A Centennial Memorial History of Allegany county, New York, Part 8

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 8

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The organization of the county government was deferred for one year, and it was provided that courts should be held at specified times (the first on the 2d of June in the next year). Continuing the Act says:

And be it enacted that the Courts of Common Pleas and General Sessions of the Peace, be holden at any convenient house in the village of Angelica, which may be appointed by the Sheriff of Allegany for that purpose, and that the prisoners of the county of Allegany be con- fined in the gaol of the county of Genesee until further legislative aid in the premises. The

BOUNDARIES OF ALLEGANY COUNTY.

ALLEGANY, AS CREATED BY ACT OF THE LEGISLATURE APRIL 7. 1806.

GENESEECOUNTY.

NORTHERN

UNOS

ALLEGANY.

3 0 COUNTY.

MIERI

ANGELICA

WESTER

ALL

R 5

R 3

R 2

PENNSYLVANIA

JNO. S. MINARD DEL.

2 o OUNTY.

EGAN

GENESEE

STEUBEN

BOUNDS

HISTORY OF ALLEGANY COUNTY, N. Y.

inspectors of elections in the several towns in the county of Allegany, shall return the votes taken at any election for governor, lieutenant-governor, senators, members of assembly and representatives in Congress to the clerk of the county of Ontario, to be by him estimated as part of the aggregate number of votes given at such election in the county of Allegany ; and that all writings relating to real estate in Allegany should be recorded in the Genesee county clerk's office until after the first courts were held, and that the new county should form part of the seventeenth Congressional district of the state.

To more clearly comprehend the territorial extent of Allegany as origi- nally defined, the reader is referred to accompanying map.

It was for only a brief time however that the boundaries fixed by the Act of April 7, 1806, were allowed to remain, as we find that important changes were made by an act or acts rather, which passed the Legislature on the 11th of March, 1808. One enacted that " All that part of the county of Alle- gany west of the meridian line between the 2d and 3d ranges of townships of the Holland Land Company's land be annexed to the county of Genesee." The three ranges of townships thus cast off comprised the present towns of Allegany, Franklinville, Farmersville, Freedom, Hinsdale, Humphrey, Isch- ua, Lyndon, Machias, Portville, Olean and Yorkshire. These towns were soon after made a part of Cattaraugus county by the provisions of the act creating the counties of Cattaraugus, Niagara and Chautauqua.

The other act referred to fixed the present eastern boundary line of Al- legany county. Parts essential to copy read as follows:

" Be it enacted * * that all that part of the county of Steuben lying west of the division line between the 6th and 7th ranges of towns in the said county, and south of the division line between the 6th and 7th towns be annexed to the county of Allegany * * that the supervisors in the county of Allegany shall direct to be raised and levied on the freeholders and inhabitants of the said county, the sum of $1,500 for the building of a courthouse and a jail in and for said county, * * that Moses Van Campen, John Gibson *

and William Higgins, or any two of them. be and are hereby appointed commissioners to superintend the building of the courthouse and jail in the county of Allegany, which said court- house and jail shall be erected on one of the public lots near the square of the village of Angel- ica, * * * that that part of Allegany comprehended within the Ist, 2d, 3d, and 4th towns of the 7th range of the county of Steuben hereby annexed to the county of Allegany be erected into a town by the name of Alfred, and that the first town meeting of the said town of Alfred be held at the dwelling house of Benjamin Van Campen (in Karr Valley, Almond, as the writer is informed), and that all that part of the county of Allegany comprehended within the 5th and 6th townships of the said 7th range aforesaid, be erected into a town by the name of Ossian, and that the first town meeting of the said town of Ossian be held at the dwelling house of David McCurdy ; and that all that part of the county of Allegany bounded east by the east bounds of the said county, north by the north bounds of said county and south by the division lines between the 5th and 6th townships in said county, be erected into a town by the name of Nunda, and the first town meeting of the town of Nunda be held at the dwelling house of Peter Granger (in present Pike, Wyoming Co.), and that all that part of the county of Allegany bounded north by the south bounds of the said town of Nunda, on the west by the west bounds of the county of Allegany, south by the Pennsylvania line and east by the Transit Meridian line, *

* * be erected into a town by the name of Caneadea, and that the first town meeting in said town of Caneadea be held at the dwelling house of Jedadiah Nobles ; and that all the remaining part of the county of Allegany be and remain a separate town by the name of Angelica."

