Woodhull – A Brief History
Early History
The settlement of Newville, now known as Woodhull, began with its first settler in 1804 When Daniel Johnson built his home here just West of the current village. This was a wild area during that time with trees so thick that travel was to be accomplished by the creek, either by raft or on the winter ice as there were no roads.
This part of New York State was so wild and densely forested that the Indians avoided it, perhaps entering only to hunt the abundance of game at that time. The hunting was excellent - including deer, bear, wolves and panther. Fish were also jumping out of the creek.
There were a few men before Daniel Johnson who came here to reap the reward of plentiful hunting for meat and furs, but who would soon move on without making a permanent mark on the
territory.
Official formation of Woodhull, named after General Nathanial Woodhull was done by an act of Legislature on February 18, 1828. Formerly part of Middletown it took lands from Rathbone, Troupsburg and Addison. Woodhull now includes the hamlets of Hedgesville and Borden.
Soon after Daniel Johnson, settlers who came to build their own homes included names such as Spears, Merlin, Tubbs, Stiles and Colvin. Homes at that time were built near Tuscarora Creek, which ran high and rapid.
As settlers increased in numbers it became necessary to harness resources in the area for the common good. The first settler to harness the power of Tuscarora Creek was Caleb Smith.
Caleb Smith moved here from Newton (which was to be later named Elmira) in 1806. He sold his property in Newtown for $1,300.00. These monies allowed him to purchase 1,700 acres in the Woodhull Territory. He moved his family of 9 Children here and built a home slightly west of the village on the creek. He soon constructed a dam which powered a sawmill and gristmill which greatly aided settlers in the area. These mills were said to be the first north of Williamsport.
The Caleb Smith Family was to prosper in the area, his descendants including Colonel Jeffrey Smith (Col. Jeffrey’s son Walter became a Merchant in Painted Post, co-owning Orr and Smith Hardware, served as Undersheriff in Steuben County and a term as Mayor there).
Hedgesville derives its name from Thomas Hedges, who came to the area in 1826 along with Worcester Perry. Mr. Perry had to clear a length of rough road to allow his wagons and two cows
passage. He left his family behind in order that he may construct his log home and ready the property. At this time not a tree had been cut on his land. The crude log structure that served as a home to his wife and children may have had no windows, and for it’s first few months a blanket as a doorway.
At its zenith, Hedgesville contained a church, a school, two general stores, two blacksmith shops, a mill and roughly 25 dwellings. It received tri-weekly mail from Rathboneville.
Borden, to the east of the Woodhull Village was first occupied around 1827 by John Brimmer. Soon others joined him, most notably Herman Greenslate. Although not the first inhabitant, Mr.
Greenslate built the first mill and was instrumental in town affairs. Borden was originally called the Greenslate Settlement. Eventually Borden was named after Asa Borden who was a Civil War Veteran.
Lumber was the chief commodity in the area at this time and was floated down Tuscarora Creek to where it made its way eventually to the Baltimore where lumber and shingles were in high demand.
As the town began to form, so also did business. In 1942 Walter Smith wrote “In 1875, the Village of Woodhull had more inhabitants than in 1942”. He went on to detail businesses present in
1875, which included 1 hotel, 2 drug stores, 5 general stores, 4 blacksmith shops, 2 wagon shops, 1 barber, 1 grist mill, 1 sawmill, 2 doctors, 2 lawyers, 2 hardware stores, 1 jeweler, 1 undertaker, 2 saloons, 2 Churches, 1 district school, 1 cheese factory, 2 harness shops, 2 cooper shops and 1 foundry.
Woodhull even had a Trotting Park, located West of the village - in the vicinity of Morgan’s Auto Repair today. It could be imagined that a great deal of courting, socializing and handshake business deals were made there.
It is very apparent that most needs of residents were met in their own town or village during this time.
The Fire of 1925
Many fires took homes and businesses in these early days, but none as bad as the fire that broke out in 1925. At this time the East Side of Main Street was equal to the West in terms of buildings and commerce and was called The Warner Block. This is where the Woodhull Office of Community Bank NA now stands.
A May 8, 1925 article in the Corning Leader states that “A fire of incendiary origin destroyed many buildings in the business section early this morning with a loss of about $12,000.00.”
Destroyed in the blaze, which originated in the Lantz house (vacant at the time) were HP Smith & Son Undertakers and Furniture Dealers, the Post Office, F.E. Prutsman Jewelers, and Brown & Co. Hardware Store. Storage building belonging to each were also lost. Properties on the west side of the street were damaged by the heat.
The fire of 1925 was never recovered from, as a few of the businesses never returned, while some moved across the street to resume operation. Many had insurance, but most did not have enough to cover their loss.
Schools and Churches
Woodhull was very progressive in its education and establishing houses of worship. The first church was the Baptist Church organized in 1825. The Woodhull Methodist Church formed in 1846. These churches have now combined congregations and are known as The Community Church of Woodhull. In 1831 the Hedgesville Presbyterian Church was formed, and in 1852 the Borden Freewill Baptist Church was organized.
A notable and colorful early inhabitant of Woodhull was Milo, or “Pick” Edwards. Mr. Edwards was born on February 12, ,1850 and was to serve the Area as both a Deputy Sheriff (3 Years) and a Trustee on the Town Board for 6 Years.
A tradesman, Mr. Edwards advertised in the October 15, 1900 edition of the Dramatic News publication for the Woodhull KOTM as follows;
“MILO EDWARDS -
Building mover and Stone Mason. Twenty-Five years’ experience in the business renders him competent to do anything in his line in first class order”.
Pick Edwards was a tall muscular man and had a quirky talent for high wire walking. It is said that on days of town celebration, he would string a line across Main Street and walk above the heads of all from one side to the other. Later he took his act up a notch by frying an egg during his stroll.
The Woodhull Methodist Church, now on the corner of West Main Street and Jasper Street, was initially located about 1/4 mile up the road. The Hurd Hotel has burnt by the creek, making a prime location available. The congregation wished to move the building closer to town to this lot, a great task for the relatively large building. Mr. Edwards listened to weeks of discussion by the Church Leaders as to how this was to be done, the cost involved and the risk to the building. At the end of his patience, Mr. Edwards took it upon himself to move the building in the dead of night; The town went to sleep on a Friday night and awoke the next morning to find the church in its current location.
Woodhull formed schools very early on, district schools as they were called, were in many areas of the town to enable ease of access to various areas. These were mostly one room structures with outhouses
Woodhull District schools numbered 15, and are as follows; Brady, Brown, Sly, Harder, Hurd, Borden, Hedgesville, Simon’s Hill, Lyons, Bebout, Norway Ridge, Owlville, Pulteney Hill, Judd and Camp Brook.
In the Village, a schoolhouse stood at the site of the current firehall. This was later to serve as the Town Hall and Library and was torn down in 1972 to make way for the current firehall.
The Woodhull Academy began in 1867, a 3-story building constructed in 1868. This was a frame structure that housed classrooms, an auditorium and the principal’s home. It is said that meals were served a short distance down West Main Street in the Baptist Church. The Woodhull Academy rapidly became a destination for learning and attracted students from all over the state who would pay tuition to attend and obtain a stellar education. A dormitory was next door and housed male and female students on separate floors. Many folks were certain to include attendance at the Woodhull Academy in their resumes as a high-water mark of their education.
The Woodhull Academy lasted only 10 years before being deeded to the Village in 1877 and becoming a district School.
The Academy building burnt to the ground in June of 1927.
In 1928 the current school building was built on the footprint of the old. The new school was a brick structure with columns on the front, and again was the pride of the town.
In July of 1969, under immense upheaval, the Woodhull School was closed, and students were annexed to nearby Addison. At this time, the only grades being taught at the school were grades K-6th. Junior and Senior High Students had already been attending Addison or Jasper Schools. This left the large school building vacant and the town much changed. Sports teams were gone, as were clubs. The daily sound of children and a place of employment for many townspeople now eerily quiet.
Now the School Building is the Town Hall, holding Board meetings, club activities, Woodhull Municipal Gas offices and the MacDonald Clinic. The Woodhull Community Band under the direction of Kathy Knowles has a newly renovated practice room in in the basement which once housed the kitchen and cafeteria.
The Town Hall keeps a building and groundskeeper on the payroll. The Town Hall is full of history, as it’s halls are lined with pictures of the graduating classes of the past along school trophies. Many current residents graduated from the school or can remember attending there until it closed.
Woodhull Gas Company
Although much information indicates discovery of Natural Gas in Woodhull in the late 1930’s, Natural Gas was being discovered all over our area of Steuben County. The Woodhull Sentinel was a newspaper produced in Woodhull and came out weekly on Thursdays. The paper closely followed gas wells as they were formed in the area from the Oriskany Sand. An example of wells being discovered can be found in a Woodhull Sentinel article in June of 1931 where it reported that the Avah Allen land in Rathbone had a well drilled that was running a 1.5 million cubic foot flow.
