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74.701 151wi 1277565
M.L
GENEALOGY COLLECTION
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01152 7642
١
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2015
https://archive.org/details/biographicalport00garn_0
· W 7
:
BIOGRAPHICAL C
AND
PORTRAIT
CYCLOPEDIA
OF
NIAGARA COUNTY,
NEW YORK.
EDITED BY
SAMUEL T. WILEY AND W. SCOTT GARNER. Decd 1932-84 y Father of My wife Grace Vitã R. Hopuans
ILLUSTRATED.
GRESHAM PUBLISHING COMPANY.
PHILADELPHIA, PA. RICHMOND, IND. CHICAGO, ILL.
1892.
PRESSES OF M. CULLATON & CO., RICHMOND, IND.
medical -$27.50 - 9/9/64
PREFACE.
1277565
ISTORY and biography are inseparably connected, for history is the synthesis of biography, and biography is the analysis of history. History is philosophy teaching by example, and most of its important and useful lessons are derived from the lives of the men who shape and control the events of their day. Biographical history is history by induction, which is the natural and philo- sophical method. It is far more complete in its scope than the annals of public events, for in it is contained all the elements of history and the details of biography.
In the centennial year of the American Republic, it was appropriate and fitting that the representatives of the people in Congress assembled, should, by joint resolution of both houses, recommend to every city, town, and county, the duty of collecting for permanent preservation their local history and the biographies of their worthy citizens In the first century of our National life, the annals of town and county, and the indi- viduality of the citizen, were absorbed in the popular story of the State and the more masterful theme of the life of the nation; but in the second century of our existence as a nation, local history and biography have received a larger share of attention, although biographical history is yet in its pioneer stage. It was never systematically attempted in any county within the Empire State until 1891, when John M. Gresham, one of the publishers of this volume, became the pioneer in this line of work in New York, and issued the first cyclopedia of biographics ever published in the State.
Niagara county is worthy of especial notice, as it has developed from a forest region into one of the most beautiful, highly productive and wealthiest counties of the Empire State. Distinguished for the intelligence and culture of its citizens, blessed with a wonderful climate and a fertile soil, and possessing natural water power unequaled in the world, its future for unbounded prosperity and unlimited wealth is assured.
SURNAME FILE
vi
PREFACE.
No labor or expense has been spared in the preparation of the historical part of this volume, and the historian of the company, Samuel T. Wiley, made an extensive research among public and private documents in order to present a full and accurate account of what little is known of the Mound Builder and his works in this county.
The geology given has been compiled from reliable authorities; and the names of those from this county who fought for the preservation of the Union have been accorded ample space, for Niagara county's war record is one of which she may well be proud, as her sons served faithfully and with honor on a hundred bloody battle- fields, where many of them fell to rise no more.
Census statistics have been specially introduced to supply a feature that is wanting in nearly every county history published in the United States. While numbers are not the progress-measure of county-life, yet their rapid increase indexes every great stride in the development of a county's material resources; and their marked decrease chronicles every great drain by emigration. The condensed statistics of agriculture, manufacture, and wealth, will forcibly tell their own story without need of illustration or explanation.
Cotemporary history has been given in connection with ancestral history, and thus is presented the lives of the enterprising and progressive citizens of the county, from its formation down to the present time. Great care has been taken in the prepar- ation of these biographies, and the larger part of them have been written by the editors in charge of the work, though they have been assisted to some extent by others.
In this cyclopedia of biographies, presenting the life-record of so many worthy and enterprising citizens of the grand old historic county of Niagara, we would strive to incite its sons to aims of usefulness and lives of integrity, honor and distinction.
THE PUBLISHERS.
+
e
CONTENTS.
HISTORICAL.
PAGE.
PAGE.
Banks.
101
Census statistics
106
Cities, villages, and towns.
108
Cambria
110
Lewiston.
110
Lockport.
110
New Fane
111
Niagara
111
Niagara Falls village
108
North Tonawanda.
109
Pendleton
111
Porter
111
Royalton
111
Somerset.
112
Suspension Bridge village.
109
Wheatfield
112
Wilson.
112
Civil Roster, 1821-1879
59
Assemblymen
60
Congressmen
59
County Clerks.
61
County Judges.
