Town Historian
  Celestine Garvin
  PO Box 355
  Orwell, NY 13426
phone: 315-298-4347
 
 

10/02New Link: I have recently started a rootsweb freepage of Central New York Families. Included on that page is a descendants chart of the Mead Family of Orwell and Boylston areas of Oswego County.  This is all documented research (years of research). 
Thank you, Sheila Hoffman
 http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~cnyfamilies/mead.html
 

ORWELL-----was formed from Richland, Feb 28, 1817, and Boylston was taken off in 1828.  A part of Richland was annexed March 27, 1844.  It is an interior town, lying N.E. of the center of the co.  The surface has a S.W. inclination, its E. border being elevated 300 to 500 feet above its W. and 700 to 1,000 feet above Lake Ontario.  It is moderately hilly, and is considerably broken in places by the deep ravines of the streams.  Upon Salmon River is a fall worthy of note.  The stream flows over a rocky bed in a series of rapids for 2 mi. and then falls over a precipice 110 feet perpendicular.  The banks of the stream below the fall are 200 feet high.  The soil is generally a gravelly loam.  The E. half of the town is yet uncultivated.  Lumber and other products of wood form the leading articles manufactured; and considerable attention is given to stock raising and dairying.⁵Orwell Corners, (p.o.,) in the W. part, contains 1 church, 3 stores, an inn, a sawmill, a gristmill, a tannery, a steam cabinet factory, and about 40 houses. Maline is a hamlet in the S. part.  The first settlers were Nathaniel BENNETT and his son Nathaniel, from Rensselaer co., N.Y., on Lots 82 and 83, and Capt. NOYES, on Lot 29, in 1806. ⁶  There are 3 religious societies in town.⁷

5.   There are 16 sawmills, 16 shingle mills, a gristmill, and a tannery in town.

6.   Among the early settlers were Benj. REYNOLDS, Joshua HOLLIS, Alden, Gilbert, and Timothy BALCH.

The first marriage was that of Robert WOOLEY and a daughter of Nathaniel BENNETT, sen., in 1807

The first death, that of the mother of Timothy BALCH, in 1810.

The first school was taught by Jesse AIKEN, in 1810.

Joseph WATSON built the first sawmill, in 1810, and Jonah THOMPSON the fist gristmill, in 1816.

7.  M.E. Presb., and Bap.  A Union church at Orwell Corners is occupied by the Presb. and Bap. societies.

Mrs. John Howard
Pennellville, N. Y.
R. F. D. NO. I

From,
Frank K. & Eva XXXXX

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