Romance Wyatt

The Last of the Brothertown Indians in the area, Romance Wyatt, who died in 1907, was described as a kindhearted gentleman who had a sense of humor, laughed often and enjoyed a good joke. But to appreciate his story, it's necessary to understand a little of the history of the Brothertowns.

Around 1774, the remnants of once-mighty tribes, reduced in numbers and driven from their homes in New England, New Jersey and Long Island, united to form a new tribe at the encouragement of the Oneida Indians, part of the "Six Nations" in New York State. The Oneidas were land-rich at that time, and deeded them land about 10 miles square around the present Town of Marshall, extending from the foot of Sanger Hill northward along the Brothertown Road, across Forge Hollow, along the east side of the Deansboro Valley and up to the Dugway at Franklin Springs.  Because so many tribes had joined together to make a family, and because they were intent on following a path of peace, they decided on the name Brothertown.  Due to the fact they had no common language, they adopted the English language. Among the tribes represented were the Pequot, Narragansett, Natnick, Mohegan and Montauk. Romance Wyatt, by all accounts, was a Montauk.

Romance Wyatt, commonly called Matt, was born in 1826 in the Town of Marshall. Here accounts of his very early life differ. Some sources tell us that at the age of 6 months his parents gave him to Cynthia Dick to raise; others state his parents died when he was 6 months of age and he was adopted; and others assert that, although he had no memory of his mother, he was seven years old when his father died. However he came to live with  Cynthia Dick of Dicksville, the fact remains that she nurtured and cared for him, making sure he attended  the Dicksville school, until he was 12 or 13 years old.

After that time, he worked for farmers in the area, but decided to travel to Green Bay, Wisconsin, where many  of his fellow tribesmen, including Cynthia Dick, had emigrated due to the increasing demand for the Brothertown land by the whites.  At one time there were around 500 members of the tribe who were said to be industrious farmers, but they could not withstand the influence of the white settlers who often got the better of them in land deals. Therefore, gradually they gave up and moved. Wyatt, however, stayed in the northwest only a few years, and came back to live in the Town of Marshall, where he went to work on the Chenango Canal which opened in 1837. He was at first a driver and then was promoted to steersman, at which position he worked for over thirty seasons.  In those days a canaller had to fight his way along the towpath and at the locks. It is said that young Wyatt never picked a fight, but when forced into one he always came out on top; when he had a black eye the other fellow had two.

Romance Wyatt, commonly called Matt Wyatt,  lived for a time in Hamilton, and it was there he got involved with the case of Jared Comstock and his wife Clarissa in 1858. Wyatt was frequently called to the home of the Comstocks to protect them from the murderous threats and attacks of their drunken son William. On the night Mr. and Mrs. Comstock were actually murdered by their son, Wyatt was unable to go to their home at their request due to a previous engagement; however, he was part of the search party who found William Comstock, the murderer, in the woods "secreted behind a log."  He visited the prisoner, who escaped being lynched on the spot, many times while he was in prison in Morrisville, and was a witness for the prosecution at the trial. An aside: William Comstock was allowed to plead guilty to manslaughter in the first degree by reason of insanity, and was sent to Auburn prison where he presumably lived out his life sentence.  He was said to have been a model prisoner.

When the Civil War broke out Wyatt traveled to Utica to enlist in Co. K, 26th Regiment, and when that company was mustered out after about six months, he re-enlisted in the 83d Infantry, part of Company K and later in Company A. He was in the first battle of Fredericksburg, where he was wounded in his left thigh, and also in the battles  of Chancellorsville and Gettysburg.  At Gettysburg he was in the thick of the fight at Little Round Top. He was shot in the right ankle, which left him with a slight limp, and on July 6, 1865, was honorably discharged with a pension of $4.  Wyatt was a great admirer of Abraham Lincoln, and while in the South he secured leave of absence long enough to come back to his home and vote for him.

