USA > New York > Gazetteer of the State of New York: embracing a comprehensive view of the geography, geology, and general history of the State, and a complete history and description of every county, city, town, village, and locality, Part 1 > Part 1
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ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY
3 1833 01105 6311 REYNOLDS TITS GENEALOGY COLLECTION
Gc 974.7 F88g Pt.1
2197890
GAZETTEER
OF THE
STATE OF NEW YORK:
EMBRACING
A COMPREHENSIVE VIEW OF THE
GEOGRAPHY, GEOLOGY, AND GENERAL HISTORY OF THE STATE,
AND
A COMPLETE HISTORY AND DESCRIPTION OF Every County, City, Down, Village, and Locality.
WITH FULL TABLES OF STATISTICS.
BY
J. H. FRENCH,
MEMBER OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE; CORRESPONDING MEMBER OF THE NEW YORK HISTORICAL SOCIETY . OF THE ALBANY INSTITUTE, ETC.
Illustrated by Original Steel Engravings,
AND ACCOMPANIED BY A NEW MAP OF THE STATE FROM ACCURATE SURVEYS.
PART 1
SYRACUSE, N. Y .: PUBLISHED BY R. PEARSALL SMITH. 1860.
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY FORT WAYNE, INDIANA
.
ISTORIC AND STATISTICAL
2197890
OF NEW YORK
STATE
& Sal. Salina Street. Spraense
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2015
https://archive.org/details/gazetteerofstate01fren_0
NEW YORK AND BROOKLYN
LIST OF PERSONS EMPLOYED UPON THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE STATE MAP AND THE PREPARATION OF THE GAZETTEER.
This list includes the names of those only who have been employed for considerable lengths of time.
GENERAL SUPERINTENDENT. J. H. FRENCH.
FOREMAN OF DRAFTING DEPARTMENT. FRANCIS MAHLER. ,
FOREMEN OF STATISTICAL DEPARTMENT.
FRANKLIN B. HOUGH, M.D., JAMES JOHONNOT.
DRAFTSMEN.
FRANCIS MAHLER, WM. E. WOOD,
FRANK FRENCH, B. W. O'GRADY.
BURVEYORS AND STATISTICIANS.
G. R. BECHLER,
S. BEEMAN,
JAY GOULD, II. W. HARDY,
EBENEZER MIX, J. B. MOORE,
SILAS N. BEERS,
FRANKLIN B. HOUOH,
SAMUEL M. REA,
H. P. BENTON,
CHESTER HULL,
THOMAS W. RHODES,
LORIN BLODGET,
WM. JAY HUNT,
A. E. ROGERSON, ALPHONSE SCHOPPE,
L. JI. CHENEY,
JAMES JOHONNOT,
GURDON EVANS,
GEO. P. JOHONNOT,
J. C. SIDNEY, STEPHEN O. SLOSSON,
LAWRENCE FAGAN,
D. J. LAKE,
HOMER D. L. SWEET, A. V. TRIMBLE,
CYRUS GATES,
MORRIS LEVY,
A. VAN NOSTRAND,
JOHN F. GEIL,
A. LIGOWSKY,
R. B. VAN PETTEN.
SAMUEL GEIL,
WM. LOREY,
CHARLES M. WILBUR,
FRANKLIN GIFFORD,
HIORACE C. MANNINO,
WM. E. WOOD.
WM. T. GIBSON,
DAVID E. E. MIX,
S. K. GODSHALK.
ENGRAVERS. On Stone.
GEORGE WORLEY,
GUSTAVUS R. BECIILER,
CHARLES REEN.
W.M. BRACHER,
BENJ. MATTIIIAS, On Steel. J. W. STEELE,
D. L. GLOVER.
J. SARTAIN,
On Wood. H. SEBALD.
GEORGE N. BARNARD,
ARTISTS. B. W. O'GRADY,
WM. T. RICHARDS.
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1850, by R. PEARSALL SMITH, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Northern District of New York.
STEREOTYPED BY L. JOHNSON & CO.
COLLINS, PRINTER.
-
P. J. BROWNE,
J. W. HURLBUT,
FRANK FRENCH,
A. D. LAMPKINS,
PREFACE.
