The History of Cayuga County 1789-1879 page 389
TOWN OF OWASCO/ OWASCO VILLAGE CHURCHES.

the first record of any other engagement is under date of January 21st, 1826, when an effort was made to raise funds to secure the services of Calvin Bateman for the winter.

In 1827 a request was made to the association to look into their affairs; and December 6th, 1828, by the advice of the committee appointed for this purpose, they were constituted a branch church of the church in Marcellus, with which, in that month, they united in a call to Elder Jesse B. Worden, one of their members, to preach to them once in two months, for one year.

February 9th, 1829, a meeting was held for the purpose of taking steps to build a meeting-house, which was erected that year at a cost of $1,350.

Brother Thomas Bodley supplied the pulpit in 1830, and continued till November of that year, at which time Elder C. P. Wyckoff's name appears for the first time as moderator of the meeting. At that meeting it was decided to ask the advice of the brethren in Marcellus relative to employing Elder Wyckoff, and the formation of this as a separate church. In accordance with this advice a council was convened at their place of worship, August 17th, 1831, and the Owasco Baptist Church was fellowshipped as a distinct church, with sixty-eight members, eighteen males and fifty females. Elder Blair preached the sermon, Elder Worden gave the hand of fellowship, and Elder Jeffries gave the charge to the church. In the fall of the same year, the church joined the association. Elder Wyckoff seems to have served the church till 1838, when, owing to failing health, his labors closed, and S. M. Plumb was employed for six months, commencing June 8th, 1838.

In May, 1841, Philip Lyon was employed and a council called to ordain him the following June. Elder Lyon served the church three years, and upon his removal Elder Wyckoff resumed the pastoral charge and continued to preach to them till November, 1844, "at which time," says Elder Wyckoff, "matters appeared so gloomy the church resolved to disband and unite with other churches. Some of the members yielded with great reluctance to this and continued to meet on Lord's days until January, 1845, when, upon consultation, it was resolved to rescind our vote of abandonment, and in the fear of God, resume our travel as a church. Thirty-four members, at different times, gave in their names. From January, 1845, the church enjoyed the labors of Elder Wyckoff solely, except at intervals, when the Lord sent among us occasional preachers, until April, 1848, when Elder Eddy Mason and wife united by letter, with the double view of obtaining a home and to do the little body good as the Lord should enable. Since the union of brother Mason with the church, the labor of preaching has been divided between him and Elder Wyckoff, as circumstances and duty seemed to dictate. Neither of the Elders have been invested with the pastorate, which was resigned by Elder Wyckoff in 1841, and as there was no tiara pending, nor rich benefice in question, there has been no unhallowed strife for preeminence."

In 1850, a revival was experienced, which resulted in the addition of twenty-five to their number. Elder Wyckoff soon after closed his labors with the church and removed to Weedsport. He was succeeded, after a short interval, by Elder E. Dean, as a supply, and Elders Atwater, Bennett, Maynard, Reynolds, Dimond, Warren and A. J. Lyon, the latter of whom is the present pastor. The present number of members is sixty-nine.

MANUFACTURES.--Messrs. G. & W. Bench, proprietors of the wagon shop and saw and cider-mill at the upper (State) dam on the Owasco Outlet, commenced business in 1874, in which year they bought the site they occupy of D. M. Osborne, of Auburn, and erected their buildings, the old wheelbarrow factory which formerly occupied the site, and was latterly used as a saw and cider-mill, having been destroyed by fire in the fall of 1873. They have an invested capital of about $18,000, give employment to six persons, and make about 1,200 barrels of cider per annum. Their works are operated by water drawn from the state dam, which has a fall of twelve feet.

The wool picker connected with the Auburn Woolen Co.'s Mills is located in close proximity to these works. It gives employment to one man, and draws water from the same dam.

A little north of Owasco village is a grist and saw-mill and a tile yard. The former are owned by Hamilton Perkins, and were built by him in 1852, on the site of those burned the same year, and bought by him in November, 1850, of the heirs of Ezra Cuykendall; the latter is owned by Day W. Shaver, who bought the property of Ham-

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