The History of Cayuga County 1789-1879 page 270
Victory Village / Town of Victory

partnership with Simon Lathrop a short time before the latter's failure, and Fred Thompson.

In 1875, a disastrous fire occurred in the village and destroyed the four stores, the only ones then in it. They were kept by Abijah B. Hager, Harvey Harris & Ellis W. Hager, David Woodford, and Fred. Thompson.

The present merchants, in addition to H. B. Hager, are Harris & Knapp, (Harvey S. Harris and Irving H. Knapp,) who commenced business in December, 1875, both having previously resided in the town; J. D. Woodford, who bought out his father, D. S. Woodford, in the spring of 1877; J. W. Chamberlain & Co., (Celia L. Chamberlain,) the former of whom came in from Wayne county, where he lived a number of years, and commenced business May 7th, 1878; and William A. Hager, a native of Victory, who commenced business September 15th, 1876.

POSTMASTERS.--The present postmaster is Addison B. Wetherby, who has held the office since 1860, having received the appointment under the administration of President Lincoln. He was preceded by Walter H. Sayre, who held the office about eight years. Mr. Wetherby was born in this town, his father having moved in from Sennett in 1819. In 1854, he commenced the boot and shoe business, in which he is still engaged, the post-office being kept in his shoe shop.

PHYSICIANS.--The first physician in this locality was a Dr. Squires, who was settled at Meridian, in Cato. Lucius Hooker was the first resident physician, and the first one in the town. Dr. Waite was another early physician. The present physician is Charles A. Fisher, who was born in this locality and has practiced here about six years.

THE M. E. CHURCH OF VICTORY was organized in 1813, by Rev. Zenas Jones, the first pastor. Prominent among the first members were Joseph Rumsey, Daniel Griswold, James McCready, Platt Wilson, William Hamilton, John Hamilton and William Thompson. We have been unable to learn the names of the pastors of this church previous to 1844, with the exception of the first. In 1844 and '45, Revs. J. Hall and A. Robbins were the pastors of this Society; from 1845 to '46, Revs. B. Phillips, and B. Nichols; to 1847, B. Nichols; to 1852 and '53, Cyrus Phillips; to 1854, P. W. Barber; to 1855, Allen Castle and D. B. Smith; to 1858, J. Smedley; to 1859, M. Thrasher; to 1860, O. C. Lathrop; to 1861 and '62, R. L. Fraser; to 1864 and '66, S. O. Barnes; to 1867, David Stone; to 1868, R. D. Phillips; to 1871, J. De Larme; to 1873, Henry Meeker; to 1875, Orin Switzer. The present pastor, Rev. Nelson Sutton, came in the fall of 1876.

Their meetings were held in the school-house till about 1820, when the first church edifice was erected. It stood about a mile west of the village. Their present house of worship, which is located in the village, was built about 1850.

The Society numbers eighty-five members. The attendance at Sabbath school is about fifty.

THE BAPTIST CHURCH AT VICTORY was organized with fifteen members June 3d, 1818, as the Second Baptist Church in Cato, to which town Victory then belonged, and was admitted to the Cayuga Baptist Association in September of that year. The first pastor was Rev. Roswell Osburn, who was ordained subsequent to the organization, and continued his labors till 1825. The second pastor was Rev. John M. Bartlett, who entered upon the duties of his office in 1828. During the second year of his pastorate, the church enjoyed their first revival, as the fruits of which twenty-one were added to their number. This was followed in 1831 by another, as the result of which sixty-two were added to their number by baptism. The prosperity thus happily inaugurated was speedily checked by trials, from which they never entirely recovered, and which are thus referred to in their letters to the Association of 1834-5:

"For about three years past our progress has seemed retarded. Campbellism, that fell destroyer of heavenly bliss below, together with all its paralyzing effects and concomitant evils, has hung like a dark and lowering cloud about us. The love of many has waxed cold and the way of truth is evil spoken of, while the church has stood like a lamb shorn of its fleece, shivering in the northern blast." "We have been under the painful necessity of excluding some, who, to us, appear to follow the commandments of men, yet we know that our Heavenly Father is too wise to be mistaken, and too good to be unkind, therefore we submit and kiss his chastening rod and say 'Thy will be done.' "

The third pastor was Rev. John H. Dudley, who was ordained by a council convened for that purpose June 20th, 1834. In this year, the church, which had joined the Onondaga Association in 1825, again became a member of the

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