History of the original town of Concord : being the present towns of Concord, Collins, N. Collins, and Sardinia, Erie County, New York, Part 1

Author: Briggs, Erasmus
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Rochester, N.Y. : Union and Advertiser Co.'s Print.
Number of Pages: 1004


USA > New York > Erie County > Sardinia > History of the original town of Concord : being the present towns of Concord, Collins, N. Collins, and Sardinia, Erie County, New York > Part 1
USA > New York > Erie County > Collins > History of the original town of Concord : being the present towns of Concord, Collins, N. Collins, and Sardinia, Erie County, New York > Part 1
USA > New York > Erie County > Concord > History of the original town of Concord : being the present towns of Concord, Collins, N. Collins, and Sardinia, Erie County, New York > Part 1


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١


HISTORY


OF THE


ORIGINAL TOWN OF CONCORD,


BEING THE PRESENT TOWNS OF


CONCORD, COLLINS, N. COLLINS AND SARDINIA,


ERIE COUNTY, NEW YORK,


BY ERASMUS BRIGGS.


ROCHESTER, N. Y .: UNION AND ADVERTISER COMPANY'S PRINT. 1883.


50422


Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1883, BY ERASMUS BRIGGS, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.


(F CON G


1900


WASHINGTO


Fiz9 . CZB8


427


8


INDEX.


-


CHAPTER I.


PAGE.


From 1534 to 1655.


Cartier's and Champlain's Expe- dions. 3


CHAPTER II.


From 1655 to 1679-Indians, Dutch. French, &c 9


CHAPTER III.


DeNonville-La Houton -- Queen Anne-the Iroquois, &c ..... 13


CHAPTER IV.


Pontiac' League-the Senecas- the Devil's Hole, &c. . . . 17


CHAPTER V.


The Revolution - the Indians' Hostility-Wyoming -- Cherry Valley. &c. . . 20


CHAPTER VI


The Treaty of Fort Stanwix and subsequent Treaties. 24


CHAPTER VII.


Land Titles-Various Grants- Conflicting Claims - Robert Morris . 29


CHAPTER VIII.


A curious fact-the First Crop raised on the Holland Pur- chase 22


CHAPTER IX.


Agents of Holland Company, Theophilus Cazenova & Paul Bustie . 48


Joseph Ellicott. . 49 Milling. 129


Jacob S. Otto. David E Evans. 51 A sketch of others. Robert Morris. . 52


Mary Jemison, the White Wo- man 51


CHAPTER X.


PAGE.


War of 1812-15.


60


CHAPTER XI.


Campaign of 1813.


66


CHAPTER XII.


Burning of Buffalo, &c .. .


74


CHAPTER XIII.


Campaign of 1814. 81


Discipline at Buffalo -- the Death Penalty


Capture of Fort Erie


by the


Americans


83


An Indian Battle. 84


The Battle of Chippewa. 87


Battle of Conjockety Creek. 91


Battle of Fort Erie. 92


Sortie at Fort Erie. 95


News of Peace.


98


CHAPTER XIV.


Early Settlers. 100


Early Organization of County


and Towns. 102


Date of Settlement and Organi- zation of Towns in Erie Co. 104


Old Town of Concord.


105


Coming to the country 106


Log Houses-Dutch Chimneys and Log-raising. ·106


Clearing Land. 109


Sugar Making 113


Pioneer Wells .. 116


Pioneer Fencing


118


Frame Barns. .


120


Primitive Household Furniture,


&c, &c. . 121


Carding, Spinning and Weaving 124 Raising. Dressing and Spinning Flax 127


Bull Plow and Crotch Drag.


128


Manufacturing of Clothing, Boots and Shoes 131


Making Black Salt


132


Husking Bees, &c


134


Schools


136


iv


INDEX.


PAGE.


Spelling Schools. 139


Reaping with a Sickle, &c. 142


Militia Training. 144


Wrestling. 146


Snow Shoes


146


Dancing. 147


The Great Wolf Hunt. 148


Droves and Drovers 150


The Lost Boy. 151


Pigeons


152


Thanksgiving


153


CHAPTER XV.


