The History of Cayuga County 1789-1879 page 351
Town of Aurelius / Cayuga Village

five years ago. Isaac died on the old homestead about 1838. Of his family, his widow Cynthia, in her eighty-second year, and daughter Cynthia, widow of Philemon R. Fairchild, are living on the old homestead, and Celia, now Mrs. Lewis Moore, in Michigan.

Uri Foot came from Vermont in 1818, and settled on the site of the Titus House, where he kept a tavern. Bradley Benedict, who moved from Connecticut to Onondaga county in 1796, came from the latter place in company with Richard Vernam in 1819, and settled at Cayuga, on lot 49. He died at Cayuga in 1853, aged seventy-two years.

The town officers elected (1879) are,

Supervisor--Elliott F. Tyler.
Town Clerk--Robert R. Westover.
Justices of the Peace--Halsey W. Taylor, (full term,) Edwin H. Whitney, (vacancy, 3 years,) John M. Freese, (vacancy, 2 years.)
Assessors--George B. Van Etten.
Commissioner of Highways--Hiram Titus.
Overseers of the Poor--Robert E. Lee, William Lont.
Inspectors of Election--1st District--Michael S. Goss, James M. Mullen.
Inspectors of Election--2d District--Romeyn R. Candee, William Mersereau, Jr.
Collector--Charles H. Westover.
Constables--George H. Steenbergh, David Coapman, Jacob Knorr, Romain Fisher, Charles H. Westover.

CAYUGA VILLAGE

Cayuga is situated on a beautiful eminence, which commands a magnificent and highly picturesque view of the waters and finely sloping shores of the lake whose name it bears. It lies two miles above the Outlet, at the junction of the Auburn branch of the N. Y. C. R. R. and the Cayuga Lake Shore R. R., the latter of which is leased by the Lehigh Valley R. R. Co. It is at the southern terminus of the Cayuga and Seneca Lake Canal, which connects it with the Erie Canal at Montezuma; and is connected by a daily line of steamers with Union Springs, six miles distant, Aurura, twelve miles distant, and Ithaca, at the head of the Lake, a trip which discloses some most delightful scenery. Surrounded as it is by a farming country of unusual fertility and productiveness, and being thus so easily accessible to valuable markets in all directions, it would seem to possess very superior commercial advantages. It is one of the earliest settled villages in the County, as will be seen by a glance at the preceding pages, and from a very early period possessed extraordinary mercantile and commercial advantages, from its location on the great thoroughfare of travel and emigration from the east to the west, and the seat of one of the most magnificent local enterprises of its time--the Cayuga bridge. But the want of mill sites, of which it is utterly destitute, has been a serious hindrance to its growth; and thus we find that to day its business is practically confined to the natural requirements of its immediate population. A more delightful residence one could scarcely desire.

It was incorporated December 23d, 1857, and reincorporated under the general law, February 16th, 1874. The following named officers were chosen at the first election held February 15th, 1858; F. H. Lyon, Wm. G. Wayne, John McIntosh, Henry Willard and Wm. Mersereau, Trustees; Rauson Olds, Jno. Barrett and Rensselaer Warrick, Assessors; Samuel B. Porter, Collector; David A. Kyle, Treas.; and J. W. Shank, Clerk. The present officers (1878) are, Jno. M. Freese, President; Frederick X. Youngs, Clerk; A. A. Quigley, Treasurer; and James A. Bailey, Jonathan Warrick and Wm. Mersereau, Trustees and Assessors.

It contains four churches, (Pres., Episc., M. E., and Roman Catholic,) a union school, two hotels, two general stores, three groceries, one drug store, two blacksmith shops, (kept by Patrick Hoye and James Lawler,) one wagon shop, (kept by John M. Freese, who is also President of the village, justice of the peace and police justice,) a malt-house, store-house, marl manufactory, and about 500 inhabitants.

MERCHANTS.--The first merchant was John Harris, who opened a store in 1789 and kept it till 1814. His store stood on the lot next south of the Presbyterian church, near the house now occupied by James Sutfin. He sold his stock to Elisha Hills, from Auburn, and removed to the west side of the lake. Hills kept store about ten years and sold out. Dr. Wm. Harrison opened a store about 1806, and kept it some ten years, when he returned to Whitestown, whence he came. Daniel McIntosh, a Scotchman, from Albany county, opened a store about 1800, and

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