The History of Cayuga County 1789-1879 page 501
Northville

at Sherwood, where he now resides.  Samuel Milliken, who commenced practice in Brockport, came here about 1828, May 1st of which year, while a resident of Genoa he joined the County Medical Society.  Ansel Chadwick, who had been away some years, returned here in 1832, and practiced till his death, in 1867.  Philo Clark, who was born in Massachusetts February 9th, 1807, and educated at Fairfield and Geneva Medical Colleges, from the latter of which he graduated in the spring of 1834, commenced practice at Borodino in 1835, and after one year removed to Northville, where he has since practiced.  He joined the County Medical Society June 2d, 1836.  B.F. Coleman, who was born in Goshen, May 23d, 1823, and educated at the Albany Medical College and the College of Physicians and Surgeons on New York, from the latter of which he graduated in 1845, commenced practice at Northville in 1852.  He removed to Seneca County in 1870, and returned here June 3d, 1878.  Frederick A. Dudley was born in Madison, Conn., Jan. 6th, 1842, and educated at Yale Medical College where he graduated in 1862.  He commenced practice as surgeon of the 14th Connecticut Infantry, and after the war practiced about two years at Beaufort, S.C.  He removed thence in 1868 to Northville, where he has since practiced.

Though Northville is not the theater of any manufacturing industry, it has not been utterly destitute of an effort to make it such.  In 1836 some public-spirited citizens formed a stock company and built a steam flouring-mill.  Jonathan Borden was the chief stockholder and was made president.  Darius Adams was treasurer.  It was in operation several years, but did not pay, and is now used as a store-house.

The First Presbyterian Church of Genoa at Northville. We quote from a published sermon preached August 10, 1873, by Rev. J. S. Jewell, the pastor of this Church, on the occasion of its 75th anniversary.  "Quite a large proportion of the early inhabitants here were decidedly friendly to religious institutions; while many of them were professedly the disciples of Christ, and members of churches in the places from which they came. In leaving the older settlements and established churches, and coming into the wilderness, they had no idea of leaving their religion and the benefits of the gospel behind. And it would seem that in the settlement of this part of the town, the hand of God was plainly manifest, in bringing together so many of similar faith, so that they could so harmoniously join together in worshiping God."  

We have already seen that Benjamin Close commenced holding religious meetings in his house soon after the removal of his family here in the spring of 1793. These meetings were doubtless the first regularly established for public worship in the County. The devotions consisted in reading sermons, singing hymns, and prayer, and frequently partook of the nature of a Bible class, questions being asked and answered as freely as in any family or social gathering.

They were occasionally visited and encouraged by missionaries, but apparently very irregularly and not often. The earliest of these of whom we have any record is Aaron Kinne, who visited this section as early as 1793.  Others, though three or four years later, were Seth Williston, Jedediah Bushnell, Salmon King, Jacob Cram, David Avery and Ezra Woodworth, the latter of whom, it appears came in June 1798 and preached one-third of the time for five or six months. His labors seem to have prepared the way in some measure for the organization of a Church. The first meeting looking to this end was held at the house of Amos Lyon, who lived near Bell Corners, July 9, 1798. This meeting was attended by two missionaries, Rev. Ezra Woodworth, who acted as Moderator and Rev. Mr. Hillyer, who acted as clerk.  About twenty persons present presented certificates of membership from various Eastern churches. A committee consisting of John Tillotson, Silas Hutchinson, Stephen Peet, William Bradley, David Wilcox and Enoch Merryman, was appointed to acquaint the professors of religion in the town of their designs and also to draw up a confession of faith. An adjourned meeting was held at the same place, August 13, 1798, when the Church was duly organized, and a confession of faith and covenant adopted. The ministers present and assisting were Reuben Parmlee, Ezra Woodworth and Jacob Cram.

The number who then entered into Church-fellowship was sixteen--ten males and six females--eight of whom were from Connecticut, and all of whom presented letters. Their names were Stephen Peet, Stephen Webb, Amos Lyon, Solomon Knapp, Silas Hutchinson, Benjamin Close, William Corwin, David Wilcox, William Bradley, Anna Corwin, Esther Peet, Jane Strong, Elizabeth Moe, Ann Chittenden and Elizabeth Webb.

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