Shortly afterward in July of 1931 the Sentinel reported that gas was struck on the Williams Farm in Woodhull. Many wells seemed to be established during these first few years in the 1930’s.
In July of 1932 a well was formed in the center of the village next to the CJ Davis Store. This well provided fuel for the store and perhaps neighboring buildings for a fee.
Often the wells established had such a robust flow, they were hard to cap off due to the enormous pressure.
In 1949 after the heyday of gas discoveries under the town, Mayor John Colvin incorporated the Woodhull Gas Company to provide natural gas to its residents and outlying communities. This occurred when much of the gas had depleted enough that larger companies were no longer interested, and gas storage formed underground.
Woodhull Fire Department and Ambulance Corps.
Many communities in our area rely entirely upon volunteers to provide fire and ambulance service. These dedicated volunteers spend many hours in training, responding to calls and running the affairs of The Department. In the course of taking care of their town volunteers are called from their sleep and away from families at all hours of the day and night.
The Woodhull Fire Department was formed on November 13, 1913 with 41 members. It was reorganized on August 31, 1937 by a meeting of townsfolk. This was due to a need for a more
sophisticated fire protection in the Town, and the threat of increased insurance rates if a Department was not re-formed. The Woodhull Sentinel reports in their September 2, 1937 issue that Earle Peters presided over this meeting in the absence of Chairman Carl Carpenter. George Symonds was voted Chief with Larue Symonds as Assistant Chief. Present at that meeting was Harry E. Eldridge of Elmira, who was employed by the American Lafrance & Fomite Company and offered information to the Apparatus Purchasing Committee made up of George Symonds, Howard Husted and Arthur Hackett.
Over time the Fire Department expanded to ambulance service, purchasing their first ambulance in 1966, which was a 1956 Cadillac costing $500.00.
Eugene Cilley and his wife Pauline were instrumental in the formation and training of these new medics. The Corning Leader published an article on May 15, 1970 telling that a patient transfer was needed at a time when there were only female attendants available. Gene Cilley phoned the paper to make sure a photographer met with the “First All-Female Ambulance Crew” after the patient was delivered to Corning Hospital. Eugene was sure that this was the first one of its kind in Steuben County. His wife Pauline was part of that crew, as were Mildred Heckman, Patricia Carpenter and Kitty Midgett.
The Woodhull Fire Department and Ambulance Corp is now a Fire District and continues to be one of the largest departments in the area as far as membership count. It is also one of the most-well equipped, with trucks and equipment being upgraded as needed to enable this group of men and women to provide the best possible service to their community.
Woodhull Doctors
Woodhull has been very fortunate in its history to have several wonderful Doctors and Midwives serve the town. In the early days it was common to have 2 doctors residing here. Information is scarce on these early practitioners.
Dr. Eugene Webster and Dr. John Seeley were two early doctors. Dr. Webster was born in Tioga County PA. He was a teacher and a merchant before obtaining his medical degree at The College of Physicians and Surgeons at Baltimore.
Born in April 2, 1872, Dr. John Seeley attended both Woodhull and Addison High Schools. He obtained his undergraduate degree at Cornell University and his medical degree at the University of Pennsylvania. He returned to Woodhull to serve as its doctor along with Dr. Webster. During this time Dr. Seeley was heavily involved in politics of this region and nationally. He served in the State Assembly from 1911-12 and was State Senator from 1913-14. Dr. Seeley was said to be instrumental in building the road that connected Addison and Woodhull.
When his friend Alfred Smith was Governor, he appointed Dr. Seeley as the Deputy Narcotic Drug Director for the State of New York.
Dr. Seeley was also a friend of Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt and campaigned in his behalf for the Presidency.
Dr. Seeley died on October 31, 1932. This left Dr. Webster as the only doctor in town, and he was very ill at the time.
A search began for a Town Doctor and advertisements were place in many papers in this state and Pennsylvania. A Woodhull Sentinel article on November 3, 1932 indicated that “A prospect has visited this place several times but is undecided whether or not to settle in Woodhull”. We do not know but can assume that this candidate may have been the next doctor to come to Woodhull and leave a legacy that continues today.
Dr. Fayette D. MacDonald was born in Watervliet, NY on December 10, 1902. He attended Union University and The Albany College of Medicine. After interning in Rochester, he began practicing in Marion, NY where his attention was brought to an advertisement for a doctor in a community in the Southern Tier of New York.