THE CHURCH TRACT.

In 1846, the northwestern part of the territory assigned by the act just referred to to the town of Nunda was set off to Wyoming (a small county only a few years before formed from Genesee, embracing the territory now covered by the towns of Eagle, Pike and Genesee Falls, Wyoming county), and by the same act Portage and Nunda, as at present defined, were added to Livingston county. In 1856 the town of Ossian in the extreme northeast corner of the county, after being reduced from its original size by the erec- tion of the town of Burns, was also set off into Livingston county, leaving the county of Allegany with its present boundaries as appears by the last of the series of small maps accompanying this history. A separate map has been prepared showing the subdivision of the county in 1808.

CHAPTER XIII.

THE CHURCH TRACT.

T HIS tract, the largest in the county held by an individual proprietor, em- bracing all of Amity, Angelica and Allen, the north part of Scio and the south part of Granger, and a portion of some 150 acres in the town of Hume, in all 100,000 acres, was in round numbers twenty-six miles long, and six miles wide, and, quoting from the Sheriff's deed to Philip Church, dated May 6, 1800, "admeasured according to the following bounds and lines, to wit: Beginning at the southwest corner of a certain tract of Fifty thousand acres granted by the said Robert Morris to Garrett Cottringer (this is now the northwest corner of Mr. Dwight Gillett's farm in Hume), thence running east along the southern boundary of the said tract six miles, thence south with a breadth of six miles, between lines to be run from the two extreme points of the aforesaid line in a direction to form right lines with the east and west boundaries of the said tract of Fifty thousand acres so far as that a line from a point of termination of the said lines, so to be run and parallel to the first above mentioned line, will include within the said lines one hun- dred thousand acres of land; together with all woods, underwoods, waters, water courses, privileges and advantages, hereditaments and appurtenances whatever to the said tract of land and premises belonging or in any wise appertaining, and the reversion and reversions, remainders, yearly and other rents, issues and profits thereof, and all the estate, right, title, inter- est, use, trust, property, claim and demand whatsoever, both in law and in equity, of the said Robert Morris of in and to the same."

Major Moses Van Campen subdivided this tract into lots of three-fourths of a mile square, beginning his work, Sept. 7, 1810, at the northwest corner of the tract. His notes besides giving the measurements gave the character

HISTORY OF ALLEGANY COUNTY, N. Y.

of the soil, its surface, timber and herbage, and located the points on his lines where streams crossed them or gullies or high ridges, and furnished sufficient data upon which to fix the prices of the different lots. Probably every kind of timber found within the county was then standing upon this tract, and as for soil. it presented a great variety from the richest bottom lands on the Genesee river, to the thinnest clay and hardpan on the hills, not on all the hills however as some of the hill land is of the first quality. Many convenient mill sites were found, and a goodly number were utilized. Game and fish were found in great abundance.

Settlement was begun at Angelica in 1801 by Judge Church, and in a number of instances land was sold and boundaries established in advance of the subdivision of the tract .* From about 1810 up to 1845 settlements were many and nearly the whole tract had been taken by 1850. The first sales were made at $2 and $2.50 per acre, in a few years advancing to $5 to $7.50 per acre, while some lots, covered with an extraordinary growth of pine and oak, brought very remunerative prices. Purchasers came from New Eng- land, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and as a rule were enterprising, self- reliant, sturdy men, who made good citizens and did well their part in reclaiming the desert places and transforming its forests into beautiful farms and thriving villages. It will not be necessary to pursue the treat- ment of the "Church Tract " here to further extent as the town histories of Scio, Amity, Angelica. Allen and Granger will take up the progress of set- tlement and other events in their proper order.

CHAPTER XIV.

THIS CENTURY'S FIRST DECADE.

