The History of Cayuga County 1789-1879 page 426
Town of Scipio/Scipio Center

His store stood on the site of G. B. Peterson's store. Philip settled one mile south of the Center, at Gallups Corners, and Epaphroditus a half mile south of the Center, where Isaac Howell now lives. They died in the town. Strong was succeeded in the mercantile business by Leonard Searing; and later by John E. Beardsley, a native of Venice, and son of John Beardsley who settled in Scipio in 1808, who did business twelve to fifteen years and removed to Auburn, where he engaged in the book business. He was succeeded by a clerk of his, whose name we could not learn, who remained two or three years. John Snyder did business some ten or twelve years, till April, 1875, when he sold to Gilbert B. Peterson, from Fleming, who has since done business here. Peterson was associated as partner one year with Wirt Voorhees, whose interest he bought at the expiration of the year.

POSTMASTERS.-We have been unable to obtain a complete list of the postmasters at this place. The office was established as early as 1825, but probably not much earlier than that. James Glover was postmaster at that time. Andrew Groom was postmaster in 1831; John C. Beardsley, as early as 1836 and as late 1854; Alvin Seely, in 1857; and Daniel P. Van Liew, in 1859. John S. Snyder, the present postmaster, has held the office ten or twelve years consecutively, with the exception of a few months in 1875, when Wirt Voorhees held the office.

PHYSICIANS.-Probably the first person to dispense medicine in the town was Elder David Irish, who, though not a regular physician, made himself useful in that capacity, until Dr. Ezra Strong, came in soon after 1800 and practiced till about 1812. He joined the County Medical Society August 7th, 1806. Matthew Tallman came in about the time Strong ceased practicing and settled about a mile north of the Center. He practiced a few years and sold to Adonijah White, who joined the County Medical Society February 6th, 1812, and practiced with marked success through the epidemic, about 1815, and finally became a victim to it. Andrew Groom, who practiced with Tallman the last year of his stay, commenced practicing as early as 1814, August 4th of which year he joined the County Medical Society, and settled at the Center after Tallman's removal to Scipioville, and practiced in the town till his death, though he had previously removed from the Center. Benjamin Fordyce practiced here some twenty years, till his death a few years since. Burton Hoxie came in about 1860, and practiced till his removal to Auburn three or four years since. He was succeeded by Frank Kenyon, the present physician, who was born in Owasco, October 26th, 1844; educated at Bellevue Hospital Medical College in New York city, where he graduated march 1st, 1873, and immediately commenced practice at Scipio Center.

CHURCHES.-The town of Scipio has been largely supplied with Baptist churches. Besides the old First Church, there was a Second, a division from the First, also a Third, a North-East, a West, a United, and the present one. The old First Church is now the Venice Church. The West Church became extinct in 1816. The Second, Third and North-East Churches united in 1807, and became extinct in 1840.

THE SCIPIO BAPTIST CHURCH was constituted and united with the Cayuga Baptist Association in 1822. In their letter to the Association for that year, the names of Michael Pearsall, William Daniels and John Daniels, appear as delegates and the reported membership was fifty-six. Their first pastor was Elder Ichabod Clark, who entered upon his labors with them as a licentiate in 1823, and was ordained pastor in the latter part of 1824 or early part of 1825. He remained seven years. Their next pastor was Elder Ansel Clark, who commenced his labors with them in 1831, and was succeeded in 1833, by Elder S. Gilbert, who resigned the charge after about a year. The pulpit was supplied a part of 1834-'5, by Brother J. H. Ricketts, and a few months by Elder Jones, under whose labors they received an addition of twenty by baptism. In 1836-'7 they secured the services of Elder Bishop Ames, who labored with them as a temporary supply about seven months, and was succeeded by Elder H. J. Eddy, who resigned the charge in 1842.

A revival was commenced in the fall of 1837, and meetings were held every evening in the week during the fall, winter and spring. It resulted in the addition to their membership of eighty by baptism, and twenty-five by letter, and increased the membership to one hundred and fifty. "During the third year of Elder Eddy's pastorate, fifty-three were added to their number by baptism. Twenty-one were added to their number by baptism and eleven by letter in the

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

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