First Settlers of Conesus, Settlement of Lots

From "History of the Town of Conesus Livingston Co., N.Y. From its First Settlement in 1793, to 1887", William P. Boyd Conesus, N.Y., 1887, Chapter VI, p. 51-58

Transcription courtesy of DunhamWilcox.net, transcribed by Jane Devlin. Used with permission.

USA > New York > Livingston County > Conesus > First Settlers of Conesus, Settlement of Lots

Nearly fourteen long years rolled away after Sullivan's campaign against the Seneca Indians before the whiteman first made a forest home in the wilderness of Conesus. This was in the year 1793. There are evidences that plainly show that there may have been one person who came here at an earlier date, - and is given my Mrs. Lucy PATTERSON, who came here in the year 1806 - as thus:

"When I came here, my father would take his horses from the northern part of Conesus, where we lived, over on Turkey Hill, to a small piece of ground that had been cleared several years before, to pasture. This place was known to the earlier settlers, and the "Olcott clearings". This piece of ground consisted of about five acres, which had been cleared and a log fence built around the same, and was at this time covered with grass. In the center there had been built a Log cabin, in which the settler had lived, which with the fence, had nearly rotted dow; showing that they had been built some years before."

Having no deffinite account of the person or who settled here, we will therefore have to give the honor of the event, to James HENDERSON, who came here from Pennsylvania, and made a permanent settlement at the head of the Conesus lake, upon lands now owned by B.F. and R.F. McMILLEN, in 1793. Here he built him a log house, and soon after brought his family, (consisting of a wife and several children,) to mingle their fortunes with him, in an unknown wilderness. The old log house, it is now said to be still standing, having passed through many storms, and housed many families since.

The next settler, is supposed to have been Hector McKAY, who it is said to have come (some of the old settlers differ in date) in 1795. He located upon lot No. 108, about three-fourths of a mile north of the village of Scottsburgh, where he built him a log house, and in the construction of the same, obtained the assistance of the friendly Indians of Squakie Hill to raise it.

The next early settlers, was Jacob DURHAM, in 1795, and Jessie and Jacob COLLAR, in 1796. After the entrence of these four pioneers the town began to become rapidly settled; and the sound of the woods-man ax, was heard from north to south, and east to west, and to day we can see what the sturdy hands of the Pioneer's have done for us.

We will now turn our attention to the first settlements upon the different lots in the town as given by the early settlers; which we will give who the original owners were, the number of acres was in the lot, the settlers name, and the year he built the first house upon the same. The name of the original owners, and the number of acres in each lot, was copied from an Old Map, drawn by John SCOTT, February 5th, 1821; and now is in the possession of Jotham CLARK, Sen., of this town.

