Junius

• The Town of Junius was established in 1803 and once covered a vast portion of northern Seneca County, including present-day Waterloo, Tyre, and much of Seneca Falls.
• Junius was named by clerk Robert Harpur after either the Roman writer Junius or the Roman patriot Lucius Junius Brutus.
• Pioneer settler Thomas Beadle arrived in Junius in 1795, helping establish one of the earliest communities in the region.
• The hamlet of Dublin received its name from Irish immigrant Joseph Moody, who wanted to create a reminder of Ireland’s capital city in his new home.
• In 1805, David Southwick operated the town’s first sawmill on Lot No. 29, supporting the rapid growth of framed homes and businesses in the area.
• By 1875, the Town of Junius had eight school buildings serving 474 students between the ages of 5 and 21.
• The oldest known burial in Junius was Mrs. Submit Southwick, who was interred in 1802 near the Southwick schoolhouse cemetery.

• Thomas Beadle became the first known pioneer settler of the Town of Junius in 1795, helping establish one of Seneca County’s earliest communities.
• David Southwick arrived in Junius in 1798 and later served as a major during the War of 1812 while also helping develop the town’s early industry and sawmills.
• Samuel Southwick settled in Junius in 1800 and became known for constructing some of the community’s earliest framed buildings.
• Joseph Moody operated an early store in Junius and gave the hamlet of Dublin its name as a tribute to Ireland’s capital city.
• Ruby L. Gilbert was associated with the Women’s Christian Temperance Movement and became identified with the nationally recognized White Ribbon movement.
• Emma L. Shaw worked as a tailor and farmer before becoming a juvenile literature editor and associate editor of Good Health magazine.
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Although it is the second-smallest town in Seneca County by population, the Town of Junius has a rich and expansive history. For many years, its boundaries stretched from the Seneca River north to Lake Ontario and included all of the present-day towns of Waterloo, Junius, and Tyre, along with much of Seneca Falls.

The pioneer settler of Junius was Thomas Beadle in 1795. David and Jess Southwick, along with Ebenezer H. Moore, arrived from Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1798. As additional settlers moved into the area, skilled tradesmen became essential to the growing community. Samuel Southwick, who settled in Junius in 1800, worked as a carpenter and quickly became known for constructing framed buildings. Purchase Roberts, who arrived in 1808, established a blacksmith shop east of Dublin. The town’s first sawmill was built and operated by David Southwick in 1805 on Lot No. 29.

Philander Woodworth opened the first store in Junius by at least 1808. Shortly afterward, two men named West and Martin opened another store in Dublin, later succeeded by Joseph Moody in 1821. Moody, an Irish immigrant, sought to create a reminder of Ireland’s capital city and gave the small settlement the name “Dublin.”

Other early businesses included Norris, Root & Co., a tannery and shoe shop established in 1820. Nearby, Severus Swift opened a small distillery in 1812. By 1875, Dublin included one store, one tavern, two blacksmith shops, two wagon shops, 25 houses, and approximately 100 residents.

The first physician in Junius was likely Dr. Welles around 1812, followed by Dr. Lyan Ely, who began practicing in the town in 1814.

The oldest cemetery in Junius is located on Lot No. 29 near the Southwick schoolhouse. The first recorded burial was Mrs. Submit Southwick, who died on May 22, 1802.

The Town of Junius enumeration completed on July 12, 1875, identified 283 dwellings, 296 families, and a population of 1,318 residents. According to the 2020 census, the town’s population was 1,370.

(Excerpts adapted from the written history of Junius by Walter Gable.)