The History of Cayuga County 1789-1879 page 418
Town of Scipio/Early Settlements

left Granville, Washington county, in the fall of that year, with knapsack on his back, and after a journey of ten days arrived at Cayuga Lake, when he proceeded to lot 27, in this town, bordering on the east line of the Cayuga Reservation, near Scipioville, arriving there September 10th, 1790. He erected a log house, the first built in this section, and returned east, stopping on the way at Albany to enter his lot in the land office. He returned here the latter part of the following March with his family, all of whom are now dead. One son and two daughters lie in the grave-yard west of Scipioville; the other two sons sleep on the prairies of Illinois, where they settled with their families forty-five year ago. Mr. Watkins subsequently deeded to his son-in-law, Wm. Allen, the 150 acres now owned by Samuel Searing; to his son Henry, Jr., the 150 acres now owned by the family of Charles Searing; and to Peter Watkins, the 150 acres owned by Benj. Gould, Jr. He retained possession of the rest of the lot till his death, at the age of eighty-four, when it passed into the hands of Samuel Watkins, who died January 28th, 1855, aged seventy-five, and is now occupied by L. W. and R. B. Watkins.

Near where he built his log house was a clearing of four or five acres, surrounded by wild plum, crab apple, and other apple trees, one of which measured twelve feet in circumference and stood till within a few years, when it was blown down. This clearing, which was a little north-west of L. W. Watkins' buildings, is supposed, from the human bones and numerous Indian relics found there, to have been an Indian burying ground. These relics consist of beads, bottles, brass kettles and crosses and guns. About sixty years ago, over 700 beads, composed of glass, stone, pearl and amber, and of various forms and sizes, were disclosed by the plow, and are now in the possession of Jared E. Watkins. Mr. G. L. Watkins, a merchant of Scipioville, and grandson of Henry Watkins, has in his possession a brass Latin cross found in this locality forty years ago. It is three inches long and two inches between the extremities of the arms, and was evidently worn suspended from the neck or waist, as the upper end is perforated as if designed to receive a cord or chain. Upon one side of the upright portion of the cross is a figure of the Virgin Mary with a child in her arms; diagonally across this also, and above the arms, are the letters I. N. R. I. Upon the left arm is the inscription B. VIR. SIN., and below it, ORIGINI.; and upon the right one, PECATA., and below that the word CONCEP. On the reverse side of the upright portion is a figure of Christ crucified; over his head is the image of a dove, and under the feet the representation of a skull and cross-bones. This field has been plowed the entire eighty-seven years, with the exception of two, when it was seeded.

Gideon Allen, and possibly Ebenezer Witter, the latter of whom accompanied Roswell Franklin in his settlement at Aurora, came in the same year. Gideon Allen was a cousin of Ethan Allen, and came from Washington county. He settled a little south-west of Scipioville, where his grandson, Lemuel Allen, now lives. He afterwards bought the farm in Springport now occupied by Ethan Allen, another grandson, where he died, aged 97. Justus Allen, his son, was a prominent man in the town. In 1806, he bought the tannery built by Israel Busby, a very early settler, in 1797, and carried on the tanning and currying business a number of years. He was supervisor of the town two years. He died April 8th, 1845, aged 69, and was succeeded in the tanning business by his son Lemuel, who still continues it at the age of seventy, in the same old building. Betsey, wife of Jacob Post, is the only other grandchild living in the town. Martha Ann, wife of Lebeus Barton, living at Union Springs, is another grandchild. Busby was doubtless the first tanner in this section of country. He died March 4th, 1811, aged 51. He left two daughters, Jerusha, wife of Truman Van Tassel, of Syracuse, and Maria, who died young and single.

Ebenezer Witter* settled a half mile east of Scipio Center, near where John Akin now lives. He was a Revolutionary soldier, and took up a soldier's claim. None of his family are living. The last one, the youngest daughter, who married a man named Ames, died a few years since in Moravia.

Elisha Durkee, who also accompanied Franklin in his settlement at Aurora, came to Scipio in 1791, and settled a quarter of a mile north of

*One authority consulted says he settled a mile west of Scipio Center, where Jeremiah Simons now lives, and was succeeded on the same place by his son Ebenezer, who died there.

The information on this page was transcribed to a digital format by Roger A. Post

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