A Centennial Memorial History of Allegany county, New York, Part 12

Author: Minard, John Stearns, 1834-1920; Merrill, Georgia Drew
Publication date: 1896
Publisher: Alfred, N.Y., W. A. Fergusson & co.
Number of Pages: 1102

USA > New York > Allegany County > A Centennial Memorial History of Allegany county, New York > Part 12

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

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SIXTH DECADE .- 1851-1860.

time had been raised by almost every farmer, had become neglected and but little produced. Isaac Hampton of Ossian and Alexander H. Main were sent to the Assembly. Wm. B. Alley was elected county clerk. John G. Collins county judge, Samuel C. Cotton sheriff.

A state census was taken this year, and, as it occurred so nearly a half century after the county was organized and active settlement began, we will draw quite freely from its figures and statements, and so enable the reader to institute comparisons, and study the growth and the decline of the various industries. In 1855 the six largest towns in the county, in order of population, were Scio 3,184, Amity 2.655, Caneadea 2,400, Belfast 2,130, Cuba 2,116, and Hume 2,094. There were 181 colored people in the county. The classification of the inhabitants by occupations showed 9 agents, 1 agri- cultural implement maker, 9 apothecaries and druggists. 1 artificial-flower maker, 1 axe-maker. 2 bakers. 4 bankers, 7 barbers, 2 basket-makers, 242 blacksmiths, 1 boarding-house keeper, 5 boat-builders, 27 boatmen and watermen, 4 boiler-makers, 1 brewer and distiller, 16 butchers, 59 cabinet- makers, 377 carpenters, 2 book-sellers and stationers, 1 drayman, 1 caulker, 4 civil engineers, 107 clerks, copyists and accountants, 80 clergymen, 1 clock- maker and repairer, 18 clothiers, 93 coach and wagon makers, 3 collectors, 12 contractors, 6 cooks, 52 coopers, 7,364 farmers, 1 fireman, 2 forwarders, 4 furnacemen, 1 gambler, 8 gardeners and florists, 5 gate-keepers, 49 grocers, 9 gunsmiths, 4 hardware dealers, 7 hat and cap makers, 66 hotel and inn keepers, 5 inspectors, 5 jewelers, 88 joiners. 892 laborers, 52 lawyers, 1 lecturer, 1 lime-burner, 9 livery-stable keepers, 326 lumbermen and dealers, 82 masons, plasterers and brick-layers, 28 machinists, 15 manufacturers, 184 merchants. 59 millers, 64 milliners, 47 millwrights, 6 moulders, 21 musi. cians, 9 music teachers, 1 nurseryman, 7 ostlers, 2 overseers and superin. tendents, 39 painters, glaziers and varnishers, 2 paper-makers, 3 pattern- makers, 19 peddlers, 4 photographers, 85 physicians, 1 pilot, 2 post-masters, 23 printers, 4 produce dealers, 1 professor, 3' sailors and mariners, 2 sale- ratus-makers, 176 sawyers, 1 sculptor, 1 sexton, 22 shingle-makers, 3 specu- lators, 1 spinner, 2 stage proprietors, 11 stone and marble cutters, 61 stu- dents, 1 surveyor, 156 tailors, 74 tanners, curriers and leather dealers, 171 teachers, 43 teamsters, 4 telegraph operators, 20 tinsmiths, 24 weavers, 12 wheelwrights, 1 woodcutter and 1 wooldealer. 20 insane people were re- ported, 13 stone dwellings, 29 brick, 6,287 framed and 966 log houses, 806 of all other kinds of houses.

Of improved lands there were 280,863 acres, and 304,209} acres of un. improved lands. Cash value of farms $12.352,363, and stock was valued at $2,081,738; tools and farming implements $575,936. The acreage of some of the leading crops was returned as follows: 71,276 acres of meadow, 6,594} acres of spring wheat, 6,964} acres of winter wheat, and 82,929 bushels harvested. Of oats there were 34,845 acres, 665,490 bushels. 6,800} acres of corn were planted and 189,588} bushels harvested; potatoes 3,057} acres yielding 206,258 bushels. Of maple sugar 332,260 pounds were made and

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HISTORY OF ALLEGANY COUNTY, N. Y.