Settlement of Lots

Lot No 2. A DUANE lot, 125.33 Acres. Was settled by him, and he built the 1st. Log House upon the same, in 1808 or 1809.
Lot No. 3. A SCOTT lot, 93.86 Acres. Was settled by William BENTLY, who built the 1st. Log House upon the same, in 1808 or 10.
Lot No. 4. A PULTENEY lot, consisting 142.25 Acres. The first settlement was made upon the same by Alexander PATTERSON, who built the 1st. Log House in 1814.
Lot No. 5. A SCOTT lot, 145.86 Acres. Was settled by Jabez LEWIS, who built the 1st Log House, in the Fall of 1805.
Lot No. 6. A PULTNEY lot, and contained 156.36 Acres. Was first settled by Elias CHAMBERLIN and John McMILLEN, who built each a Log House, within a few month's of each other, in 1805..
Lot No. 7. A BOWERS lot, 159.80 Acres. Was settled by William REEVES, who built the 1st Log House in 1819.
Lot No. 8. A MUMFORD lot, 167.68 Acres. Was settled by Peter BEVINS, who built the 1st Log House, in 1806.
Lot No. 9. A PULTENEY lot, 182.30 ACRES. Was settled by Isaac NEFF, who built the 1st Log House in 1812.
Lot No. 10. A PULTENEY lot, 81.07 Acres. This lot was situated on the east side of Hemlock lake, and now belongs to the town of Canadice, N.Y. By whom it was settled, we are unable to say.
Lot No. 11. A John BOWERS lot, 114.02 Acres. Was settled by Arron ORLOWAY who built the first Log House, in 1816.
Lot No. 12. Belonged to Mary CAMPBELL and contained 142.39 Acres. Was settled by Joseph GILBERT, who built the 1st. Log House in 1808.
Lot No. 13. Was owned by John BOWERS and contained 149.01 Acres. The first settlement and log house was built by Joseph RICHARDSON, in 1805, and followed by Devenport ALGER, 1808, who owned the same until his death.
Lot No. 14. Belonged to Mary CAMPBELL, and contained 144.20 Acres. Was first settled by John RICHARDSON who built the 1st. Log House in 1806. He was followed by Samuel BENTLY, in 1810.
Lot No. 15. A Mary Ann DUANE lot, 143.25 Acres. This lot was settled by Elijah RICHARDSON, who built the 1st. Log House in 1807.
Lot No. 16. Belonged to the Canadaigua Academy, and contained 158.90 Acres. Was settled by Gashmem JONES, who built the 1st. Log House in 1815.
Lot No. 17. A PULTENEY lot, 157.85 Acres. Was settled by Timothy BAILEY, who built the 1st. Log House in 1819.
Lot No. 18. A Mary Ann CAMPBELL lot, 163.72 Acres. Was settled by William JONES, who built the 1st. Log House in 1809.
Lot No. 19. A Rebecca SCOTT lot, 213.96 Acres. Was settled by Maloy the Hermit, in 1802. The 1st Log House was built by ___ HOLDEN, in 1825.
Lot No. 20. A William PULTENEY lot, 59.37 Acres. This lot now belongs to Canadice, N.Y.
Lot No. 21. To whom this lot belonged, it was not given on the map. It contained 116.87 Acres. It was settled by Jacob HUBBARD who built the 1st. Log House in 1819.
Lot No. 22. Belonged to Mary Ann DUANE, and contained 157.08 Acres. Was settled by Joshua GILLS, who built the 1st. Log House 1809, and was followed by David DUFFER, in 1810.
Lot No. 23. A Mary Ann DUANE lot, 157.49 Acres. Was settled by Ely CLARK, who built the 1st. Log House in ____.
Lot No. 24. A William PULTENEY lot, 149.75 Acres. Settled by Harvey MAY, who built the 1st. Log House in the Spring of 1806.
Lot No. 25. A William PULTENEY lot, and had 142.62 Acres. Was settled by John ROBINSON who built the 1st. Log House in 1808.
Lot No. 26. A Rebecca SCOTT lot, and contained 150 Acres. Was settled by James B. ROBINSON who built the 1st. Log House in 1810.
Lot No. 27. A William PULTENEY lot, 152.93 Acres. Was settled by Patrick McCARTNEY who built the 1st. Log House in 1809.