61
County Treasurers
62
District Attorneys.
61
First Judges.
61
Members of Constitutional Conventions
62
Presidential Electors
62
Sheriffs
61
Civil Roster, 1821-1879, continued.
State Officers from Niagara. 62
State Senators
59
Surrogates
61
Hartland.
110
Civil War, The.
65-91
Twenty-eighth New York Infantry
65
Company A
65
Company B
66
Company C
68
Company I.
67
Company K
67
Forty-ninth Infantry, Company H.
68
One Hundredth Infantry
68-69
First Light Artillery, Company M
69
One Hundred and Second Infantry
69
Twenty-third Battery
70
Third Cavalry
71
Eighth Cavalry, Company E.
71
Fifteenth Cavalry.
72
Second Mounted Rifles
72
-
Company A
73
Company B
73
Company C
73
Company E
74
Company F
74
Company H.
74
Company I. 75
Company L
75
Company M.
75
viii
CONTENTS.
Civil War, The, continued. PAGE.
PAGE.
One Hundred and Fifty-first Infantry 76
Company B
76
Company F
76
Holland Land Company 52
Hydraulic Canal
103
Hydraulic Tunnel. 94
Indian Trade at Niagara. 36
Insurance
103
Inter-Colonial Wars 37
International Park at Niagara 96
LaFayette's Visit 63
Land Companies.
50
Lockport Water Supply Company 95
Morgan and Anti-Masonry. 63
Morris, Robert
53
Mound Builders
21 "
In Niagara County 24
Niagara County.
17-112
Agricultural Society. 102
Boundaries, etc. 17
Courts.
98
Medical Society
103
Present Officers of
97
Niagara Falls ..
19
Niagara Paper Box Works
98
Niagara Ship Canal
92
Organization of Towns.
59
Patriot War.
64
Post Offices
97
Population of New York, 1698-1890 113
Population by Counties, 1890 113
Press, The
101
Railroads
64
Revolutionary War
46
County Formation 58
County Home
103
County Supervisors
97
Erie Canal.
62
First Settlements
54
Fort Niagara.
40
French Explorations
32
Fruit Growing
92
Geology
18
Historic Points. 105
Company G
77
Company H.
78
Company K
79
Eighth Heavy Artillery. 79
Company B 79
Company D 80
Company E 81
Company F
82
Seventy-eighth Infantry 83
Ninety-sixth Infantry
83
One Hundred and Fifth Infantry
84
Company B 84
Company D
84
Company H.
85
Company I.
85
One Hundred and Thirty-second Infantry 85
One Hundred and Sixty-fourth Infantry. 85
One Hundred and Seventy-eighth Infantry
86
One Hundred and Seventy-ninth Infantry
86
One Hundred and Eighty-seventh Infantry.
. .
86
One Hundred and Ninety-fourth Infantry. 86
Nineteenth Independent Battery.
87
Twelfth Battery .
88
· Seventeenth Battery.
89
Fourteenth Artillery.
89
Twenty-fifth Battery, Light Artillery 89
Other Soldiers from Royalton 90
From Few Fane. 90
`Churches.
99
Established from 1815 to 1879. 100
Cornplanter
48
Joseph Brant.
47
Red Jacket
49
Savage Period -Indians.
27
Schools
98
State History
112
Town Clerks
98
War of 1812
57
ix
CONTENTS.
BIOGRAPHICAL.
PAGE.
Allen, Dr. A. Judson
444
Allen, Henry T
415
Allen, A. Frank A
588
Armstrong, William J
120
Armitage, James
350
Ashley, Eugene M.
274
Ashford, Charles H
630
Athearn, George F
574
Atwater, James
271
Austin, Ansel P
162
Babcock, Hon. Isaac H.
309
Babcock, Edward O.
534
Bachman, Peter D
473
Backer, Dr. Conrad
364
Baker, Andrew Jackson
247
Baker, S. Park
391
Baker, Flavius J.
425
Barker, George
179
Barnes, B. P.
282
Barnum, David L
457
Barton, Samuel G
469
Batten, George W
533
Beckrich, Nicholas.
618
Bellah, Joseph T
192
Bement, Benton, D.D.S.
237
Benham, Prof. Nathaniel L
404
Bennett, George W
592
Clark, Henry Wells.
