More Local History to Share while at Home....First on our Historic Markers!

Located equidistant from both Eaton Village and Hamilton, the ponds today are a vibrant part of NYS Fishing areas and are also a very early and important part of the Town of Eaton’s history. A NYS Historic Marker denoting its famous founding family, the family of Joshua Leland, today marks the site but of course, a marker cannot tell the full story.

Born in Massachusetts in 1741, “the Colonel” as he was always referred to, moved to the town of Eaton, then a part of Chenango County and a large tract of land called Hamilton. Leland settled first on English Avenue near today’s Eaton Village, but then moved to the current site of today’s Leland’s Ponds, then called Leland’s Lakes.

The Col. was a Revolutionary War Militia soldier and ventured out with family to find a new home and a fortune. Their removal to Eaton was not without troubles as when the Colonel after clearing land, went back home to get his wife and five children and their wagon got stuck in the mud at the very location they would eventually move to. The Leland’s also arrived so late in the year that they are recorded as spending their first winter in a three side hut with their animals.

An avid astronomer, hotel owner and miller, Leland was a favorite of the many Native Americans who fished the ponds and who regarded the Col. and his wife Waitstil with great esteem. The Leland Family also ran an ashery that made potash and in fact it is how the Col. died. When on a trip to Albany with this much needed commodity, Leland was killed when the barrel of potash they were carry on a wagon rolled off and fell on him as he was ascending a steep hill on the Cherry Valley Turnpike.

Leland is mentioned as Hamilton’s first Supervisor but at that time Eaton was part of Hamilton breaking off in 1795. At that time Leland became and important part of Eaton’s history and he actually owned one seventh of the landmass of Town of Eaton at one time. His heirs continued in their father’s footsteps’ becoming businessmen and the Leland family name is well remembered.

Leland’s Ponds was also the early fisheries of the Oneida Nation, and later was the site of the largest port on the Chenango Canal, Peck’s Port. Today its waters are a vacationers paradise and allow fisherman to revisit the quiet haunts of native fishermen.

For those who like cemeteries, the family cemetery lays 

near Mosher Farms, a short distance from the site of his home. Crow’s Hill, his property that he once gazed at the stars from, is today dotted with wind turbines, proving that Eaton is still a place where “history meets progress!”.

A Memorial Day Tradition in Eaton

Memorial Day Weekend is on… but the weather has not co-operated really. Many places have been too cold to plant or place flowers on graves.  

The celebrations will occur rain or shine, cold or warm…as they should, honoring those veterans who served this country.   Our little celebration in Eaton once again will honor the many men who fought in the various wars, but since Eaton is home to many Revolutionary War Veterans… some whom are buried just a short distance from our Old Town of Eaton Museum, it is always a special day.

Each year Jim Monahan and his little band of Revolutionary War volunteer cannon re-enactors honor these early settlers and veterans, men who made our Democracy now called the United States of America,

This year the ceremony will take place after 1pm above the museum near the old Gerrit Smith Building on River Road, this an old burial ground. 

The museum will be open as usual from 11 until 3 and Back Street Mary will be on hand to  tell visitors all about the soldiers who founded Eaton and the southern Madison County area… some of whom served at Lexington and Concord.

The museum is decked out with new displays for the occasion with, new information that dates the old stone structure to before 1802.

The Ice Cream Social will take place at the museum at 1 pm and… is only a skip and jump from the site, So come down to Eaton and enjoy history on this traditional “History Day”.

History Lives at the Museum & Fall Festival is on us!

This has been a very interesting week.  Sunday I had tried to get off for a walk in Syracuse when I was called back to meet someone at the museum from out of state… I agreed reluctantly, but it was meant to be...  as the gentleman had a grandfather’s or  I should say a gr. grandfather’s diary that dated to Eaton in 1801.  Also the diary had much information on Eaton and in it... was a passage about picking up a new pair of shoes from Mr. Sprague the shoemaker in Eaton. 

Harriet Sprague is in the picture in the early year given to us by
her Gr. Granddaughter  Harriet Sprague of the opening of the museum.

Well fate had intervened since the museum was William Sprague’s home and he was a shoemaker.  Yes, history presented itself.  The old 1806 or earlier building, and its business, was a tannery.  It is a house that was in the family up to almost the day we acquired it…. owned by many generations of Sprague’s who lived there including the shoemakers of the family. 

Thank you to Glenn Topliff for his visit and picture.  He has promised scans of the diary with much info on the people of Eaton at that early time.

In order to keep this museum open for such wonderful  sessions we need money so the  museum will be hosting a Fall Festival History Weekend on Saturday the 6^th of October and Sunday the 7^th.  The Old Auction Barn on Route 26 will host a Garage Sale on Saturday from 10 – 4.  The garage sale will be ”pay what you want” . 

Also there on Saturday there will be a craft/bake sale featuring many hops related products including pillows, tee shirts, table top toppers and much more.  As usual all proceeds to benefit the Old Town Museum.  As a special treat,  I will be giving a Fall History Tour of the Historic Eaton Cemetery on Saturday at 1pm.

Events on Sunday will feature Lectures on area Landmarks including one on Brown’s Free Hall with a guest speaker at 1 pm at the auction barn.  Back Street Mary will be speaking on the Morse House and more at 2 pm.  The museum will be open for extended hours on Sunday from 12 until 4 and Back Street Mary will be there from 3 until 4 pm.

This event will close out a successful Memorial Day Celebration and a series of summer  lectures. 

Though the museum will be closing for the season,  as always the Saturday before Thanksgiving Pie Sale will be on with gifts and pies and bake goods for all.