Lot No. 28. A Harriet MUMFORD lot 167.26 Acres. Was settled by Reuben JONES and Richard MITCHEL who built the 1st. Log House in 1825.
Lot No. 29. A William PULTENEY lot, 116.88 Acres. Was settled by Abner LEWIS, who built the 1st. Log House in 1812 or '13
Lot No. 30. A William PULTENEY lot, 159.24 Acres. The lot is now divided into two parts by Hemlock lake. The part in the town of Conesus consisted of 120.60 Acres, and that in the town of Canadice, 38.64 Acres. We have no account of who the first settlers were
Lot No. 31. A Mary Ann CAMPBELL lot 119.60 Acres. Was settled by Jeremiah YOUNG who built the 1st. Log House in 1819 or '20
Lot No. 32. A Mary Ann DUANE lot, 101.78 Acres. Settled in the year of 1811 or '12, by Samuel ROOT who built the 1st. Log House.
Lot No. 33. A Rebecca SCOTT lot, 140.54 Acres. Was settled by Simeon ROOT, who built the 1st. Log House in 1809 or '10, and was followed by Joseph GEORGE, in 1810
Lot No. 34. A Rebecca SCOTT lot, 140.34 Acres. Was settled by Moses ADAMS, who built the 1st. Log House in 1808 or '10
Lot No. 35. A Harriet MUMFORD lot, 147.46 Acres. Was settled by Moses ADAMS, who built the 1st. Log House in 1808.
Lot No. 36. A Harriet MUMFORD lot, consisting of 160.83 Acres. Was settled by a son of Joseph RICHARDSON, and Harmon WHEELER, who built the 1st. Log House but in what year, we have no date.
Lot No. 37. A William PULTENEY lot, 190.04 Acres. Was settled by Hiram MAY who done the first clearing in 1811, and was folled by Elisha HOLLISTER who built the 1st. Log House in 1815
Lot No. 38. A Mary Ann Duane lot, 116.16 Acres. By whom it was settled we are unable to say
Lot No. 39. A William PULTENEY lot, and is divided into two parts by Hemlock lake. The lot in Conesus, consisted of 200.01 Acres, and the part now in Canadice, 30.80 Acres. This lot was settled by Peter BEVINS, who built the 1st. Log House in 1810.
Lot No. 40. A William PULTENEY lot, 182.57 Acres. Was settled by Ira YOUNG, who built the 1st. Log House in 1810. [There is a dispute among the early settlers, and some claim that Peter MARVIN built the first Log House, in 1819 or '20.]
Lot No. 41. A William PULTENEY lot, 137.85 Acres. Was settled by James McNINCH, who built the 1st. Log House in 1812.
Lot No. 42. A John M. BOWERS lot, 107.91 Acres. Was settled by Joseph WHITNEY, who built the 1st. Log House in 1812.
Lot No. 43. A William PULTENEY lot, 145.14 Acres. Was settled by Abel ROOT, who built the 1st. Log House in 1809.
Lot No. 44. A William PULTENEY lot, 130.10 Acres. Was settled by Titles CRAWFOOT, who built the 1st. Log House in 1809.
Lot No. 45. A William PULTENEY lot, consisting of 163.91 Acres. Was settled by Israel WELLS, who built the 1st. Log House in 1812.
Lot No. 46. A William PULTENEY lot, 109.80 Acres. Was settled by Croswell GREEN, who built the 1st. Log House in 1810.
Lot No. 47. A Rebecca SCOTT lotc 171.11 Acres. We have no record of its settlements.
Lot No. 48. A Rebecca SCOTT lotc 188.80 Acres. This lot is divided in two parts by the Hamlock lake. The part now in Conesus, contained 169 Acres. The part in Canadice, contained 19.80 Acres. No record of the first settlements
Lot No. 49. A William PULTENEY lot, 443.25 Acres. Was settled by James HENDERSON, who built the 1st. Log House in 1793.
Lot No. 50. No name on the map, to whom it belonged. It contained 83.72 Acres. It was settled by ____ MUDGE, who built the 1st. Log House in 1809.
Lot No. 51. A Harriet MUMFORD lot, 117.41 Acres. By whom it was settled, we are unable to say.
Lot No. 52. A William PULTENEY lot, 62.42 Acres. Was settled by Jacob DURHAM, who built the 1st. Log House in 1813