167
Cleveland, Dr. Henry L
204
Cobb, Hon. Willard Adams
208
Cobb, Charles R., M. D
602
Bickford, Henry H
300
Cocker, William
305
Bingenheimer, Jacob
406
Coleman, Aaron,
467
Bishop, Frederick
466
Collette, Walton L.
240
Colt, Leander
497
Cook, Charles W.
236
Coon, Leander A
283
PAGE.
Coon, Frank S. A.
212
Cooper, John E.
214
Cornell, William H.
494
Cornell, Harry G .
187
Cosford, Thomas B., M. D 273
Craig, Frederick.
218
Crain, Walter L.
201
Cramton, Ellsworth H.
178
Cromley, Charles E
318
Cross, Washington H
480
Burrell, Myron L.
477
Cross, Sidney S
544
Crossman, Daniel
456
Cudaback, Asher T
537
Culver, William R.
258
Cushing, John J
320
Cusick, Capt. Cornelius C
634
Cutler, O. W.
554
Daggett, Fred B
266
Daley, Albert H.
626
Daniels, Rensselaer W
514
Darcy, Rev. Matthew J
265
Davis, Judge Cyrus E
325
Davis, Henry M
619
Davison, Robert.
229
De Graff, James H
319
Delano, Francis R
342
Dinan, William.
146
Dole, Charles L
258
Dox, Eldert Van W
584
Dudley, Frank A.
317
Dumville, Joseph
312
Durk, Henry
443
Easton, Dr. George H.
630
Eddy, George W ..
196
Eggleston, John W., Jr
468
Boore, Lewis Ą
565
PAGE.
Bradley, James C
519
Bradley, Joseph
520
Bristol, Dr. Lawrence W.
191
Brong, Daniel E
268
Bronson, Ira
384
Brown, Hon. Albert F.
194
Brown, William
610
Brown, Wesley P.
455
Brundage, James Theophilus
365
Buck, John H.
206
Burton, Isaac.
531
Butler, Mighells B.
566
Byam, William Jesse
556
Byron, Frank
176
Campbell, Robert N.
612
Carr, Joseph V
572
Carroll, Daniel C.
371
Chapin, George F.
505
Chapman, Harrison S
385
Chapman, Thomas M
290
Chase, John L.
200
Childs, James H. 125
Clark, Simon T., A.M., M.D ..
248
Clark, Harry M
400
Clark, B. Wheaton
163
Beverly, Ambrose S.
295
Bickford, John W., M. D
475
Bickford, Aaron
279
Bishop, John Pierce.
628
Blighton, William R .- V., M. D. 378
X
CONTENTS.
PAGE.
PAGE.
Ely, Hon. William Caryl
596
Hamblin, William
476
Hamlin, Andrew J
573
Hamlin, Frank J.
521
Jones, Walter
340
Haner, Peter.
183
Judd, Hon. Garwood L
375
Harrington, J. Charles
530
Harrington, Rev. Frank P., A. M 454
Haskell, Fayette.
169
Kaltenbach, Andrew
120
Haskell, Martin N
199
Haskell, John W.
375
Hawkes, Hon. John
211
Hayner, Andrew
447
Hays, Edwin
· 299
Kilborne, Horatio.
260
Helmer, Josiah Hammond, M.D. 381
Herschell, Allan
358
Herschell, George C .
354
Hibbard, Daniel V.
532
Hickey, Charles
349
Hill, Henry H.
137
Hines, Rev. Thomas F
490
Hoag, Francis
231
Hodge, John
242
Holly, Birdsill
419
Holmes, Hon. Alfred.
251
Homeyer, Henry.
624
Leake, Walter J ..
261
Leuppie, Frederick
487
LeVan, Lynford D-
508
Level, John Clayton.
590
Lewis, Alonzo B.
266
Hough, Walter D., M. D.
341
Locker, John M
330
Loomis, Warren H., M. D.
301
Low, James
337
Mabee, Marcus
157
Macbean, Alexander
377
Mack, John E.
213
MacKenna, Joseph.
500
Maloney, Edward.
603
Markle, John G.
465
Martin, Aaron
298
McCoy, Warner H.
254
Jackman, William J.