In conjunction with voting, the story goes that as he entered the polling place, a man came up to Wyatt and said to him, "You know what side your bread is buttered on, don't you?" and gave him a $5.00 bill. A few minutes later another man asked the same question and gave him $1.00. Said Romance Wyatt, "Neither one of them asked me as to how I intended to vote, and I went ahead and cast my ballot as I had expected to. I had always known which side my bread was buttered on, but I had never expected to be paid merely for possessing that knowledge."

Romance Wyatt's House on Route 12B

After the war, Romance Wyatt returned to the Town of Marshall, having developed a strong attachment for this valley and  its inhabitants. He bought a house in 1866 on the road from Deansboro to Oriskany Falls (Route 12B). It is no longer there, but was directly across from where the Signal Trailer Park in Deansboro is now located.  In 1867 he  married Eunice Ann Beach, a white woman, by whom he had one daughter, Hattie.  Wyatt worked on the canal  and Mrs. Wyatt found a ready market for her spruce gum, which she sold to the nearby school children for a penny. It was made from the resin Mr. Wyatt gathered from the trees in the Nile Mile Swamp. The gum was a rather hard, brown substance with a sweetish, pungent flavor.

In 1881, Hattie Wyatt died of pneumonia at the age of 15, and a hydrangea tree was planted to mark her gravesite on the east slope of the Deansboro cemetery. Despite the considerable grief at the loss of their daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Wyatt carried on. Wyatt, when he found the time in the winter, wove baskets of white ash, and also produced and sold chair seats; and his wife, besides supplying the gum, was the creator of fancy work for the people of the village. Romance Wyatt was elected game constable in the Town of Marshall in 1877. It was hoped, an article in the Waterville Times stated, that Wyatt's fondness for fishing would encourage him to enforce the fishing and gaming laws, which he did.

Mrs. Wyatt died in 1893, and Romance Wyatt was left alone once again. Lewis Kindness, another Indian, lived with him for a while, but he eventually went west. Wyatt  always enjoyed hard cider, and during one of his "sprees" during this time, he attended a revival meeting at the Congregational (Stone) church in Oriskany Falls. He listened to the appeals of the minister, but could not make up his mind to covert until he had one last drink. He did, and told the bar tender, "This is my last drink."  He signed a pledge, which he kept faithfully to the end, not to indulge in any more "firewater." Wyatt went back to the Congregational church, became a member, and even worked for some years there as janitor. It is said that every Sunday he walked from his home in Deansboro to Oriskany Falls to attend church, and hardly ever missed a service.

Wyatt, who elected not to leave the banks of the Chenago Canal, died in 1907, sitting in a rocking chair on the front porch of his house on the Deansboro-Oriskany Falls Road. Reportedly, he had been in feeble health, so his death was not unexpected. He was buried in the Deansboro  cemetery next to his wife and daughter. Although there is a population of Brothertown Indians in Wisconsin, no more are left in this area. Hence, Romance (Matt) Wyatt is referred to as "The Last of the Brothertowns."
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Maccabee Hall

Many citizens of the Town of Marshall have fond memories of the Maccabee Hall, which was located on the west side of Route 315 approximately where The Boro is. Built in 1897 by the Knights of the Maccabees #514, it was quite a structure. It featured a steel ceiling manufactured in West Virginia and a flagstone path (a rarity in those days) installed in front.  Practically every carpenter in Deansboro was employed to work day and night at 7 1/2 center an hour. There was a stage, a balcony and plenty of room. The opening and dedication of the building in 1898 was a gala affair, marred only by "a most disagreeable storm," which meant that some of the attendees were unable to leave the building with the result that they were served breakfast in addition to a 5 pm and midnight dinner.

            The Maccabees are a fraternal society formed in 1878 in Canada, which sponsored financial aid and insurance to members and homes for the aged. At its zenith, the worldwide membership in the organization reached over 300,000; by the 1970s membership was down to about 10,000. The local Maccabee Society, which was called the Brothertown Tent, was quite active in Deansboro until about a little after the turn of the century. Electricity was installed in 1906. The Maccabees never actually owned the building, however; it was owned by a group of investors in the building which called itself  the Deansboro Hall Association. The Association rented the hall to the Maccabees and the building was used as a community center.  Prominent speakers, meetings, concerts, banquets, plays, talent shows and all kinds of celebrations were held in the Maccabee Hall. The Men's Club rented the Hall for many years, and sponsored an active Shuffleboard (Shovelboard) team.