3,490 gallons of maple syrup, 103 gallons of wine; 68,998 pounds of honey and 3,321} pounds of beeswax, one bushel of clover seed was raised valued at $7, neat cattle, not including oxen and cows, 24,931. There were 3,392 working oxen, and 19,009 cows were milked; while 2,550 cattle were killed for beef, and 1,700,775 pounds of butter and 1,044,978 pounds of cheese were made, and 10,803 gallons of milk sold. There were 11,223 horses, 36 mules, 13,148 swine. Of sheep there were 104,799. 80,416 fleeces were shorn and 272,622} pounds of wool sold. The value of poultry sold was $7,819, and of eggs sold $11,218. 3,095} yards of fullcloth was made, and 14,476 yards of flannel, 4,0533 yards of linen cloth, and 9,3374 yards of " cotton-and-mixed " cloth. Two pairs of gloves were reported valued at $1; 322 pairs of mittens valued at $174; 211 hats $61, and 2,746 pairs socks were made, worth $936.

A rake factory was then in operation in Rushford, two asheries were re- ported, both in Centerville. Rushford also had a bakery, reporting an output of $24.000 in value. Matches were made at Belmont, the number of employees being 20, and saleratus was made in New Hudson. Angelica, Bel- fast and Rushford manufactured sash, doors and blinds. 23 gristmills were reported. The only planing-mills reported were at Scio and Amity. There were 183 sawmills, of which 19 were in Amity, 20 in Ossian, 24 in Scio and 8 in Genesee. 29 shingle factories, 23 boot and shoe manufactories, four of them in Hume, employing 13 men. 17 tanneries were reported, and a clothing manufactory at Almond employing 132 men. There were 21 churches with a total average attendance of 2,060. Schoolhouses were re- ported, 246 framed, 10 log, 1 plank and 1 stone, " very poor " 33, " very good " 4. Six newspapers were reported, one at Almond, two at Angelica, one at Oramel. one at Cuba and one at Wellsville.

1856. Save only the spirited presidential contest of this year, in which the Republicans placed their first national ticket in the field, no event of un- usual importance occurred. The town of Ward was this year erected from portions of Alfred and Amity, since then no new town has been formed. The board of supervisors organized by electing Martin Butts chairman and Charles Horton clerk. The assessed valuation of real estate was $8,951,669, of personal property $804,067. The total amount of taxes spread was $51, - 114.34. Wm. M. Smith and James T. Cameron were elected to the as- sembly. Hamilton Ward was chosen district attorney.

1857. The subject of the removal of the county seat was revived with increased and increasing interest, and the grand jury presented a condem- nation of the public buildings. A monetary panic during the later months of the year caused a general depression in business and Allegany suffered with the rest of the country. The board of supervisors again made choice of Martin Butts for chairman. and Charles Horton for clerk. The assessed valuation of real estate was $8,518,085, of personal property $861,869. Total amount of taxes $62,245.97. John M. Hammond of Hume and Wm. F. Jones of Wellsville were elected to the assembly.

