Rutherford
The family of Rutherford is said to have been first established on the River Tweed in the Parish of Maxton, Roxburyshire, Scotland, at an early date. One Robert Rutherford appears in the records of Roxburyshire as early as 1140 A.D. .
The branch of the family with which we are concerned are descended directly from John Rutherford, of whom we know only that he was a resident of Roxburyshire late in the 18th century, and that five of his sons were among the earliest settlers of St. Lawrence County, N. Y. .
This county was first thrown open to settlement just before 1800. The first permanent settler in Waddington came in 1797.
In 1801 four brothers, sons of John Rutherford above, emigrated and were met in New York City by a Mr. Ogden, probably a David A. or Thomas S. Ogden, and were by him persuaded to visit Madrid. A large part of the township of Madrid as well as other townships in St. Lawrence County, was at that time the property of the Ogden family of New Your, and this land was sold at first for a price of two to three dollars per acre.
St. Lawrence County was of course then on the frontier, and the four Rutherford brothers and their families were two months in making the trip from Pittstown, N. Y. by the water route via Oswego.
These four brothers settled in that portion of Madrid later known as Waddington. At the time of their arrival there was but one house in Waddington. The purchased from the Ogden's, who were the original proprietors or grantees, one square mile of land lying a little to the southwest of the village, a section which has since been known as "Rutherford Ridge."
In 1803 and the following years numerous friends and relatives of these four brothers joined them in St. Lawrence County. Among these was a fifth brother, Joseph Rutherford (our ancestor) who, with his family, emigrated in 1819.
From the early days the Rutherford's were prominent in the affairs of their community, and the land they took up originally is largely in the hands of their descendants today.
When Madrid was organized in March, 1802 Thomas Rutherford was one of the original officers, being Overseer of Highways. Among the first trustees of what was afterward called the Scotch Presbyterian Church, organized in 1819 were Richard and John Rutherford. Joseph Rutherford was made an Elder of this church in 1821.
*The above information was provided courtesy of Earl Rutherford.
*Uncle Earl Rutherford:
A women's chickens across the street form Grandpa and Grandma Rutherford kept coming into their yard, so Uncle Earl soaked corn in whisky and fed it to the chickens at which time they passed out. The lady thought they were dead and picked them (cleaned their feathers,) when they came to she had to make sweaters for all of them.
While they were surveying across the plains for the railroad, he found a nest of baby squirrels so he brought them home to his sister (my grandmother,) and their cat Jetty had kittens which she deserted for the squirrels. The cat raised the squirrels and when they started climbing trees it drove her crazy cause she couldn't follow the squirrels.....
Then he found a nest of baby mice, brought them to Jetty the momma cat thinking she would take care of them, and she did, yum yum.....