429
McCollum, S. Wright
240
Jeffery, David A.
437
McCormick, Samuel C
508
Jenney, William E.
262
Johnson, Charles W
172
PAGE.
Johnson, Wallace C.
599
Johnson, Frank E.
435
Evans, William F
559
Evans, Edward
416
Fales, Henry M
440
Faling, Peter, M. D
446
Fassett, Theodore S.
525
Felton, Benjamin F
615
Fenton, Harry J
185
Ferguson, Robert A
563
Fisk, Alfred D.
593
Flagler, Captain Benjamin
398
Flagler, Hon. Thomas Thorn. .
177
Fleming, John
484
Foote, John, M. D
347
Fraser, Hugh.
577
Frazer, William A.
582
Freeman, Benjamin F
285
Freeman, John G
546
Freeman, Philip.
316
Frehsee, Julius
453
Frost, Henry H
485
Gardner, Amos H
598
Gaskill, Hon. Joshua.
196
Gaskill, F. U., M. D.
620
Gaskin, Thomas
291
Gassler, William F.
486
Gaunt, Jacob.
438
Gentz, John.
575
Geyer, Sebastian.
541
Huggins, William L., M. D
631
Gillette, Hon. L. Parsons
616
Hulett, Judge Theodore G.
366
Goerss, Hon. Christian F.
417
Humphrey, Paschal S.
348
Gordon, Hon. Lewis P
288
Gould, William B., M. D
410
Hunt, Hon. Washington
117
Grant, Alexander
321
Graves, Captain Seldon E.
259
Grill, Rev. Wendell J
267
Jack, John
449
Habecker, Benjamin J
116
Habecker, Franklin D.
161
Hackett, Justice W
617
Haight, Jacob S
497
Kage, William J.
622
Kavanagh, Rev. Patrick Vincent 586
Keep, Charles
383
Kent, Alexander Granger
255
Keys, Frank E.
473
King, Patrick F
488
Kinsley, Myron H.
414
Kirk, Dr. William M
362
Knapp, Franklin L., M. D.
450
La Bar, John W.
470
Lammerts, John C.
403
Lamont, Walter L
150
Lamont, Hon. George D.
150
Lane, William, M. D.
553
Lanigan, Rev. James A.
143
Honeywell, Charles E.
479
Hoover, George.
581
Horne, Hon. Walter P.
262
Hotaling, Irving W., M. D.
503
Howard, Henry C
130
Hoyt, William D
226
Hubbs, Henry.
571
Hunting, Moses S.
210
Huston, William E.
518
McDonald, Edgar C.
361
McDonough, Mark.
272
Emert, William
543
xi
CONTENTS.
PAGE.
PAGE.
Phalen, William
443
Phillips, David.
345
Phillips, Hiram A.
581
Philpott, William A., Sr.
569
Simmons, Edward
223
Philpott, William A., Jr.
522
Skeels, John
281
Smith, Frank E
483
Smith, E. Ashley
264 and 578
Smith, George P
576
Sommer, Frederick
230
Pool, Hon. William
328
Spalding, Harvey D.
207
Porter, Gen. Peter Buel
123
Porter, Col. Peter Augustus
124
Porter, A. Augustus.
551
Potter, Hon. Alvah K.
322
Spalding, Timothy S
220
Spilman, John
606
Spooner, John J. B
327
Stanton, Byron C.
625
Staples, Rev. Asahel
286
Sterritt, William J.
202
Stevens, Garwin B.
605
Stevens, Edmund E.
459
Stowell, Perry
238
Strong, Hiram
197
Sult, Stephen.
184
Sweeney, Hon. James, Sr.
127
Sweeney, John.
600
Tabor, Hiram B., M. D.
529
Tabor, Fred. M.
119
Taylor, Abram
277
Taylor, Edward J.
221
Taylor, George B.
627
Taylor, James
629
Taylor, John H.
139
Terrill, Edwin.
513
Tompkins, Elijah
137
Tompkins, Samuel.
135
Tower, Harmon B
561
Tower, Peter S
297
Townsend, Daniel J
591
Triechler, Salome ( Reese)
601
Triechler, Samuel.
601
Pierce, George H.
545
Sheldon, Capt. Hazard H.
495
PAGE.
