Account of Charles L. Fiester in the Tannery Ledger of Jacob Post, Sr.

Charles L. Fiester

Charles L. Fiester was the son of Godfrey Fiester and Mary Magdelena Kepner. He was born in Muncy Creek, Lycoming Co., Pennsylvania on 10 June 1799. How and when he came to the Town of Fleming (then part of the Town of Aurelius), Cayuga Co., New York is not known. Charles married Maria Peterson, a daughter of George Peterson and Mary Parcells, apparently ca. 1818, based on the birth of their first child, Isaac Corson Fiester, in 1820. Maria Peterson's parents and her grandparents, Cornelius Peterson and Hannah (Annatie) Parsell, were early settlers on the western shore of Owasco Lake in Lot 83 of the original Town of Aurelius.

Charles and Maria's location in 1820 is not certain. Charles does not appear in the 1820 census at Aurelius; however, a Charles "Fraster" and wife are censused at Fayette, Seneca Co., New York, the adjacent county to the west of Cayuga Co. The household next to Charles is John Gould, and Maria Peterson's aunt, Anna Peterson, is known to have married a John Gould. So, it is possible that Charles and Maria were in Seneca Co. for a time after their marriage before returning to Cayuga Co. Their first child, Isaac, who was born 11 December 1820, listed his birthplace as Cayuga Co.; therefore, his future parents' potential stay in Seneca Co. may have been brief. Charles made regular transactions in the Town of Fleming from 1824 until 1831 and was censused there in 1830.

Charles and Maria removed to Clarence, Erie Co., New York before 1840, then to Mount Morris, Livingston Co., New York ca. 1842. They remained at Mount Morris through 1865 but are buried at Maple Grove Cemetery in Gainesville, Wyoming Co., New York. Maria's death in 1868 presumably was at Gainesville, implying that they removed there from Mount Morris between 1865 and 1868.

Besides Isaac, Charles and Maria had six other known children: Adelia Sophia, Maryette, Oscar, George, William, and Harriet A. Fiester.

Images of Charles L. Fiester's Account in Jacob Post, Sr.'s Tannery Ledger

Partial Debit Page (65A Top) for Charles L. Fiester's Account at the Tannery of Jacob Post, Sr. - Fleming, Cayuga Co., New York

Partial Debit Page (65A Bottom) for Charles L. Fiester's Account at the Tannery of Jacob Post, Sr. - Fleming, Cayuga Co., New York

Partial Debit Page (65B Bottom) for Charles L. Fiester's Account at the Tannery of Jacob Post, Sr. - Fleming, Cayuga Co., New York

Partial Debit Page (1A Bottom) for Charles L. Fiester's Account at the Tannery of Jacob Post, Sr. - Fleming, Cayuga Co., New York

Credit Page (65B Top) for Charles L. Fiester's Account at the Tannery of Jacob Post, Sr. - Fleming, Cayuga Co., New York

Note that the first four images constitute the debit column for Charles L. Fiester's account, pieces of which appeared on three separate pages. The sole credit entries appear in the final image.