11539.99
THE map of Westehester County which was commeneed about ten years since, and soon after published by Robert Pearsall Smith, was probably the first map of any county in the State of New York published from actual survey of roads and boundaries. This was followed by maps of other counties on a similar plan ; and, about eight years since, Mr. Smith conceived the idea of publishing a series of maps from actual survey, embracing all the counties in the State, and, from these, of producing a State Map that should be more full, complete, and reliable than any ever before published. But, about four years since, upon careful trial, in reducing a large number of these county maps to a uniform scale, so many omissions and discrepancies were found in them, that a new survey of the State was deemed necessary to the construction of an accurate map of the State. An arrangement was accordingly made with the author to take the general superintendence of the new survey ; the general plan for the works to be prepared was fixed upon ; and the re-survey of the State and the collection of statisties were begun.
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At the commencement of the re-survey, maps of fifty-one counties had been completed and published ; six counties had been surveyed, but the maps were not yet published ; and three counties were still unsurveyed. Of the fifty-one published maps, twelve were found to be so deficient in matters essential to the completion of the State Map according to the plan fixed upon, as to render entire new surveys of these counties necessary. Surveyors were sent into the remaining counties, with copies of the published or manuscript maps in hand, with instructions to visit every town, to correct every error that should be found upon the maps, to make additions of new roads, note changes in boundaries, and, in short, to return the maps properly revised and corrected for use in the preparation of the State Map. In many instances new surveys of parts of towns, town lines, roads, and streams were found necessary, and also countless changes in the location of boundary lines, roads, streams and bodies of water, and in the representation of the topographical features of the country. The surveyors were instructed to obtain copies of manuscript and other loeal maps, as far as practicable, as these were generally found to contain metes and bounds, and, being plotted to large scales, were of value in laying down boundary lines. Draftsmen were also sent to the several private Land Offices in the State, and to Albany, and all maps of any value in the offices of the State Engineer and Surveyor and the Secretary of State were copied, to be laid under contribution in the preparation of the State Map. The Superintendent of the United States Coast Survey and the Secretary of the Interior also furnished copies of all the maps in their Departments pertaining to the State. The number and variety of maps and plots, printed and manuscript, that have thus been collected is very great, and probably embraces more valuable matter than any similar collection in the State.
i ,
Not the least difficult part of the labor of constructing a map of a large extent of country is "making the projection." In surveys of small areas this difficulty does not oeeur, as the proportion of the curvature of the earth's surface to that part of its arca contained in a reet- angle of thirty to fifty miles, is so small that, when reduced to the scale of even an inch to the mile, it is scarcely perceptible. But in projeeting a map of territory of as great extent as the State of New York, the curvature of the surface from a plane is so great as to make the departure of the lines of latitude and longitude from right lines plainly visible upon a map even when plotted to a scale of less than one-fourth of an inch to a mile.
The Flamstead Improved Projection, being the one best adapted to the correct representa- tion of a large extent of country, was adopted for the State Map.
The maps of the State heretofore published embrace a large part of the New England States, Pennsylvania, and Canada. The space thus usually occupied is appropriated to plans of the eities, and to smaller maps illustrating particular features of the State. These marginal maps, it is believed, add to the value of the work. By placing a map of Long Island by itself,- at the same time showing its relative position to the rest of the State, by retaining a map of nearly one-third of the island in its proper place,-the map of the entire State is constructed
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1
4
PREFACE.
on a scale about twenty per cent. (linear scale) larger than can be donc on a sheet of the same size with all of Long Island projecting eastward of New York City. This increased scale will be found to fully compensate for the change of place of the eastern portion of Long Island. The map of the State is plotted to the scale of god.vor, which is 625 or a small fraction more than 4.7 miles to an inch ; and the city plans to the scale of zu,dog, which is fig or a small fraction more than .78 of a mile to an inch.
The longitude of several points in the eastern and western portions of the State having been accurately determined by the Coast Survey and the Department of the Interior, and the latitude of many points on the north and south borders and within the State from numc- rous and repeated observations, the projection of the parallels and meridians was first made with accurately constructed scales, using the most recent tables of latitude and longitude mea- surements as adopted by the Coast Survey and the U. S. Military Academy at West Point. The boundaries of the State were next projected, after which the lines of the counties were located on the map. The town lines were next laid out; and finally the roads, bodies of water, streams, topography, and all other details were filled in. This course could not fail to secure accuracy in all parts of the work ; and, while the map does not agree, in many points, with previous maps of the State, the author feels confident that it will bear the closest scrutiny and criticism.
A prominent and distinctive feature of the State Map is the representation of all the roads, railroads, canals, and routes of travel, every mile of each of which has been run and every angle measured.
The city plans are all drawn to the same scale, thus presenting, at a glance, the comparative extent of the built-up portions of each. Albany, Brooklyn, and Buffalo have so great an extent of unoccupied or farm lands that it was not practicable to show the entire corporate limits of either on the city plans ; but no built-up part of either city has been omitted. The plans of the other cities embrace their entire area.
