Perry H. Hinsdell

Perry H. Hinsdell Family

The maps above represent a small area in the northeastern portion of Salina Lot 3. The map on the left is from an 1874 atlas of maps of Onondaga County. The map on the right is from a 1927 Onondaga County Atlas that depicted the detailed residential lots. The pink area in the right hand map is a portion of the Hinsdale Farms Tract that became the hamlet of Hinsdale, which still maintains its unique existence, separate of Mattydale. The 1874 map indicated a structure that was probably the residence of Perry H. Hinsdell. It was most likely located at what is now the southeast corner of the intersection of Hinsdale Road and Brewerton Road. The small structure on that corner, as seen in the 1927 map, is probably not the old Hinsdell homestead and so far no pictures of the Hinsdell homestead have been discovered. 

Connection to Mattydale

In 1846 Perry Hinsdell and his brother Eli purchased land in Salina Lot 3. Over the years Perry bought and sold quite a few parcels of land on Lot 3 in Salina and on Clay Lots 79, 90 and 91. However, it was the purchase of Miles Adams' land in 1867, after the death of Miles' son Willard, that brought Perry Hinsdell into Mattydale proper, or stated more correctly, brought him into present day Hinsdale. In 1870 the Benjamin W. Baum and the Perry H. Hinsdell families were living practically across the Cicero Plank Road from one another. They each had four children that were of approximately the same ages. This would ensure that the families more than likely interacted with each other.

Family History

Where did they originally come from

"David Hinsdell, a native of Salisbury, Conn., born June 30, 1754, lived in Galway, Saratoga county, N. Y., from 1787 to 1795..." [Bruce 1896, p. 708]

Where did they initially settle

"...when he [David Hinsdell] removed to Pompey, and settled on his purchase of one-fourth of lot 6. In September of the year last named [1795], he sent his oldest son, Moses, then eighteen, to Pompey to build a house which the family could occupy the coming winter. The house was completed and the family came on in February, 1796." [Bruce 1896, p. 708]

Moses was the father of Perry Hinsdell and Perry was born on April 21, 1820, in Pompey NY.

Family connections

Perry's sister Eliza married Lyman B. Pitcher in 1839 and they lived for a while on a farm in Pompey. They moved to Salina in 1845 and settled in the northern part of Lot 3. Perry and brother Eli followed in 1846. Perry Hinsdell's married his first wife, Sarah Isabell Adams, the daughter of Miles and Isabell Adams, his neighbors on Salina Lot 3, in 1847.

In 1907, when Perry Hinsdell died he had only one surviving child, his daughter, Cora Etta Dyer. Only one of his four sons had married and he died within 15 months and left no children. Cora and Leroy Dyer had only one son, Harold Dyer, and Harold only had two children: Thomas and Sarah Dyer. Perry Hinsdell had come from of family of 10 children, however, these were his only descendants.

Property History

This parcel of land, that later became Hinsdale, was purchased by Miles Adams from Ashbel Kellogg in 1839. Miles sold it to his son Willard in 1863 but Willard died soon after. In 1867 Miles sold the land to Perry Hinsdell, his son-in-law, and Perry lived on it until he moved in with his daughter's family in 1901.

By examining some of the events that occurred in the final ten years of Perry Hinsdell's life, it might be possible to discover what happened to his real estate interests. In 1897 Perry bought the old Pitcher house and had it fixed up for his daughter and her family, who were moving back from Chicago. Perhaps the house was an inducement to encourage the move. In July 1899 Perry's sister, Eliza Hinsdell Pitcher, passed away. Now Perry was the last remaining member of the original 10 Hinsdell siblings. Six months later, Perry's 2nd wife, Ellen Fenner died on December 31, 1899. Eighteen months after that, Samuel Willard Hinsdell, his last surviving son, out of four, died on July 9, 1901. Now his daughter Cora Dyer was the last survivor of Perry's 5 children. At this point, at age 81, Perry moved in with his daughter's family. He might have begun to think about his own mortality and decided to take advantage of his still excellent health. Starting in 1902 and again in 1905 and 1906 Perry undertook long and extended trips around the US, seeing the sites, experiencing the different parts of the country and visiting with relatives and friends. [1902-09-08], [1905-08-07] and [1906-10-04]. At sometime between the Fall of 1901 and the Spring of 1902 Perry might have sold his land to be rid of the responsibility and to free up time and some money to finance his extended traveling.  

Without consulting the actual deeds this involves a little guesswork. Cora Hinsdell Dyer was Perry's only living heir at the time of his death she probably would have come into possession of any of his real estate holdings. In the settlement of Perry Hinsdell's estate, Cora received $15,000 but their was no mention of real estate [1907-03-19]. It is quite possible that Perry had sold it off prior to his death as speculated above.

The details of how the Hills Co. came into possession of the property by 1919 and opened it up for residential development in early 1920 needs a bit more research.

Notable Facts or Events

Perry Hinsdell's son William (Samuel Willard) was badly beaten by a gang while walking home on the plank road as he traveled through the no man's land between the railroad overpass and Ley Creek. [1899-07-09a]; [1899-07-09b]

NOTES:

[1899-07-09a] - "Beaten by Ruffians," The Post Standard, Syracuse, NY, Wednesday, July 9, 1899 - Part 1

[1899-07-09b] - "Beaten by Ruffians," The Post Standard, Syracuse, NY, Wednesday, July 9, 1899 - Part 2

[1902-09-08] - Nearly Ninety, He Travels 9,000 Miles For Pleasure," The Post Standard, Syracuse, NY, Monday, September 8, 1902.

[1905-08-07] - "Perry Hinsdell Home From A Western Trip," The Telegram, Syracuse, NY, Monday, August, 7, 1905.

[1906-10-04] - "Hinsdell, 86 Years Old Ends Two Months' Trip," The Post Standard, Syracuse, NY, Thursday, October 4, 1906.

[1907-03-19] - "Money For Temperance," The Syracuse Herald, Syracuse, NY, March 19, 1907.

[Bruce 1896] - Onondaga's Centennial. Gleanings of a Century, Vol I,  by Dwight Hall Bruce. The Boston History Company, 1896.