Transcription of Charles L. Fiester's Account

Charls [Charles] Fiester		Debit			Charls [Charles] Fiester		Credit
Date	Description	₤	S	d	Date	Description	₤	S	d
February 28, 1824	To two bushels of Buckweet [buckwheat]	0	8	0	1825	By Cash	0	12	0
January 24, 1825	To Cash	0	10	0		[Note: possibly days and months for employment]	dys		mo
	To one skin	1	0	0		[unknown units]		6
	To Cash paid at Auburn	0	1	6
	To one hog	0	8	0
March 1825	To ½ day drawing hay	0	4	0
	To 1 bar'l [barrel] of sider [cider]	0	8	0
April 24, 1825	To ½ bushel of flaksead [flaxseed]	0	3	0
April 30, 1825	To one bushel of Corn	0	3	3
May 1825	To one pare [pair] of Sues [shoes]	0	12	0
	To A peace [piece] of Leather	0	4	0
	To one bushel of tators [potatoes]	0	1	6
	To Cash at Talmans	0	0	6
June 1825	To 2 bushels of weet [wheat]	0	16	0
	To Veal wt 33 lb	0	8	0
September 1825	To two bushels of weet [wheat]	0	10	0
	To Cash	0	8	0
	To 6 bushels of taters [potatoes]	0	12	0
	Subtotal =	6	17	3
	Corrected Subtotal =	6	17	9
	[Note change to decimals]	$	c	--
April 1826	dwo [due?] on Settlement	3	44
April 25, 1826	To Cash lent	1	0
May 31, 1826	To ½ Side of uper [upper]	1	12
	To seven skins	12	0
June 12, 1826	By Cash lent	2	50	0
	By fower [flour?]	1	50	0
	three days Cr. the bus [business?]	2	25
September 9, 1826	To ½ bushel of inging [Indian? = cornmeal] meal	0	25
	To 1 pare [pair] of Sues [shoes]	1	37	0
	To tanning one skin	1	0	0
	To one pare [pair] of traps [?]	0	18
	To wf [?] Leather	3	0	0
			12
	To solt [salt?] Tan bark	0	25	0
	Subtotal =	29	88
	Corrected Subtotal =	29	98
	[Note change to ₤.s.d.]	₤	S	d
November 1827	To Cash	0	8	0
	To Leather	0	10	0
	To Cash	0	16	0
	To Leather	0	2	0
	To Cash paid to baker	0	1	3
November 7, 1827	To one side of soaleather [sole leather] wt 12#	1	4	0
December 14, 1827	To one Side of uper [upper]	1	4	0
September 29, 1831	To two skins	0	8	0
	To Cash	0	10	0
	To 10 bushels of taters [potatoes]	0	10	0
	To Cash	2	0	0
	Subtotal [not recorded in ledger] =	7	13	3
	Total ₤.s.d [not recorded in ledger] =	14	11	0
	Total $ c =	29	88

Charles L. Fiester's Purchases and Credits

The account of Charles L. Fiester at the tannery of Jacob Post, Sr. is somewhat puzzling. Essentially no repayment of Charles's debts appear in the Tannery Ledger over the 7-year period between 1824 and 1831, with the exception of 12 shillings cash paid to Jacob in 1825. However, all the debits except those of 1831 are are struck through in the ledger, indicating that settlement had been made in some fashion. The total debits amounted to ₤14.11s.0d plus $29.88 in decimal currency.

One possible method for Charles to settle his debt would have been to work for Jacob Post, Sr. A notation in the credit column of Charles's account ("dys  mo") possibly indicates such employment, but no actual tally of work is entered therein. There is a cryptic number "6" - whose meaning is not clear - entered between the potential days and months columns. One piece of evidence that supports Charles working for Jacob is the fact that Charles is listed at Mount Morris in the 1850 federal census and 1855 state census as a Tanner and Currier. A "currier" is a specialist in finishing tanned leather. It may be that Charles learned this trade with Jacob.

Another bit of evidence that Charles may have worked for Jacob is the fact that many of his debits were for commodities such as potatoes, grain, and veal, as well as cash, not just products of the tannery. Advancing cash in the absence of the prospect of repayment would not have been a good business practice for Jacob. Charles's potential labor would provide the assurance of the debt being settled. As for products of the tannery, Charles procured several pairs of shoes and purchased skins and leather. He also had a skin tanned.

District No. 7 Stone School Scholars at Fleming, Cayuga Co., New York in 1859 and 1860

The Stone School House

Fleming School District No. 7, located in the Town of Fleming, Cayuga Co., New York, was served by a school house constructed of stone overlooking the western shore of Owasco Lake until centralization of local school districts in the first half of the 20th Century. The Stone School House today is part of a private residence at the corner of Stone School Road and State Route 38 (West Lake Road). An examination of  the 1859 map of Fleming shows the school in the northeast corner of Lot 91. Sheila Saft Tucker's book on the Town of Fleming describes the Stone School.

"The Stone School in the Town of Fleming . . . is a familiar building to every one in this part of the country. The original building was built on land given to the town to be used for the purpose of education of children in district No. 7. Schuyler Peterson [NOTE:  Should be Cornelius A. Peterson, Schuyler's father - R. A. Post] gave this plot of land which was to be reverted to his estate when its' use as a school house was terminated. The school house was built in 1855 from field stone found on the surrounding land. It was used as a school until 1945. . . . The building and land then reverted to the Schuyler Peterson estate. . . ."