Dr. MacDonald moved to Woodhull in 1934 and began a long and distinguished career serving Woodhull and surrounding communities.
“Doc Mac”, as he was affectionately called, soon became immersed in the town and its people. He was the Health Officer for Woodhull, Jasper, Rathbone, Troupsburg and Addison. He also served in the fire department – as Chief in 1950 and as President from 1950 until 1968.
A country doctor is not a job with regular or predictable hours, and Doc Mac was on call 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. In 1944 during a polio epidemic it was said that he saw as many as 80 people in a single day. It is estimated that he delivered over 900 babies in the area.
In 1968 Doc Mac retired due to failing health and left his beloved town to move to Connecticut where he passed away in 1973 at the age of 70.
Woodhull found itself without a doctor and began to search with little success. In 1974 Woodhull created a clinic named after Its revered doctor. The MacDonald Medical Center began under
the stewardship of Sister Scholastica and Joan Watkins. Both the Sister and Mrs. Watkins were “Nurse Clinicians”, which is equal to a Nurse Practitioner by today’s standards. A doctor visited once weekly, and Doctors in Hornell and Corning were tasked with test and order approval. Mrs. Watkins advised me that this was the first time in New York State that a clinic operated without a doctor on premises and was a very big deal at the time. We see this frequently today, but it began in Woodhull.
This clinic continues today under Diane Bathrick-Reed, and it’s waiting room of patients from near and far is often standing room only
Woodhull Today
At one time, a person need not go far for any need they may have. Whereas today’s residents travel 30 miles to buy groceries, clothing, household items and seek entertainment, 100 years ago all could be found within a short walk or ride.
Today, Woodhull is much less busy, as is the case with most smaller towns. Woodhull has a unique ability to remain a cohesive community that offers goods and services to it’s residents and
people from all over the state on a much smaller, and in some cases, specialized scale.
One of the oldest business’s still remains and rumor has it that expansion plans are underway, this being the Woodhull Cheese factory.
A large and successful farming implement dealer can be found at Lamb and Webster, Formerly Symonds Ford Service, which brings many to the area to deal with its dedicated sales and service staff.
The Baptist and Methodist Church buildings are still in wonderful repair and have combined congregations to enhance members and share costs and is now known as the Woodhull Community Churches under the ministry of Rev. Brian Diffenbacher. The Church established a well-run Community Center in the former grocery store on West Main Street that was built in 1860. This building had many proprietors selling goods thru the years, with names of Webb, Colvin, Davis and Kirk & Flint.
HP Smith & Son Insurance Agency and Funeral home may be the second in age only to the Woodhull Cheese Factory and are still serving the area with much success with it’s 5th generations of Smith’s, the last 3 generations being of the same family, and descendants of Caleb Smith.
Griffith Energy, formerly Davis LP Gas and Steuben LP Gas has been in business since 1948, and employs 20+ clerks, technicians and truck drivers.
The Community Bank NA Branch, the most modern building on Main Street does a brisk business, and a recently opened restaurant, Maryann’s Italian Kitchen occupies the old stone feed store with an ever- growing clientele and reputation.
Donna’s Main Street Market serves hot meals as well as grocery items in the former Hardware Store. W&W Grocery is down the road on route 417, 3 miles east of town, and their sub sandwiches are legendary.
There is also Morgan’s Auto Repair for automobiles and Scott’s Service for Small engine repair.
The Woodhull Cemetery Association is self-sufficient, having 2 full time groundskeepers on staff in the summer months, and on call for funerals. The Chapel at the Cemetery was built by The
Association by its President, Jeffrey Smith Jr (also a descendant of Caleb Smith) in 1967.
Last but not least is the Woodhull Raceway, begun by George Williams in 1965 with the assistance of his sons James and Bob.
Many family farms still exist, but few operate to the capacity that they once did. Some families have had to give up this way of life of many generations to find employment off the farm due to the economics of that once vital occupation.
Our Amish neighbors, who began coming to the area in the late 1980’s have added a wonderful community within our community. They are a hardworking group that remind us of days described earlier in this piece. The goods and services offered by the Amish are sought by many outside the area.
Woodhull has changed greatly since 1804, and some of family names of that day are gone. The people of Woodhull remain a caring and hardworking group. New family names have made their mark on recent history – names that some historian 100 years from now will tell tales of and provide stories
and photos that will seem remarkable to the modern thinking.