            When the school in Deansboro burned in 1931, some classes were held in Maccabee Hall. The high school pupils  occupied the main part of the Hall with Prof. A. J. Smith and Miss Kathryn Cornell as teachers until the new school was ready for occupancy in 1932. However, Mrs. Powell, former historian of the Town of Marshall related that the furnace in the Hall was very old and put all sorts of noxious gases in the building which built up over the course of the day, so nobody was kept in after school much in those days. Movies were held there, but the eels from Oriskany Creek used to get around the water wheel which generated the electricity. The movie would come to a stop and someone would have to go out to remove the eel.  Esther Skerritt Sander accompanied the silent movies on the piano.

            Plays were put on for the public. Clifford Small, whose father was a charter member of the Maccabees, remembered Chautauqua performances in which five plays were presented in a season for $2.00 a season ticket. In 1945, Benjamin Smith temporarily moved his barber shop to the Maccabee Hall from the business block which was torn down by Claude Hinman in order to build the brick building which stands at the corner of Routes 315 and 12B today. Balls and dances were held in the Maccabee Hall to the music of Brownie Moyer's orchestra; I remember square dancing there in the 1950s and 1960s. Some have recalled dance lessons, Girl Scout and  Boy Scout meetings, and participating in a talent show. Basketball games were played in the Hall. Voting was held there, and town business was conducted. The firemen held their first ham dinner there.

            One special occasion was in September, 1946 when a public dinner was held to honor the returning veterans from World War Two, co-chaired by Gardener Hart and Frank Seelow.  90 people attended the steak dinner with all the trimmings and sang  patriotic songs.  Three years later, in the year 1949 the Barton Hose Company bought the Maccabee Hall, which later became a burden to the firemen, so they sold it to the Town of Marshall in 1956. In 1959, the town was looking to sell it, according to a Waterville Times article, so the hall, although still used for community functions, began to deteriorate. But who can forget ice skating on the rink which was maintained in the parking lot  next to the hall?

            In the 1970s, the structure that was originally Maccabee Hall was turned into a night spot, first called Peter's Little Cellar, operated by Jim Harrison and Peter Zuccaro; and lastly it was known as JR's Tavern. The building was then owned by A.R. D'Agostino of Clinton and operated by James Clements and Ronald Haskins of Oriskany Falls. The Bicentennial Ball was held there in 1976.

            In February 1981, an explosion sparked a fire which destroyed the tavern - and the hall. When the firemen arrived at the scene the fire was fully involved and there was no saving the building. There ends the story of an 84-year-old building that was The Place to Be for much of its history.

Play at Maccabee Hall

Maccabee Hall in the 1960s

Deansboro Band

In May, 1927, a group of enthusiastic and enterprising musicians met in the Deansboro Garage for the purpose of organizing what they called the Deansboro Community Band. This energetic group, consisting of young men from all over the Town of Marshall, treated the residents of Deansboro to a concert every Tuesday. Harry Goodson remembers that these concerts, for the most part, were performed on the back of a flatbed truck in front of the general store and were called Open Air concerts. Soft drinks, hot dogs, and ice cream were sold; and Art Sanders' grandmother popped a lot of popcorn which Art sold for a nickel a bag. On a good night, he made as much as $5.00!. People either stood around, listened and applauded; or sat in their cars and honked their horns with appreciation after each number

Concerts were also held on the front lawns of many homeowners. Eleanor Dawes met her husband Bob at an open air concert in front of the Dean Homestead. He was from Clinton, so you see the band had a wide audience. They also held concerts in the Maccabee Hall, in Oriskany Falls, in the village park in Clinton, for the Paris Hill Fair and the Vernon Fair, and Waterville. The band also furnished music on past Memorial Days.

