Question: This building is the descendant of the first tavern erected in the hamlet formerly known as Clay Station until 1827 when Clay incorporated to become a township. In 1853, it was rebuilt and became an inn and restaurant and home to the owner, J.M. Rouse, and his family. What is its name?
Last week’s answer: Last week’s photo showed the Clay-Hamlin Log Cabin.
Standing for over 200 years on Lot No. 50 originally on 50 acres of land in Cicero, it was transferred to the town of Clay when western Clay separated from Cicero in 1827. According to the Ballot Book of Military Lands for Onondaga County, on July 8, 1790, a Peter Van Dyke, Private in the 1st New York Regiment, 8th Company, was the patentee, or owner. On July 8, 1790, he sold Lot No. 50 to Thomas Shaw. Many Revolutionary War veterans preferred to sell their grants for currency rather than settle the land recently confiscated from the Haudenosaunee. Either Thomas or another early settler built the cabin in the late 1790s or around the turn of the century. The entrance door is dated to the late 1790s.
The cabin construction represents both English and Scandinavian styles. It measures 20 by 30 feet, and the loft or attic extended over the main entrance on the east side facing the Clay Marsh, so these exterior logs were squared off, but those on the other three walls were left rounded. On the northeast corner, two different styles of corner joints were used. Possibly, Thomas began the cabin and someone else completed it. The interior logs were whitewashed and there was at least one partition downstairs creating a kitchen area and a bedroom for the adults. A compact spiral stairway was used to reach the upstairs where younger family members slept. According to 19th century photos, a central chimney provided for even heat distribution. The roof and gable ends were of wood and wooden shingles were used by the earliest settlers.
The cabin was used as a private dwelling and transferred often. In 1831, the property passed from Andrew Johnson to Abraham Morgan, pastor of the Morgan Settlement Church; from Abraham and Elizabeth Morgan to Ralph Bulkey in 1836. Charles Bulkey, his great-great-grandson, claims that Ralph built and lived in it, and that Buckley Road was named after him but spelled wrong. It passed from Ralph Bulkey to Sam Meldling in 1840 and then back to Bulkey the same year, possibly due to bankruptcy. In 1866, the American Peat Company purchased the land and cabin from Bulkey to cut peat from the marsh to use as fuel. The peat was pressed into bricks and sold until it could no longer compete with coal.
In 1880, the American Peat Company sold the land and cabin to Lucius Gleason, who later sold it to Albert Jack Hamlin in 1904. During these later years, the cabin was used to store willow branches for the basket industry, and it became a dwelling for hired hands when tobacco and other crops were grown around the cabin. During the 1940s, many changes were made when it became a sportsman’s lodge. A fieldstone fireplace was constructed on the north side; a porch was added to the east side; and the remains of the original wooden floor were replaced with a cement floor. From the late 1970’s, it was abandoned. Although, Marshall Doane tells me that he and his high school friends camped there many times with the owner’s permission. During the Country’s Bicentennial celebrations and the town’s 150th birthday in 1977, it was opened to the public and the Clay Town Players portrayed the early settlers living there.
In the 1990s, concerned citizens took an interest in trying to save the log cabin. After the Clay Historical Association was given land for a historical park and Donald Sotherden donated the old railroad station for a museum, the town became involved. Robert Hamlin donated the cabin with the understanding that the town would move it to the park. Don Thompson, a global science teacher, took charge of arranging archaeological digs at the cabin site on Henry Clay Boulevard before it was to be removed. In the summer of 1996, a field school was held including digs using grant money to fund the cost of supplies. The 30 plus volunteers represented teachers, students from local high schools, members of local churches, the Clay Historical Association (CHA) and Boy Scouts. Afterward, several of the volunteers met at the home of avocational Archaeologists, Gordon and Barb DeAngelo to identify the findings. Since the cabin had deteriorated to the point that it could not be moved, a grant was obtained to build an exact replica using methods, supplies and tools of 200 years ago. It is in the Historical Park on Route 31 in Clay, where it has been for over 20 years.
Several people called with the correct answer, but Diane Foraker was the first. Thank you to everyone who responded to the first edition of History Mystery North.
Email your guess to [email protected] or leave a message at 315-434-8889 ext. 332 with your guess by noon Friday. If you are the first person to correctly identify an element in the photo before the deadline, your name and guess will appear in next week’s newspaper, along with another History Mystery feature. History Mystery is a joint project of the Star-Review and area historians in Cicero, Clay, Liverpool and North Syracuse.
