Pioneer Times...Eunice Morse Pratt

For young people today it would be interesting I think to learn about how things were done and how people traveled in the early days... even learning about money and currency.  There was no plastic money or Western Union.  

Currency was issued by different institutions, not only the US Treasury.  In reading some of the old Morse letters of Eunice Morse Pratt and her families removal from Eaton to the west,I ran across this interesting letter that explains much about this and life in the early 1840's as well as information on her family for genealogists in the area.

"Palmyra April 13^th 1842

 

Dear Brother - I received your letter the fourth of April dated March 15 and with it the Draft for eighty-six dollars dated March 15. The Draft here was worth ten percent more than currency.  I sold it to Mr. Locthan the largest merchant in Palmyra for cash and left the money with him and get a little at a time as I want to use it.  The western Banks are a breaking so fast there is no safety in keeping one dollar.  I shall get what things I need and let the rest be until have use for it.  

You would like to know where I live.  I lived with Edwin three years then I went to the farm and stayed two years.  I liked to live there I felt as if it was my home in January I came to see Edwin I found him sick with a cold, nobody but his little boy and Gridley for company and blacks to do his work he wanted I should stay it is a good home for me.  

 Gridley goes to school here and I expect Mary here this week to go with him.  There is no school near the farm.  I expect to stay here with them some time.  Virgil, Warner, Fanny and James live on the farm.  They are a sawing and grinding and making the improvements better.  

Warner is one of the Candidates for sheriff he thinks he should get it but it will be a doubtful case.  The present sheriff and another popular man are on the ticket.  

Edwin is doing a good in land and is farming and selling wood.  He has two children Betsy and John.  The little girl lives with Lawyer Wright her uncle.  There is a great scarcity of money here all business men are crying hard times many go to work and spend less.  

Eunice had quite the life and her obituary tells us much of her story and so I include a bit of it here."

OBITUARY OF EUNICE MORSE PRATT

"Mrs. Eunice Pratt, widow of the late Dr. James Pratt and mother of

Colonel Warner Pratt, died on December 30, 1869 at the residence of her daughter, Mary Shotton, who is the wife of Judge William N. Shotton.

 

The deceased was born in Sherburn, Mass December 10, 1790 and emigrated with her father, the late Joseph Morse, Esq. to the Burchard Farm in Madison County, New York, in 1796.  Here, her father built one of the first frame houses erected in that region.  It was near the Indian trial from the Susquehanna to Stockbridge and thus at a remarkably early period in life she made an acquaintance with the red skins and began an extraordinary life of pioneer service. 

In 1802, four years before the town of Eaton was set off from Hamilton, her father moved to Eaton, which is now the seat of the family homestead and erected one of the first gristmills south of Whitestown.  Here in company with the late Ellis Morse, Esq. and her other brothers and sisters, she spent her youth, became familiar with every phase of pioneer life, its perils, its hardships and its attractions, and here supplied with such books as Dilworth’s Spelling book, Dabolls Arithmetic, the Columbian Orater and the Bible, she began her education with she concluded at the old Academy at Clinton where she graduated two years prior to its institution as Hamilton College.

 

In 1814 Eunice married to Dr. James Pratt, a brother of the father of the Hon. Daniel D. Pratt, United States Senator from Indiana and raised a numerous family.  

After his death she again, in 1836, entered upon the pioneer life and removed, with her family, to Palmyra, Missouri, making the entire distance in a wagon.  Shortly afterword a family homestead was purchased within what is now part of Knox County and she located thereon.  

She was certainly a woman of indomitable resolution and energy or at the age of 46. when a widow, she would have hesitated long ere removing from a home among friends surrounded with the refinements of civilization into a comparatively unknown section to again endure the trials, privations and hardships incident to pioneer life.  She was, as it were, a connecting link between the centuries and had, in her youth, seen the wilderness of New York transformed into a center of civilization.  

She had seen towns and cities spring up on every hand and institutions of learning, now justly celebrated through out the country, established.  In middle life she had again contributed her energy to subdue the wilderness.  She had again seen the form of the savage recede from the rushing time of civilization and once more had seen towns and cities rise phoenix like from mother earth.  Her memory was richly stored with narratives of the War of Independence and she had lived through two important conflicts through which this country has passed.  What an unusual experience was hers."

I could not have summed it up better...a true glimpse of our past and a women's role!

Chenango Canal, Eaton, Ellis Morse, and New History

Some interesting information on the Chenango Canal!

     “Dear Sir: I am waiting very impatiently for instructions from the committee whether to remain here and try to get the bill through or return home and let it take its course.”  This excerpt is from a newly discovered letter written on March 18, 1835 from Albany by Robert Henry of Eaton.

     Eaton had introduced an Act in Assembly on March 13, 1835 to make the proposed West Branch Feeder of Chenango Canal navigable to the Hamlet of Eaton.  In a letter to Ellis Morse and others from Carbondale, dated January 23, 1835, we find that Mr. William McAlprin had made an estimate of the cost involved and found that of the two routes proposed, one using “Pettis’s Pond” the other the proposed feeder, that they would be about the same both in distance and in lockage and in cost. ($20,000 for one $21,000 for the other.)

     A main factor involved with the success or failure of this plan, however, must be somehow realized, it was politics.  Though this feeder would certainly benefit the public interest (which was a main criteria in the Legislative Act), the politics that were still somewhat in power at that time and involved with the Chenango Canal (though supporters of this venture throughout) was the Anti-Masonic Party.  

The Anti-Masonic movement in New York State had gathered great political force and power, and it was well known that Ellis Morse and Eaton had remained a hot bed of loyal Masons who had remained active while other lodges and orders had closed from political and public pressure.  This canal improvement would have made it easy for Ellis Morse’s (high ranking Mason) large distillery in Eaton to get needed grain and for him to ship his product.  I believe that this is why the act was not passed!

     Eaton would latter connect to the canal via Peck’s Port and an area now referred to as “Fiddler’s Green.”  Peck’s Port in its prime had as many as four barges docked at one time.  Peck’s Port was literally the most active port on the canal because of the Town of Eaton goods and businesses.

     The Chenango Canal opened in May of 1837 with limited success which gained and waned as the years went on.  Some of the original problems included porous canal walls which had to be sealed (flooding occurred in the basements of some communities where the canal was put through its many streets because of the loose soil.) higher loses of water through lock gates that became less than tight when closing because of sediment and loose gravel and, the inability of the Canal Authority to accurately gauge the tonnage of the canal boats, since there was no weight locks on the cnal and the shipper’s figures had to be used.

     In spite of this all, before 1859 the canal ran quietly with ordinary repairs and maintenance of its bridges and tow banks.

     The 1860’s, however proved costly as extensive repairs could not be more to the dilapidated locks.  J. P. Goodsell the Resident Engineer of the Middle Division of the State Canals in his 1861 report said: “I have made a personal and thorough examination of all the locks upon this canal and find that those from the summit (Peck’s Port) North which are built of lime and sandstone of that vicinity, have retained their original proportions entire, with the exception of a few of the lower wings.

    

Morse House, NYS Historic Markers & History

The Stone Morse house dates to 1802 when it was built by Joseph and Eunice Bigelow Morse who came to Eaton (Log City) from Sherburne, Mass. in 1796. At Joseph’s death the house passed by will in 1819 to Ellis Morse his eldest son.

In 1869 Ellis Morse died leaving it to his second wife, Adaline Bagg Morse, and his children by both wives.  All the children quitclaimed to Adaline at this time. 1874 in went from Adaline Bagg Morse by will to all living children of both wives.  So Jane Morse, the daughter of Ellis and Lora Ayres Morse, the only unmarried child living, occupied the house until her death in 1908.

Then in 1923 on October 13, Adaline Morse Mott, daughter of Walter Morse, who was a son of Ellis, became sole owner as all possible heirs quitclaimed and the deed was recorded.  In December 7, 1923 by deed, Walter Webster Mott and Rowena Mott, children of Adaline Morse Mott became joint owners. In 1946 by deed, the house passed from Rowena Mott to Walter Webster Mott and his wife, Josephine Holcombe Mott. They became the owners who in 1963 also became the occupants.  The house was vacant from 1908 to 1946, and then only occupied on vacations and weekends until 1963.