Lot No. 53. A William PULTENEY lot, containg 92.65 Acres. No account of its settlement.
Lot No. 54. Belonged to the Canadaigua Academy and contained 167.80 Acres. Was settled by Jacob WELLS, who built the 1st. Log House in 1810.
Lot No. 55. A William PULTENEY lot, 154.41 Acres. Was settled by ___ GREEN, who built the 1st. Log House in 1812.
Lot No. 56. A William PULTENEY lot, 166.04 Acres. Was settled by Joshua GATES, who built the 1st. Log House in 1815.
Lot No. 57. A William PULTENEY lot, 258.54 Acres. This lot is divided in two parts by the Hamlock lake. The part now in Conesus, contained 154.44 Acres. The part in Canadice, contained 100.10 Acres. Whom it was settled by, we have no record.
Lot No. 58. A John M. BOWERS lot, 112.13 Acres. Was settled by Herculus WILLIAMS (a Colored Man); yet we have no date.
Lot No. 59. A William PULTENEY lot, and had 198.01 Acres. Was settled by Elezur ALBY, who built the 1st. Log House in 1817.
Lot No. 60. A William PULTENEY lot, 134.76 Acres. Was settled by Heman JANES, who built the 1st. Log House in 1810.
Lot No. 61. A William PULTENEY lot, 170.95 Acres. Was settled by Jacob DURHAM, who built the 1st. Log House in 1795
Lot No. 62. A John M. BOWERS lot, 180.56 Acres. Was settled by Henry MANN, who built the 1st. Log House in 1816.
Lot No. 63. A John M. BOWERS lot, 166.94 Acres. We have no record of settlement.
Lot No. 64. A Mary CAMPBELL lot, 147.72 Acres. Was settled by ____ ARMSTRONG, but in what year we have no date.
Lot No. 65. A Mary Ann DUANE lot, 149.94 Acres. Was settled by Joel BULLOCK, who built the 1st. Log House in 1816.
Lot No. 67. A Harriet MUMFORD lot, 154.21 Acres. No record of settlement.
Lot No. 68. A William PULTENEY lot, 174.61 Acres. No record of settlement.
Lot No. 69. A John M. BOWERS lot, 156.42 Acres. Was settled by Micah SPENCER, who built the 1st. Log House in 1817.
Lot No. 70. A Harriet MUMFORD lot, 112.25 Acres. Was settled by John McNINCH, who built the 1st. Log House in 1803.
Lot No. 71. A William PULTENEY lot, 146.89 Acres. Was settled by Paul SANBORN, who built the 1st. Log House in 1816 or '17.
Lot No. 72. A John M. BOWERS lot, 147.80 Acres. Was settled by Stephen COLE, who built the 1st. Log House in 1815.
Lot No. 73. A William PULTENEY lot, 168.56 Acres. Was settled by John H. COLE, who built the 1st. Log House in 1814
Lot No. 74. A Mary CAMPBELL lot, 146.48 Acres. Was settled by Thomas FREEMAN, who built the 1st. Log House in 1815.
Lot No. 75. A Rebecca SCOTT lot, 197 Acres. No record of its settlements.
Lot No. 76. A William PULTENEY lot, 167.84 Acres. No record of its settlement..
Lot No. 77. A William PULTENEY lot, 153.56 Acres. No record of its settlement..
Lot No. 78. A John M. BOWERS lot, 204.64 Acres. Was settled by Samuel McNINCH, who built the 1st. Log House in 1813.
Lot No. 79. A Harriet MUMFORD lot, 258.36 Acres. Was settled by Ira YOUNG, who built the 1st. Log House in 1816.
Lot No. 80. Belonging to the Canandaigua Academy and contained 167.63 Acres. Was settled by Samuel G. CAMPBELL, who built the 1st. Log House in 1838.
Lot No. 81. A Harriet MUMFORD lot, 156.23 Acres. Was settled by Joseph ALLEN, who built the 1st. Log House in 1806.
Lot No. 82. A Mary Ann DUANE lot, 160.23 Acres. Was settled by Reubin ROGERS, who built the 1st. Log House in 1833.
Lot No. 83. A William PULTENEY lot, 163.79 Acres. No record of its settlement..
Lot No. 84. A William PULTENEY lot, 146.32 Acres. No record of its settlement..
Lot No. 85. A Mary CAMPBELL lot, 151.62 Acres. No record of its settlement..