In the construction of the Geological and Land Patent Map, the geology of the State according to the New York System has been followed; but the different strata or formations are represented by a system of shading in the engraving,-instead of by color, as is usually done in geological maps. This plan was adopted, as it was desirable to present two distinct features in the one map ; and the engraved shading for the geology permits the use of colors for the land patents. The size of the map would not admit of the representation of tracts of land smaller than a township; but a complete list of all the grants will be found in this work.
In the year 1825 the Regents of the University established meteorological stations in various parts of the State, and reports were required to be made from these stations annually to the Board of Regents. At the expiration of twenty-five years the Regents caused these reports to be digested ; and the mean averages of the summaries thus deduced-so far as relates to temperature, fall of rain, and direction of wind-are embraced in the Meteorological Map. On this map the several stations (including three established at military posts, and not subject to the direction of the Board of Regents) are at the centers of the small circles. In each of these circles are either two or three numbers: when two, the upper number is the mean annual temperature in degrees Fahrenheit, and the lower number is the mean annual fall of rain in inches ; and when three, the upper and lower numbers indicate, respectively, tem- perature and rain, and the middle one the elevation of the station above tide, in feet. The diagram at the right represents the mean annual direction of wind at the several stations, the index in any case denoting the point of compass, and its length the number of days,- one inch in length of radius representing five days. Thus, taking the index for Canandaigua, the direction is S. 63º 37' W., and the length of the radius is 3.4 inches. This indicates that the mean annual direction of the wind at this station was from the w. s. w. for 17 days in the year more than from all other directions. For the isothermal lines, or lines of equal tempe- rature, and the shading representing the different depths of rain, we are indebted to LORIN BLODGET, author of American Climatology.
The Time Indicator has been prepared from minute calculations, and will be found correct in every casc.
The diagram showing the capacity of the church edifices is constructed to a scale, and correctly represents the proportion of each to the whole.
An examination of the various Gazetteers heretofore published cannot fail to satisfy any one that a great part of the material from which they were compiled was furnished by corre-
5
PREFACE.
spondents. This plan seemed to be the one most likely to secure accuracy, and with some modifications it was at first adopted in collecting materials for this work. Agents were sent into some portions of the State, furnished with printed instructions, questions, and blanks, to obtain the desired information, either by personal research, or through the assistance of such competent persons in the various localities visited as would undertake to fill the blanks and return them to the general office. While a few persons promptly responded to the request thus made of them, others delayed giving it immediate attention, and still others neglected it altogether. A large proportion of the matter received from correspondents was found to be irrelevant, devoted to specialties, or unreliable, and therefore of little value. Much matter was received which possesses a greater or less amount of local interest, but which could not be admitted without giving undue prominence to some subjects or localities at the expense of others. After a fair trial of the plan first adopted, it was found subject to so many objec- tions that it was abandoned. The surveyors and agents were then instructed to visit every city, town, and village, to search records, examine documents, consult the best living, printed, and manuscript authorities, and to make returns to the general office of all the reliable matter and information obtained. They were instructed to take no statement on a single authority, and in cases where authorities were found to differ, to examine diligently and impartially, and report all the facts, so that in digesting and arranging them for the press, all tlie evidence might be at hand. They were particularly cautioned against taking mere hearsay or traditionary tales for truth, and not to seek wonders and marvels. A competent person was employed to examine records and documents in the State Library and State and other public offices at Albany and in New York City, for information that might be avail- able in the preparation of this work. The Documentary History and the State Geology of New York, general and local histories, biographies, sketches, essays, reports, newspapers, manuscripts, and all other available authorities that were likely to contain any information of value, were collected, and in turn consulted, and their accuracy and value tested as the work progressed.
The plan for the work finally fixed upon, while it embraces a wider range than is usually taken by similar works, seems to be one that cannot fail to meet the wants and tastes of the people, as it presents the wealth, resources, present condition, and past history of the State in a form and style at once convenient, perspicuous, and concise.
The details of description of each county, city, town, and village, have been arranged, as far as practicable, according to a uniform plan or outline; as has been also the General Article embraced in the first 154 pages. The subjects embraced in this article seemed to cover all the ground that properly belongs to the work; and they are treated at as great length as their proportional importance to the limits of the volume would permit. A Gazetteer of a State should not be expected to contain, in a connected form, a complete compendium of knowledge upon whatever pertains to a State. But present condition, brief and comprehensive statements, short historical sketches of general interest, tables, facts and figures as connected with the wealth, prosperity, and resources of a State, should be con- sidered to an extent sufficient for a work of reference, such as a Gazetteer is intended to be.
