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How can we know so little about someone who left behind so much? That is the question I often ask myself when I consider what we know about miniature portrait artist, Meriva Carpenter. Carpenter provided inspiration for local artist Molly Reagan for her “History Highlighted” series created for Cortland County Historical Society. This project is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrants Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by CNY Arts. Meriva Carpenter was born to Dr. Ruggles andRead More →

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  Discover your roots and uncover captivating tales at the Cortland County Historical Society’s Research Center. Whether you’re seeking information about your ancestors, notable figures from the region, or properties in Cortland County, our research center stands as your ultimate resource hub. Delving into the rich resources of the center, I’ve embarked on a fascinating journey into the history of the first settlers in the diverse towns of our county. From the intrepid Amos Todd to the pioneering spirits of Joseph and Rhoda Beebe, the narrative leads to the arrival of Joseph Chaplin, the trailblazing founder of his family in Virgil around 1794-5. Nestled alongRead More →

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Rhoda Beebe, her husband Joseph, and her brother Amos Todd left New Haven, CT in 1789 and settled in Windsor, NY. They left Windsor in 1791 and became the first white settlers in what is now known as Cortland County. Until then the area was a fertile hunting ground for the surrounding Haudenosaunee confederacy. One can only imagine the difficulties Rhoda faced with such a daunting move. After traveling the Tioughnioga River to an area now marked with a large stone in Homer, NY, they built a primitive structure of poles with a blanket for a door. In the winter of 1792, the men traveledRead More →

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Have you ever hit a brick wall when researching ancestors? While preparing the stories of first settlers I’ve been able to find significant information in the books of Cortland County history, family folders in the research library, maps, and online resources. The first settler in Lapeer is quite a different story! Early books report that Phinias (Primus) Grant, a black man, was the first settler in Lapeer. He settled on lot 594 in 1799. This lot was not in the original Military Tract but was part of what is called the Boston Ten Townships. One report said he was a native of Guinea and thatRead More →

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Moses Butterfield first came to Homer in 1803, bought land on Lot 47, and built a log house. He planted some corn and returned to Connecticut to ready his family for the move back to Homer. He returned in October of the same year with his (second) wife and four children by his first wife. They spent an evening with Deacon Miller and went to their land the next day. Mrs. Butterfield was discouraged to find that their new dwelling had neither a door nor a roof. Moses went to work and before long they had both floors and a roof made of logs (noRead More →

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Moses Hopkins and Jonathan Hubbard are recognized as the first settlers in what is now the town of Cortland. Amos Todd and Joseph and Rhoda Beebe were the first to settle in what would become known as Cortland County in 1791. Moses and Jonathan traveled to the area from Brimfield, MA in 1794. Jonathan’s elderly parents and 3 brothers (Soloman, James, and John) also arrived about this time. We learned that the men went to the top of what was to become known as Court House Hill and surveyed the land. Moses chose land to the west to build while Jonathan envisioned a new townRead More →

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It’s been over two months since I was at the Cortland County Historical Society researching early settlers of Cortland County. I had started looking at documents and pictures for the early history of the Town of Harford and was very excited going through picture files for the town. You never know what you will find! I’m eager to share some of the pictures and stories with you.   Bertha Blodgett called Harford the “place of hills”, Owego Hills to the north, and Richford Hills to the south. It was the last of the towns of Cortland County to be settled. Harford was organized from VirgilRead More →

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In the early history books and accounts, I’ve learned quite a bit about the men who settled Cortland County. The stories of their wives, mothers, and daughters have been, for the most part, only briefly mentioned. The story of Francis B. Carpenter’s grandparents’ journey to Homer is an example of how perilous the journey was for many women. By 1800 the pace of settlement in the Military Tract land had picked up. In June 1800 Noah Carpenter and his wife Charlotte left Pomfret, Connecticut for the 300-mile journey to Homer. They traveled with three of their sons in a heavy oxen-drawn wagon and a pairRead More →

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Adventuring Inside Cortland County Historical Society: Dr. James H. Hoose, First Principal of Cortland Normal School. Another esteemed figure in the history of Cortland County is Dr. James H. Hoose (1835-1915). Although not a native of Cortland, Dr. Hoose is known to us as the first principal of the Cortland Normal School, elected in 1869 and serving for over twenty years until differences with the school board led to his dismissal in 1891. “Cortland College: An Illustrated History” by Leonard F. Ralston provides a fantastic overview of the character of Hoose and his influence as “one of the most controversial figures in American teacher education,”Read More →