Owego Free Academy - Tom Tom Yearbook (Owego, NY)

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.E.D.I.C.A.T.I.0. ln the publication oi this, the tenth volume ol the Tom Tom, vve oi the Ovvego Free Academy are sound- ing a call ol past, present, and future significance and are hereby dedicating this boolc to the village oi Qvvego and the residents thereof. ln this Tom Tom vve recall the story oi the beginning ol the Qvvego Schools, and within these same covers vve represent accurately many oi the phases of our present student life. This publication has also a iorvvard loolc. As our indian predecessors in this beautiful valley oi the Susquehanna sounded on the tom-tom the call which assembled the tribes and sent them out eager lor adventure, so vve ol the Qvvego Free Academy call again all its loyal sons and daughters to loin in spirit the great chorus oi GN QVVEGQA

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C-0 N.T.E. N Administrotion Athletics Activities Junior High Freshmen Sophomores Juniors Seniors Advertisements T'S

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Ill When James Mc- Master first came intotheSusque- hanna valley, in 1784, and visited the scene of his former exploits as a soldier of the revolution, he little thought the land which appeared to him the most desirable as a home farm would ever become the site of one of the most pleasant vil- lages of the stateilnor did he then believe the land on which he made his pitch would ever be selected as the seat of justice of one of the best interior agricultural counties of New York. It was the general fertility of soil and the de- sirable situation of the land, the first consider- ations that presented themselves to a farmer's mind, that impelled pioneer McMaster to select this spot as the site of his future home, and it made little difference to the indians whether he se- lected lands on the east or west side of the Owego creek, the north or the south side of the Susquehanna, but if early tradition and record be true, A the worthy pioneer had previous knowledge of the productive character of soil, for in 1779 he had helped to destroy the lndian TIIRY ' 0F narrow road ran from the river north through where Lake Street now is, extending through the lot occupied by the Times office,and on up the valley of Qwego creek. This was known as the Lake Road, as it led from Qwego to Cayuga Lake. ln 1802, the vicinity of Lake Street was a wilderness of pine trees. The high- way now called Main Street extended from where Park Street now is to the Cayuga Lake trail CMcMaster Streetl and was known as Second Street, and also 8ack Street. Another road be- gan near where the Ahwaga l-lotel now stands and ran diagonally across open fields to the northwest corner of the park. Paige Street was at that time only a lane. These streets mentioned were the only streets in the settlements prior to 1800, ln 1802, the Qwego and lthaca Turnpike was opened and it village standing onthe site James McMaster lived L :f,5,,'fA, 'Mfr f'7:2fFf:1-1 D ti . N it . 5 g I .- i ' i17 'fi!l f :'c' 3' K v SME, f N L 1 i X X K X X M7 41 7 7mlirp,...'ii,i of his proposed home. to see Tioga county created and organ- ized and to see the little village settle- ment started. ln memory of this worthy pioneer a village street was named after him, leadin northward from Mgain Street to the corporation line. It is interesting to know that his home was on the site now occupied by Mrs. G. l-l. Pumpelly. ln the narrative of early village life, we must not forget to mention the names of Amos Draper and James McQuigg who did a great deal towards molding the fine village which we now have. Many of the settlers who came after these men had been soldiers in the Revolu- tionary war. The maiority came from the eastern states. They were an excellent class of people, of good family connections, and some of them wealthy. The first regularly laid-out highway through the village began at the ufording place on Qwego creek, below where Main Street now crosses, and thence extended east on the present course of the street to McMaster Street, thence down to Front Street, and easterly on that thoroughfare to and beyond the village limits. When the first survey of the town was taken, a by - - . . g was laid out as an 'fi . A - Ex, ' ' ' , ex ft is - A 3 incorporated hi h- E 394 way in 1807. -?he llizgl' 1- following streets f J--r?iZlXff'is'i?MtQ5'ii-i- were lfmid omg but BX were itte etter than lanes: Mc- Master, Academy, Fox, Ross and Paige Streets. ln 1827 the village was incorporated and in the course of years following, these lanes were made into highways and more streets were laid out. During the war of 1812, the lthaca-Qwego Turnpike was of great value as a means of bring- ing supplies to the Atlantic seaboard by way of the Susquehanna River, an important artery of commerce at that time. Large quantities of salt, plaster, and other commodities were brought down Cayuga Lake by boat, thence drawn by team to Qwego, and here loaded on arks and shipped down the river to the Pennsylvania and Maryland markets. As the river was so impor- tant, most of the first stores were built on its bank. The business of transporting merchandise from lthaca to Qwego attained such great pro- portions that, in 1828, a number of capitalists residing in lthaca and Qwego, chief among whom was James Pumpelly, obtained a charter from the legislature to build a railroad between the two villages. This was the second railroad chartered in the state and one ofthe i 71-45 A-'ii Q - h d 5 ,Z .-gut, first to be c artere inthe country, It was -1111 opened tothe public it April, 1834. It en- r, ' tered the villa e at I the north and! ex-