The general outline of the county descriptions is as follows: Ist. Date of formation of the county, from what taken, subsequent changes in boundaries, location in the State, and air-line distance of geographical center from the Capitol at Albany. 2d. Geology, topography, and drainage ; embracing the general geological formations, general contour of the surface, lakes, rivers, and other watercourses. 3d. Soil, leading articles of production, and occupation of the people. 4th. Works of internal improvement. 5th. County seat, names of first county officers, and description of county buildings and institutions. 6th. History of the newspaper press. 7th. Brief historical sketch of the county from the date of first settlement to the present time. The descriptions of the towns are according to nearly the same general plan, and embrace, Ist. Date of formation, from what taken, subsequent changes in boundaries, and location in the county. 2d. Peculiarities in geological formations not mentioned in county description. 3d. Topography and drainage. 4th. Names and description of villages, hamlets, and local- ities, with their location in town, date of incorporation, institutions, leading branches of business, and population according to the most recent reliable enumeration. 5th. A brief historical sketch, embracing incidents of general and local interest, names of first settlers, first birth, marriage, and death, first church, school, mill, and factory, and number of churches
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PREFACE.
in 1855. After the towns in each county is a table compiled from the last State census, except the valuation and statistics of schools, which are from the returns for the year 1858. In many cases, the population of villages and the number of churches given are from enu- merations taken since 1855 ; but the last State census has invariably been taken as authority on these two points, except in cases where later reliable enumerations have been taken. The acres of land as given in the tables fall short of the area of the county as given at the com- mencement of each county description. The reason of this is obvious : the acres of land as shown by the tables are from the returns of assessors, which seldom embrace marsh, swamp, and unproductive lands, and lands under water ; while the area in square miles, as given in the county descriptions, has in every case been ascertained from actual measurements.
The steel plate illustrations are engraved from original views taken expressly for this work. The map has been engraved on stone, at great expense, by the best artists, and the mechani- cal execution of both works is highly creditable to the publisher.
The Index of Subjects at the commencement of the work, and the Index of Geographical Names at the close, cannot fail of being justly valued for their convenience. The uniform use of a bold-face letter for names of towns, villages, and hamlets will also be found to greatly facilitate rapid search for this class of geographical names.
To many of the officers in the several State Departments, and to numerous county, town, and city officers, local surveyors, civil engineers, land agents, members of the press, and others, the author is indebted for furnishing valuable materials for these works. To them, and to all who have in any way rendered him assistance in the preparation of either Map or Gazetteer, he desires to acknowledge his obligations. Many persons may feel disappoint- ment at finding that information furnished by them has not been used. An examination of the work, however, must convince them that nothing has been omitted which was essential to the general plan of the work, and that whatever did not come within this plan could not be introduced.
The author would not be doing justice to himself nor to the public did he fail to acknow- ledge his obligations to those who have been associated with him in the preparation of these works. He desires to make particular mention of the valuable services of LIEUT. FRANCIS MAHLER, FRANKLIN B. HOUGH, M. D., and JAMES JOHONNOT. Lieut. Mahler was educated in a European Military Academy for a Topographical Engineer. Ten years of subsequent practice rendered him eminently qualified for the position he has occupied on the Survey. Dr. Hough is well known to the people of the State as the Superintendent of the last State census and as the author of several historical and statistical works. His services in searching records and documents at Albany, in New York City, and elsewhere, have been invaluable, and to his practical knowledge of the geology of the State the author is mainly indebted for whatever pertains to that subject in this work. Mr. Johonnot has devoted many years to the subject of Physical Geography. The topography of the State, its counties and towns, has been mainly written by him.
The intelligent citizens of the State of New York cannot fail to appreciate the liberality of the publisher in the great expenditures he has made in bringing out these works. The cost of the original surveys for the county maps was about $48,000, and the expenditures on the works from the commencement of the re-survey to the date of publication have reached about $46,000 more, making a total investment of $94,000. The whole time spent in surveys, collection of materials, writing, engraving, proof-reading, &c., has been equal to the time of one person 125 years. It is believed that no similar enterprise of equal extent, and involving the outlay of so large a capital, has ever been undertaken at private expense in this or any other country. Time, talents, and money have alike been devoted to the production of a Map and Gazetteer that it is hoped will be found every way worthy of the Empire State.
INDEX OF SUBJECTS.
