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41 Main Street is a small structure, but if I got my history right, its bones are made up of one of the oldest buildings that remain on Main Street! In 1860, brothers Isaac and Martin Edgcomb purchased the lot south of Cloyes and Garrison’s grocery to move their harness business there. Presumably, this is when the location first became occupied by a building, although I remain somewhat unsure given how the area is presented in maps. Sometimes it appears that the neighboring buildings must have been too close to allow for any kind of building to be put there, and other maps make itRead More →

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This portion of Main Street was for a long time a grocery, then department store, and finally an experimental mall in an attempt to draw business back from the suburban strip malls. In 1843, Isaac M. Seaman began a grocery and meat business at the spot, described as the only one of its kind in the village at the time. He then partnered with Leavitt Cudworth until 1847. The mantle was taken up by B.K. Aldrich, followed by G.N. Copeland. In 1852, David C. Cloyes bought out Mr. Copeland and continued the business until 1878. From this point, the building starts to be referred toRead More →

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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 →

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This is another location where the early history is something of a mystery, and I’m not even sure of the accuracy of what I did manage to find out. Smith’s “History of Cortland County” provides a date of about 1863 for an early structure, at which point the firm of Mills & Goodrich (dealers in hardware, stoves, and tinware) moved a frame building from the corner of Main and Court Street to the spot to serve as their new store. Smith indicates that in its old location, the building had been occupied for many years as a seminary. This would refer to Cortland’s female boardingRead More →

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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 →

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There is a collection of well-worn binders in the vault at the Cortland County Historical Society that is part of the life’s work of Lisle Cottrell. The binders mostly cover the town of Scott, but there is also information about Cincinnatus, Homer, Cottrell genealogy, and more. These handwritten documents provide great insight into the settlement of Cortland County and are just one piece of Lisle Cottrell’s legacy. Lisle Cottrell was born in Scott on July 13, 1899, to William J. Cottrell and Lizzie J. Lee. William was educated at the Homer Academy and taught at the East River School for two years before collaborating withRead More →

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Joseph Clayton Atwater was born in Scott on March 8, 1837, the second child of Joseph Atwater and Lucy Brown. He is referred to as J. Clayton in most materials referenced, though he may have been called Clayton to distinguish him from his father. For clarity, we will use Clayton when referring to him. Two Atwater brothers came to the American colonies from England in the 1600s and settled in Connecticut. One brother’s family line died out, but the other had numerous descendants, of which J. Clayton Atwater was one. Clayton’s grandfather was Joshua Atwater, who settled in Homer in the late 1790s. He wasRead More →

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This Main Street Monday also covers the history of Central Avenue! At least in part. Before the formation of Central Avenue, formerly called Railroad Street, a building stood on Main Street at what would become the street entrance. The first structure we can date there is from 1841 which is the earliest I can find a business under the auspice of J.C. Pomeroy & Co., dealing in dry goods as the “Cortland Exchange” in the “new white building one door north of Wm. Elder.” James C. Pomeroy had previously been in business with William Elder in the building next door, at the location of modern-dayRead More →

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Revolutionary War soldier Asa Bennett had two sons travel to Homer from Connecticut to settle, Deacon Asa Bennett and Reverend Alfred Bennett. Over the last two columns, we’ve learned more about some of Deacon Asa Bennett’s descendants in Homer, including Augustus H. Bennett, the father of Lester Pratt Bennett. Lester P. Bennett was born in 1870 to Augustus H. Bennett and Emma Gertrude Pratt. Lester was the second of five children born to Augustus and Emma, and he was their first son. Lester was named after his mother’s father, Lester Marcus Pratt. Lester Bennett received his education at the public schools in Homer and atRead More →

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In the last installment of “Slumbering Souls,” we learned about Dr. Lester Pratt and how he retired to Homer to live with his daughter Emma and her husband Augustus for the remainder of his life. It’s time to look at Emma and Augustus to learn more about their lives. Augustus H. Bennett was born at his father’s farm in Homer on April 14, 1840. His parents were Lorenzo Bennett and Almira Stone, and he was one of four children in their family. Lorenzo’s father was Deacon Asa Bennett who came to Homer with his brother, Reverend Alfred Bennett, from Mansfield, Connecticut. Their father, Asa Bennett,Read More →