Shepard, William
408
Shippen, John
210
Silsby, William C.
160
McGarigle, Thomas E.
372
McLean, John.
331
McMaster, T. James
489
McParlin, Lawrence J
217
Merritt, John A
257
Millar, Hon, David
252
Milliman, Edward A
433
Montgomery, Frederick R.
225
Montgomery, Joseph
483
Moore, James
464
Moote, George L.
126
Morgan, Alfred
232
Morse, George.
393
Morse, James M.
609
Mossell, A. A.
117
Moyer, Frank J., D.D.S.
216
Mundie, John
633
Murphy, Daniel H., M. D
170
Murphy, James H
517
Murray, John T
235
Nichols, Eli S.
509
Nielson, Hans.
400
Noble, John
249
Nye, George F
489
Odell, Charles W
222
O'Loughlin, Cyrus J
589
Outwater, Tunis
149
Owen, Charles N
346
Owen, James Winchell.
564
Parrish, George D.
542
Payne, Col. Lewis S
386
Pearce, Robert.
219
Pease, A. Douglass
279
Perrigo, Frank H
622
Perry, Harrison
520
Peterson, Jesse
215
Petit, William O
276
Petit, Samuel H.
273
Seaman, William
278
Seeley, Hezekiah.
128
Shaeffer, Jesse.
253
Pfetsch, John.
494
Pike, Leroy B.
159
Piper, Hon. Sherborne B
580
Piper, Charles H., Sr
567
Pound, Hon. John E.
302
Pound, George W
332
Putman, Henry
556
Ransom, William H. H
610
Richmond, Hon. William
193
Ringueberg, Eugene N.S., M.D. 392
Robertson, Hiram A
224
Roberts, James Z.
560
Robinson, Thomas W
595
Robson, James K.
292
Root, Elias.
623
Root, Sylvester G.
228
Rose, Colonel George P
498
Rosenmüller, Rev. George F.
426
Rowe, Jay S.
227
Rubbert, John.
619
Russell, Edward E.
115
Ryan, Michael
310
Saleno, Stephen Vincent.
136
Samways, William.
538
Sanborn, Hon. Lee R.
570
Schoellkopf, Arthur
420
Schroeder, Max H.
252
Scovell, Oliver P
189
Pettebone, Lauren W
190
Pomroy, Solon S
549
Spalding, Franklin
140
Spalding, Lewis H
283
Spalding, Linus
205
Turner, Edward J
175
xii
CONTENTS.
PAGE.
Van Horn, Hon. Burt 306
Van Horn, William 214
Van Horn, Theodore H.
118
Van Valkenburg, Daniel A
460
Van Wagoner, John.
579
Vedder, James.
424
Viedt, Lieutenant Louis. 204
Vogt, Jacob J.
338
Wagoner, Martin
186
Wallace, Dr. William H 335
Walsh, John D
445
Walsh, Matthew
181
Walsh, Patrick
308
Walter, Peter D.
405
Ward, Joseph A
329
PAGE.
PAGE.
Ware, Henry Scott. 148
Warner, Thomas E
275
Warren, Franklin.
239
Williamson, Edward E 178
Wilmer, Joseph S. 311
Winter, Conrad J. 188
Wisner, Rev. William C., D.D., 200
Weaver, Frank Phelps
270
Webster, William C.
458
Welch, Thomas V.
287
Wells, Mark.
439
Wendell, Martin
437
Wheeler, Col. William.
506
Wheeler, Edward S.
608
Whitmore, William Wallace
164
Whitney, Solon M. N
397
Whittaker, Fletcher S.
475
Young, Byron B.
479
Young, Robert D
567
e
.
Works, James W. 604
Wright, George K 182
Wright, Oliver C.
632
Wickham, George A
269
Willey, Wilfred E 611
Williams, William A. 407
Wattengel, Martin J.
363
Weatherwax, Chauncey J
434
Witbeck, Matthew. 133
Wood, Warren C., M. D 134
Woodford, Henry E 315
Woolworth, William H.
336
xiii
CONTENTS.
ILLUSTRATIONS.
PAGE.
PAGE.
Arcade Building and Postoffice, Niagara Falls, facing 403
Kinsley, Myron H.
facing 414
Armitage, James. 350
Kinsley, Myron H., residence of 415
Barker, George ..
