Site of log house - Oxford, NY
Posted by: 
ripraff
N 42° 26.467 W 075° 35.753
18T E 450992 N 4698927
Benjamin Hovey's house by the river
Waymark Code: WMPG06
Location: New York, United States
Date Posted: 08/25/2015
Views: 1
text "New York site of log house built by Benjamin Hovey, 1790, who served in the revolution and was known as "father of the settlement"
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"The "Father of the Settlement" 1758-1811.
Benjamin Hovey was born in Oxford, MA, on September 12th, 1758. As a young athletic adult, he didn't let his limited education stand in his way. Benjamin Hovey was strong, smart and most importantly, ambitious. For nearly fourteen years he was deputy sheriff of the large county of Worcester, MA. He married Lydia Haven, and they began a family. He retired with credit and honor, and then got involved as a government leiutenant in the Shays' Rebellion, quieting the uprising. After that he decided to bring his young and growing family to the safety of New York State. First they went to the (present day)area of Unadilla. In November of 1791, he moved his family into a log cabin that he built in Oxford, or "upon lot No. 92 in Fayette".
This seems to have been a turning point in his career, as he became very successful in business. He named Oxford after his home town, and he became known as the "father of the settlement." He had many friends in high places which included the first NYS Governor, George Clinton, who, years later appointed him Brigadier General in the Revolution.
In 1793 General Hovey was the first Town Supervisor of Oxford, was also a member, for ten years, on the board of trustees of Oxford Academy and in 1798 he was a Member of the Legislature. He was one of the Judges in the formation of Chenango County. Aaron BURR was a member of the same session and they became good friends. Despite his abilities as a great promoter, he began to live beyond his means, and his family of seven children suffered at times. In 1804, he got involved as a company representative and investor ($1,500.)in Ohio with Gen. Wilkinson and U.S. vice-president, Aaron Burr. Their plan was to canal the Ohio at the falls, but it fell through with Burr's expedition down the Mississippi, which created a rupture between Burr and Wilkinson. This was Gen. Hovey's last business venture. He retired to the banks of Lake Erie and died in 1811."