History of Concord 156


Names of persons previous to


Jan. 1, 1815. 158


Names of persons Buying Land of the Holland Company. Township 6, Range 6. 159


Township 7. Range 6 160


Township 6, Range 7 163


Township ?, Range 7. 165


Copy of an Original Article of


Land. .


168


Copy of the First Deed in Con- cord . 172


Early Roads 173


Springville & Sardinia Railroad 175


Rochester & Pittsburgh Railro'd 175 Names of one or more of the First Settlers on each Lot in Concord 176


Hotels-Mills - Manufactories. 178


Professional Men-Merchants- Traders and Mechanics. 185


Banks


192


Manufacturers-Merchants and Tradesmen 193


" Fiddler's Green' 196


Mail Routes-Post Offices 197


Commission of the First Post


Master in Springville.


199


A list of the Owners of Farming Lands in the Town of Con- cord in 1845. 200


Concord Soldiers' Record


205


Presbyterian Church 209


Methodist Episcopal Church of


Springville.


213


First Baptist Church of Spring- ville. . 214


Free Baptist Church of Spring- ville. . 216


Roman Catholic Church of Springville 217


Universalist Church.


218


Schools.


583


Free Baptist Church, East Con-


cord .


218


Free Baptist Church. West Con-


cord


219


PAGE.


Methodist Episcopal


Church.


West Concord ..


219


Springville Academy 220


Semi-Centennial Celebration of the Opening of Springville Academy 223


Teachers' Institutes


230


List of Accidental Deaths in the Town of Concord. 235


Names of Streams in Concord .. 231


The First Liberty-Pole.


238


The Springville Mill.


239


Local Names in Concord 240


The Springville Rifle Company 241


Town Officers of Concord.


242


Town Accounts. 1830.


245


Names of Early Settlers. 246


Soldiers of Concord in 1812 247


Vosburg Murder.


247


Otis Murder


248


The Old Springville Hotel. 248


Panther Stories.


250


Bear Story


251


Lands Deeded in Concord


252


Societies


265


Newspapers


267


CHAPTER XVI.


Family Histories of the Town of Concord in Alphabetical Or- der .. 269


A, 269 ; B. 211 ; C, 303 : D. 341 ;


E, 348 : F, 353 : G, 369 ; H.


376 : I, 386: J, 387 ; K, 391 : L, 399 : M. 404 ; N. 417; O.


422 ; P. 423 ; Q, 435 : R, 436 ; S. 450: T. 487 ; Urich, 502 :


V, 502 ; W. 509 : Z. 532.


Eliza Reynolds.


533


Springville


541


Chester Spencer.


534


C. C Mcclure


535


Goddard Family.


536


Christopher Stone's House 542


CHAPTER XVII.


History of Collins.


543


First Settlers.


544


Articles. .


545


Assessment Roll, 1823


553


Act Creating the Town


559


Defining Boundaries.


560


Zoar


563


Deeds


569


List of Town Officers.


577


Religious Meetings and Church


Organizations .


584


·· East District." Town of Col- lins Center 585


V


INDEX.


PAGE.


Collins Conter 585


Physicians 586


Collins Center Merchants. 586


Tanneries 587


Mills .


587


" Society of Friends" 588


Soldiers' Record. 589


Settlers of 60 and 70 years ago. .


593


Town Account. 1830. 593


Societies


594


John Millis and his grist.


595


Wild Animals. 596


Business Directory of Collins Center for 1882. 596


Gowanda Directory for 1882 ... 597 Mrs. Charlotte Seymour's letter 598 Statement of S. W. Soule. 600 Mrs. Stoddard's Statement. . 604 Statement of Joseph Plumb, Esq 617 Statement of S. Cary Adams ... 624


Statement of David Wilber.


696


Letter of Win H. Parkinson. . . 675 Augustus Smith's Statement ... 683 Statement of Benj. Albee. 2d .. 637 Blackney Murder. 641


CHAPTER XVIII.


