William Wickham is credited with being the first settler of European descent in Hector, coming to the area in 1791 from Orange County, NY. His wife Phebe (Rose) Wickham and a few young children--including son William Wickham--also came from Orange County. (More children were born to William and Phebe after their move to Hector.) William Wickham drowned on Nov. 2, 1800 (many sources say 1799--which makes more sense if he was age 52 as his headstone states) at the head of Seneca Lake while on horseback (most sources say at night) returning to his home at Hector from Elmira, NY.
A SHORT ARTICLE PUBLISHED IN THE WATKINS EXPRESS OF OCT. 14, 1925 REMARKING ON THE COINCIDENTAL DROWNINGS OF WILLIAM WICKHAM AND HIS GGG GRANDDAUGHTER, MARY ERWAY IN NEARLY THE SAME SPOT:
"In the year 1800 William Wickham, the first white settler of Hector was drowned in the inlet at the head of Seneca Lake while on his way home on horseback from Elmira, then called Newtown. There was no bridge but a sandbar was used to cross on. The horse stepped off and he and his rider were drowned. Mr. Wickham's body was recovered and buried on the farm home and later removed to the Peach Orchard cemetery where now reposes the remains of his descendants of the fourth and fifth generations. The young girl, Mary Erway, who was drowned last week near the same spot was a great, great, great granddaughter of the same William Wickham."
A SHORT ARTICLE PUBLISHED IN THE WATKINS EXPRESS OF OCT. 14, 1925 REMARKING ON THE COINCIDENTAL DROWNINGS OF WILLIAM WICKHAM AND HIS GGG GRANDDAUGHTER, MARY ERWAY IN NEARLY THE SAME SPOT:
"In the year 1800 William Wickham, the first white settler of Hector was drowned in the inlet at the head of Seneca Lake while on his way home on horseback from Elmira, then called Newtown. There was no bridge but a sandbar was used to cross on. The horse stepped off and he and his rider were drowned. Mr. Wickham's body was recovered and buried on the farm home and later removed to the Peach Orchard cemetery where now reposes the remains of his descendants of the fourth and fifth generations. The young girl, Mary Erway, who was drowned last week near the same spot was a great, great, great granddaughter of the same William Wickham."
William Wickham is credited with being the first settler of European descent in Hector, coming to the area in 1791 from Orange County, NY. His wife Phebe (Rose) Wickham and a few young children--including son William Wickham--also came from Orange County. (More children were born to William and Phebe after their move to Hector.) William Wickham drowned on Nov. 2, 1800 (many sources say 1799--which makes more sense if he was age 52 as his headstone states) at the head of Seneca Lake while on horseback (most sources say at night) returning to his home at Hector from Elmira, NY.
A SHORT ARTICLE PUBLISHED IN THE WATKINS EXPRESS OF OCT. 14, 1925 REMARKING ON THE COINCIDENTAL DROWNINGS OF WILLIAM WICKHAM AND HIS GGG GRANDDAUGHTER, MARY ERWAY IN NEARLY THE SAME SPOT:
"In the year 1800 William Wickham, the first white settler of Hector was drowned in the inlet at the head of Seneca Lake while on his way home on horseback from Elmira, then called Newtown. There was no bridge but a sandbar was used to cross on. The horse stepped off and he and his rider were drowned. Mr. Wickham's body was recovered and buried on the farm home and later removed to the Peach Orchard cemetery where now reposes the remains of his descendants of the fourth and fifth generations. The young girl, Mary Erway, who was drowned last week near the same spot was a great, great, great granddaughter of the same William Wickham."
A SHORT ARTICLE PUBLISHED IN THE WATKINS EXPRESS OF OCT. 14, 1925 REMARKING ON THE COINCIDENTAL DROWNINGS OF WILLIAM WICKHAM AND HIS GGG GRANDDAUGHTER, MARY ERWAY IN NEARLY THE SAME SPOT:
"In the year 1800 William Wickham, the first white settler of Hector was drowned in the inlet at the head of Seneca Lake while on his way home on horseback from Elmira, then called Newtown. There was no bridge but a sandbar was used to cross on. The horse stepped off and he and his rider were drowned. Mr. Wickham's body was recovered and buried on the farm home and later removed to the Peach Orchard cemetery where now reposes the remains of his descendants of the fourth and fifth generations. The young girl, Mary Erway, who was drowned last week near the same spot was a great, great, great granddaughter of the same William Wickham."
Inscription
William Wickham
died Nov. 2, 1800
AE 52 years
