The History of Cayuga County 1789-1879 page 298
Village of Cato / Town of Montezuma

third pastor was Milton Shepard, who preached about four years and died in Ira. He was succeeded by----Robinson, who remained one year, when John Bartlett served them a second term of two years. The next pastor was Webster O. Moon, who remained two years. Dr. Allen Benton, though not ordained, supplied the pulpit about four years. G. S. Bartlett, son of John Bartlett, succeeded Benton and remained one year. A. B. Chamberlain, the present pastor, entered upon his duties in 1876. Their church was built at the time of their organization. A session room and bapistry were added in 1874, and the church was frescoed, newly cushioned and painted. The present membership is about one hundred; the attendance at Sabbath school, about fifty. Among the first members were Bradford Cook, Allen Benton, Silas Kellogg, Joseph Spoor, Amos Bartlett, Jno. Barnes, Allen Green, Kingsley Stevens, Caleb Everts, Zaccheus Barnes, Othniel Clapp and Abijah Daratt.

ST. PATRICK'S CHURCH, (R. C.,) at Cato, was organized about 1863. Martin Cusick, Cornelius and Patrick Mehan, James Murphy, John Merigan, Michael Clune and Thomas Fitzgerald were among the first members. Father Donahue is the present pastor. Their house of worship was built in 1874. The number of members is about sixty.

The M. E. CHURCH, four miles south of Cato, was organized about 1820. Amos Cowell, John Mills, Frank Hunting, and James Rhodes were among the first members. Their church edifice, which is a brick structure, was erected about 1828. Some six or seven years ago it underwent extensive repairs. A steeple was added and the whole exterior remodeled. It is a neat, substantial building. Rev. Mr. Kinney is the pastor. The membership is about fifty. Its prosperity is mainly due to the interest taken in it by Mr. Cowell.

SOCIETIES

CATO LODGE NO. 141, F. and A. M., at Cato, was organized June 11th, 1849. The charter officers were George H. Carr, Master; Pier Teller, Sr. Warden; Ansel Kimball, Jr. Warden. The present officers are Frank Rich, M.; Wm. S. Pearson, S. W.; Shepard Knowlton, J. W.; J. W. Hapeman, Secretary; A. W. Palmer, S. D.; I. L. Van Dorn, J. D.; Nelson B. Knowlton, Tiler; Wm. Sidney, S. M. C.; W. B. Priddy, J. M. C.; S. J. Chase, Treasurer. Meetings are held on the first and third Thursdays of each month, in their own hall, over the Central Hotel. The number of members is 112.

MANUFACTURES.--In the south-east corner of the town, at the iron bridge, is a saw-mill owned by John Busby and built by him in 1868. Connected with it is a cider-mill and jelly factory.

CHAPTER XXXVI.

TOWN OF MONTEZUMA

MONTEZUMA* is situated about the center of the west border of the county, and lies wholly within the angle formed by the great easterly bend of the Seneca River,+ which forms its northern and western boundary. The town of Aurelius borders it on the south, and Mentz and Throop, on the east.

The surface is moderately uneven, the hills consisting chiefly of rounded eminences or low ridges, which generally terminate abruptly toward the north and lose themselves in the surrounding highlands towards the south. The steepest declivities are in the south part. Broad intervals of low, flat alluvial lands, many of which are subject to annual inundations during the spring freshets, exist in the northern and central parts. An extensive swamp, known as the Montezuma marshes++ and "the paradise of mosquitoes," ** extends along the river. Immense quantities of flag, which grow from eight to twelve feet in length, are annually cut from these marshes and shipped to the eastern markets, where they are used for bottoming chairs and other purposes. This and the fisheries here during the season give employment to a considerable number of the inhabitants. Cattle are pastured upon these marshes, and we are told that so little exertion is required here to get such

*Named probably from the Aztec Emperors of that name, the last of whom reigned at the time of the Spanish conquest.

+The aboriginal name of this river was Tiohero, or river of rushes.

Jesuit map published in 1864.

++Aboriginal name, Squagonna.

**Geographical History of New York, 1850, J. H. Mather and L. P. Brockett, M. D.

(some of the symbols were changed by the transcriber; could not be duplicated).

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