-- Sheila Saft Tucker, The Township of Fleming Cayuga County, New York 1823-1973 (Auburn, Cayuga Co., NY, Sheila Saft Tucker, 1973)

 Cornelius A. Peterson

The great-grandfather and grandfather of Cornelius A. Peterson were very early settlers of the land north of Stone School Road on Lot 83 of what was then part of the Town of Aurelius. They came in from New Jersey in 1796. Cornelius A. Peterson married Helen Post, daughter of Jacob Post, Sr., ca. 4 July 1851. Jacob's widow Jannetie (Jane) Nevius Post appears to have remained on his farm in adjacent Lot 91 with some of her children following Jacob's death, with her son Jacob Post, Jr., a Carpenter, listed as Head of Household in the 1850 federal census. Jacob, Jr. and his 2nd wife, Betsey Ann Allen, removed to the Town of Scipio, Cayuga Co., New York several months before his sister Helen married Cornelius A. Peterson. Cornelius and Helen then assumed operation, if not ownership, of the Jacob Post, Sr. farm. The plot of land on which the Stone School House was constructed appears to have come off this farm early in Cornelius A. Peterson's tenure.

Students of the Stone School House in 1859

A grouping of genealogical notes and miscellaneous papers found in California and sent to me contains a sheet of paper on which is recorded the names of students of the Stone School House during a summer term in 1859 and a subsequent winter term mainly in 1860. A member of the Peterson Family, possibly Helen Post Peterson, likely authored the "list of scholars."

Document Image

A list of scholars who attended District School No. 7, the Stone Schoolhouse, in the Town of Fleming during the term from 11 April 1859 until 27 September 1859 - found in Peterson Family papers

The List of Scholars

Students at the Stone School House from late Spring to early Fall in 1859 were (Caroline) Augusta Peterson, Gilbert (B.) Peterson, (Christopher) "Chris" Peterson, George (E.) Peterson, (Edward J.) "Eddie" Jewhurst, (Mary) Laura Jewhurst, Sarah Richards, George (B.) DeGroff, Esther (E.) DeGroff, (Catharine) Adella Post, (Catherine) "Katy" Marin (Moran), Sarah Quinn, Andrew Neel (O'Neil), Eliza (Ann) Jones, Sarah (E.) Jones, (William) "Will" Casley, Mary Fletcher, Henry Fletcher, and John (G.) VanArsdale.

Cornelius A. and Helen Post Peterson's oldest four children head the list of scholars. Caroline Augusta would have been 7 years old,  Gilbert B. approximately 8, Christopher "Chris" 5, and George E. Peterson turning 4 during the summer term of 1859.

Edward J. and Mary Laura Jewhurst, children of Edward and Jennie Jewhurst, respectively would have been 6 and 4 years old in 1859. Census data indicate that the Jewhurst family normally resided in Auburn, Cayuga Co., New York. Given Mr. Jewhurst's occupation as a Horse Trainer, he may have been working in Fleming at the time the list of scholars was made.

Sarah Richards, about 12 years old, was the daughter of George and Elizabeth Richards (possibly a stepmother). George was a Farm Laborer, and the family had emigrated from England. Sarah appears in the nearby household of Christopher G. and Martha Conklin Post in 1865 working as a Servant.

George B. and Esther E. DeGroff were children of William and Helen Holmes DeGroff. William was a Farm Laborer. George B. was about 9 and Esther E. about 6 years old.

Catharine Adella Post was the daughter of Adam and Mary Ann Post. She would have been only 4 years old during the summer of 1859. Her parents later removed to Livingston Co., New York where she died in 1868.

Catherine "Katy" Moran, also 4 years old in 1859, was the daughter of John and Mary Moran. John was a Farmer who had emigrated from Ireland. Sarah Quinn, of unknown parentage and later (1865) censused in the Moran household, was born about 1856, making her perhaps slightly less than 4 years old in 1859. Her parents are not known.

Andrew O'Neil was the son of Patrick and Catharine O'Neil who were censused in the Town of Mentz, Cayuga Co., New York in 1855 when Andrew was just under 1 year old. Patrick O'Neil was a Laborer when the family appeared in the 1860 census for the Town of Owasco, Cayuga Co., New York. Andrew would have been about 5 years old in 1859.

