The History of Cayuga County 1789-1879 page 316

MERCHANTS.-James Bennett and Willard Whitney were the first merchants in the village. Bennett came in from the town of Brutus and Whitney, from Washington county. They opened a store in company about 1815 or `16, in a building erected by Cornelius Dellemater for a distillery, which stood on the south side of the old canal, about where Kendrick's old wooden building now stands. They did business some two or three years and separated. Roswell Beardsley came in from the south part of the County, about 1819, and opened a store a little south of the other. He remained till his death, doing a very nice business. Joseph E. Smith came in soon after Beardsley died and opened a store on the north side of the canal. He did not prosper, and after three or four years failed and left.

D. B. and Walter H. Smith, brothers, from Orange county, opened a store in the building previously occupied by J. E. Smith, in the fall of 1824. After four or five years of successful business they separated, the former continuing the old store, and the latter removing to one across the way, both keeping the same line of goods, which was a general stock. D. B. Smith became wealthy and continued the business till about 1858, when, on account of age and infirmity, he was succeeded by his son, John T. Smith, who still carries the business. Walter sold goods for several years, without marked success, till about 1851, when to removed to Chemung county.

Dry goods were sold in the Davis & Dickey cigar store building a short time, about 1818-`20, by Matson & Landon, and subsequently by Horace Perkins, neither of whom succeeded.

Benj. B. Drake, a native of Orange county, who had previously published a paper at Waterloo, opened a store about 1823, on the corner of Main and Rochester streets. He did not succeed, and after about two years sold out and left the town.

Nathan Marble came in from Schaghticoke, Rensselear county, in the spring of 1825, and opened a store in the building which stood on Main street, a little south of the printing office, which had been erected a few years previously for a store-house and was connected with the canal by a slip large enough to float the boats of that period. He succeeded admirably and continued the business till his death five or six years since. A Mr. Holmes, also from Rensselear county, and distantly related to Marble, came in about the same time and opened a like store on the corner of Main and Rochester streets.

Mr. Stilwell, from Oswego county, father of R. R. Stilwell, opened a dry goods about 1865, in the building now occupied by the latter, who succeeded him after about two years.

Wm. Cooper, from Mexico, Oswego county, came in the spring of 1865 and opened a stock of dry goods in the barber-shop south of this present store, into which he moved after about a year.

Chauncey Sears opened his grocery store about a year ago.

John G. Kirk opened his grocery about two years since.

Wm. Tatgenhorst, commenced the grocery business some five or six years since; and George Shottz, about three years since.

Geo. Somers is an old resident, have come to the town with his father from Vermont, as early as 1809 or `10. He was for some two years in company with R. R. Stilwell in the grocery business, and bought the latter's interest the present spring.

Oscar Kent started a grocery about three or four years since.

About 1852 or `3 a drug store was opened by Hiram Schoonmaker, from Ulster county, who remained only two or three years. Richard H. Hoff opened the present one about the beginning of the late war.

PHYSICIANS.-The first physician was Dr. Nathan Wood, who came in the fall of 1799 and located in the Ward Settlement, in the present town of Throop; but the first one in the town of Mentz as at present bounded, was Harman Van Vechton, who came in about 1817 or `18 and located in the village, where he built some time after, the house next north to the Masonic Hall.

The present physicians are Dr. Wm. S. Hoffman, who came in from Cayuga, about 1848; Hiram Eldridge, who is a native of Aurelius, and came to Mentz about 1823 or `24; and Daniel A. Force, who has lived here only a few year, is quite aged, and does not practice much. All belong to the allopathic school of medicine.

ATTORNEYS.-The first lawyer was Hiram Rathburn, who came to the village at an early day, but remained only a short time. Dennison Robinson, from Onondaga county, came about 1830, and practiced law until his death in 1856.

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