Happy Easter to All

RESEARCH FINDINGS

A portion of Amos Lay’s 1820 Map of the State of New York.

The map above illustrates where Cortland, Onondaga and Madison Counties of New York meet.  Truxton Township is in Cortland County, Fabius Township is in Onondaga County and DeRuyter and Road Townships are in Madison County.

In 1820, at least four sons (Samuel, James, Josiah and Theodore) and one daughter (Alithea Morse) of Benjamin Wiser Senior lived in Truxton Township.  As you can see from this map, Truxton Township is near Road Township where their father, Benjamin lived (present day New Woodstock just south of Cazenovia).  Road Township is now part of Cazenovia Township.

On November 18,1858, Cuyler Township was separated from Truxton Township (the eastern half of the township, just west of DeRuyter).  Our ancestors who lived in Truxton Township most likely lived in present-day Cuyler Township.  Many of Alithea Morse’s descendants still live in the Cuyler area.

The numbers 5 and 10 in Fabius Township above represent lot numbers.  If you count down by 10 from the 10 above for 5 rows, you will be at Lot 60, the far right northeast corner of Truxton Township.  Then counting 5 columns to the left, you will be at Lot 55, the northwest corner of present-day Cuyler Township.  An 1876 map of Cuyler Township below shows the residents of Lot 55 and 56 in detail.  Just above Lot 55 would be Lot 45 of Fabius Township, Onondaga County, New York.  This area is where are ancestors resided.  James Babcock, father of Betsey Babcock, wife of Samuel Wiser owned land in Lot 45.  Another daughter, Susan who married Asa Crandall and Ira Kingsley also resided there.  Asa Crandall’s daughter by his first marriage to Priscilla Coon, Olive Crandall married Elias Schellinger.  They had a number of children, including Levi and Lewis who are the L. & L. Schelenger mentioned below.  Alithea Wiser’s daughter, Sabra S. married James Albro.  James also owned land in Lots 54 (Truxton Township) and 55.

In 1865, Charles Stebbins of Cazenovia brought action against the heirs of James Albro disputing the land ownership in these two lots.  The heirs of James Albro mentioned in the record include children and grandchildren of both his first wife, Lydia Corey and second wife, Sabra S. Morse (daughter of Alithea Wiser); as follows: Samuel Albro and Abigail Albro his wife, Ansel Clark and Sally Clark his wife, James Albro and Eliza Albro his wife, George W. Albro and Emeline Albro his wife, Phebe Albro, David Lake and Eunice Lake his wife, Chauncy Nye and Lydia Nye his wife, Joel J. Albro and Belinda Albro his wife, James Coe and Louisa Coe his wife, Hiram Hamilton and Lydia V. Hamilton his wife, John Albro and Maria Albro his wife, Philip Smith and Jane Smith his wife, Joseph Potter Albro and Ann Albro his wife, Arvin Albro, Marion Albro and Mary Albro his wife, David Albro, Elizabeth Albro, Marietta Albro, Ansel Albro, Truman Albro and Ann Albro his wife, James Albro, Oliver Barnes and Lydia B. Barnes his wife, Sally Albro, Perlyette Albro, Ezra Albro, Ida Albro, Andrew J. Albro and Susan Albro his wife, Lewis Smith and Elizabeth Smith his wife, Joseph L. Albro and Ann Albro his wife, Albert F. Albro, Henry Mordant and Melissa A. Mordant his wife, Byron Albro, William Albro and John S. Albro.  This was an extremely valuable document to us in identifying the living descendants of James Albro in 1865. 

James Albro’s first wife, Lydia Corey was probably a brother to Wanton Corey.  From Smith’s History of Cortland County, 1885; “Wanton Corey and Deborah Morse (the former 18 years of age and the latter 17) were the first couple married in the town.”  Deborah was the daughter of David and Lydia (Sutton) Morse.  David fought in the Revolutionary War and came from New Jersey to present-day Cuyler in 1794.  We presently have found no relationship between David and Luther Morse (Alithea’s father). 

On a current map, if you find Truxton and look for Highway 91, and then go on Shackham Road heading northeast towards Onondaga County, you will be very close to where our ancestors resided.   We believe that many of our ancestors are buried in a cemetery off of Highway 91 right across from the Labrador Mountain Ski Area.  However, headstones still stand for only three of our relatives; James Albro’s first wife Lydia, and two children, Elizabeth and Ezra (son of his second wife, Sabra). 

POSTSCRIPT

Please let me know if you find any new information on descendants of Benjamin Wiser.  I would appreciate any thing you can add to our research efforts.

Once again, thanks for your contributions to our family newsletter.  You may contact me at or at 6 Baton Rouge, Roswell, NM  88201, or at (505) 623-2534.