Over the years the house changed from a one-story house with outside wall fireplaces to the structure we see today.  The main alterations coming in 1846, when Joseph’s oldest son, Ellis Morse, who had inherited the “home place” from his father, remodeled the house.  In a letter, owned by Mr. and Mrs. Mott, written April 29, 1846, by Adaline (Ellis’ wife) to her “Aunt Dana” in Princeton, Massachusetts, we can get a glimpse of that work.

Adeline wrote, “We are now on the eve of great changes.  Mr. Morse proposes… to make alterations on the house, to tear out chimneys and take down the battlements and finish with a cornice, remove the bedroom from the east end of the house to the west end and have folding doors between the two rooms on the south side, a piazza on the east end with four large columns…. (He) is expecting something like thirty men in less than a month from now and designs to prosecute with vigor until finished…”

They made all these changes as planned, and many more also.  The fireplaces and chimneys were removed.  A chimney was built between the northeast room (now parlor) and the southeast (now library) wall with a fireplace in the southeast room.  In it is a Franklin “set in” with a handsome mantel and hearth.  Unusual feature of the mantelpiece is a panel in the pilaster-like projection at either side of the entablature under the mantelshelf that contains a picture frame complete with glass for pictures of “latest dear departed.”  A chimney that is now used by the furnace was built from basement to roof on the west wall of the northwest rooms.  The chimneys had stovepipe holes in all rooms to accommodate the small iron stoves provided in lieu of fireplace.  Four of the little stoves still existed at the time of this survey.

Today the house remains vacant and neglected not even the lawns are clipped and vines have overgrown one of the most beautiful colonial homes in Southern Madison County. As neglected, with a large gash in the roof, is the old land office from 1802 that sold scripts for the Skaneateles Turnpike and acted as a firehouse for the main house called then a manor. The old hose reel it contained is gone like all of the past occupants.

A video of the Stone Morse House when owned by the Morse Family!

The Sylvester Finneys & Charles Grandison Finney & another NYS Marker

Today many people have little knowledge of probably one of the most important evangelists of the 1800’s, Charles Grandison Finney.  Finney was born in Conneticut, but moved with his mother and father to western New York in 1792. Finney lived a part of his youth in the Oneida County, and stayed during his earliest years in Eaton, New York with his aunt and uncle the Cyrus Finney’s. A marker for this site is on Route 26. Finney is also remembered in Hammond's History of Madison County because of his prank of putting the school master's dog in the oven where he baked bread on the side. The dog was rescued of course, and his school mates told on him. This school was located in today's Eaton Cemtery where the flag post and bench new. We are lucky enough to have an early school book handwritten by the schoolmaster on display in the Eaton Museum.  Finney remained friends with some his schoolmates that included Ellis Morse.   Charles was a bright boy who did not go to college but taught himself much, and studied law under an attorney in Adams, New York.. It is there he claimed to have had a mystical experience while walking, an experience in which he met Jesus face to face. Soon after this “spiritual awakening” he began preaching, eventually being ordained in a Presbyterian minister in 1824. Finney was so overwhelmingly good on the pulpit that his following grew and his conversions to the faith multiplied in leaps and bounds. Stories of his revivals brought request for his special form of preaching and conversion using what he termed “anxious seats”. It is estimated that he converted over 100,000 people to Christ in the mid 1850’s. Finney had a good sense of humor and dressed in gray, a different look from the all black ministers of the day, and is remembered for when he came to the Syracuse area at the request of ministers who heard him preach. Unable to accommodate them at the time of their request, he returned the following year and is credited with helping to reopen the churches to the faithful. Below a video on the Skaneateles Turnpike site at the end of it where it linked with the  Third Great Wester Turnpike (the Cherry Valley) in Monticello.

More Thank You's & the History of the Morse Stone House!

