This Sunday and Some History on the Canals

The Old Town of Eaton Museum will be open on Fathers Day from 11am until 1pm with a special display on the Stone Morse House and the Morse founding family off Eaton, NY. The display was featured for our Old Home Day for Memorial Day. If you missed it besure and stop by. The display will be located in the new Ag Museum next door. 

We are also preparing for a new display on the Chenango Canal. The story of this canal is an interesting link into the history of the lakes and reserviors of the area that so many summer folks enjoy today. It answers the question of how and why they came to be. 

This piece of the history is on one of the many ponds and lakes that dot our beautiful Southern Madison County area, Lebanon Reservoir. Though located in today’s Town of Lebanon, the water that flowed from this reservoir made its way via feeders to Eaton’s Leland Pond and Woodman Pond areas where it was distributed to the canal. 

This Reservoir has had two names, an old one that is very historic and a new one that is known by everyone. Kingsleybrook Reservoir is one such place. Today, we know this body of water surrounded by camps and homes as a sparkling gem, where fishing, swimming, boating and camping is enjoyed, as Lebanon Reservoir. Its original name and one still used on some maps however, is Kingsleybrook Reservoir. 

\Kingsley Brook, a fast-flowing stream, provides the water to this reservoir, a reservoir that once fed the Chenango Canal. The reservoir was added after the initial start of the proposed canal to insure that there would be enough water to run the canal during dry times. The dam was contracted in the fall of 1835, and scheduled to be completed by November of the following year. During the process, it was decided to raise the proposed height by 15 feet, it was noted that this would only take a small additional part of land, but would increase the capacity of the reservoir by 80 percent.

The addition of the height was never accomplished. After a horrible freshet occurred in April of 1843, the dam was breached and was severely damaged, estimates for the repair came to over $8,000 ( a pittance in our time). The canal engineers and commissioners felt that this dam and reservoir could be dispensed with, and consequently did not repair it. 

By 1864, more water was needed to insure navigation on the canal because of leaking canal walls and decapitated locks, plus the addition of a proposed extension, so work was begun to rebuild the Kingsleybrook Reservoir. This time, the dam was raised the additional number of feet (15) and the dam was completed in 1867. The additional number of feet increased the capacity of the reservoir by over 100 percent. When the Chenango Canal no longer needed its water it became labels Lebanon Reservoir!

Memorial Day...Talks, Pies, and the Revolutionary War Veterans

Jim Monahan and his reenactors!

The Memorial Day Celebration is coming up and I decided this year we would honor the Revolutionary War Veterans who settled the area, including Smith's Valley.

One of the more interesting aspects of our area is the old historic marker that stands on River Road marking Madison Counties Early history.  One such marker lies just below the Old Town of Eaton Museum and lists the first clearing in what is now Madison County.. 1788...The Bark Hut.

If one takes the time to pick threw Mrs. Hammond's History of Madison County you will note many stories on our early founding where men forged into what was still considered" indian country" and upon arrival made a rudimentary hut to stay in. This area actually formed what was eventually a set of log homes that stretched from Lebanon to Eaton then dubbed "Log City".

Most of these men and those that came later were veteran's of the Revolutionary War and some had followed Col. William Smith to his land patent set up by Joshua Smith (not a relative) who served under him. Joshua was sent by Col. Smith to find him the best tract of land in the area...which Joshua did and where upon he built a bark hut.These actual squatters were indeed our first settlers and ironically today over two hundred years latter,  many of these families names still live on here today.

To honor these men we decided to do a talk on the Revolutionary War to open our Memorial Day Event on Wednesday, the 23rd with a lecture, Ice Cream Social with raffle baskets  and pie pre sales. This to gear us up for the Memorial Day Parade and regular "Eaton Day"Pie Sale Event.

So Mark it on your calendar and enjoy the night the ice cream and learn some local history.  Our Rain date is Thursday night!  All proceeds to benefit the Old Town of Eaton Museum.

