Pictured is Jim Monahan, chief to the re-enactment crew that helped celebrate the town of Eaton’s history May 27.
Dick Leland is shown with Col. Joshua Leland’s Sword who signaled the cannon volley.
Pictured is Pat Utter in charge of the Bake Sale.
Shown are Revolutionary war re-enactors.
Photos by Barb Keough
(Town of Eaton, NY – May 2013) The Hamlet of Eaton opened the Old Town of Eaton Museum for the first time after major repairs and new display completion Memorial Day May 27. The Museum located on River Road in the Hamlet of Eaton is in the oldest stone structure in the town dating to about 1806-1817.
The building that was once a tannery became the home of the Sprague Family for over 100 years and eventually fell to vacancy before being turned into the museum for the community by the private community based not-for-profit group called Old Town Folks.
The day’s events included museum tours, speakers, ice cream social and book sale.
The theme of “Eaton Day” honored Col. Joshua Leland and his family. Leland was one of the first settlers of Eaton. The Leland family, which arrived here from Sherburne, Mass. at one time, owned one seventh of the Town of Eaton. Leland purchased a huge tract of land from Col. William Smith and his wife Abigail Adams Smith (President Adams daughter).
Leland owned inns, businesses and today a piece of his property is preserved as a NYS fishing site – Upper & Lower Leland Pond. In its day the pond area was the fishery for the Oneida Indian Nation. As a highlight for the day the Leland Family loaned the museum Leland’s actual sword. There also was a Postal Cancellation honoring him.
Eaton was once the home of the famous Wood, Taber & Morse Steam Engine Works, home to missionaries and writers like Melville Landon, Emily Chubbuck Judson (Fanny Forester), Rev, William Dean, Rev. Jonathan Wade, Nathanial Kendrick’s and more. Famous inventor Samuel Chubbuck who devised the key and sounder for S F B Morse’s telegraph and was the man who inspired a young Thomas Edison.
Eaton’s history is on display and includes the Madison County Poor House (today’s Gerrit Smith Infirmary, Morrisville College and the many Reservoirs that fed the Chenango Canal.