Eliza Ann and Sarah E. Jones were the children of George and Rhoda Jones. Their ages respectively would have been about 7 and 9 years old when attending the Stone School House in the summer of 1859. Mr. Jones was a Farmer.

William "Will" Casley was the son of Elizabeth Casley. They were censused in the household of Benjamin Clark where Elizabeth was a Servant in 1855. Will would have been about 7 years old in 1859.

Mary and Henry Fletcher were the children of unknown parents.

John G. VanArsdale was the son of Cornelius and Hannah Van Nest VanArsdale. He would have been about 9 years old in the summer of 1859. His father was a Farmer.

Students of the Stone School House in 1860

Document Image

A list of scholars who attended District School No. 7, the Stone Schoolhouse, in the Town of Fleming during the term from 5 December 1859 until 24 February 1860 - found in Peterson Family papers

The List of Scholars

Students enrolled at the Stone School House during the term from 5 December 1859 until 24 February 1860 largely included those listed for the summer term of 1859 but with several losses and additions. The scholars were Sarah Richards, Robert Richards, (Catharine) Adella Post, Gilbert (B.) Peterson, (Caroline) Augusta Peterson, (Christopher) "Chris" Peterson, George (E.) Peterson, (Mary) Laura Jewhurst, (Edward J.) "Eddie" Jewhurst, Frank Ward, Andrew Neil (Andrew O'Neil), Catherine "Katy" Marin (Moran), Sarah Quinn, George (B.) DeGroff, Stephen Donavan, John (G.) Van Arsdale (VanArsdale), and John Guilfoil. Changes in the student roll follow.

Robert Richards, son of George and Elizabeth Richards (possibly a stepmother), joined his sister, Sarah, for the winter term. Robert Richards was 14 to 15 years old at this time. His lack of attendance during the preceding summer may have been because he was engaged in farm work.

Franklin "Frank" Ward was a new student at the Stone School House in the winter of 1859-60. He probably was the son of Erastus and Lucy Benton Ward (possibly a stepmother) who resided in the Town of Sennett, Cayuga  Co., New York in 1855 and 1860. Frank was about 10 years old during the school term.

Stephen Donavan was a new student. He possibly was the Irish immigrant censused in the household of Cornelius Peterson during the summer of 1860 as "Stephen Dunphen," an 18-year-old Farm Laborer. If so, Stephen would have been by far the oldest student in the Stone School.

John Guilfoil also was a new student for the winter term. He may have been the son of Frank and Kate Guilfoil listed in the 1860 census of Fleming. The family surname was phonetically given as "Gibpal" in this census. John was 5 to 6 years old during the term.

Former students not present at the Stone School House during winter 1859-60 were Esther E. DeGroff, Eliza and Sarah Jones, William "Will" Casley, and Mary and Henry Fletcher. Esther E. DeGroff had not left Fleming and was censused during the summer of 1860 in her father's household.

The family of Eliza Ann and Sarah E. Jones had removed to the adjacent Town of Scipio, Cayuga Co., New York by the time of the 1860 census although they later would return to the Town of Fleming.

William "Will" Casley and Mary and Henry Fletcher were not found in Fleming at this time.

1837-1838 Promissory Note by Jacob Post, Jr. (probably) to Elsie Schenck Voorhees Peterson

The Note

Promissory Note believed to have been made by Jacob Post, Sr. to Elsie Peterson payable 20 April 1838

The Promissory Note transcription follows:  "$128:. For value recived I promis to pay Else Peterson on hunderd an twenty ate dolars on Demand with use Aprel the 20 Fleming 1838"

Provenance of the Note

The Promissory Note appears among several loose papers in the Ledger of Jacob Post, Sr. handed down in the family for five subsequent generations. No signature appears on the note. One method of cancelling a legal document in the 19th Century was by tearing or cutting off the signature. That appears to be the case with this Note because the blank lower part of the actual document (not all shown above) does have a rectangular area below "Fleming 1838" removed (slightly visible at the lower margin of the image).