Of course, this was not the first band out of Deansboro: there is evidence there was a band as early as 1898, but nothing much can be found out about this. The later band had at least two directors: Harry M. Williams of Utica; and John Albrecht, formerly with the famous Sousa band, also of Utica. In addition, there were bylaws and officers: president, R.E. Thayer; vice president, Peter Klotzbach; secretary, O.E. Buckingham; treasurer Walter Steinmann; manager I. Weaver; librarian Raymond Thayer. At its inception, the band had 21 members, rising to 30 over the years. The picture below shows the band, but the date is unknown. Since it went from 1927 until 1941 (the last instance I could find of the Deansboro Band), most likely the personnel changed from year to year. Donald Bennett was a frequent soloist.

The concert usually consisted of a mix of classical music and favorites of the time. An example of the music offered by the Deansboro band was detailed in a Utica Daily Press article from 1931. The program included the following selections: "Cruiser Omaha (a march) by King; Stilly Night by Huff; "Empyream" by Hayes; "Sunset Limited" by Holmes; "Over the Stars" by King; "Golden Book  Medley" by Kroyman; "Under the Double Eagle" by Wagner; "I'm Happy When You're Happy"; "Officer of the Day"; and "America," which concluded every concert.

The Deansboro Band also sponsored field days. The first was in 1929, which drew more than 2000 people to the hamlet. There was a parade in the morning with floats, decorated bicycles and decorated cars, a ball game in the afternoon, and a dance at Maccabee Hall in the evening. Subsequent field days were just as popular, including more attractions such as a time race, a hill climb, horseshoe tournaments, and a boxing match but always ending with dancing. To express their appreciation to the many neighboring villages which supported the field days, the band performed concerts in those villages which were well received, the band being referred to as "wide awake," "a pleasure to listen to," "delightful," and with "excellent musicianship."

UPDATE: As a famous broadcaster used to say, "This is the rest of the story."  Dorothy McConnell has provided me with the following transcript of her interview with Art Sanders regarding the Deansboro Band:

"With the ending of World War I, many communities began organizing special monthly parades of returning soldiers with floats and marching  bands. Later, by saving the parades, floats, and marching for big holidays, the band developed the idea of a semi-permanent concert, usually on a Friday or Saturday evening. In the early 1920s Deansboro's musicians gathered on the steps of Pete Klotzbach's meat market and Ben's Smith barber shop to play a few rousing marches on Friday evenings - heavy on the drums. Soon, cars full of parents and children started parking along the roads;  and at the end of each piece, there would be applause and the honking of horns.

I think Don Williams made the first wooden platform in sections, and the saw horses to support it. The location was moved across the road, to the small grassy area just outside the big iron fence around the Hovey place on the corner (the Dean Homestead), in front of the big chestnut tree. Flood lights were provided with power from the Deansboro Hotel. Don later made a larger folding band stand with wheels so it could be moved, and it was stored in the horse sheds behind the Methodist Church." (Note: a 1936 article in the Utica Observer-Dispatch mentions that "members  of the band will occupy a portable platform aboard a motor truck."  Could Mr. Williams have made that as well?)

"For many years, Deansboro owned Friday evening and these band concerts brought together lots of people. It was a two-hour event, with the presentation of returning soldiers, news of sick or injured neighbors, something introductions of instrumental soloists or singers, and ads for local business who underwrote the expenses of the concerts. Earlier, hand held megaphones were used until someone donated an electric amplifier. Talented band leaders probably enjoyed the challenge of working with musicians who enjoyed playing together but had no time for rehearsals."

Perhaps this band was the precursor to the organized 1927 band?

Dorothy adds: The committee for the 1931 band concert was: General Committee: Peter Klotzbach, Ralph Moore, Roy McMullen, and Clark Shaver. Parade Committee: Clarence Bunt, Charles Pierce and Art Pughe. Hill Climb (for cars!): Del Pamiter, Gardner Hart, Hardie Sanders. Baseball: Jay Davis, C.F. Ingersoll.