180
..
Knapp, Franklin L., M. D 450
Beverly, Ambrose S. 295
La Bar, John W., Sr 470
Blighton, William R .- V., M. D 378
Lammerts, John C 403
Brundage, James Theophilus. 365
Lamont, Judge George D 150
Byam, William Jesse.
556
Lamont, Walter L. 157
Lamont, Walter L., residence of
157
Cross, Washington H. facing 480
Cudaback, Asher T. 537
Milliman, Edward A. 433
232
Delano, Francis R. 342
Niagara County Court House.
59
Dumville, Joseph.
312
Niagara Falls. 17
Fales, Lieut. Henry M 440
Payne, Col. Lewis S. 386
190
Felton, Benjamin F 615
Peterson, Jesse.
215
Flagler, Hon. Thomas Thorn 177
Potter, Hon. Alvah K.
322
Freeman, John G 546
Pound, Hon. John E
302
Gordon, Hon. Lewis P. 288
Schoellkopf, Arthur.
420
Gould, William B., M. D. 410
Shaeffer, Jesse
253
Herschell, Allan 358
Smith, E. Ashley
264
Herschell, George C.
354
Smith, Fassett & Co., office of
526
Hines, Rev. Thomas F
490
Spalding, Franklin
140
Hodge, John. 242
Sult, Stephen 184
306
Hulett, Judge Theodore G. 366
Van Valkenburg, Daniel A.
460
Kaltenbach, Andrew 120
Whitmore, William Wallace. 164
Kaltenbach Hotel on 120
Whitney, Maj. Solon M. N ..
397
Clark, Simeon Tucker, A. M., M. D. on 248
MacKenna, Joseph. 500
Cudaback, Asher T., residence of 538
Morgan, Alfred
Fassett, Theodore S. 525
Pettebone, Lauren W.
Howard, Henry C .. 130
Van Horn, Hon. Burt.
1
FROM A PHOTOGRAPH BY GEORGE BARKER
NIAGARA FALLS.
HISTORICAL SKETCH
-- OF-
NIAGARA COUNTY, NEW YORK.
Boundaries and Area -Geology -Niagara Falls-
Mound-Builders -Indians -French Explorers - Inter colonial Wars - Fort Niagara -Revolution- ary War -Land Companies-First Settlements- War of 1812-County Formation and Civil Ros- ter- Erie Canal-LaFayette's Visit - Morgan and Anti-Masonry -Patriot War-Railroads - The Civil War- Fruit Growing - Niagara Ship Canal Hydraulic Tunnel - Schools, Churches, and Banks -The Press, Political History, and Census Statistics - State History.
HILE it is not within the scope of a work of this character to treat ex- tensively of history, and while its limits are always such as to preclude the allowance of space sufficient for history in detail; yet the publishers have concluded to record, briefly, the important events of this old and progressive county, and give succinctly what little is known of the different races that lived, loved and warred on its territory prior to the advent of the white man in western New York, ere proceeding to the record of the biographical sketches of its leading citizens.
A portion of this historical matter has been obtained at considerable expense and labor, with the intention of leaving a solid foundation upon which the future historian of the county can build a complete and com-
prehensive history, as well as being sugges- tive of some heretofore unused sources of historical information in regard to the aborigines and pioneers.
The historian of the future will have to subject many of the accepted historical facts of to-day to the closest inspection and most critical examination, and in order to do this successfully, in county as well as state or national affairs, he must be well acquainted with all the sources of information available. In the necessarily brief historical sketch which follows, accuracy has been aimed at, even when it has destroyed cherished tradi- tions or erroneous accounts of prominent historians.
NIAGARA COUNTY, New York, lies between the forty-third and forty-fourth degrees of north latitude; and between seventy-eight degrees and thirty minutes and seventy-nine degrees and thirty minutes west longitude from Greenwich, England, or between one degree and thirty minutes and two degrees thirty minutes west longitude from Wash- ington city. As a political division of the State, Niagara county is bounded on the north by Lake Ontario, which separates it from the Province of Ontario, Dominion of
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BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY
Canada ; on the east by Orleans and Genesee counties ; on the south by Erie county, from which it is separated by Tonawanda Creek and Niagara river, and on the west by the , counties of Welland and Lincoln, in the Province of Ontario, Dominion of Canada, from which it is separated by the Niagara river. In geographical position Niagara is the extreme northwestern county of the State, while its geographical center and center of population are not very far apart, and both are located but a short distance northwest of Loekport. Niagara county in the order of alphabetic designation is the thirtieth of the sixty counties into which the State of New York is divided. It has a computed area of five hundred square miles, or three hun- dred and twenty thousand acres.