Absence of a signature makes the originator of the Note somewhat speculative, but it was likely either Jacob Post, Sr. or his son Jacob, Jr. Given the $128 sum involved and reference to "use," the Note may have been for the use of a farm. Jacob Post, Sr. already had a farm of 127 acres in 1838, which turned out to be the year of his death, suggesting that Jacob Post, Jr. was more likely to need land to farm and may have been the person making the Note. Comparison of handwriting between the Note and Jacob, Sr.'s Ledger is not very revealing, but spelling in the Note does not seem as good as that exhibited by Jacob, Sr. My tentative assignment of the Note's authorship is to Jacob Post, Jr.

Jacob Post, Jr. was born on his father's farm on or near present-day Stone School Road in the Town of Fleming on 20 January 1809, son of Jacob, Sr. and Jannetie (Jane) Nevius. He married Esther Ann Gregory, it is believed in 1829, and they had a daughter, Clarisa A. Post. Esther Ann died in 1833 and Clarisa A. in 1837. Jacob Post, Jr. would have been a widower, possibly in his father's household, at the time the Note was executed. He would later marry Betsey Ann Allen, a granddaughter of pioneer settler Gideon Allen of Scipioville in the Town of Scipio, Cayuga Co., New York.

Elsie Peterson

Christopher Peterson, son of Cornelius Peterson, Jr. and Maria Post, married Elsie Schenck Voorhees on 26 March 1823. They resided on the western shores of Owasco Lake in the Town of Fleming, Cayuga Co., New York. Elsie was the daughter of Abraham Voorhees and Elsie TenEyck. She was born 4 September 1801. Unfortunately, Christopher died only 10 years later, on 23 February 1833, leaving Elsie with five children to raise.

Elsie's oldest son, Cornelius A. Peterson, would have been only 13 years old in 1837 when the Note probably was drawn up, perhaps for a use of 1 year terminating 20 April 1838. Cornelius A., however capable for his age, likely would not have been able to commence farming at that time. We can speculate that Elsie might have rented all or part of her farm for income.

Christopher Peterson Residence on Owasco Lake in 1901

The Peterson Family of Owasco Lake, Fleming, Cayuga Co., New York

Cornelius Peterson and his wife, Hannah (Annatie) Parsell, removed with their family from Hillsborough, Somerset Co., New Jersey to the western shore of Owasco Lake in 1796. They settled in what is now the Town of Fleming, Cayuga Co., New York. Their recently married son, Cornelius Peterson, Jr., and wife Maria Post, accompanied the elder Petersons to Owasco Lake, as did her parents and some siblings, the Christopher Post family. The Petersons settled primarily to the north of present-day Stone School Road on Lot 83.

"CORNELIUS PETERSON, JR. emigrated to this county at the same time his parents did and settled on a portion of the land that his father purchased. On May 5, 1796, a few weeks before he came to Fleming, he married Maria Post, daughter of Christopher and Margaret Post who also joined the Petersons on their journey to the 'Lake Country.' Cornelius eventually built a commodius dwelling for his family (Ross Farm) and other descendants--Schuyler (Misses Peterson home), George R. (home was located at site of Polish Home), and Dodge home also lived on the Lake Shore."

-- Sheila Saft Tucker, The Township of Fleming Cayuga County, New York 1823-1973 (Auburn, Cayuga Co., NY, Sheila Saft Tucker, 1973), p. 85

History of the Peterson/Ross House

Christopher Peterson house north of Stone School Road on present-day State Route 38 (West Lake Road) in the Town of Fleming, Cayuga Co., New York in 1901 - photo found with old papers in California and sent to the author

The preceding quotation attributes construction of the house on the present-day Ross Farm at Peterson Point, on State Route 38 (West Lake Road) north of Stone School Road, to Cornelius Peterson, Jr. The above photograph of the Peterson/Ross house from 1901 shows that it was originally constructed in the Italianate style, which came into vogue in the United States by 1840. Cornelius died on 12 April 1847; thus, he probably constructed the home late in his lifetime, following the death of his wife, Maria, in 1836.

