"Born in the town of Ashford, Connecticut, Comfort at a young age tried to enter the military, eventually getting the nod from his parents, serving light duty in 1778 when he was only 14 years old. His time in the service was spent at West Point.
Tyler went on to Caughnawaga where he taught school and learned to become a surveyor, a profession that many young educated men thought would bring them income in the future in this developing new land.
In 1783 while at Caughnawaga he met General James Clinton who engaged him to help his party that was surveying the line between New York and Pennsylvania. It is shortly after this that Tyler fell in with a group that was speculating in the celebrated "Livingston Lessee Company". This company was trying to lease land from the Iroquois for terms of 999 years, a move that was against the Constitution of New York State that deemed itself the only party through which land could be deeded.
The state did not want to lease land since that would not extinguish the Indian land claims, and New York State's primary purpose was to move the Indians off west so that New York could sell the land for much needed revenue, and eliminate the settler – native people conflicts. Members of this scheme included many high-ranking Assemblymen, State Senators, and of course unwitting common men like Comfort Tyler. This scheme failed when not only challenged by New York but by Livingstone being insolvent and unable to pay out the money for the land he did lease in the western part of New York
After petitioning the state for some compensation the Legislature on February 4th of 1793 passed an act to direct the Land Office to give out an amount of vacant land for those that had lost their land. This land became known as the "Old Military Tract" (Town #3) and amounted to 64,000 acres.
Still only 23, and in the company of Major Asa Danforth, Tyler eventually reach what is today's Onondaga County and is noted by some historians as felling the first tree in the county and making the first clearing. In reality Comfort Tyler had now found his place in history. Tyler a favorite among the native people became the clerk for Onondaga, the first Supervisor of the Town of Manlius in 1794, and a member of the Legislature from Onondaga in 1798. Comfort Tyler was also instrumental in getting the Seneca Turnpike Road, and a number of bridges in the area of Cayuga Lake.
Of interest is that Tyler was always looking to make money in land speculation and it is at this junction of history here that he met Col. Aaron Burr and he became involved in another questionable land deal called "the southern expedition". Burr solicited investors in a land deal to buy thousand of acres of property, including New Orleans for a purpose that none of them knew, except as a way to make money. This was eventually considered a conspiracy on Burr's part to procure a huge slice of western land in an effort to start his own country. Burr was actually tried for treason because of this, but was acquitted."
Written by MARY Messere
Tyler died in Montezuma. He and his two wives were exhumed from there June 4, 1885 and removed to Oakwood Cemetery by his grandson Cornelius Longstreet.
Tyler went on to Caughnawaga where he taught school and learned to become a surveyor, a profession that many young educated men thought would bring them income in the future in this developing new land.
In 1783 while at Caughnawaga he met General James Clinton who engaged him to help his party that was surveying the line between New York and Pennsylvania. It is shortly after this that Tyler fell in with a group that was speculating in the celebrated "Livingston Lessee Company". This company was trying to lease land from the Iroquois for terms of 999 years, a move that was against the Constitution of New York State that deemed itself the only party through which land could be deeded.
The state did not want to lease land since that would not extinguish the Indian land claims, and New York State's primary purpose was to move the Indians off west so that New York could sell the land for much needed revenue, and eliminate the settler – native people conflicts. Members of this scheme included many high-ranking Assemblymen, State Senators, and of course unwitting common men like Comfort Tyler. This scheme failed when not only challenged by New York but by Livingstone being insolvent and unable to pay out the money for the land he did lease in the western part of New York
After petitioning the state for some compensation the Legislature on February 4th of 1793 passed an act to direct the Land Office to give out an amount of vacant land for those that had lost their land. This land became known as the "Old Military Tract" (Town #3) and amounted to 64,000 acres.
Still only 23, and in the company of Major Asa Danforth, Tyler eventually reach what is today's Onondaga County and is noted by some historians as felling the first tree in the county and making the first clearing. In reality Comfort Tyler had now found his place in history. Tyler a favorite among the native people became the clerk for Onondaga, the first Supervisor of the Town of Manlius in 1794, and a member of the Legislature from Onondaga in 1798. Comfort Tyler was also instrumental in getting the Seneca Turnpike Road, and a number of bridges in the area of Cayuga Lake.
Of interest is that Tyler was always looking to make money in land speculation and it is at this junction of history here that he met Col. Aaron Burr and he became involved in another questionable land deal called "the southern expedition". Burr solicited investors in a land deal to buy thousand of acres of property, including New Orleans for a purpose that none of them knew, except as a way to make money. This was eventually considered a conspiracy on Burr's part to procure a huge slice of western land in an effort to start his own country. Burr was actually tried for treason because of this, but was acquitted."
Written by MARY Messere
Tyler died in Montezuma. He and his two wives were exhumed from there June 4, 1885 and removed to Oakwood Cemetery by his grandson Cornelius Longstreet.