The settlement of Newville, now known as Woodhull, began with its first settler in 1804 When Daniel Johnson built his home here just West of the current village. This was a wild area during that time with trees so thick that travel was to be accomplished by the creek, either by raft or on the winter ice as there were no roads.
This part of New York State was so wild and densely forested that the Indians avoided it, perhaps entering only to hunt the abundance of game at that time. The hunting was excellent - including deer, bear, wolves and panther. Fish were also jumping out of the creek.
There were a few men before Daniel Johnson who came here to reap the reward of plentiful hunting for meat and furs, but who would soon move on without making a permanent mark on the
territory.
Official formation of Woodhull, named after General Nathanial Woodhull was done by an act of Legislature on February 18, 1828. Formerly part of Middletown it took lands from Rathbone, Troupsburg and Addison. Woodhull now includes the hamlets of Hedgesville and Borden.
Soon after Daniel Johnson, settlers who came to build their own homes included names such as Spears, Merlin, Tubbs, Stiles and Colvin. Homes at that time were built near Tuscarora Creek, which ran high and rapid.
As settlers increased in numbers it became necessary to harness resources in the area for the common good. The first settler to harness the power of Tuscarora Creek was Caleb Smith.
Caleb Smith moved here from Newton (which was to be later named Elmira) in 1806. He sold his property in Newtown for $1,300.00. These monies allowed him to purchase 1,700 acres in the Woodhull Territory. He moved his family of 9 Children here and built a home slightly west of the village on the creek. He soon constructed a dam which powered a sawmill and gristmill which greatly aided settlers in the area. These mills were said to be the first north of Williamsport.
The Caleb Smith Family was to prosper in the area, his descendants including Colonel Jeffrey Smith (Col. Jeffrey’s son Walter became a Merchant in Painted Post, co-owning Orr and Smith Hardware, served as Undersheriff in Steuben County and a term as Mayor there).
Hedgesville derives its name from Thomas Hedges, who came to the area in 1826 along with Worcester Perry. Mr. Perry had to clear a length of rough road to allow his wagons and two cows
passage. He left his family behind in order that he may construct his log home and ready the property. At this time not a tree had been cut on his land. The crude log structure that served as a home to his wife and children may have had no windows, and for it’s first few months a blanket as a doorway.
At its zenith, Hedgesville contained a church, a school, two general stores, two blacksmith shops, a mill and roughly 25 dwellings. It received tri-weekly mail from Rathboneville.
Borden, to the east of the Woodhull Village was first occupied around 1827 by John Brimmer. Soon others joined him, most notably Herman Greenslate. Although not the first inhabitant, Mr.
Greenslate built the first mill and was instrumental in town affairs. Borden was originally called the Greenslate Settlement. Eventually Borden was named after Asa Borden who was a Civil War Veteran.
Lumber was the chief commodity in the area at this time and was floated down Tuscarora Creek to where it made its way eventually to the Baltimore where lumber and shingles were in high demand.
As the town began to form, so also did business. In 1942 Walter Smith wrote “In 1875, the Village of Woodhull had more inhabitants than in 1942”. He went on to detail businesses present in
1875, which included 1 hotel, 2 drug stores, 5 general stores, 4 blacksmith shops, 2 wagon shops, 1 barber, 1 grist mill, 1 sawmill, 2 doctors, 2 lawyers, 2 hardware stores, 1 jeweler, 1 undertaker, 2 saloons, 2 Churches, 1 district school, 1 cheese factory, 2 harness shops, 2 cooper shops and 1 foundry.
Woodhull even had a Trotting Park, located West of the village - in the vicinity of Morgan’s Auto Repair today. It could be imagined that a great deal of courting, socializing and handshake business deals were made there.
It is very apparent that most needs of residents were met in their own town or village during this time.
The Fire of 1925
Many fires took homes and businesses in these early days, but none as bad as the fire that broke out in 1925. At this time the East Side of Main Street was equal to the West in terms of buildings and commerce and was called The Warner Block. This is where the Woodhull Office of Community Bank NA now stands.
A May 8, 1925 article in the Corning Leader states that “A fire of incendiary origin destroyed many buildings in the business section early this morning with a loss of about $12,000.00.”
Destroyed in the blaze, which originated in the Lantz house (vacant at the time) were HP Smith & Son Undertakers and Furniture Dealers, the Post Office, F.E. Prutsman Jewelers, and Brown & Co. Hardware Store. Storage building belonging to each were also lost. Properties on the west side of the street were damaged by the heat.