Cornelius Peterson, Jr. and Maria Post had only one son, Christopher, who married Elsie Schenck Voorhees in 1823 but died in 1833. Thus, it is unlikely that this Christopher Peterson ever lived in the Peterson/Ross house. Similarly, his sister Maria had died in 1830. An 1853 map of Fleming shows "I. M. & A. Peterson" (see Lot 83) occupying this house. The most likely Petersons to be living together and represented by these initials are Ida Brokaw Peterson, Margaret B. Peterson, and Anna Peterson, all daughters of Cornelius and Maria and their only living offspring in 1853. George Rapleyea Peterson, son of Christopher and Elsie Peterson and nephew of Ida, Margaret, and Anna, lived with them in the Peterson/Ross house by 1855 and worked the farm. After George married Mary Lucena Post in 1858, it appears that his aunts moved to a house on the corner of Stone School Road while George and Mary Lucena lived in the Peterson/Ross house as shown on an 1859 Map of Fleming.

The son of Christopher and Elsie, Cornelius A. Peterson, husband of Helen Post, next occupied the Peterson/Ross house from before 1875 until his death in 1882, as shown on an 1875 map of Fleming (C. Peterson on Lot 83). By then, George Rapleyea Peterson had moved a short distance northward to a Peterson house (G. R. Peterson on Lot 83) that stood on land later occupied by the Polish Home Camp (now gone). A photo of the latter Peterson house, which eventually was destroyed by fire,  appears on page 86 of The Township of Fleming Cayuga County, New York by Sheila Saft Tucker (1973).

Cornelius A. Peterson and Helen Post had a son, Christopher, husband of Alberta Adams, who presumably next occupied the Peterson/Ross house as shown on a 1904 map of Fleming, remaining there until after 1915. By 1920, Christopher had retired from farming and removed to Auburn, Cayuga Co., New York. Determining the subsequent ownership and occupancy of Peterson/Ross house up until World War II would require further research. Charles E. Ross, son of Charles P. and Bertha E. Ross (who lived on the Fleming-Scipio Townline Road) owned the house by the early 1950s, if not sooner. After Charlie died in 1986, his wife, Mae Elizabeth "Betty" or "Bess" Coons Ross resided in the home for many years before her death in 2006. The home is believed to remain in the Ross family.

Present-day Appearance of the Peterson/Ross House

Peterson/Ross house contemporary view from Google Earth

The cupola formerly present on the upper portion of the tall Italianate tower on the front of the Peterson/Ross house in 1901 has been removed. The tower now is capped with small, gabled roof above the second-story tower windows, which also have been replaced. A two-story bay visible on the south (left) side of the house in 1901 is no longer present. Finally, what appears to have been a relatively flat roof in 1901 has been replaced with a hipped roof. Let's hope this house is good for its second (approximately) 180 years!

1834 Cemetery Lot Deed in the Town of Fleming, Cayuga Co., New York

Deed for Subdivision No. 29 of a cemetery in the Town of Fleming, Cayuga Co., New York issued by John Fries to George Peterson and Mores Goolde and witnessed by L. S. Tryon on 25 February 1834

The Cemetery Deed

This document came into my possession by purchase from an an internet seller. I was kindly notified of its availability by an e-mail from a person who noticed that I maintain Find A Grave memorials for some of the Peterson family. As shown above, the Cemetery Deed for Subdivision No. 29 was received by George Peterson and Mores Goolde from John Fries as Trustee for the owners of an unidentified burying ground near "Asel P. Bennets" residence in the Town of Fleming, Cayuga Co., New York. The Deed was executed at Auburn, Cayuga Co., New York and is dated 25 February 1834. The transaction was witnessed by Levi S. Tryon, a prominent manufacturer in Owasco and, later, farmer in the Town of Fleming.

George Peterson

George Peterson, who appears in some early New Jersey records as Joris Peitersen, was the son of Cornelius Peterson and Hannah (Annatie) Parsell. He was born in 1768 and baptized at Neshanic, Somerset Co., New Jersey. George married Mary (Maria) Parcells. The Peterson family removed from New Jersey to the western shore of Owasco Lake in 1796 and settled a large tract of land in what was later the Town of Fleming, Cayuga Co., New York. An 1853 map of Fleming shows the residences of George Peterson and a son, Isaac, south of present-day Mobbs Road near Vannest Brook (now spelled Veness Brook) in Lot 75 (not labeled on map), south of Lot 66. George Peterson was 66 years old at the time the deed was executed.