Many thanks to Bill Kennard for the Deansboro Band memorabilia and memories!

Left to right rear: Walter Bennett, Unknown, Charles Pierce, Dr. Lynn McConnell, Unknown, Donald Bennett, Warren Nelson, Jay Davis, Douglas Weaver, DeForest Ingersoll.
Left to right front: Unknown, Charles Seals, Unknown, Art Pughe, Bill Grannis. Carl Anyan, Unknown, Bill Niles, Unknown, Harry Williams, Director

Deansboro Library

Early on, a 500-book Library was housed in the Deansboro High School on West Hill Road, now the home of the Ruias. It was called the John C. Dean Library. The school, and the library, burned in 1931.

In 1932, the Waterville Public Library formed branch libraries in Deansboro and Stockwell. The rules, established by the State Department of Education, stated that "each community (should) form a small local committee, choosing one member to act as 'librarian' in a...private home. No payment of rent is allowed, book shelves and cases must be donated, and there is no salary." The library in Deansboro was located in Daisy Pughe's living room on Main Street.  Eleanor Dawes remembers going there to borrow books. One of the Waterville school teachers, Marion Shaver Dixon, used to bring books from the Waterville Library to the Deansboro Library.

In 1949, Eloise and Floyd Harrington (later, following the death of Mr. Harrington, Eloise Beerhalter) of the Dean Homestead offered the use of the annex of their home, which was the office of a former owner, William Hovey, who kept his records there. Eleanor Dawes was one of the first librarians, followed by Marion Pughe, Laura Eisenhut, and  Jeanette Kennard.  Lynda Harrington Williams was the first paid librarian in 1961. Ellen MacLeod took over in 1962, working summers and school vacations, with Ann MacLeod as her substitute.

In 1965, the Mid-York Library service, which was chartered in 1960, urged Waterville to join the service. Strong pressure was put on the Waterville Library Board, and it was decided to become a member. Deansboro needed to expand, however, and the Water Board offered the use of the second floor of their building (the post office was on the first floor, which used to house the Barton Hose Company). Many volunteers helped to paint, paper and get the upstairs room ready for opening. The Cub Scouts were organized to help.  An oak table from Hattie Patterson was loaned as a study table, and six chairs came from the Waterville school. Art Sanders cut off the legs of a round table to make a table for the children. Small chairs were obtained, a rocking chair was given and drapes from Maccabee Hall were donated.  Mid-York Library offered books for loan, and all was ready for a reception to celebrate the opening in July, 1965. That year also saw a 20% increase in circulation.

Ann MacLeod took over full time in 1966. In 1976 she moved to Clinton, and Joanne Bolan became librarian until she went to work full time. Ann came back in 1977 and worked until 1980.

The Library was moved when the former Deansboro Grade School (later WCS kindergarten) was sold to the Town of Marshall for $1.00 in the fall of 1975, and the building became the Town Hall. In 1980, Florence Oser from Knoxboro succeeded Ann MacLeod,  assisted by Janet Dangler. Florence retired in 1988, and was succeeded in 1989 by Fern Biederman, assisted by Chris Johnson. Fern also retired, and in 1992, Bonnie Lewis, assisted by Sharon Bennett, became the library director. Bonnie also had as an assistant Pat Shay, who succeeded her in 1997.

In 1996, the Town Hall, including the library, underwent extensive renovations, and library was closed from August to November. New shelving was put up, new windows and carpeting were installed, and an expanded children's room was implemented.  An open house was held in January, 1997.

Jacque Roys was librarian briefly in 2006; then Pat Shay took over with Anna Falin as her assistant.  When Pat moved, Margie Wilson, from the Waterville Public Library, and Anna were fixtures there. We can't forget Mary Ann Ford and Nancy Cali, who were always there: volunteers extraordinaire. There was a busy Friends of the Library group who instigated the Election Day Book Sale, with raffle baskets to benefit the library. The Book Sale and raffle go on, with a bake sale added.