The fire of 1925 was never recovered from, as a few of the businesses never returned, while some moved across the street to resume operation. Many had insurance, but most did not have enough to cover their loss.
Schools and Churches
Woodhull was very progressive in its education and establishing houses of worship. The first church was the Baptist Church organized in 1825. The Woodhull Methodist Church formed in 1846. These churches have now combined congregations and are known as The Community Church of Woodhull. In 1831 the Hedgesville Presbyterian Church was formed, and in 1852 the Borden Freewill Baptist Church was organized.
A notable and colorful early inhabitant of Woodhull was Milo, or “Pick” Edwards. Mr. Edwards was born on February 12, ,1850 and was to serve the Area as both a Deputy Sheriff (3 Years) and a Trustee on the Town Board for 6 Years.
A tradesman, Mr. Edwards advertised in the October 15, 1900 edition of the Dramatic News publication for the Woodhull KOTM as follows;
“MILO EDWARDS -
Building mover and Stone Mason. Twenty-Five years’ experience in the business renders him competent to do anything in his line in first class order”.
Pick Edwards was a tall muscular man and had a quirky talent for high wire walking. It is said that on days of town celebration, he would string a line across Main Street and walk above the heads of all from one side to the other. Later he took his act up a notch by frying an egg during his stroll.
The Woodhull Methodist Church, now on the corner of West Main Street and Jasper Street, was initially located about 1/4 mile up the road. The Hurd Hotel has burnt by the creek, making a prime location available. The congregation wished to move the building closer to town to this lot, a great task for the relatively large building. Mr. Edwards listened to weeks of discussion by the Church Leaders as to how this was to be done, the cost involved and the risk to the building. At the end of his patience, Mr. Edwards took it upon himself to move the building in the dead of night; The town went to sleep on a Friday night and awoke the next morning to find the church in its current location.
Woodhull formed schools very early on, district schools as they were called, were in many areas of the town to enable ease of access to various areas. These were mostly one room structures with outhouses
Woodhull District schools numbered 15, and are as follows; Brady, Brown, Sly, Harder, Hurd, Borden, Hedgesville, Simon’s Hill, Lyons, Bebout, Norway Ridge, Owlville, Pulteney Hill, Judd and Camp Brook.
In the Village, a schoolhouse stood at the site of the current firehall. This was later to serve as the Town Hall and Library and was torn down in 1972 to make way for the current firehall.
The Woodhull Academy began in 1867, a 3-story building constructed in 1868. This was a frame structure that housed classrooms, an auditorium and the principal’s home. It is said that meals were served a short distance down West Main Street in the Baptist Church. The Woodhull Academy rapidly became a destination for learning and attracted students from all over the state who would pay tuition to attend and obtain a stellar education. A dormitory was next door and housed male and female students on separate floors. Many folks were certain to include attendance at the Woodhull Academy in their resumes as a high-water mark of their education.
The Woodhull Academy lasted only 10 years before being deeded to the Village in 1877 and becoming a district School.
The Academy building burnt to the ground in June of 1927.
In 1928 the current school building was built on the footprint of the old. The new school was a brick structure with columns on the front, and again was the pride of the town.
In July of 1969, under immense upheaval, the Woodhull School was closed, and students were annexed to nearby Addison. At this time, the only grades being taught at the school were grades K-6th. Junior and Senior High Students had already been attending Addison or Jasper Schools. This left the large school building vacant and the town much changed. Sports teams were gone, as were clubs. The daily sound of children and a place of employment for many townspeople now eerily quiet.
Now the School Building is the Town Hall, holding Board meetings, club activities, Woodhull Municipal Gas offices and the MacDonald Clinic. The Woodhull Community Band under the direction of Kathy Knowles has a newly renovated practice room in in the basement which once housed the kitchen and cafeteria.
The Town Hall keeps a building and groundskeeper on the payroll. The Town Hall is full of history, as it’s halls are lined with pictures of the graduating classes of the past along school trophies. Many current residents graduated from the school or can remember attending there until it closed.
Woodhull Gas Company
Although much information indicates discovery of Natural Gas in Woodhull in the late 1930’s, Natural Gas was being discovered all over our area of Steuben County. The Woodhull Sentinel was a newspaper produced in Woodhull and came out weekly on Thursdays. The paper closely followed gas wells as they were formed in the area from the Oriskany Sand. An example of wells being discovered can be found in a Woodhull Sentinel article in June of 1931 where it reported that the Avah Allen land in Rathbone had a well drilled that was running a 1.5 million cubic foot flow.