1858. The fight on the removal of the county seat was now on in dead

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SIXTH DECADE .- 1851-1860.

earnest, being precipitated and intensified, by the alleged action of what was called the " Angelica Regency " in exacting of a certain aspirant for senato- rial honors certain promises or pledges which he deemed inconsistent with his sense of honor and propriety. His refusal to comply with their wishes. made political enemies of the so-called "regency " (in these days, "ring " or "organization " would be the word.) who declared that he should never go to the senate and his nomination was defeated, but it aroused a feeling with his friends, which added to the desire from purely legitimate business reasons of those situated along the line of the Erie railroad, succeeded in securing the passage of an act appointing three commissoners to designate some place on the line of the Erie railroad to which the county seat should be removed. In May. 1858, in accordance with the provisions of this act, the commissioners located the county seat at Belmont, and immediately the necessary proceedings were taken to secure the early erection of the new county buildings. The board of supervisors this year made choice of John M. Hammond for chairman and Asahel N. Cole clerk. The assessed valu- ation of real and personal property was 89,005,907, but the records do not reveal the amount of the taxes. Alfred Lockhart of Angelica and William Cobb of Spring Mills were elected to the legislature. John W. Eldridge was elected county clerk, and Henry Brown sheriff.

1859. This year was a busy one in Belmont. The new county build- ings were erected by Mr. C. S. Whitney and the contract required them to be ready for occupation, the court house at least, by the time of the annual meeting of the board of supervisors. $20,000 was appropriated for the buildings, and the money loaned on the credit of the county. As the annual election approached, it became apparent that Angelica was not going to give up the fight altogether, notwithstanding the new county buildings, and Dr. Wm. M. Smith and Darwin E. Maxson were elected to the assembly. Early in June occurred a very severe frost, and just one week later another. These were extremely disastrous to grass and grain, and the forests put on the appearance of autumn, many trees being killed. The board of supervisors again made choice of John Hammond for chairman and A. N. Cole for clerk. The total valuation of real and personal property as returned by the asses- sors was $8,583,045, and the amount of taxes raised in the county was $44 .- 355.05. This was the first session in the new court house, and Chairman Hammond made an appropriate speech on the subject and occasion which was printed in the proceedings.

1860. Soon after the organization of the Legislature of 1860, Wm. M. Smith, the member from the northern district, offered a bill entitled " An act to divide the county of Allegany into two jury districts, and provide for holding court in and for said county alternately in each of said districts," and, much to the surprise of large numbers of our people, it passed the assembly in due season. This was made the occasion for calling an extra session of the board of supervisors, which convened at Belmont on the 27th of March. On the eighth ballot John M. Hammond was again chosen chair-

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HISTORY OF ALLEGANY COUNTY, N. Y.

man and on the fifth ballot J. F. Olney was chosen clerk. The board passed a preamble and several resolutions (vote 21 to 8) expressing surprise at the passage of the bill through the assembly (which it declared must have been deceived) and especially requested the senator from this district (Hon. David H. Abell) to oppose to the extent of his ability its passage through the senate. The bill however passed that body and became a law. This involved the repair and reconstruction of the old court house at Angelica, and the new jail at Belmont was in some way declared to be unsafe for the detention of prisoners, which made more repairs necessary for the old jail at Angelica, which was fitted up in such a way as to serve the purpose very well until Jan. 1, 1895, when the new jail at Belmont was occupied. In conformity to the provisions of the law, the courts were held alternately at Belmont and Angelica until 1892.

By law the courts are now held at Belmont; the old court house and jail at Angelica have been sold, a new jail at Belmont constructed, and, now, notwithstanding a case is in the courts to test the legality of late proceed- ings, it is quite generally conceded that the county-seat question is relegated to the rubbish pile of the past. It is hoped that it may be so. While it was unsettled it engendered discord, created ill-feeling, and, in various ways, contributed to a condition of unrest, apprehension and alarm. The old court house and jail at Angelica were sold, Jan. 5, 1895, for $855 to a syndicate who will hold the property until the town of Angelica purchases it.

The year 1860 was also made ever memorable by the great historic presidential campaign which resulted in the election of Abraham Lincoln to the Presidency. Great excitement prevailed, and Allegany was no excep- tion, for it was stirred to its remotest borders and shook, as never before, to its very center. The board of supervisors at their annual meeting continued the offices of the chairman, J. M. Hammond, and clerk, J. F. Olney, elected at the special session the previous March. The amount of taxes laid upon the county this year was $56,603.38, and the total amount of real and per- sonal property, as returned by the assessors, was $8,421,078. Wilkes Angel and Lucius S. May were elected to the Legislature. In territorial extent and division into towns Allegany is the same now as at the close of this dec- ade, so the map which accompanies these pages, is the last in the series used to illustrate the growth of the county.