Lot No. 86. A Mary CAMPBELL lot, 156.69 Acres. No record of its settlement..
Lot No. 87. A John M. BOWERS lot, 142.54 Acres. No record of its settlement..
Lot No. 88. A William PULTENEY lot, 218.34 Acres. Was settled by Matthew McNINCH, who built the 1st. Log House in 1815.
Lot No. 89. Belonged to the Canandaigua Academy, and contained 206.96 Acres. Was settled by Zenas WHITENING, who built the 1st. Log House in 1816.
Lot No. 90. A William PULTENEY lot, 208.43 Acres. Was settled by _____ SIMPSON, who built the 1st. Log House in 1816.
Lot No. 91. A William PULTENEY lot, 153.68 Acres. Was settled by James McNINCH, who built the 1st. Log House in 1805.
Lot No. 92. A William PULTENEY lot, 151.43 Acres. Was settled by Stephen BUNKER, who built the 1st. Log House in 1820.
Lot No. 93. A Harriet MUMFORD lot, 170.38 Acres. By whom it was settled, we are unable to say.
Lot No. 94. A Harriet MUMFORD lot, 1174.15 Acres. Was settled by William RICE, who built the 1st. Log House in 1816.
Lot No. 95. A Mary Ann Duane lot, 152.82 Acres. Was settled by Derius MOOR, who built the 1st. Log House in 1814.
Lot No. 96. A William PULTENEY lot, 154.88 Acres. Was settled by ____ HINSDALE and Clemons CLARK, who built the 1st. Log House in 1834.
Lot No. 97. A William PULTENEY lot, 124.51 Acres. Was settled by ____ HINSDALE and Clemons CLARK; we have no date of settlement.
Lot No. 98. A Rebecca SCOTT lot, 176.99 Acres. Was settled by Jacob COLLAR, who built the 1st. Log House in 1796.
Lot No. 99. A Rebecca SCOTT lot, 163.85 Acres, Was settled by Elias STEEL who built the 1st. Log House in 1816
Lot No. 100. A William PULTENEY lot, 103.42 Acres. Was settled by Amos P. SWEET, yet we have no date of its settlement.
Lot No. 101. A John M. BOWERS lot, 155.80 Acres. Was settled by Samuel and Matthew McNINCH, who built the 1st. Log House in 1806.
Lot No. 102. A William PULTENEY lot, 153.32 Acres. Was settled by Johnson PELLON, who built the 1st. Log House in 1827.
Lot No. 103. A Mary CAMPBELL lot, 169.70 Acres. Was settled by James MUNN, who built the 1st. Log House in 1814.
Lot No. 104. A Harriet MUMFORD lot, 143.48. The first clearings was made by William WILLIAMS, and the 1st. Log House was built by Nathaniel COLE, in 1815.
Lot No. 105. A Mary CAMPBELL lot, 192.68 Acres. No record of its settlement.
Lot No. 106. A William PULTENEY lot, 154.30 Acres. Was settled by Erastus WILKENSON, who built the 1st. Log House in 1836.
Lot No. 107. A Mary CAMPBELL lot, 147.08 Acres. Was settled by John BEVINS, who built the 1st. Log House in 1841.
Lot No. 108. A William PULTENEY lot, and had 200 acres. Was settled by Hector McKAY, who built the 1st. Log House in 1795.
Lot No. 109. A Mary Ann DUANE lot, 158.32 Acres. Was settled by Jessie COLLAR, who built the 1st. Log House in 1796.
Lot No. 110. Belonged to the Canandaigua Academy and 134.88 Acres. Was settled by Daniel WHARPOOL, who built the 1st. Log House in 1816.
Lot No. 111. A Rebecca SCOTT lot, 158.19 Acres. Was settled by James McNINCH, who built the 1st. Log House in the Fall of 1806.
Lot No. 112. A William PULTENEY lot, 149.93 Acres. Was settled by Winter ALLEN, who built the 1st. Log House in 1820.
Lot No. 113. A John M. BOWERS lot, 147.88 Acres. Was settled by John EWALT and ____ HALE who built the 1st. Log House in 1815.
Lot No. 114. A Harriet MUMFORD lot, 121.43 Acres. Was settled by ____ CURTIS, who built the 1st. Log House in 1816.
Lot No. 115. A William PULTENEY lot, 101.60 Acres. Was settled by Ezra WHITNEY, who built the 1st. Log House in 1822.
Lot No. 116. A William PULTENEY lot, 164.17. Was settled by ____ CURTIS, who built the 1st. Log House in 1812.
