents occurred on the new O&W railroad involving brakemen, hobos, and others. There were also stories of collisions, animals killed while crossing the track, and derailments along the line.  Most notably, a brakeman met his demise in Deansville when he apparently slipped from the top of the train cars while attempting to apply the brakes. There was a grisly report in 1902 of the train hitting a man apparently lying on the tracks near Deansville. The engineer, Irving Clark, sounded the whistle, put on the air brake and attempted to reverse the engine with little success because he was coming down a slight grade. The victim died in the hospital from shock following the injuries he received. No blame or censure were attached to the conductor; the coroner found no cause to do so because of the conductor's actions to avoid the accident.

However, perhaps the Superintendent of the O&W railroad had that incident and others in mind when the following order was issued in 1907: "Trains must not exceed a speed of 40 miles per hour on descending grades and on curves, and must not exceed a speed of 60 miles per hour on any portion of the road."  Also, in 1910, the Marshall Town Board declared the crossing to be dangerous, served the O&W railroad with the resolution, and electric bells were installed at the crossing.

But accidents continued to happen. In 1923, a Franklin Springs man driving a truck loaded with crushed stone was injured and his truck demolished by a south bound milk train at the crossing near the condensary, prompting calls to the O&W for a watchman and a gate at all times at that crossing for the safety of motorists. In 1947, Allyn S. Earl escaped injury when the truck he was driving became stuck at the same O&W railroad crossing and was struck by a northbound freight. Mr. Earl tried to move the truck from the tracks, but when he saw it was impossible he jumped out. The rack was torn loose from the truck and thrown about 15 feet from the chassis, which was carried several feet down the tracks.  Virgil  Eastman also had a narrow, escape  from a serious if not a fatal accident.  He had been to the condensery for water and was about  to cross the railroad when the morning  local came along.  His truck was dragged for some distance and the rear was  completely  destroyed.  Mr. Eastman  escaped  with  only  a  few  bruises.

 On June 17, 1917, heavy rains caused the Oriskany Creek and all its tributaries to rise. Dams between Solsville and Deansboro were washed out. The worst trouble of all was a half mile  south of Deansboro, where the flood took out a cut about 24 feet high  and  nearly  two  miles  long. Passengers rode the train to the point of the washout, got out, and walked around the washout to get on the train to take them north or south, as was the case. Milk trains and freight trains used the lines of the Lackawanna rail road until they reached their own rails. These situations were only temporary, however; in only seven days - an amazing feat - the O&W engineers had rebuilt the railroad starting from Solsville to Deansboro, and the railroad resumed its regular service. Little by little things returned to normal.

Rebuilding the trestle

In 1922, according to the Deansboro Holler, published once in 1922, the O&W trains left Deansboro for Utica four times a day going north and three times a day going south. Trains passed the station as follows: Going north 7:45 a.m., 11:23 a.m., 8:25 pm, 5:57 p.m.; Going south 8:56 a.m., 1:53 p.m., 6:16 p.m.

However, as with the canal, the advent of another means of transporting people and freight - automobiles and trucks - caused the O&W to lose revenue, as fewer people were traveling or shipping their products by train. In 1931, passenger service from the Deansboro Depot ceased to exist, and in 1957, so did the freight service.  The O&W had gone bankrupt and in the summer of 1958, the tracks were taken up to be sold as scrap metal. But the rail bed and the depot still retained their usefulness.

Abandoned Rail Bed - looking North

Railroad Crossing - Van Hyning Road

coal sheds behind the Depot - now torn down

Allyn Earl bought the depot for his lumber and hardware business when the railroad came to an end. He added an upper window and changed the lower windows slightly. It is now owned by the Brothertown Association, Inc., who purchased it in 2000 and who are restoring it. Every Christmas, the Town of Marshall Parks and Recreation committee holds a party complete with a visit from Santa Claus in the depot, and wagon or sleigh rides down the railway.

In 1969, members of the Kirkland Bird Club hiked along the old O&W rail bed from the Dugway Road toward Deansboro, a nice walk today. Thanks to the efforts of Mike McLaren, who in 1995 obtained a grant of $5,000 through the Rural New York Grant program, administered by the Open Space Institute, the abandoned trail bed about a mile or two south of the depot is now a popular hike and bike trail, with snowmobiles and cross-country skiers in the winter, and runners and horses all year round. The Town of Marshall owns the right-of-way for the rail bed, and the trail, which goes from Route 315 by the depot until Van Hyning Road, is maintained by the Town of Marshall highway crew and by the snowmobile club, which grooms it in the winter. Barriers to keep automobiles off the trail were erected in order to provide runner, hikers and bikers with a true nature trail experience without having to be concerned about traffic. All-terrain vehicles are also banned from the trail for similar reasons, and dogs are asked to be on leashes.

In 2012, as a project to earn his Eagle Scout badge, Nicholas Scoones, a member of Troop 108, worked on improvements to the Hike and Bike Trail. He established mile markers, installed benches, and, with the help of a professor of biology, put up signs identifying the flora and fauna along the trail.  The trail has been part of what was the Towpath Run and Walk. and is now part of the Ruth Allen Memorial Run and Walk, which will be this August 13.

Many people in Deansboro miss the mournful sound of the train whistle as it passed through Deansboro. Amy Marris, who lived on Main Street, recalled her children running to see the train when they heard the whistle. Harry Goodson who lived on West Hill, remembers the sound, too, and misses it; so do a lot of people. Deansboro lost something when the railroad stopped coming through the hamlet. However, we can't lose sight of the fact we now have a hike and bike trail which is visited by local residents and people from out of town who want to enjoy nature and the out-of-doors. It is truly the jewel of our community. So whether it's called the Old Woman or Old and Weary, the O&W railroad was an important part of our history which lives on today.

For really enjoyable reading about the complete history of the O&W Railroad, read John Taibi's book Rails Along the Oriskany. It is available at the Deansboro Library and Reading Center.