Mores Goolde

This name may be a phonetic spelling for Morris Gould, if such a person resided in Fleming. I found no record for a Morris Gould in Fleming at this time. There was a Peterson-Gould marriage, however. George Peterson's sister, Anna, married John Gould. They are buried in Sand Beach Cemetery in the Town of Fleming. Little else about this couple is readily found. It may be that Morris Gould was a son or brother of John Gould.

Levi S. Tryon

Levi S. Tryon was born at Sunderland, Franklin Co., Massachusetts in 1779. He is said to have come in from Connecticut ca. 1800 and settled in Owasco.

"On the east side of the outlet near Swift's dam, Levi S. Tryon in 1805 erected a clothing works that included machinery for fulling, carding, dyeing and dressing cloth. At that time it was considered 'the most complete works of the kind west of Albany' and Tryon continued the operation until the winter of 1835 when the buildings were destroyed by fire. . . ."
 -- Sheila Tucker, Thomas Tryniski (scan), Roger Post (transcriber), Legends in the Dust - Phase Two of the Dream (Auburn, Cayuga Co., NY, The Citizen, Sunday, 9 February 1975), Old Fulton New York Post Cards http://www.fultonhistory.com

Levi sold his property to the Owasco Canal Company and purchased a farm in the Town of Fleming, probably relatively soon after his mill burned. His farm appears on the 1853 map of Fleming on Lots 82 and 83, quite near the farm of George Peterson; however, at the time the Cemetery Deed was signed, it is possible that Levi had not yet removed from Owasco. One of Levi's grandchildren, Howard Tryon, would later marry Jennie Peterson, a great-grandniece of George Peterson.

John Fries

John Fries was the son of Adam and Elizabeth Fries. Adam was an early settler of Auburn in 1796. He eventually took up more than 640 acres of land in Owasco, along the east side of the Owasco Outlet (now called the Owasco River). Adam Fries must have been well acquainted with George Peterson because in 1811 they jointly subscribed to purchase one $20 share in the building fund for an Academy to be built at Auburn. In addition, Adam and George had been among the original subscribers to the Building Fund for construction of the Sand Beach Church in 1807. George Peterson likely knew Adam's son John, as well.

Asel P. Bennet (Asahel P. Bennett)

The Cemetery Deed references a burying ground near "Asel P. Bennets" residence. Asahel P. Bennett owned a tract of land along the Owasco Outlet in the Town of Fleming. The land included property between present-day Lake Avenue and the Outlet. Asahel's Will directed setting off 40 acres of his property between the road (presumably Lake Avenue from the description) and the outlet from the north line of Lot 67 southward as far as needed. Lot 67 lies mainly in Owasco but includes an area on the west (Fleming) side of the Outlet, too. A further directive required setting off 10 acres of lowlands between Asahel's house and the lake shore. Finding the location of Asahel's house would require further research, but the Will directive seems to place the house near the present-day traffic circle on State Route 38. An 1853 map of Fleming does identify the residence of an F. Bennett on Lake Avenue in the area occupied by present-day St. Joseph's Cemetery.

Sand Beach Cemetery

Identification of the burying ground referenced in the Cemetery Deed of George Peterson and Mores Goolde isn't certain. The closest cemetery to Asahel Bennett's property was Sand Beach, near the present-day intersection of Lake Avenue and State Route 38 in the Town of Fleming. The first increment of Sand Beach Cemetery, which has burials dating to 1812, was managed by the Protestant Dutch Church at the Owasco Outlet (Sand Beach Reformed Church) and had been in operation for several decades by 1834. This portion of the Cemetery is directly behind the former Sand Beach Church. Deeds for this area probably would have been handled through the Church rather than by John Fries. Galpin Hill Cemetery also was not far from Asahel Bennett's land, but it had burials dating to 1801. In either case, the cemetery name would presumably appear on the Cemetery Deed if additional lots were being sold. 

The absence of a well-recognized cemetery name on the Deed may indicate that the burying ground was relatively new in 1834. George Peterson was buried within the present-day limits of Sand Beach Cemetery in 1858. George's burial location suggests that his Deed was for the second increment added to Sand Beach Cemetery. The second increment originally was managed by the Owasco Cemetery Association and may well have been needed by 1834 as the small strip behind the Church became full.