The word Niagara is of Indian origin, and by some authors is said to mean "The Neck," but according to the Encyclopedia Brittanica the name Niagara means " Thun- der of Waters," being the invention of a tribe of. Indians who adopted it as their own designation and as descriptive of the Falls of Niagara, situated within their territory. The following spellings of this name arc given in the History of Niagara County : Niagara (French), Iagara, Iagare, Jagara, Jagare, Jagera, Niogaro, Niagra, Niagro, Oakinagro, Ochiagra, Ochjagara, Oetjagara, Ochinagearo, Oneageralı, Oneigra, Oneygra, Oniagara, Ongagerae, Oniagorah, Oniagra, Oniagro, Onjagara, Onjagera, Onjagora, On- jagore, Onjagoro, Onjagra, Onnyagaro, Ony- agara, Onyagare, Onyagaro, Onyagoro, Onyagrars, Onyagra, Onyagro, Oneygra, Oneagorah, Yagero and Yangree in English works. The name as now spelled, Niagara, first appeared on Coronelli's map of 1688. One account as already given makes the word of Indian origin, and credits it to
the Niagaras, while yet another account is in existance which gives its creation to the Mohawks. Marshall says the name Niagara is the "oldest of all the geographical terms which have come down to us from the aborigines (Indians)."
Geology .- The geological structure of the county, as understood at the present time, shows that its underlying rocks belong to the Upper Silurian age, of which we append a tabular view as it exists in New York along the southern shore of Lake Ontario:
UPPER SILURIAN AGE.
1. Upper pentamerus limestone.
I. Helderburg group.
2. Scutella limestone.
3. Delthyrus limestone.
4. Lower pentamerus limestone.
5. Water lime.
II. Salina group (local). "Onondago Salt Group."
1. Niagara limestone.
III. Niagara group.
2. Niagara shale.
3. Clinton limestone.
4. Clinton shale.
IV. Medina group. 1. Medina sandstone.
2. Oneida conglomerate.
Commencing at the base of the geological column in Niagara county it seems that the Oneida conglomerate is wanting or else exists in such slight quantities as not to have drawn the attention of observers.
The Medina sandstone causes the level surface of the country for several miles back from Lake Ontario. Dr. A. Walter Tryon, from whose geologieal sketch of the county we have derived some valuable in- formation, divides this Medina sandstone into four bands: 1. Red marl, in which no fossils are found; 2. Gray quartzose, ex- tensively quarried for flagging and paving stones, and contains valves of Lingula and other sheils; 3. Red shale; and 4. a gray terminal portion, variable in thickness and containing one fossil, Dictuolites Beckii, a remarkable seaweed which grew abundantly
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OF NIAGARA COUNTY.
during this period. The waters of the Archean ocean once rolled over the territory of Niagara county, and the different strata of the Medina sandstone preserve the record of the rise of that great ocean bed in north- western New York, where in this sandstone is revealed the ripple and wave marks of ocean and the sun cracks and rain drops when the sea bed was left bare by the re- ceding waters. No minerals excepting iron and salt occur in this sandstone, and they are not in sufficient quantities to work.
The next group is the Niagara group, which Dr. Tryon divides into the Clinton and Niagara epochs, but we prefer to follow the older and more general order of the geologists while we condense much of the Doctor's valuable information to make our sketch full and complete. The Clinton shale is only a few feet thick, of a greenish color, and contains one fossil, Agnotus Latus. Next in order comes the Clinton limestone, which Dr. Tyron calls the Pentamerus lime- stone, and which is largely magnesian, while it forms many plateaus at the base of the Clinton shale hills. The county court house is situated on one of these limestone plateaus, which clearly indicate a wide- spread ocean, in which they were formed in shallow water under a tropical climate.
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