New-York tribune., 1902-12-14
AN HISTORIC HOUSE.
Where One of Signers of Declaration OF lnde-
nendence Lived in Oneida County.

,-., w Dec Il (SpeciaD.-Ticking away in
an historic mansion in Westernville, ONEIDA Couh
ty is aged grandfather's clock ~hlch WIN s.e
New Year will have remained IN It's presen. p
ton one hundred years. The home, once that Oh
General William Floyd one of the sghers VI t,io
Declaration of Independence, has "eathereu INC
storms of century. and it is one OF the most III
teresting historical structures in Oneida county
The dwelling was originally built in the centre OIL
aA ten thousand acre tract of land. which was ac
uuired from the Indians by the treaty Oh LOO LII
the last century the lands owned Dy Gefeidi 10y
have been gradually sold. but there sun reiiiai
over four hundred surrounding the Ola hoihe
stead.
General Floyd born on Long Island in De-
cember 1884 and he died in 1921. He became d
member of the Provincial Assembly in 1774 and
Delegate to the Continental Congress. Tne Floyu
family because of the British victories on Long
Island fled to Connecticut. and remained there tor
about seven years. 1t was in 1903 that General
Floyd concluded brave the wilderness ana locate
in the central part of the State. He came 70
Oneida County and built the house which sun
stands and the generals family settled there soon
after The general became a conspicuous hgure IN
the region. and the town of Floyd north OF thls
city was named for him.
The Floyd family travelled overland from Albany
which was reached by a soop on the Hudson River
The general had many slaves, and there is told 10
day a good story about one of them the slave
was great fox hunter. One winter, at butcherinS
time, the general found hog, to all appearances
healthy but suffering from a disease. So he gave
the carcass to the slave for fox bait The general
told the slave to get big fox he could with
the hog. The village merchant was named Ely
and he was always wideawake for a bargain
After dark the slave carried the dead hog TO Ely
and sold ii. Ely discovered that he had been I'M
posed upon the next day and he pitched into the
general. The general. In turn, pitched into the
Slave, who replied: 'Massa. shuah dun JUS what
you told dis niger to dol caught the biggest fox
! could" ,
The Floyd mansion was always open. and its
hospitality known everywhere. When peace
was declared with Great Britain, after the war OF
1872, there big jubilee celebration Governor
Clinton, who a warm friend of General FLOYD
sent q messenger from Albany to tell the general
Game abounded In the vicinity. and the general
kept good stable of hunting horses to follow the
hounds
The old mansion is we'll preserved. and there
have been no changes. except necessary repairs
terror furnishings form feast for the lovers of
the antique. There rare pieces of furni-
ture imported from England over century ago
The age of the old grandfather's clock is not re-
corded 1t is of the oldest in the country
There portraits of Washington. Governor Cn-
ton, members of the Floyd family and copy OF
the Declaration of Independence. with facsimies
Of the original signatures. The bricks IN the fire
place were made in england and cost 25 cents
each They deep red in color.
II was here that Admiral SIcard. L. 5. N passed
many delightful days His death occurred there
years ago. Mrs Sicard visits the old man
every summer. and the caretakers guard care
fully the historic dwelling. which became the prop
erty OF Mrs. SiCard left 10 her by her father.
William Floyd the oldest OF the eight of
Nicholas Floyd the only of the general