Abeel, John, Indian trader, 414. Abercrombie, Gen. James, 298. Academies, gencral article on, 125. list of incorporated, 130. notices of, 48, 140, 160, 161, 169, 171, 172, 173, 175, 176, 180, 184, 193, 197, 200, 201, 202, 203, 205, 211, 212, 214, 216, 220, 228, 229, 230, 235, 237, 239, 243, 244, 246, 247, 248, 251, 252, 253, 259, 260, 261, 263, 265, 270, 272, 275, 277, 278, 282, 283, 286, 289, 300, 303, 305, 311, 312, 317, 324, 326, 327, 330, 331, 332, 333, 343, 346, 349, 355, 356, 357, 360, 361, 362, 363, 369, 372, 378, 383, 384, 385, 390, 391, 392, 393, 398, 399, 400, 401, 403, 405, 412, 414, 429, 430, 453, 456, 463. 464, 465, 466, 467, 468, 469, 471, 482, 484, 485, 486, 489, 495, 498, 505, 506, 508, 509, 510, 514, 515, 516, 522, 527, 528, 532, 536, 538, 546, 547, 548, 554, 556, 557, 558, 559, 560, 561, 575, 577, 580, 582, 587, 588, 590, 591, 592, 597, 598, 604, 606, 607, 616, 617, 625, 627, 628, 634, 637, 638, 640, 645, 647, 650, 652, 657, 658, 663, 665, 666, 674, 675, 679, 680, 682, 683, 684, 685, 686, 692, 694, 695, 698, 699, 700, 701, 704, 705, 707, 708, 713, 714, 715, 716.
statistical summary of, 128. Academy of Music, 436. Accidents, steamboat, statistics, 115. Acid springs, 320, 324, 325, 456, 593. Acres of land, by cos., &c., 108.
by towns, 167, 177, 185, 196, 207, 217, 222, 231, 240, 249, 256, 266, 278, 294, 306, 313, 319, 328, 335, 339, 350, 364, 373, 380, 387, 394, 406, 417, 457, 472, 491, 500, 511, 516, 529, 539, 543, 551, 562, 567, 571, 583, 594, 599, 608, 612, 618, 630, 640, 649, 653, 659, 669, 676, 687, 695, 709, 716, 721.
Adgate's Patent, 48, 341, 349. Adjutant General, 43. African Methodist Episcopal Church, 139. Agrarian movement. See Anti Rent. Agricultural College, 616.
fairs, 101. Hall, 27, 160.
Agricultural Implement manufactory, 160, 166, 199, 200, 216, 244, 248, 260, 274, 286, 312, 362. 368, 384, 387, 400. 401, 405, 406, 407, 411, 416, 454, 466, 484, 488, 495, 509. 510, 536, 556, 559, 561, 571, 575, 598, 611, 617, 665, 681, 691, 693, 695, 699, 716.
products, counties excelling in, 103. societies, town and county, 83, 102, 103, 575. Society, 27, 101, 495. Agriculture, appropriations for, 106. statistics of, by cos., 104 to 107. Albany Institute. 101, 161. Aldermanic Districts, New York, 420. Aliens, statistics of, by counties. 150. Allen, Ebenezer, 384, 398, 402, 404, 406, 711. Capt. Ebenezer, 300. 301. Ethan, at Ticonderoga, 299, 305. family murdered, 679. Nathaniel, 498. Almshousea, 161, 365, 393, 398, 422, 425, 426, 509. 553. Ambnscade, 345. 411, 461, 604, 671, 672. American Anti Slavery Society, 146. and Foreign Christiau Union, 146. Bethel Society, 146. Bible Society, 144. Board Commissioners for Foreign Mis- sions, 145. Colonization Society, 146. Home Missionary Society, 146. Institute, 435. Scamen's Friend Society, 146. Sunday School Union, 146. Tract Society, 145. Amherst, Sir Jeffrey, 49, 298, 337, 574, 673, 674.
Analyses of Mineral Waters, 248, 383, 394, 470, 480, 497, 537, 592, 607.
Anaqnassacook Patent, 684. Anchor manufactory, 297, 508, 510, 681. André, Major J., 504, 541, 570, 603, 699, 700, 701, 703. Andrustown pluudered, 342, 349.
Angier, Sicur, surveys by, 298. Anne, Queen, Germane settle under, 242, 245. Anniversary Week, N. Y., 144. Antl masonic movement, 147, 323. Mission Baptists, 139.
rent troubles, 157, 210, 242, 258, 259, 269, 322, 360, 553. 602, 621, 643.
Anti Slavery Society, 146.
Antwerp Company, 353, 355, 375.
Appel Patent, 585.
Apples, statistics of, by connties, 105.
Appling, Major D., 355, 358, 525.
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