Lot No. 117. A William PULTENEY lot, 109.62 Acres. Was settled by Charles WOOD, who built the 1st. Log House in 1840.
Lot No. 118. A Mary Ann DUANE lot, 105.83 Acres. Was settled by Ransler DOTY, who built the 1st. Log House in 1850.
Lot No. 119. A John M. BOWERS lot, 121.97 Acres. Was settled by Anasa LANETON, who built the 1st. Log House in 1815.
Lot No. 120. A William PULTENEY lot, 101.56 Acres. Was settled by Samuel MORRIS, who built the 1st. Log House in 1832.
Lot No. 121. A William PULTENEY lot, 163.26 Acres. Was settled by ____ EVANS, who built the 1st. Log House in 1812 or '14.
Lot No. 122. A William PULTENEY lot, 113.37 Acres. Was settled by Henry LUTES, who built the 1st. Log House in 1840.
Lot No. 123. A Mary CAMPBELL lot, 118.07 Acres. Was settled by George JOHNSON, bot the date of the year, we have not.
Lot No. 124. A Mary Ann DUANE lot, 126.01. Was settled by Ebenezer LINCOLN. In what year we have no record.
Lot No. 125. A William PULTENEY lot, 115.26 Acres. We have no record of its settlement.
Lot No. 126. A Mary Ann DUANE lot, 110.08 Acres. Was settled by ____ ALLEN, who built the 1st. Log House in 1810.
Lot No. 127. A William PULTENEY lot, 116.64 Acres. Was settled by Samuel MILLEN, who built the 1st. Log House in 1812.
Lot No. 128. A William PULTENEY lot, 95.99 Acres. Was settled by Thomas CLARK, but in what year he built the 1st Log House, we can not say.
Lot No. 129. A John M. BOWERS lot, 136.68 Acres. Was settled by ____ ASHLEY, who built the 1st. Log House in 1812 or '15.
Lot No. 130. A Mary Ann DUANE lot, 119.82 Acres. Was settled by Charles SHUMWAY, who built the 1st. Log House in 1815.
Lot No. 131. A Rebecca SCOTT lot, 96.91 Acres. We have no account of its settlement.
Lot No. 132. A William PULTENEY lot, 147.72 Acres. Was settled by John INGLES who built the 1st. Log House in 1817, or '18.
Lot No. 133. A Rebecca SCOTT lot, 107.30 Acres. Was settled by Moses COLLAR, who built the 1st. Log House in 1806.
Lot No. 134. A William PULTENEY lot, 99.69 Acres. Was settled by Charles THORPE, who built the 1st. Log House in 1812.
Lot No. 135. A William PULTENEY lot, 97.60 Acres. Was settled by William OAKS, who built the 1st. Log House in 1807.
Lot No. 136. A Mary CAMPBELL lot, 187.42. Was settled by Francis RICHARDSON, who built the 1st. Log House in 1803.
Lot No. 137. A William PULTENEY lot, and had 90.78 Acres. Was settled by Thomas YOUNG, who built the 1st. Log House in 1811.
Lot No. 138. A Harriet MUMFORD lot, 137.73 Acres. Was settled by William CUMMINGS, who built the 1st. Log House in 1825.
Lot No. 139. A Rebecca SCOTT lot, 123. 23 Acres, Was settled by Charles WOOD, who built the 1st. Log House in 1830.

[Note: The area of Conesus was part of a huge tract of New York land originally purchased by the Hon. Nathaniel GORMAN and Oliver PHELPS, Esq. for £300,000 in 1788. It was subsequently sold to Robert MORRIS of Philadelphia, and then in 1792 to Charles WILLIAMSON, an agent of Sir. William PULTENEY, an Englishman. WILLIAMSON held the land up until 1801 [until 1798, by law, Sir PULTENEY, who was classified as an "alien" could not hold or sell land in New York.] A few years after the transfer of title to Sir PULTENEY, he sold part of what was to become the town of Conesus to William BOWERS, retaining 63 lots. When BOWERS died, his 70 lots, were divided among his children: John BOWERS, Mary [BOWERS] CAMPBELL, Rebecca [BOWERS] SCOTT, Mary Ann [BOWERS] Duane, and Harriet [BOWERS] MUMFORD.]

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