Immediately after the election, the people of the Southern states began to take steps towards putting into execution the threats of seces- sion which they had been making throughout the campaign, and, on the 20th of December, the Convention of South Carolina, called for the pur- pose, without a dissenting vote (Yeas 169) passed an "Ordinance of Seces- sion." Other states soon followed its example. The die was cast and an ap- to arms was the inevitable result. The curtain of this decade is rung down amid the gloomiest of forebodings, those of "grim-visaged war."

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SIXTH DECADE-1851-1860.

ALLEGANY, IN 1860. AND AS AT PRESENT.

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HISTORY OF ALLEGANY COUNTY, N. Y.

CHAPTER XX.

SEVENTH DECADE .- 1861-1870.

" Ah ! then and there was hurrying to and fro. And gathering tears, and tremblings of distress, * * * *

* * * * * And there was mounting in hot haste, the steed, The mustering squadron, and the clattering car, Went pouring forward with impetuous speed, And swiftly forming in the ranks of war."

T THIS decade was ushered in with most intense excitement amidst the gloomiest of prospects. South Carolina had seceded on the 20th of December, 1860. From January 10th to 18th Florida, Alabama and Georgia passed ordinances of secession in rapid succession, some unanimously, others with but slight opposition. On the 4th of March Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated President of the United States, not, however without great apprehension for his safety. Events important, historic and exciting in the extreme, hurried on apace, and at 4.20 in the morning of April 12th fire was opened upon Fort Sumter in Charleston harbor, occupied by Major Ander- son and a small detachment of Federal troops. With the rapidity of light- ning the news was flashed to the remotest borders of the land. Impromptu meetings were held, orators with impassioned eloquence appealed to the multitudes, the poet attuned his lyre to the new conditions, and the clergy gave expression of loyal sympathy for the cause of the Union. ( On Monday morning, April 15th, the public journals displayed, conspicuously, the proc- lamation of the President in which he called forth the militia of the several states to the number of 75,000, "in order to suppress said combinations, and cause the laws to be duly exercised." An extra session of Congress was called by the same proclamation.

New York was one of the first of the states to answer to the call of the President, and Allegany was one of the foremost of its counties in sending on men. Capt. C. C. Gardiner, of Angelica, was first to respond with Com- pany I of the 27th Regiment. The men were so impatient to be mustered into the service, that a special messenger was sent to Albany to get the company accepted for two years under the state auspices. In all there were two maximum regiments of men from Allegany who entered the army, and the state, answering to the several calls, before the war closed sent 464,156 men to the front. A good account is given in the history of Allegany county published in 1879 of the men sent from the county, of the regiments they formed and helped to form, and the part they bore in the field, but that account omitted entirely to speak of occurrences and events at home, of the part the "stay-at-homes " bore during those tragic years. It is well per-

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SEVENTH DECADE .- 1861-1870.

haps, to devote some space in these pages to that interesting subject, and, incidentally, to show something of the great contribution of money which the people at home laid upon the altar of their country, of the aid and com- fort they afforded to the soldiers in the field, and of the various sacrifices in many ways made for the preservation of the Union.

The scene which our county presented after the breaking out of the Rebellion defies description. Middle-aged men "left plow in furrow," young men their classes in college, seminary and academy, and, enrolling themselves, hastened quickly to the place of rendezvous, while mothers, wives and sisters busied themselves, tearfully and loyally, in making hurried preparations for their departure. Later, in every town and almost every hamlet, the ladies would gather to scrape lint, make bandages and in various ways arrange means for alleviating the sufferings of the sick and wounded, and contribute to their comfort in field and hospital. War meetings were held, patriotic and inflammatory speeches made, and under the excitement which they wrought many enlistments were made; in some cases all the able-bodied male members of a family of sufficient age being accepted.