Family Histories. Collins. . 635


A, 635; B. 639; C. 641: F. 655 ;


G, 656 ; H. 657 ; J. 661: K. 663 ; L, 666 ; MI. 668 : N, 674 ;


0. 674 : P. 675 ; R. 682 ; S, 683 ;


T. 691 ; V. 695 : W,. 696


CHAPTER XIX.


NORTH COLLINS .


Names of those who Purchased


Lands of the Holland Com- pany 708


Deeds. 514


First Settlers on each Lot.


Assessment Roll of 1823. 724


List of Town Officers. 728


Societies


731


Soldiers' Record. . 733


First Congregational Church 737


Job Southworth's Statement ... 738 Statement of Isaac Hale. 740


Statement of Noel Conger.


743


Statement of Isaac Woodward. 745


CHAPTER XX.


Family Histories, North Collins 749


B, 749; C, 750 ; D, 752: F. 152 ; G. 153 : H, 754; J, 755; K.


756 ; L, 957, P, 759 ; R, 761 :


S, 762; V, 766 ; W,. 766


CHAPTER XXI.


General History of Sardinia ..


769


Early Settlers


770


PAGE.


Articled Land


771


Deed of the Holland Company .


776


Early Reminiscences-Nott ...


784


Fourth of July Party, 1811.


789


Soldiers' Record ..


794


First Baptist Church.


797


Beneficiary Orders


798


Town Officers


798


Assessment Roll, 1848


812


Reminiscences by Dr. B. H. Col- grove 823


Statement of A. W. Shedd.


829


Statement of L. D. Smith


832


Statement of Cyrus Rice


835


Business Places. &c.


845


Notes from the Old Town Book


of 1821, &c


848


CHAPTER XXII.


Family Histories in Alphabet-


ical Order-Illustrations. .... 851 A, 851 ; B. 854 : C, 857 : F. 860 :


G, 861; H, 862 ; J, 868 : I,


868 ; M. 870: N, 871 ; 0. 873;


P.873; R. 875: S, 878: T. 885 ; V. 885 ; Sterling Titus, 886 ; W. 886


OUTSIDERS.


Adams, J. C.


892


Brooks, John. 893


Brooks, Andrew J. 894


Briggs. A. H, M. D.


894


Briggs, George W.


895


Foster, Harrison T


895


Field, William.


897


Field. Marvin.


898


Drake, Allen.


898


Hammond, Win. W


899


Hastings. Chancey J. 900


Hastings, Seymour P. 901


Koch, Harry H.


901


Miller. Frederick


902


Nott. S. E. L. H.


903


Nichols, George W


904


Wiley. William


904


Wiley, John M.


905


Miller, Christian.


905


Oatman. David.


906


Williams, George


907


Stowell, Charles.


908


Ewell, Joseph E. 908


Tanner, Amos B 909


Persons, Daniel H. 910


Emery, Joseph. Col. 910


Scott, Justus.


911


Smither, R. R 912


Spencer, H. S.


912


Tanner, Alonzo, Esq.


913


Wibert Family


913


vi


INDEX.


PAGE.


Cutler, Caleb.


915


Bensley. John R.


930


Ransom. Asa.


915


Bensley, George E 931


Ransom, Asa, Jr.


916


Haight, Albert. 932


Ransom, Harry B


917


Coit, George. 935


Titus, James B. 917


Humphrey, Arthur 935


Kent. Joseph.


919


Humphrey, J. M. 936


Kent. Jonathan 919


Lockwood, D. N. 937


Cooper, Joseph. 920


Green, O J. & Sons


938


Young, Charles E


920


Reading, Richard


939


Lockwood, Ebenezer


921


Canbee, Joseph


940


Stickney, David, Jr.


922


Kerr. Patterson.


941


White, Almer. 923


Scoby, M


941


Tucker, Harvey J 924


Bartlett, Marcus


542


Lockwood, A. U. 925


Calkins, A C.


544


Preston, A. G. 926


Coit, Chas. T. 944


Lawson, W. W.