In 2009, the Waterville Library Trustees held a public meeting at the Marshall Town Hall to discuss the future of the Deansboro branch and bring to the public's attention the problem that circulation in Deansboro was way down. They gave Deansboro a year to bring it up; that didn't happen, and in August, 2010, the Trustees voted to close the branch.

However, a group of dedicated volunteers, realizing that a library is an integral part of any community, resolved to keep the library going, so the library was not closed at all during that time. The Library is called the Deansboro Library and Reading Center, and is staffed entirely by volunteers. They are, from 2010 to present:

Sharon Bennett        Ann Koester                                   The library hours are:

Fern Biederman       Gloria Lollman                               Monday-6-8

Gail Blau                  Anna Rae Martin                           Tuesday-2-4

Joanne Bolan            Cassandra Martin                          Wednesday-1-3

Janet Dangler            Alice Yoxall                                 Thursday-9:30-11:30

Lori Dunn                                                                        Friday-9:30-11:30 & 2-4

Rose Evans

Anna Falin

Dave Georgius

Betty Hughes

Ann MacLeod, librarian in 1973, at the drop box of the Deansboro Library

From fifth and sixth grade classroom...

...to a library (1996)

 Every year the library holds and Book Fair at Barns and Noble, and a percentage of that day's sales goes to the Deansboro Library and Reading Center, after a certain amount is reached.  That enables the library to furnish books upon request. Many times there is a best-seller on the shelves in Deansboro that may be on hold at other libraries. Customer service is available at all libraries, but is unique in Deansboro.

Schools in the Town of Marshall

The first school in the Town of Marshall goes back to around 1796, established by the Brothertown Indians. It was approximately where the Boro is now located. Another school was in the center of Dicksville, built by Asa Dick and used as a school and a church, where Amy Marris lives. At this school, according to Ken McConnell, former Town of Marshall Historian, "pupils paid tuition of one quarter cord or good hard wood two feet long, or the cash equivalent." He relates that there was the construction of a fence "to keep the cows out of the play ground."  Other schools were at McConnell's Corners, Moore's Corners, Hanover and Forge Hollow. Altogether, there were 11 school districts in the Town.

In the early 1800s, the Knob Academy, which was located on the hill south of the Depot and the Marshall Towpath on the west side of Route 315, was built. It was torn down in 1906. In the 1840s, the West Hill Academy was established on land deeded from John Dean to the trustees of the new school which featured two years of high school. After that, the Deansboro Union Free High School was built on West Hill Road (then known as School Street) where the Ruia's now live. This school went up to the eighth grade; then the pupils were sent to Clinton High School to finish out their education and were transported there at their parents' expense.

The Deansboro Union Free High School burned in 1931, and then came the big question: should the school be re-built; or should Deansboro merge with Clinton or with Waterville? Many public meetings were held to examine the pros and cons of each proposal. Continuing as a separate unit was not considered. The Clinton Central School Board of Education was approached seeking an offer to become part of the Clinton School District. This measure was applauded by some residents of Deansboro, especially those whose children who attended the Clinton schools. The Waterville Board of Education, however, had offered to erect a school in Deansboro at their own expense, accepting the additional cost of part of the deal. The Clinton School District were reluctant at first to construct a new building in Deansboro at Clinton taxpayer expense, but when they were informed of Waterville's offer they made a similar one: agreeing to take Deansboro into their local central district and to build a school there at the same tax rate charged throughout the district.

However, given the fact that many individuals influential in the Deansboro school affairs had business interests in Waterville, the informal vote in April 1931 was 108 in favor of uniting with Waterville, 25 wishing to join Clinton, and 11 undecided. A formal vote followed, with the result of 125 for joining with Waterville and 17 against. The next question was where the new school should be located, and the Miller site on the west side of Route 12B (where the present Town Hall is located) was selected. Work on the new school started in April 1932 for a three-classroom building for students from Grades 1-6, including a cafeteria and auditorium with a stage, to be called the Deansboro Grade School. Pupils for the upper grades were transported by bus to Waterville.

