Krums Corners History

Landon D. Krum cleared land and built his home c. 1845. His grandfather, Gysbert Krum, had received a military land grant of 100 acres in Slaterville and his son, Matthew, settled there. Krums Corners was once a thriving community including a tavern, blacksmith shop, school, general store and regular stop of the stage coach on the turnpike. A post office was established there before 1824 under the name Ulysses. It was discontinued November 17, 1856.

Walter and Isaiah Mekeel owned and operated a creamery which made butter and cheese in the late 1800's. These products were shipped to New York City and Philadelphia. The building contained two one thousand pound churns. Several skimming stations within a twenty­five mile radius separated the cream from the milk farmers had brought them. The business closed about 1915, but for a short period after that evaporated milk was made there.

Platt Smith settled on the Krums Corners Rd. between 1796 and 1800 coming from Walpeck, N.J. The first year he cleared the land and planted wheat. The next spring he built a cabin and brought his wife Hannah Schoonover and five children: Joshua, Peggy, Joanne, Mary and Elijah. Four other children were born here later: Benjamin Avah, Hannah and Robert. Mrs. Smith's father, Benjamin Schoonover, also moved here; he died in 1813. The land is presently farmed by the fifth generation, Harry A. and Charles B. Smith. A third brother was the late H. Walker Smith. Oxen were used in the farm work until 1936.

Monroe C. Babcock, founder of Babcock Poultry Farms, Inc., began his business in 1935 when he opened a one­man hatchery on borrowed capital in a rented store in Ithaca. During the first year of operations he sold more than 111,000 chicks. In 1937 he purchased a farm at Krums Corners and began development of the business which has progressed to one of the largest and most scientific poultry breeding farms in the world. It is a leader in the breeding and distribution of White Leghorn chicks known as "Babcock Bessies." His son Bruce M. Babcock became president of the firm in 1964. They presently employ between 180­200 people locally. Distribution of poultry seed stock is made through the use of franchise hatcherymen in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and other parts of the world.

Agri­Bio Corp., a subsidiary of Babcock Industries, Inc., constructed their first research building in Jacksonville c. 1968. In 1971 they were among the first four companies to obtain a U.S.D.A. Iicense to produce liquid Marek's disease vaccine used for poultry disease. On January 2, 1974 they became the first U.S. company to receive a product license to manufacture the vaccine in freeze­dried form. They also market other fowl and pigeon vaccines.

Other Ulysses communities: