The History of Cayuga County 1789-1879 page 361
EARLY SETTLEMENTS

At this time, (1791,) there were some 600 Indians living on their reservation, who rapidly removed, however, after the sale of their reservation in 1794, except a part called "their residence reservation," a tract some two miles square, lying on the lake, a little south of Union Springs, and another tract, one mile square, lying three or four miles north-east of that village, to which their title was not relinquished till 1799. Among the last remaining in the County, were a body of about thirty Tuscaroras, who occupied the tongue of land running out into the lake, about a mile and a half south of Union Springs. Of this little band Steel Trap, whose Indian name was Kanistagia, was king, and Esther, queen. Both were kind and neighborly, and Steel Trap was a fine fellow, worthy of his name. He was poisoned by a villain who lived near him; and soon after this the queen and her little band removed west.

In the year 1794, James Crane came in from New Jersey, on foot, and settled two miles north-east of Union Springs, on the farm occupied mainly by Horace Schenck, where he died November 8, 1823. His family consisted of his wife, Abigail, and one son, Henry, who did not come to the new settlement till January 7th, 1804. Crane spent the winters with his family in New Jersey till then, making the journeys on foot. Henry came in with his mother, wife, Mary, and one child, the latter of whom, Joseph H. Crane, is now living in Union Springs, aged seventy-seven. They came with an ox team, the journey occupying seventeen days. Henry settled on his father's farm, and died there January 19th, 1844.

Jesse Davis, a young man, came in from Chester county, Pa., in 1799, and built a grist-mill that year on Yawger's Creek, about a half mile above the grist and plaster-mill of Lafayette Yawger. It was a log mill, with one run of stones. The bed stone was obtained from the Big Gully, and is now in use in L. Yawger's plaster-mill. He brought the irons for the mill from Philadelphia, and the millwrights from Chester county, Pa. After about three years he removed to another farm, and about 1805, to the farm now occupied by his son-in-law, Aaron Mersereau, where he and his wife died, the former in March, 1842, and the latter in December, 1840. George McFarland, a young man, who afterwards married a daughter of Thomas Thompson, came in with Jesse Davis. He was a millwright and was engaged in building the mill. He took up land two and one-half miles north of Union Springs, which is now included in the Backus farm, and died there in 1830.

Settlements were made in 1800 by James Carr, from Johnstown, Wm. S. Burling, from New York City, Dr. John Mosher, from White Creek, Washington county, John Earl, from Newport, R. I.; and about that time by James Barker, from Hoosick, Rensselaer county, and Gilbert Weed, from Saratoga county. Carr settled one and one-half miles south of Union Springs, on the farm now owned by John Deshong, where he died May 8th, 1839, aged seventy-four. He served as a soldier during the French and Indian, and Revolutionary wars. Only one of his children is living, viz: Deborah, widow of Eri Bennett, at Cayuga. Hartman Carr, son of James Carr, who was born in Johnstown the year previous to his father's settlement here, and lived in close proximity to the old homestead, died here September 23d, 1876. His wife survives him, aged seventy-five. Burling was a Quaker preacher. He settled in Union Springs, on the corner of Cayuga and Chapel streets. After some ten or fifteen years, he removed to Canandaigua. Mosher settled at Union Springs, where he was the first postmaster. He married here a daughter of Joel Coe, and removed about 1840 to Michigan. Earl was a brother-in-law of Burling's, and bought, in company with him, the mill property at the north spring. He removed some fifteen years after to New York.

James Barker, son of William, was interested with Messrs. Burling and Earl in the mill property, which then included both springs, the south spring not having been used for hydraulic purposes for several years after the other. They subsequently separated; Burling & Earl retaining the north spring property, and Mr. Barker, the south, or smaller spring, where he built a fulling-mill. He sold in 1816 to Philip Winegar, and took up a farm one and one-half miles south of Union Springs. He removed to Canada a short time after. Mr. Weed came in company with his sons, Lansing, Gilbert, James, John D. and Alexander, who settled in Springport, except Alexander, who settled near Fitch's Corners, in Scipio. The elder Gilbert died in the

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