The History of Cayuga County 1789-1879 page 385

OWASCO is situated in the south-east corner of the town, eight and one-half miles south-east of Auburn, and about the same distance from Skaneateles. It contains two churches, (Reformed and Methodist Episcopal,) a very fine brick district school-house, which is a credit to the village, three stores, one hotel (not at present used as such), two blacksmith shops, kept by DeWitt Bros. and George Brokaw and Dwight Covert, and two wagon shops, kept by DeWitt Bros. and John Mathers.

MERCHANTS.--The first store was kept by James Burrows. He probably did business but a short time, as very little is known of him by the present inhabitants. Stephen Childs opened a store about 1812 or '13, in the building now occupied by Ellis Meaker, which was erected by him about that time, with the exception of some fourteen feet, which have since been added to its length. He did business till soon after the close of the war and failed. William and John Fuller came in from Kelloggsville and opened a store in the same building about 1817 or '18. John died about a year after, and about 1825 or '6, William Titus, who had carried on business some two years previous to that time, in the store now occupied by Dor Heald, which was built for a community store about 1820, but never used as such, owing to quarrels among the parties interested, became interested in the business with William Fuller, whose interest he seeems to have subsequently acquired. Titus sold about 1832 to Uriel Mosher, from Montville, who remained till about 1837, when he was succeeded by John Cuykendall and Price Baker, both natives of the town,who did business about two years.

The building erected for a community store was first occupied by Day Kellogg, soon after its completion, some four or five years. He was succeeded in April, 1828, by Dr. Abel Baker, who kept it a few years. Richard Brownell next kept it four or five years, and removed to Genoa, where he died a few years since. He was succeeded by Nelson Brown and Henry Hunsicker, who kept it till about 1838, when they dissolved, Brown taking the goods and removing with them to Moravia, where he died a few years after,and Hunsicker, the store.

John Cuykendall and Henry Thompkins, son of David Thompkins, reopened the first store, which had been closed a year or two after Cuykendall & Baker dicontinued, and did business four years. It again stood empty two or three years, with the exception of six months, when it was occupied by H.J. Sartwell, of Auburn, till John Cuykendall again opened it, and after a year admitted Seth Morgan to partnership, with whom he continued till about 1852, when it came into the hands of Bowers H. Leonard, who sold in February, 1874, to Ellis Meaker, who is still carrying on the business of general merchandising.

The second store was closed from 1838 till 1842, when Benjamin Swan, from the New England States, opened it and kept it till the spring of 1845. William H. Dunning, from Onondaga county, occupied the store soon after Swan left and continued about three years. He was succeeded by John Cuykendall and David Thompkins, the latter of whom, after three years, bought his partner's interest, and continued till the fall of 1875, having been associated six or seven years with his son, David S., who became a partner three years after Cuykendall's interest was purchased. A. J. Bowlen, from Red Creek, rented the store of Tompkins and run it a little over a year. Dor Heald, who came in from Kelloggsville in 1872, and after working two years for John Cuykendall, bought of him his stock of hardward and tinware, in the fall of 1874, and is still engaged in that business. In 1875, George H. Bissell opened a store in the hotel, which he still continues.

POSTMASTERS.--We have ben unable to determine when the post-office was established at Owasco; but Martinus Cuykendall, who held the office in 1817, was probably the first postmaster. Day Otis Kellogg, who held the office in 1825, is the next one of whom we have any account. He was succeeded by Wm. Fuller, who held it in 1831. Uriel Mosher next held the office, as early as 1836, and as late as 1842. He was succeeded by Joel R. Gore, who held the office from one to two years. Daniel Bevier held the office about two years. Daniel D. Westfall was postmaster in 1846. He was succeeded by Henry and David Thompkins, the former of whom held the office about four years, and the latter, three. John Cuykendall was appointed as early as 1854, and held it till 1860, when he was succeeded

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