927


Coit. Frank S. 945


Bartholomew, A


928


Eustaphive. H. A 945


Sampson, Joseph P


929


Masonic


947


PAGE.


ERRATA.


Page 105, read " Lawton " for Lanton. Page 106, read " Big Tree " for Fig Tree. Page 126, read " Scarn " for Scam. Page 131, 9th line, read " difficult " for different, Page 152, read " Morton's Corners " for Morton's Creek.


Page 174, line 38, read " at lot 32 " for at lot 52.


Page 180, read " Theodore Frew" for Theodore Trew.


l'age 188, read " Perigo " for Brigo.


Page 189, read " Shoutz " for Shontz ; same page, read " Barnhart" for Bamhart ; same page, read " Post " for Past.


Page 190, read " Parmeter " for Bameter.


Page 192, read " F. K. Davis" for T. K. Davis.


Page 195, read " Frew " for Trew. Page 208, read " 1862 " for 1892. Page 218, read " Morris Hall " for Horris Hall.


Page 275, read " Auwater " for Anwater.


Page 253, 3d line from bottom, read " 1819" instead of 1809.


Page 293, read " 1869" for 1899.


Page 294, read " 1880 " for 1810 ; same page, read " 1882" for 1822.


Page 332, read " 1839 " for 1849.


l'age 338, read " 1877" for 1878. Page 359, read the name " Benjamin Fay " for Benjamin Frye.


l'age 360, read the name " Nemiah Fay " for Nemiah Frye.


Page 369, line 16, read " Ruth Briggs" for Bertha Briggs. Page 391, read " Benjamin Gardner " for Benjamin Gordon.


Page 395, read " Otis Morton " for Otis Horton.


l'age 400, read " Mary Hufstader " for John Hufstader.


Page 433, read " 1832" for 1882.


l'age 452, read " William T., " for William G., and " W. T. Lincoln " for William F. Page 468. read " Orrin Baker " for Owen Baker. Page 48 ;, line 20, read " Council Bluffs" for Dakota. Page 476, read " Marcy" for Mercy. Page 473, line 6th, read " 1761 " for 1861. Page 496, 2d line, leave out " Boston"; same page, read 4th line from bottom page " near " for new.


Page 498, 2d line from top, read "17y2" for 1702. Page 519, in the account of Levi and Isaac Woodward, read " married " for the capital M. Page 566, 12th line, read " her family " for his family .


Page 618, read " Parthenia " for Perthenia.


Page 623, read " Parthenia " for Pathenia.


Page 632, last line, read " Methodist Preacher " for teacher


Page 659, 12th line. read " born 1831 " for 1871. l'age 672, line 14, read " 1850 " for 1859.


Page 743, read " Noel Conger " for Noah Conger; page following 770, read " 771" for 781 ; page following 872, read " 873" for 783. Page 827. read " Reuben B. lleacock" for Reuben B. Hancock. Page 861, 24th line, " Tuller " for Fuller. Page 889, " Brewer " for Brower. Page 894, " John Jr., 2d " for John Jr .. Son. -


INTRODUCTION.


" Oft did the harvest to their sickle yield Their furrow oft the stubborn glebe has broke, How jocund did they drive their team a-field,


How bowed the woods beneath their sturdy stroke.


Let not ambition mock their useful toil,


Their homely joys and destiny obscure."


The motives that prompted the author to attempt the com- pilation of a work of this nature were, that being himself to the " manor born," and having enjoyed an intimate personal acquaintance with many of the early settlers of these towns, and knowing that very little had ever been said of them in any history that had been heretofore published, he felt that all former attempts of the historian to portray these early times and scenes were lacking in detail and did not accord to the brave pioneers of these towns the mead of praise that their self-sacrificing labors and privations entitle them to, and he departs from the rule generally pursued by writers, of record- ing only the acts of those whom fortune or favor has raised to positions of prominence, and he feels that the lives and deeds of the pioneer, though their destiny may have been obscure, are worthy of being remembered and perpetuated upon the pages of history ; for the pioneer, like the great forests that once surrounded his humble cabin, is passing away : only here and there you find them, and soon, very soon, there will not one remain, and it is but a simple act, of justice to the living and an honor that we owe to the dead, who now rest from their toils on fields their hands helped to clear, that a record of their lives should be put into some tangible form and the multitude of facts in the possession of those who are yet with us be res- cued from oblivion, for soon these witnesses will pass away, and there will be none left to tell the story of the olden time.