It was another busy week down here in “Old Eaton”, events take time to set up and unfortunately time to take down and end.  I thought I would give a few more thank you's although I cannot possibly thank everyone.  A special thanks to a good friend of our events Tommy Hoe…entertainment always a fun thing on a hot afternoon.  Next year we might expand on this…could be fun!

Morse House 

Thank you to the many bakers who contributed…yes many people cranked out the bake goods…Michele Kelly, Barb Keough, Cathy Nagle, Lyle and Nancy Warren, Pat Utter, Jen Caloia, Penny Caloia Mecer, Judi and Steve Goodfriend, Judy Oplinger and anyone I have forgotten….thank you!

I had a great response from the article on the Skaneateles Turnpike and the Morse land office so I dug out the American Building Survey of Historic House in America and had Barb Keough type parts of it up for you.  Then I took pictures contained in our Old Town of Eaton Museum Archives and made the video that is at the bottom of the article.  I hope you enjoy it and pass this on to everyone to help our little museum and perhaps spurn restoration of this historic landmark. Next  to that video will be a video we have done of what it looks like today in June of  2016

 Land Office

The Stone Morse house dates to 1802 when it was built by Joseph and Eunice Bigelow Morse who came to Eaton (Log City) from Sherburne, Mass. in 1796. At Joseph’s death the house passed by will in 1819 to Ellis Morse his eldest son.

In 1869 Ellis Morse died leaving it to his second wife, Adaline Bagg Morse, and his children by both wives.  All the children quitclaimed to Adaline at this time. 1874 in went from Adaline Bagg Morse by will to all living children of both wives.  So Jane Morse, the daughter of Ellis and Lora Ayres Morse, the only unmarried child living, occupied the house until her death in 1908.

Then in 1923 on October 13, Adaline Morse Mott, daughter of Walter Morse, who was a son of Ellis, became sole owner as all possible heirs quitclaimed and the deed was recorded.  In December 7, 1923 by deed, Walter Webster Mott and Rowena Mott, children of Adaline Morse Mott became joint owners. In 1946 by deed, the house passed from Rowena Mott to Walter Webster Mott and his wife, Josephine Holcombe Mott. They became the owners who in 1963 also became the occupants.  The house was vacant from 1908 to 1946, and then only occupied on vacations and weekends until 1963.

Over the years the house changed from a one-story house with outside wall fireplaces to the structure we see today.  The main alterations coming in 1846, when Joseph’s oldest son, Ellis Morse, who had inherited the “home place” from his father, remodeled the house.  In a letter, owned by Mr. and Mrs. Mott, written April 29, 1846, by Adaline (Ellis’ wife) to her “Aunt Dana” in Princeton, Massachusetts, we can get a glimpse of that work.

Adeline wrote, “We are now on the eve of great changes.  Mr. Morse proposes… to make alterations on the house, to tear out chimneys and take down the battlements and finish with a cornice, remove the bedroom from the east end of the house to the west end and have folding doors between the two rooms on the south side, a piazza on the east end with four large columns…. (He) is expecting something like thirty men in less than a month from now and designs to prosecute with vigor until finished…”

They made all these changes as planned, and many more also.  The fireplaces and chimneys were removed.  A chimney was built between the northeast room (now parlor) and the southeast (now library) wall with a fireplace in the southeast room.  In it is a Franklin “set in” with a handsome mantel and hearth.  Unusual feature of the mantelpiece is a panel in the pilaster-like projection at either side of the entablature under the mantelshelf that contains a picture frame complete with glass for pictures of “latest dear departed.”  A chimney that is now used by the furnace was built from basement to roof on the west wall of the northwest rooms.  The chimneys had stovepipe holes in all rooms to accommodate the small iron stoves provided in lieu of fireplace.  Four of the little stoves still existed at the time of this survey.

Today the house remains vacant and neglected not even the lawns are clipped and vines have overgrown one of the most beautiful colonial homes in Southern Madison County. As neglected, with a large gash in the roof, is the old land office from 1802 that sold scripts for the Skaneateles Turnpike and acted as a firehouse for the main house called then a manor. The old hose reel it contained is gone like all of the past occupants.

A video of the Stone Morse House when owned by the Morse Family!

Video of the Morse House in Eaton Today!