The contractors hoped the new school would be ready for September 1932, but classes there didn't actually begin until March of 1933. All the small area schools were closed, and the children were transported to school in either Deansboro or Waterville, whichever was closer. What is now the meeting room in the Town Hall was the First and Second grade classroom; the offices of the Town officials used to be the third and fourth grade rooms; and the present main library room housed the fifth and six grades. What is now the children's room of the library was called the principal's office, and a cot for sick children was there as well as a small library. Once a week a music teacher and a gym teacher travelled from Waterville. Lunches were prepared and served by Mrs. Rexford Johnson (helped by enthusiastic fifth and sixth grade students) on the stage at school. There was a very strong, active PTA. Sadly, the last class graduated from the Deansboro Grade School in 1966. It was then used as a kindergarten and the grade 1-6 children were bussed to Waterville until 1970. In 1975, the Town of Marshall purchased the school for $1.00 and moved the Town Offices there. Then everybody from kindergarten to grade 12 went to Waterville. Reorganization plan for combining the Brookfield, Madison, Oriskany Falls and Waterville school districts into one combined district was discussed in 1969 but, aside from Oriskany Falls joining the Waterville Central School District, that didn't happen.

It's fun to imagine how different everything would be if the vote in 1931 had gone the other way!

Following are some of the schools that were in the Town of Marshall. Many are not there anymore, and many more were turned into attractive homes.

Deansboro Grade School 1932-1966

Deansboro High School on West Hill Road (then School Street) burned 1931

Dicksville School corner Burnham Road and Rt. 315

School District #8 Gridley Page and Shanley Road

District #9 Cobblestone School House corner Bogan Rd. and Rt. 315

District #6  Hanover

Hop Extract Works

The Hop Extract Works, built in 1879 by James R. Whiting, were located about one mile outside of Waterville on the way to Deansboro, where the Suburban Propane bulk tanks and storage buildings are located. It was at what was called "Factory Village," on Mill Street (Buell Ave.)

At first, the works were in a small wooden building with three extractors. However, the demand for the product was so great that by 1881 plans were underway for expansion, which included a three-story brick factory 33x75, a hop pit of corrugated iron, 30x73 feet for the reception of the waste hops after the extract has been removed, a 35x70 foot warehouse for the storage of hops, an engine house, which will contains two 60-horse power boilers (later 100-horsepower boilers were added), a workshop, a fire-proof structure to store the hops, and an office. In 1882, apparatus was installed for making electric light into the extensive works. In 1887, a large blast blower was placed to carry the waste hops through a tube from the damping place to the boiler room, where they are used for fuel. Conservation at its finest!

Local farmers brought their hops in large horse-drawn wagons; or, if the weather was adverse, hops were imported from England, Ireland and South America, and shipped from as far as Oregon and California by freight train. The hops were placed in large brass vats tightly closed, and  through a process of hot water and cooling, the lupulin (the active ingredient in hops) was extracted.  "It was almost like steeping tea," commented Celia Roberts Jones, who was born in 1893 and whose father was a bookkeeper there. The extract was preferred by the brewers because the extraction process ensured that the best part of the hops was preserved; and one pound of hop extract equaled to about  two and one-half pounds of hops, a plus for shipping. An 1886 article in the Waterville Times proclaims, "Lest anyone should question whether this hop extract is mixed or in any way a substitute for the hop, we will add that for many years they have made, and still make, a standing offer of $1000 for an ounce of anything but the pure hop found in any quantity from their works."

Celia Roberts Jones, mentioned above, added the following anecdote: one officer of the plant, experimenting with the extract liquid, added confectioner's sugar and boiled it down to cake form, something like fudge. This solid product was made for "medicinal purposes".

At its heyday, the plant converted about 150 bales of hops per day into about 2000 pounds of extract, and was running day and night to keep up with the demand, with two men relieving each other every twelve hours. There were about 15 men working each shift. Working at the hop works was dangerous business: one man, lost some fingers while removing a belt; another had his hair and face burned in a gas explosion.  