"Born in the town of Ashford, Connecticut, Comfort at a young age tried to enter the military, eventually getting the nod from his parents, serving light duty in 1778 when he was only 14 years old. His time in the service was spent at West Point.
Tyler went on to Caughnawaga where he taught school and learned to become a surveyor, a profession that many young educated men thought would bring them income in the future in this developing new land.
In 1783 while at Caughnawaga he met General James Clinton who engaged him to help his party that was surveying the line between New York and Pennsylvania. It is shortly after this that Tyler fell in with a group that was speculating in the celebrated "Livingston Lessee Company". This company was trying to lease land from the Iroquois for terms of 999 years, a move that was against the Constitution of New York State that deemed itself the only party through which land could be deeded.
The state did not want to lease land since that would not extinguish the Indian land claims, and New York State's primary purpose was to move the Indians off west so that New York could sell the land for much needed revenue, and eliminate the settler – native people conflicts. Members of this scheme included many high-ranking Assemblymen, State Senators, and of course unwitting common men like Comfort Tyler. This scheme failed when not only challenged by New York but by Livingstone being insolvent and unable to pay out the money for the land he did lease in the western part of New York
After petitioning the state for some compensation the Legislature on February 4th of 1793 passed an act to direct the Land Office to give out an amount of vacant land for those that had lost their land. This land became known as the "Old Military Tract" (Town #3) and amounted to 64,000 acres.
Still only 23, and in the company of Major Asa Danforth, Tyler eventually reach what is today's Onondaga County and is noted by some historians as felling the first tree in the county and making the first clearing. In reality Comfort Tyler had now found his place in history. Tyler a favorite among the native people became the clerk for Onondaga, the first Supervisor of the Town of Manlius in 1794, and a member of the Legislature from Onondaga in 1798. Comfort Tyler was also instrumental in getting the Seneca Turnpike Road, and a number of bridges in the area of Cayuga Lake.
Of interest is that Tyler was always looking to make money in land speculation and it is at this junction of history here that he met Col. Aaron Burr and he became involved in another questionable land deal called "the southern expedition". Burr solicited investors in a land deal to buy thousand of acres of property, including New Orleans for a purpose that none of them knew, except as a way to make money. This was eventually considered a conspiracy on Burr's part to procure a huge slice of western land in an effort to start his own country. Burr was actually tried for treason because of this, but was acquitted."
Written by MARY Messere
Tyler died in Montezuma. He and his two wives were exhumed from there June 4, 1885 and removed to Oakwood Cemetery by his grandson Cornelius Longstreet.
Tyler went on to Caughnawaga where he taught school and learned to become a surveyor, a profession that many young educated men thought would bring them income in the future in this developing new land.
In 1783 while at Caughnawaga he met General James Clinton who engaged him to help his party that was surveying the line between New York and Pennsylvania. It is shortly after this that Tyler fell in with a group that was speculating in the celebrated "Livingston Lessee Company". This company was trying to lease land from the Iroquois for terms of 999 years, a move that was against the Constitution of New York State that deemed itself the only party through which land could be deeded.
The state did not want to lease land since that would not extinguish the Indian land claims, and New York State's primary purpose was to move the Indians off west so that New York could sell the land for much needed revenue, and eliminate the settler – native people conflicts. Members of this scheme included many high-ranking Assemblymen, State Senators, and of course unwitting common men like Comfort Tyler. This scheme failed when not only challenged by New York but by Livingstone being insolvent and unable to pay out the money for the land he did lease in the western part of New York
After petitioning the state for some compensation the Legislature on February 4th of 1793 passed an act to direct the Land Office to give out an amount of vacant land for those that had lost their land. This land became known as the "Old Military Tract" (Town #3) and amounted to 64,000 acres.
Still only 23, and in the company of Major Asa Danforth, Tyler eventually reach what is today's Onondaga County and is noted by some historians as felling the first tree in the county and making the first clearing. In reality Comfort Tyler had now found his place in history. Tyler a favorite among the native people became the clerk for Onondaga, the first Supervisor of the Town of Manlius in 1794, and a member of the Legislature from Onondaga in 1798. Comfort Tyler was also instrumental in getting the Seneca Turnpike Road, and a number of bridges in the area of Cayuga Lake.
Of interest is that Tyler was always looking to make money in land speculation and it is at this junction of history here that he met Col. Aaron Burr and he became involved in another questionable land deal called "the southern expedition". Burr solicited investors in a land deal to buy thousand of acres of property, including New Orleans for a purpose that none of them knew, except as a way to make money. This was eventually considered a conspiracy on Burr's part to procure a huge slice of western land in an effort to start his own country. Burr was actually tried for treason because of this, but was acquitted."
Written by MARY Messere
Tyler died in Montezuma. He and his two wives were exhumed from there June 4, 1885 and removed to Oakwood Cemetery by his grandson Cornelius Longstreet.
Gravesite Details
Removed from Monetzuma
Family Members
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