More on the Old Madison County Home, winter and Welfare Reform

Workers starting the rebuilding of "The Home!.

This week as usual has been cold for the most part.  Winter does not read calendars...so its still winter.  The snow is still on the ground...so I thought I would continue with the story of the old "Madison County Home.

The building of the news Almshouse almost coincided with the new wave of welfare reform that swept New York State after the election of Franklin D. Roosevelt as the new Governor.  Roosevelt, elected in 1928, set to work immediately modernizing the poor laws and the rules governing public assistance in New York State.

The Superintendent of the Poor at this point in Madison County (since January 1, 1927) was Freeman MacIntyre.   The new governor signed the new Public Welfare Act into place.

The new Welfare Act came into law in April of 1929, modernizing the Madison County poor laws, which had been put into place in 1821.  This “Act” placed all the monies at the charge of the new Commissioner of Public Welfare.  Freeman McIntyre’s title had changed.

This new Welfare Act removed the terms “pauper, alms house and superintendent of the poor”.  The term Alms House that had been used for over one hundred years, was to officially become County Home.  (It is interesting to note that in Madison County documents it continued to be off and on referred to as the “Almshouse.”

Those interested in historic markers can go to the Town of Eaton Office Building and see the beautiful plaque that was removed from the Gerrit Smith Infirmary before it was sold; this bronze plaque clearly reads “Almshouse.”

From a 1931 clipping we find that the County Home and Freeman MacIntyre was placed in a number 1 classification for administration.  These times were the times of great poverty and depression in the United States, and the County Home contained over 95 occupants.  The highest number for the year was 112.  From July of the year before, there were 67 admissions and 61 discharges in addition to many “transients” that received food and shelter.

A sword of a different color….an event…a deed….and a museum!

Barbra looking sword over!

So many things to do before we open the Eaton Old Town Museum here in Eaton on Memorial Day Monday!  I have been wondering how to tie all the loose ends down with the weather as bad as it has been.  The other night it was 21 degrees …last night it warmed up to 29...whoopi doo…and the WIND!

The little documentary I was working on for the special day ground to a halt and I have had to redo in a different format…but of course that means changing it entirely as one is PC and the other is Apple…but the good news is Col. Joshua Leland’s Revolutionary War sword has arrived!

The old sword is not some glamorous shiny thing… it is a real...used sword!  The Col. was in the Revolutionary War as and Ensign under the Commission of George Washington, and the sword has been handed down to the eldest son from the Colonel’s death to today!  How cool is that.  The current owner is Richard Leland of Malta, New York, who is a friend and supporter of the museum.  Here a thank you to Fran Van Slyke for picking it up and delivering it!

Step to Col. Smith's Farm house in Smith's Valley

The Leland story actually starts with Col. William S. Smith who served under Washington and married Abigail “Nabby” Adams (President John Adams daughter) and lived in “Smith’s Valley.  Joshua purchased the property, which became Eaton from him, and the original document is framed at the Madison County Clerk’s Office.  The document on sheepskin has been preserved and has a back-story of its own.  This deed is dated July 2, 1795, and was recorded by Albert F. Devitt, Madison County clerk, July 2, 1926, just 131 years after it was dated!

But back to the “sword”.  The Col. it is said used to also help drill troops that were the early Militia here.  Most people don’t realize the local Militia’s were active at the time since the War of 1812 was pending and people were still required to form to protect and serve..the Col. died in 1816.  Of interest to me was that our wonderful Madison County Records Manager - Kevin Orr has found some information for the museum that confirms my belief that Smith famiy members lived in the Eaton side…John Adams Smith and his wife Ann are listed in deeds for Eaton, among others.

Well that all adds up to more stories and more information for the mseum…which will be opening to the public and telling its story on Monday…Memorial Day..the old fashioned way with new fangled video (I hope) and a good time for all…please come!

Here's a video on Leland & the Ponds that bear his name!