INTRODUCTION.


For this reason the author has undertaken the task of com- piling a volume, and he finds that there has been an almost endless amount of labor to collect and arrange facts and dates to incidents that transpired so many years ago, and much of it may appear commonplace and non-interesting to some, but the author belives that the task he has undertaken is a laudable one, and that the few pioneers now remaining and their de- scendants for generations to come, will be interested in the work, and will properly appreciate the undertaking.


To the many who have aided him in this undertaking and were induced to, at his earnest request, he is under many obliga- tions, and though their names may appear elsewhere, in con- nection with articles contributed, still he takes pleasure in ren- dering a personal acknowledgment here: J. H. Plumb, Esq., of Westfield, Mrs. Stoddard of Iowa, S Cary Adams, Esq. of Buffalo, S. W. Soule, William H. Parkinson of Collins, Mrs. Sey- mour of Chautauqua, L. B. Cochran, Esq., Hon. C. C. Sever- ance, WV. G. Ramson, Dr. G. G. Stanbro of Concord and L. D. Smith and Cyrus Rice of Sardinia, have placed him under a debt of gratitude. Of those who rendered valuable aid in soliciting subscriptions and encouraging him in his undertaking, he will ever remember the names of James Hopkins, Addison Whee- lock, Cyrus Rice, Welcome Andrews, Alden J. McArthur and many others. Christfield Johnson, Esq., author of the Centen- nial History of Erie county, courteously allowed him the free use of his book, and the first one hundred pages of this work are taken from his book, and Turner's History of the Holland Purchase. Nearly the whole of the remaining pages are original.


The amount of matter in this volume in relation to the family histories of each of these respective towns will be accounted for by the number of subscriptions that the author has received in said towns to aid in the publication of this work. Of course a work of this nature, containing the amount of matter that this one does, must necessarily be expensive, and every page added must necessarily also increase the expense to be borne by the author who has to depend for the funds to defray the cost most entirely upon local patronage, and most certainly he cannot do as his inclinations would otherwise naturally lead him, if he were not confined to limited means, and in the present under-


.


xi


INTRODUCTION.


taking he would feel himself amply rewarded if he were to re- ceive the bare expense of preparing and publishing this work. But he is well aware now that the expense will far exceed all such hopes, and the author regrets too that there is a single thing omitted that will detract from the general interest of this volume, and yet he knows that there are names of those who were early identified with the settlement of these towns, whose histories would have been of interest and were worthy of being preserved, that are now lacking, which can only be accounted for by the indifference of those who should have taken some interest in a work of this nature.


Following appears the number of subscribers of each town. together with those who are not residents :


Concord 260


Collins 125


North Collins 35


Sardinia 65


Buffalo and others localities So


E. B.


2:20.


E. BRIGGS.


Autobiography of the Author.


The author of this work was born on the 31st day of August, 1818, on Townsend Hill, in the town of Concord, where he remained with his parents until after he was seventeen years of age. As soon as old enough, he was put to work to assist in clearing up a heavily-timbered farm ; and the scenes and inci- dents appertaining to pioneer life portrayed in the several articles in chapter xiv. of this work are from his own knowl- edge and experience.


His education was principally obtained in the district school, on Townsend Hill, supplemented by a few terms at select school and Springville Academy ..