At first enlistments were made from purely patriotic motives and impulses, as nothing above regular soldiers' pay was offered, and that was too meagre and insignificant to furnish any inducement for going into the ranks. After the bullet-riddled, mangled forms of dear ones were sent home in boxes after the battle of Bull Run and other early actions, or reported buried on the battle field, taken prisoner or missing, the awful and stern reality of war was made painfully obvious. The glamour, the poetry of war had vanished. Men paused and staggered under the almost bewildering conditions, and it became necessary, as call succeeded call, to offer "bounties " in order to stimulate enlistments and fill the quotas of the several towns. And so it came to pass that a strife arose between the towns as to which should offer the largest bounty. The avarice of the people was appealed to, and men as a rule enlisted for the largest bounties they could obtain, while those at home held themselves in readiness to raise the neces- sary money, temporarily advancing it, in many instances, and waiting for the towns to re-emburse them. To meet the exigency. the Government issued money, which, from the color of the paper used, was called "Green- backs." Currency was plenty and prices of all kinds of products, of farms and manufactories, rose to marvelous figures. Merchandise advanced so rapidly that it was said to take most of the time of the merchants to mark up their goods to keep pace with prices at the wholesaling stores, and during the years from 1861 to 1864 the more reckless a merchant was in buying the more money he would make. Gold went up to $2.97, wheat touched about $3 per bushel and wool reached one dollar per pound.

Many were the trips fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters made "to the front " to care for the sick and wounded, and many were the boxes of provisions, clothing and supplies of various kinds, and, especially during the days of Christmas time, sent to the "boys in blue " in field, camp and

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HISTORY OF ALLEGANY COUNTY, N. Y.

hospital. It detracts not one iota from the glory of those who did service in the army, to concede that the "stay-at-homes " had a part to play also, and that they played it well in the great drama being enacted, wherein the stage was the United States, the auditorium the world, the auditors all mankind. It is safe to say, and to the glory of Allegany be it said, that no county in the state sent more men in proportion to population, and no state was repre- sented by better soldiers in the field, or braver ones in action. It would require pages to indite the names of those who were distinguished for heroic deeds and actions, and the list could then only be closed with invidious dis- tinctions, so many did nobly and so few did not.

The war record of Allegany is one to which her people can well "point with pride." The Twenty-Third regiment, organized at Elmira, May 16, 1861, contained in Company B. recruited at Cuba by Capt. M. M. Loyden, the first installment of Allegany's contribution to the army. Other parts of the regiment were three companies from Steuben, two each from Tioga and Chemung, and one each from Cortland and Schuyler counties. This regi- ment had an honorable career and was in many distinguished engagements, among them Rappahannock Station, Sulphur Springs, Gainesville, Manassas Plains, Second Bull Run, Chantilly, South Mountain, Antietam, and Fred- ericksburg.

The Twenty-Seventh regiment was organized at Elmira, May 21, 1864, and made up mainly from companies recruited in Westchester, Wayne, Broome, Monroe, Livingston, Wyoming and Orleans counties. A company of about 75 men under Capt. Curtis C. Gardiner was recruited in this county and taken into this regiment, which did good service, and had an honorable record.

The Ninety-Third regiment. Company E of this regiment was recruited mainly in Amity, Scio, Belfast, Caneadea, Wellsville and Independence, the recruiting being principally in charge of A. J. McNett, Esq., of Belmont, in September, 1861. McNett was soon after appointed captain. He proved a most gallant and patriotic officer, was severely wounded in service and was brevetted colonel before being mustered out.

Allegany was represented in the Fifth New York Cavalry by 60 men in Company E and 16 men in Company F. The regiment was also known as the "First Ira Harris Guard." This organization was in many engagements, and was noted for bravery in action.