Shortly afterward in July of 1931 the Sentinel reported that gas was struck on the Williams Farm in Woodhull. Many wells seemed to be established during these first few years in the 1930’s.
In July of 1932 a well was formed in the center of the village next to the CJ Davis Store. This well provided fuel for the store and perhaps neighboring buildings for a fee.
Often the wells established had such a robust flow, they were hard to cap off due to the enormous pressure.
In 1949 after the heyday of gas discoveries under the town, Mayor John Colvin incorporated the Woodhull Gas Company to provide natural gas to its residents and outlying communities. This occurred when much of the gas had depleted enough that larger companies were no longer interested, and gas storage formed underground.
Woodhull Fire Department and Ambulance Corps.
Many communities in our area rely entirely upon volunteers to provide fire and ambulance service. These dedicated volunteers spend many hours in training, responding to calls and running the affairs of The Department. In the course of taking care of their town volunteers are called from their sleep and away from families at all hours of the day and night.
The Woodhull Fire Department was formed on November 13, 1913 with 41 members. It was reorganized on August 31, 1937 by a meeting of townsfolk. This was due to a need for a more
sophisticated fire protection in the Town, and the threat of increased insurance rates if a Department was not re-formed. The Woodhull Sentinel reports in their September 2, 1937 issue that Earle Peters presided over this meeting in the absence of Chairman Carl Carpenter. George Symonds was voted Chief with Larue Symonds as Assistant Chief. Present at that meeting was Harry E. Eldridge of Elmira, who was employed by the American Lafrance & Fomite Company and offered information to the Apparatus Purchasing Committee made up of George Symonds, Howard Husted and Arthur Hackett.
Over time the Fire Department expanded to ambulance service, purchasing their first ambulance in 1966, which was a 1956 Cadillac costing $500.00.
Eugene Cilley and his wife Pauline were instrumental in the formation and training of these new medics. The Corning Leader published an article on May 15, 1970 telling that a patient transfer was needed at a time when there were only female attendants available. Gene Cilley phoned the paper to make sure a photographer met with the “First All-Female Ambulance Crew” after the patient was delivered to Corning Hospital. Eugene was sure that this was the first one of its kind in Steuben County. His wife Pauline was part of that crew, as were Mildred Heckman, Patricia Carpenter and Kitty Midgett.
The Woodhull Fire Department and Ambulance Corp is now a Fire District and continues to be one of the largest departments in the area as far as membership count. It is also one of the most-well equipped, with trucks and equipment being upgraded as needed to enable this group of men and women to provide the best possible service to their community.
Woodhull Doctors
Woodhull has been very fortunate in its history to have several wonderful Doctors and Midwives serve the town. In the early days it was common to have 2 doctors residing here. Information is scarce on these early practitioners.
Dr. Eugene Webster and Dr. John Seeley were two early doctors. Dr. Webster was born in Tioga County PA. He was a teacher and a merchant before obtaining his medical degree at The College of Physicians and Surgeons at Baltimore.
Born in April 2, 1872, Dr. John Seeley attended both Woodhull and Addison High Schools. He obtained his undergraduate degree at Cornell University and his medical degree at the University of Pennsylvania. He returned to Woodhull to serve as its doctor along with Dr. Webster. During this time Dr. Seeley was heavily involved in politics of this region and nationally. He served in the State Assembly from 1911-12 and was State Senator from 1913-14. Dr. Seeley was said to be instrumental in building the road that connected Addison and Woodhull.
When his friend Alfred Smith was Governor, he appointed Dr. Seeley as the Deputy Narcotic Drug Director for the State of New York.
Dr. Seeley was also a friend of Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt and campaigned in his behalf for the Presidency.
Dr. Seeley died on October 31, 1932. This left Dr. Webster as the only doctor in town, and he was very ill at the time.
A search began for a Town Doctor and advertisements were place in many papers in this state and Pennsylvania. A Woodhull Sentinel article on November 3, 1932 indicated that “A prospect has visited this place several times but is undecided whether or not to settle in Woodhull”. We do not know but can assume that this candidate may have been the next doctor to come to Woodhull and leave a legacy that continues today.
Dr. Fayette D. MacDonald was born in Watervliet, NY on December 10, 1902. He attended Union University and The Albany College of Medicine. After interning in Rochester, he began practicing in Marion, NY where his attention was brought to an advertisement for a doctor in a community in the Southern Tier of New York.
