Marshall Historical Society

Captain Julius Waterman
Ted Townsend, 1951

Captain Julius Waterman of the Deansboro Road invited me to stop in and look over the deed to his property. He has the original deed from the commissioners who represented the Brothertown Indians. It was written in longhand and signed by Asa Dick, a chief of the Brothertowns, after whom Dicksville was named. The deed included a saw mill and water rights.

The Waterman home was started by the Indians who erected the front section. Then the property was sold and the next owner built an "L".

The third owner added on a cross section as shown, and the fourth put on another "L". A fifth section used as a summer kitchen was added, just for good measure.

Captain Waterman took a small porch built by the Indians off the front and added the large side porch "tie the house together". The original house built by the Indians is still at the front left.

Captain Waterman, who served in the Spanish-American War, is known throughout the length and breadth of the Oriskany Valley as the owner of a couple of buffalo. These were secured in Canada and have been trained by the captain.

He has visited state and country fairs throughout the country with his buffalo, but now-a-days, he parks them on Route 20, and folks from all parts of the nation stop to see and photograph them. The buffalo have been spending the winter at the Waterman Farm "Along Willona Creek", and they are now trimming the lawn, before moving southward a few miles to summer stand.

They are shedding and the Captain says he is combing off the old hair. He gets a bushel or so at a brushing and this is sent to a manufacturer of flies for fishermen.


truck transporting bison Waterman oxen
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