The Eighty-Fifth regiment was more than half made up by Alleganians, the rest coming from Cattaraugus, Seneca, and Ontario counties. Among the many memorable battles in which this regiment took part were Fair Oaks, Mechanicsville, Gaine's Mills, Malvern Hill, Goldsborough and Ply- mouth.

The Eighty-Sixth regiment, N. Y. Volunteers, had about 40 men from Allegany in Companies H, B and D, while the Sixth-Fourth regiment, organ- ized in Cattaraugus county, contained two companies from Allegany, Com-

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SEVENTH DECADE .- 1861-1870.

pany D, with 83 men, under Capt. Philip Lake, and Company G under Capt. J. S. Pittinger, also with 83 men.

The Sixth Cavalry, or Second Ira Harris Guard, contained 35 men from Allegany, forming part of Company I.

A few men from Allegany were in the Twelfth Cavalry or Third Ira Harris Guard, and a contingent of Alleganians (from 30 to 40 men) found a place in the Second Mounted Rifles. In the First Veteran Cavalry, were found a few Alleganians; in the Fifth Artillery 27 men, and 81 men was its contribution to the Thirteenth Artillery.

The One Hundred and Thirtieth regiment, better known as the First N. Y. Dragoons, whose record was exceptionally brilliant, was enlisted largely from Allegany. All of Companies C, E, F, G, H, and I, and still others in Companies A, D, and K were from this county.

The One Hundred Thirty-sixth regiment. The war record of this organ- ization is one to be proud of. The regiment was with Sherman in his "March to the Sea; " with Howard at Gettysburg, where it formed a part of the heroic host that held the stone wall at the crest of Cemetery Hill when Pickett made his tremendous onslaught through the wheatfield; it was among the intrepid and daring forces that stormed Lookout Mountain and fought the battle " Above the Clouds " and planted the Stars and Stripes above the mists, where the army in the valley below saw and cheered the flag; it was also at Atlanta, and it marched to the relief of Burnside at the siege of Knox- ville, many of the men walking in their bare feet over frozen ground. At the battle of Peach-tree Creek the regiment three times recaptured a battle- flag after fighting of the most desperate character. This flag is now among the war trophies at the Military Museum in Albany.

Two companies from Allegany found places in the 189th, and Company C and E of the 194th were also composed of Alleganians, while Allegany con- tributed fragments of the 179th, 184th, 160th, 104th, 188th, 78th, 81st, 154th, and 161st regiments of N. Y. Infantry; 16th Pa. Cavalry, 67th Pa. Infantry, 12th and 13th Wisconsin regiments.

The glorious part that Allegany took in the great War for the Union, was treated so exhaustively in the "History of Allegany County " published in 1879, that we deem it best in this work to go but briefly over the ground so familiar to (or at least which should be so familiar to) all Alleganians.

1861. Wilkes Angel was chosen chairman and David R. Stillman clerk of the board of supervisors. The real estate in the county was assessed at $7,330,750, and the personal property at $754,257. The amount of taxes spread upon the county was $50,835.72. Alvah E. Cruttenden and Edward D. Loveridge were elected to the assembly, Geo. W. Green was elected county clerk, and Edward S. Bruce sheriff. Gov. Morgan appointed Hon. Martin Grover, Wilkes Angel and Marshall B. Champlain "WarCommittee " for Allegany county.

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A Centennial Memorial History of Allegany county, New York, Part 12

Author: Minard, John Stearns, 1834-1920; Merrill, Georgia Drew Publication date: 1896 Publisher: Alfred, N.Y., W. A. Fergusson & co. Number of Pages: 1102

Author: Minard, John Stearns, 1834-1920; Merrill, Georgia Drew
Publication date: 1896
Publisher: Alfred, N.Y., W. A. Fergusson & co.
Number of Pages: 1102