The Winter after he was eighteen years of age, he taught a term of school, and the Spring following, he took Grecley's advice and went west. This was before the advent of railroads, and was quite an undertaking. The journey across the State of Michigan, and from Chicago to Racine, from Racine to Janesville, from Janesville to Galena, and from Galena to Ful- ton, a total distance of over six hundred miles, was made on foot. At that time, the prairies of Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin were unoccupied; the only settlers to be found were located in or near the timber. Chicago at that time was a small town, whose buildings and improvements were confined to a narrow belt of dry land along the lake-shore and river-bank ; the ground back being low and covered with prairie-grass and water. Racine was a straggling little hamlet. and the city of Janesville was yet in embryo, its site being occupied by two or three small log farm-houses. He remen- bers stopping there a few days, and planting corn on the land where the city now stands. Beloit was named, but Freeport was unknown, and Galena was a very small village. The jour- ney for the last two days was made on a single meal. Fulton was surveyed and named, but contained but one log-house. He remained in Fulton two and a half years, putting up build- ings in the Summer, and getting out timber and cutting steam- boat wood in the Winter. He built the first frame-house in Fulton, and continued to work at the business until prostrated by sickness.


When sufficiently recovered to travel, he returned to his native town, where for the next eleven years his time was divided between working at the carpenters' trade Summers, teaching school Winters, and attending to the duties of the office of Superintendent of Common Schools.


In 1850, he went to the town of West Seneca, and invested in timbered land, which had formerly been a part of the Indian reservation. For the next fifteen years, this town and the ad- joining town of Elma was his home. During these years, he was quite extensively engaged in the wood, bark and lumber business. In 1852, while a resident of West Seneca, he was elected Justice of the Peace, and also town Superintendent of Common Schools. He was also chosen to represent them on the Board of Supervisors, in 1853-54-55. He afterward held the office of Justice of the Peace in the town of Elma. Since his re- turn to Concord, in 1865, he has worked at building several Sum- mers, and taught school occasionally Winters. For the last five years, his time has been principally spent in procuring facts and preparing this work. Since his return to Concord, he has been several times elected Supervisor, although the party with which he affiliates is in the minority ; and it is a source of gratification to know that wherever he has resided, he has, enjoyed the confidence of his fellow-townsmen.


HISTORY


OF THE


ORIGINAL TOWN OF CONCORD.


CHAPTER I.


FROM 1534 TO 1655.


George Cartier's Expedition-Champlain's Expedition-King James' Grant- Henry Hudson-French Traders-The Jesuits-Chaumonot and Bre- bœuf - Hunting Buffalo - Destruction of the Kahquahs and Eries- Seneca Tradition-French Account-Their System of Clans -Its Import- ance - Sachems and War-Chiefs - Method of Descent - Choice of Sachems-Family Relations.


.In the year 1534, forty-two years after the discovery of America, George Cartier, a French explorer sailed up the St. Lawrence to Montreal and took possession of all the country round about on behalf of the King of France, Francis the First, and called it New France.


He made some attempts to colonize, but in 1543 they were all abandoned, and for more than half a century no further progress was made.


In 1603, the celebrated French mariner, Samuel Champlain, led an expedition to Quebec and made a permanent settlement there, and, in fact, founded the Colony of Canada. Montreal was founded soon after, and communication was comparatively easy along the course of the St. Lawrence and Lake Ontario, and, with a portage around the Falls, to Lake Eric. And


I


4


KING JAMES' GRANT.


mainly for this reason, the French fur traders and missionaries reached this region of country long before any other Europeans.


In 1606, King James, of England, granted to an association of Englishmen called the Plymouth company, the territory of New England, but no permanent settlement was made until the 9th day of November, 1620, when, from the historic Mayflower, the Pilgrim Fathers landed on Plymouth Rock.


In 1628, Charles the First, of England, granted a charter for the government of the Province of Massachusetts Bay. It included the territory between latitude 40° 2' and 44° 15' north, extending from the Atlantic to the Pacific, making a colony a hundred and fifty-four miles wide and four thousand miles long. The County of Erie and Western New York were included within its limits.


In 1609, the English navigator, Henry Hudson, while in the employ of Holland, discovered the river that bears his name, and the Hollanders established fortified trading posts on Man- hattan island and at Albany, and commenced trading with the Indians. They also made an indefinite claim of territory west- ward.




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