The History of Cayuga County 1789-1879 page 367
TOWN OF SPRINGPORT/ UNION SPRINGS.

PRESS.--The papers published in Union Springs are

"The Cayuga Tocsin--By Royall T. Chamberlain. Five column folio. Weekly. Established Demember 25th, 1811. Removed to Auburn about a year thereafter.

"Cayuga Democrat--By William Clarke. Five column folio. Weekly. Cass campaign sheet. Established in the spring of 1848. Published a short time.

"Cayuga Telegraph--By William Clarke. Six column folio. Weekly. Established June 5th, 1848. Published about two years. Succeeded by the

"Union Springs Ledger--By William Clarke and C. C. Williams. Weekly. Established 185-. Continued only a few months.

"Christian Union--By J. B. Clarke. Four column quarto. Semi-monthly. Religious. Established January 22d, 1859. Removed to New York in October, 1859.

"Union Springs Herald--By J. B. Clarke. Six column folio. Weekly. Established October 15th, 1859. Burned out November 30th, 1861.

"Casket of Gems--Anonymous. Small Literary paper. Published a short time. Succeeded by the

"Cayuga Lake Recorder--By I. O. Crissy and T. E. Hitchcock. Seven column folio. Weekly. Established November 11th, 1859. Mr. Hitchcock withdrew in the summer of '59. Paper continued by I. O. Crissy until December 13th, 1861, at which time the editor raised a company of cavalry for Scott's 900, which he accompanied to the field.

"Cayuga Lake Herald--By B. G. Gibbs. Six column folio. Weekly. Consolidation of the Union Springs Herald and Cayuga Lake Recorder. Established December 13th, 1861. In 1862 Mr. Gibbs enlisted in the army and the paper was continued by J. B. Clarke, the proprietor.

"Cayuga Lake Herald--Continued by Emerson B. Williams in the spring of 1863. Discontinued in October following.

"Cayuga Lake Record--By John W. Stanton. Six column folio. Weekly. Established January 7th, 1864. Continued nine months.

"Central New Yorker--By H. H. DeWolf. Six column folio. Weekly. Established April, 1865. Continued nine months.

"Temperance Union--By Park & Cheal. Four column quarto. Monthly. Devoted to temperance. Established in the spring of 1866. After a few numbers were issued it was removed to Jordan and published as the Pearly Fountain, May 30th, 1866.

"Union Springs Advertiser--By James B. Hoff. Four column folio. Weekly. Established June 14th, 1866. Has since been continued by the same proprietor, and is now a seven column folio."*

MANUFACTURES--The Cayuga Plaster Company represents the most important manufacturing interest of the village. It is composed of C. T. Backus, James Fitch, R. B. Howland, B. Robinson and R. B. Robinson, and was organized January 1st, 1874, for the purpose of mining, grinding and disposing of plaster rock. Its formation unified the plaster interests which were hitherto conducted by individuals and firms. The company operate the R. B. Howland and C. T. Backus quarries and buy the product of the Yawger, Richardson, Thompson and Fitch quarries, all of which, except the last two, which are one mile to the east, are upon the shore of the lake. They also own three plaster quarries in the north-central part of the town. They lease the Howland, Robinson & Co., Backus and Fitch plaster-mills; and give employment to some fifty men in the quarries and mills about two-thirds of the year. The beds have already furnished hundreds of thousands of tons of plaster, and the supply seems to be inexhaustible. The product varies from 20,000 to 40,000 tons annually.

BANKS.--The First National Bank of Union Springs, was organized February 4th, 1864, and commenced business in April of that year, with a capital of $50,000, which was increased to $100,000, January 16th, 1865. The first directors were Daniel Yawger, William H. Chase, John C. Yawger, John J. Thomas, Albert Beardsley, William Clarke, Henry Yawger, Jr., Joseph B. Clarke and Byron Brown. The first officers were, John C. Yawger, President; Albert Beardsley, Vice-President; and Benj. Howland, Cashier. Yawger was president till January 8th, 1867, and was succeeded by C. T. Backus, who still holds the office. Beardsley was vice-president till February 22d, 1864, and was succeeded April 11th, 1864, by John J. Thomas, who held the office till January 11th, 1870, when Philip H. Yawger was elected and still retains the office. Howland resigned the cashiership February 22d, 1864, when Albert Beardsley was appointed to that office and held it till January 8th, 1867, when he was succeeded by John C. Yawger, who held it till January 11th, 1870, when Beardsley was reappointed. He resigned December 2d, 1873, and was succeeded by George W. Winegar, who held it till February 2d, 1875, when M. F. Backus, the present incumbent was appointed. The

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*Union Springs Advertiser.

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