The History of Cayuga County 1789-1879 page 379

son Asahel Cooley, and Stephen Lombard, Commissioners of Common Schools; Luther Hamilton, Ephraim Hammond, and Levi Farnsworth, Inspectors of Common Schools.

The present officers (1878) are:
Supervisor--H. E. Brannon.
Clerk--George Wyckoff.
Justices--John Robinson, Wm. R. Tryon, and David B. Post
Assessors--Geo. S. Post, Daniel P. VanLiew and Timothy Brigden
Commissioner of Highway--Aaron Bowers
Overseer of the Poor--L. S. Barker
Inspectors of Election--Geo. Crofoot, T. Perry and C. S. Pease
Collector--Howard Tryon
Constables--Vincent Adams, John Smith, Jacob R. Post and Richard Geraghaty
Game Constable--Vincent Adams
Excise Commissioner--Henry VanArsdale

FLEMING VILLAGE.

Fleming is beautifully situated upon an elevated plateau, a little south-east of the center of the town, five miles south of Auburn, and three miles west of Wyckoffs Station. It contains two churches, (Baptist and M. E.), a district school, one hotel, (of which Wm. Geer, a native of Fleming, has been proprietor since June 1st., 1878.), two stores, two wagon shops, (L. S. Baker and Romenzo Mabey, proprietors), three blacksmith shops, (Sandford Davis, G. F. & B. W. Mabey, and Charles Crawford & Son, proprietors), and a population of about 200.

The first settlement on the site of the village is believed to have been made by Josiah Chatfield, who came in from the Eastern States before 1798. The house in which he lived and died is now occupied by the widow of Hugh VanNess. HIs family have all moved from the town. A family named Tyler settled here about the same time. But settlements were made prior to this on the hill north of this, known as Grover's Hill, from the Grovers who settled there. That locality had become quite a business center, with store, hotel and post-office, before any considerable settlement was made on Fleming Hill. A sharp rivalry eisted between these two localities for the supremacy, with the chances largely in favor of the latter. But the opening of a store in 1828, on Fleming Hill, by Stephen Thornton, and the change of the post-office to that locality two years later, permanently decided the question in favor of the present village, which, though small, the business being confined to the natural requirements of the country in its immediate vicinity, has since enjoyed the distinction of being the village of the town. Possessing no natural advantages to tempt the investment of capital in manufacturing enterprises, its growth has been slow, as its contiguity to Auburn on the north and Union Springs on the west, has diverted much of the business which otherwise would naturally center here.

MERCHANTS.--The first merchants on Fleming Hill were Stephen Thornton and his son Wm. P. Thornton, who, in 1828, opened a store, which stood where Mabey's blacksmith shop now stands. They dissolved after seven or eight years, and Francis, another son of Stephen's, became his partner. About 1844, Stephen withdrew and Francis continued alone till about 1847, when Allen D. Morgan, a son-in-law of Stephen Thornton's, became associated with Francis. After three or four years Francis withdrew, and Morgan conducted the business alone about four years, when Seymour bought Francis' interest, and about 1862, sold to John Hammond and James Rheubottom, who did business two or three years and then closed out.

William P. Thornton, immediately after dissolving partnership with his father, formed a co-partnership with Isaac Hammond. They erected the brick building now occupied by H. B. Gaston and did business some five or six years, when they dissolved, Thornton removing from the town, and Hammond, to a farm in the town. Ebenezer Dunning and Harvey Beach kept a store some five or six years from 1832, in the building now occupied as a wagon shop by L. S. Baker. William Sheldon opened a store about 1836 and kept it about twelve years, when he burned out. He subsequently built the store now occupied by John Hale, but it is not remembered that he put in a stock of goods. A union store was started in 1855, by a stock company, composed mostly of farmers, with a capital of $6,000. It was continued till 1858.

The present merchants are, H. B. Gaston, who keeps a general stock. He is a native of

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