Tabitha Scoville (Page 2)

In the last Slumbering Souls, we looked at Philo Miles and surmised that the ripples of his family extended far beyond his own life, but where did some of his descendants end up? Today we’ll follow one of his children and her family over the course of their lives. Philo Miles and his wife Abilena Hopkins had a total of fifteen children, one of whom was Lucy, their fifth child. Lucy married Samuel Foster Andrews, Sr., and they lived in Homer Gulf in a rather small house, about twelve by sixteen feet. Lucy was adept at weaving, as was her mother, and her large loomRead More →

Philo Miles made his way to Homer as a young married man somewhere between 1829-1831. Philo was born on March 16, 1792, to John and Rachel Miles of Connecticut, and the family moved to Eaton, New York. It was here that Philo met his future bride, Abilena Hopkins. The couple were married in 1815 and they purchased land on Lot 91 in Scott in 1829. It was in Scott where their first three children were born, in a log house built by Philo. Conflicting resources make it difficult to know just when the Miles family moved to Homer, but a deed is recorded for aRead More →

One of the names that pops up often enough at the Cortland County Historical Society is that of Ina Hurlbut Bird. Ina left behind scrapbooks containing a wealth of information as well as items which were utilized by her ancestors on the old Scott Road in the early to mid-1800s. Ina Hurlbut was born in Homer on the old Scott Road on February 13, 1870, to Leslie Lafort Hurlbut and Mary Frances Williams. Her father’s parents were children of early Homer settlers, Samuel Smith Hurlbut and Eliza DeVoe, both of whom arrived in Homer as children. Ina was proud of the fact that her greatRead More →

In 1832, Nicholas* and Abbyline Tift Starr came from Connecticut to Homer to begin a new life and foster a tradition of multigenerational community building which would ripple across our county and beyond. Five children were born to Nicholas Sr. and Abbyline: Mary Elizabeth, Nicholas Jr., Thomas (died at one month), Thomas, and Benjamin. The family farm was located on Lot 49 in Homer, just north of McGraw (then called McGrawville). In fact, the children would attend school in McGraw and the family would receive their mail in the village as well. Mary Elizabeth, Nicholas Jr., and Thomas attended the New York Central College inRead More →

People who regularly research Cortland County’s history tend to rely on an 1859 book entitled Pioneer History; or, Cortland County and the Border Wars of New York by H.C. Goodwin. This book has a fantastic amount of information about the early settlement of Cortland County by those of European descent. The author, H.C. Goodwin, had access to people who came to this area as settlers and to the first generation born here. However, just like any resource that relies heavily on oral history, it’s best to use this book as a starting point and to seek out other resources that corroborate the evidence. In theRead More →

In 1808, Josiah Bean and his wife Dolly Dearborn came to the newly formed Cortland County from Candia, New Hampshire and settled in Solon. They located to land on what is now Syrian Hill Road. When the Bean family migrated to Solon, they had seven children in tow. Son Jeremiah (child number eight) is listed as being born in Candia on September 30, 1808, so they must have arrived sometime after that. Traveling hundreds of miles over primitive roads (probably by oxcart) with many children, including their newborn, in the late fall or early winter would not have been an easy journey. Was there someRead More →

One name that comes up over and over again in Homer history resources is Dr. George W. Bradford, and for good reason—he was an important part of the lives of Homer citizens, and he deserves to be remembered. Dr. Bradford was born on May 9, 1796 in the town of Otsego. His parents were Eseck Bradford and Hulda Skinner, and George Washington Bradford was the first son in their family of ten children. George was a direct descendant of William Bradford, the second governor of the Plymouth Colony. The family lived near Cooperstown, and Bradford was a contemporary of American writer James Fenimore Cooper. InRead More →

On May 19, 1845, in the small town of Pharsalia, in nearby Chenango County, Morell M. Newton was born to Miles and Louise Crumb Newton. The Newton family had four children, and Morell would receive his education at the common schools of Pharsalia and at the Norwich Academy. Upon the completion of his education, Newton taught school in both Pitcher and Otselic for a few years, after which time he became employed at the woolen mill of George L. Crandall in Pitcher. After two years of saving his money and building his experience in the woolen goods manufacturing business, he became a partner, and theRead More →

On December 18, 1823, on a farm in Onondaga County, a son was born to Waterman Phillips and Rachel Kinney. This child was the youngest in a family of ten children, and his legacy to Homer would be one of significant importance and have a lasting impact far beyond his own lifetime. Waterman and Rachel Phillips both hailed from Connecticut, and they moved to Cortland County sometime before 1800. They initially settled near today’s Blodgett Mills, but they moved around within the county before deciding to move on to Onondaga County, where they would stay for the next 25 years. This is where George W.Read More →