In 1897, the engine house (where the boilers were) caught fire. Fortunately, the building was brick with a tin roof and located quite a distance from the works. Had it  caught in the main factory building the damage would have been enormous. Gasoline was used in the work of extracting hops, and a new supply had just been placed in storage. However, it was confined to the one building, easily controlled and put out. The origin of the fire remained a mystery. Arson was suspected; and a pile of hop residue was found in front of the boilers: possibly the fire started there, However it occurred, the plant was closed for while for repairs but then started up again as busy as ever. 

After a time, however, the plant closed, a victim of the low prices of hops, around 1902, although there was still enough product stored to meet demand. Some talk was made about using the plant to extract rubber. But in 1935 the brick building was razed, and in 1937 the 70-foot brick chimney was demolished by the State Highway Department, using 92 sticks of dynamite. The plant was the only hop extract works in the world at that time.   

Forge Hollow

Forge Hollow was another once-thriving, prosperous community in the Town of Marshall. The first white settler (according to the 1860 Gazetteer) was David Barton in 1792. He first settled in land on the Brothertown Patent (on West Hill on the Bishopp farm) and was obliged to move). Forge Hollow was notable for its forges - hence the name. It used ore from Clinton and later scrap iron to turn into farm tools. The first forge was built in 1801 by Daniel Hanchett, John Winslow, Thomas Winslow and Ward White. It was located a short distance down the stream from the caves and was known as the upper forge.  In 1808, Hanchett went into partnership with Skinner. The last forge man and blacksmith was Yemmans Phinney. Hunkerford & Daniels operated what was called the lower forge. As a side note, the curve on Route 315 going in known as Daniel's Nose. Forge Hollow was also known for its grist mills and saw mills; near the old stone school house was the Mowery Tefft sawmill, and further upstream was the grist mill, operated by Isaac Jones. There was a blast furnace, originated by Andrew S. Pond and later operated by Billy Titus.  Forge Hollow also boasted a Universalist church, a furniture store, run by M.L. Lyman, at least two hotels or public houses, shop and a school. Willona Creek (or Big Creek or the West Branch of the Oriskany Creek) provided water for the grist mills and sawmills. A plank road extended from Waterville through Forge Hollow to Deansboro, later replaced by a hard macadam road. Yes, Forge Hollow was a important, busy place, where Town business was conducted in either Donohue's Hotel or the Ryan Building, and was bustling until the Chenango Canal was opened in 1837, followed by the railroad in 1867.  Even though Forge Hollow has declined - the forges and mills are gone - it is still celebrated for the cave-pocked limestone cliffs over which a spring bubbles to a pool below. In fact, one of the largest caves in Central New York can be found on the highway near Forge Hollow. In the same area, plenty of horsebone rock can be found.  In 1885, a scorpion fossil was found in the caves, and appeared in a exhibit in the American Museum of Natural History. This fossil is associated with the fossil Eurypterid, the oldest fossil in New York State. Today, one can see bicyclists stopping by for a cool drink, or people filling water jugs with the spring water from the "hollow." In the wintertime, water drips down the fact of the cliff, forming huge icicles.

NOTES:  The annual Senior's Night Out was October 22, and it was well attended with good food and good company. Bingo was on the schedule following the meeting and the following won prizes: Paul Cornelius, Mabel and Mike Silliman, Nelson Blau, Bob Dangler, Joyce and John Ingraham, Charlie Angier, and Debbie and Ron Steinmann.

Also well attended was the Congregational UCC's Harvest Dinner October 24. Congratulations to Dana Schliffit of Earlville, who won the quilt made by members of the Women's Fellowship.

The Oneida County Health Department has determined that the water from the spring in Forge Hollow is contaminated and unsafe to drink. Ironic, since so many partake of the water.

The Marshall Historical Society is planning to publish a book detailing all businesses in the Town of Marshall, both past and present. If you received a notice about your business, please return it so work can start on the project.