Dr. MacDonald moved to Woodhull in 1934 and began a long and distinguished career serving Woodhull and surrounding communities.
“Doc Mac”, as he was affectionately called, soon became immersed in the town and its people. He was the Health Officer for Woodhull, Jasper, Rathbone, Troupsburg and Addison. He also served in the fire department – as Chief in 1950 and as President from 1950 until 1968.
A country doctor is not a job with regular or predictable hours, and Doc Mac was on call 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. In 1944 during a polio epidemic it was said that he saw as many as 80 people in a single day. It is estimated that he delivered over 900 babies in the area.
In 1968 Doc Mac retired due to failing health and left his beloved town to move to Connecticut where he passed away in 1973 at the age of 70.
Woodhull found itself without a doctor and began to search with little success. In 1974 Woodhull created a clinic named after Its revered doctor. The MacDonald Medical Center began under
the stewardship of Sister Scholastica and Joan Watkins. Both the Sister and Mrs. Watkins were “Nurse Clinicians”, which is equal to a Nurse Practitioner by today’s standards. A doctor visited once weekly, and Doctors in Hornell and Corning were tasked with test and order approval. Mrs. Watkins advised me that this was the first time in New York State that a clinic operated without a doctor on premises and was a very big deal at the time. We see this frequently today, but it began in Woodhull.
This clinic continues today under Diane Bathrick-Reed, and it’s waiting room of patients from near and far is often standing room only
Woodhull Today
At one time, a person need not go far for any need they may have. Whereas today’s residents travel 30 miles to buy groceries, clothing, household items and seek entertainment, 100 years ago all could be found within a short walk or ride.
Today, Woodhull is much less busy, as is the case with most smaller towns. Woodhull has a unique ability to remain a cohesive community that offers goods and services to it’s residents and
people from all over the state on a much smaller, and in some cases, specialized scale.
One of the oldest business’s still remains and rumor has it that expansion plans are underway, this being the Woodhull Cheese factory.
A large and successful farming implement dealer can be found at Lamb and Webster, Formerly Symonds Ford Service, which brings many to the area to deal with its dedicated sales and service staff.
The Baptist and Methodist Church buildings are still in wonderful repair and have combined congregations to enhance members and share costs and is now known as the Woodhull Community Churches under the ministry of Rev. Brian Diffenbacher. The Church established a well-run Community Center in the former grocery store on West Main Street that was built in 1860. This building had many proprietors selling goods thru the years, with names of Webb, Colvin, Davis and Kirk & Flint.
HP Smith & Son Insurance Agency and Funeral home may be the second in age only to the Woodhull Cheese Factory and are still serving the area with much success with it’s 5th generations of Smith’s, the last 3 generations being of the same family, and descendants of Caleb Smith.
Griffith Energy, formerly Davis LP Gas and Steuben LP Gas has been in business since 1948, and employs 20+ clerks, technicians and truck drivers.
The Community Bank NA Branch, the most modern building on Main Street does a brisk business, and a recently opened restaurant, Maryann’s Italian Kitchen occupies the old stone feed store with an ever- growing clientele and reputation.
Donna’s Main Street Market serves hot meals as well as grocery items in the former Hardware Store. W&W Grocery is down the road on route 417, 3 miles east of town, and their sub sandwiches are legendary.
There is also Morgan’s Auto Repair for automobiles and Scott’s Service for Small engine repair.
The Woodhull Cemetery Association is self-sufficient, having 2 full time groundskeepers on staff in the summer months, and on call for funerals. The Chapel at the Cemetery was built by The
Association by its President, Jeffrey Smith Jr (also a descendant of Caleb Smith) in 1967.
Last but not least is the Woodhull Raceway, begun by George Williams in 1965 with the assistance of his sons James and Bob.
Many family farms still exist, but few operate to the capacity that they once did. Some families have had to give up this way of life of many generations to find employment off the farm due to the economics of that once vital occupation.
Our Amish neighbors, who began coming to the area in the late 1980’s have added a wonderful community within our community. They are a hardworking group that remind us of days described earlier in this piece. The goods and services offered by the Amish are sought by many outside the area.
Woodhull has changed greatly since 1804, and some of family names of that day are gone. The people of Woodhull remain a caring and hardworking group. New family names have made their mark on recent history – names that some historian 100 years from now will tell tales of and provide stories
and photos that will seem remarkable to the modern thinking.