THE year 1801 opened quite auspiciously. Capt. Philip Church appeared to make an exploration of the 100,000 acre tract purchased the year previous at the foreclosure sale at Canandaigua. He was met at Almond by Major Van Campen, John Gibson, John Lewis and Stephen Price. He had stopped a day at Geneva, to supply himself with provisions and camp equip- age. The party on their way to the tract, pursued almost identically the route afterward adopted by the Erie Railway, entering the territory near the southeast corner. A most thorough and exhaustive exploration was made, which proved of great service to Van Campen in the sub-division which he afterwards made, and to Capt. Church in establishing prices, and the location of roads, villages, mills, etc.

The reconnoissance completed, Capt. Church and Van Campen deter-

* Evart Van Wickle came in 1802, and in the capacity of surveyor and local agent was employed by Judge Church for several years. A small log land office was erected at Angelica in 1802.

THIS CENTURY'S FIRST DECADE.

mined on a " trip to Niagara Falls " while the others returned to Almond. This trip was the pioneer visit to this wonder from all this section. They encountered hunger, fatigue, hardship and exposure, and before reaching New Amsterdam (Buffalo), they were compelled to resort to whatever sus- tenance the native forest offered. Capt. Church soon returned to New York, where he assiduously devoted himself to preparations for actual and active settlement.

It was during this year that the first marriage in Almond occurred, Peter Putman and Polly Waters being the contracting parties. The first death there that of Matthew McHenry also occurred this year.

In 1802 Capt. Church sent Evart Van Wickle to select a site for a village, and begin settlement. The site was determined upon, and also the name- for the embryotic village. With filial reverence and affection he named the place, the first village in Allegany county, for his mother, Angelica, the eldest daughter of Gen. Philip Schuyler. The same year a store was estab- lished, the first in the county, by Capt. Church, his friend John Gibson con- ducting it. Previous to this the nearest store was at Hornellsville. In 1802, at Angelica, was also erected by Capt. Church, the first sawmill. This year John Gibson bought 20 acres of land, bounded north by Main and west by Olean streets, at one dollar per acre, agreeing to put up within a year, a framed building twelve by sixteen feet " square !" Silas Ferry and John Ayers cut a road from Angelica to Almond, and Joseph Taylor came and opened the first public house in the village and county. A log land-office was this year erected. Bath was the nearest postoffice, over 40 miles distant, and the few settlers had to arrange as best they could to get their mail. Any reliable settler who went to Bath, was commissioned with lots of errands, and to bring in the letters for the whole settlement. Postage was high, money very scarce, and so comparatively few letters were sent or received.

Ephraim Sanford and Zephaniah Huff, from Wayne. Steuben county, put in an appearance in 1802. Striking the river at the "Transit," they fol- lowed down the stream as far as the falls at Portage. then crossed, and returned upon the west side to the place from whence they started. select- ing lands in the vicinity of Caneadea. where they soon after settled with their families.

It was as early at least as 1801 or 1802 that the first road was constructed in the county. It followed the stream up from Hornellsville, entering the county at Almond, thence, following the Whitney valley creek to Alfred, it went on to Andover, where, striking the source of Dike's creek, it passed down that stream to the Genesee river at Wellsville, thence by way of Marsh, Honeoye and Oswayo creeks to the Allegany river and on to Olean, then most likely called Hamilton. This was done under the administration of Charles Williamson as agent of the Pulteney estate, and was considered to be greatly to the interest of that vast landed property as it furnished a way of communicating with the headwaters of the Ohio. Nathanael Dike's old

HISTORY OF ALLEGANY COUNTY, N. Y.

line of blazed trees and scantily-cut-out sledroad was largely followed, in some cases improved in course as well as construction.

In 1803 four brothers, Benjamin, Elisha, Calvin and David Chamber- lain, coming from Pennsylvania, located on the river near the "Transit, " in Belfast. This made quite a little settlement, and a road was soon opened from the mouth of Dike's creek (Wellsville) through Scio and Belmont, and very soon after, as far down as Caneadea. In 1803 also occurred the first capital crime in Allegany, the victim being one Stevens, who was killed in a quarrel over cards, and was the first one buried in the cemetery at Angelica. The man who killed him (name now unknown) was tried at Geneva and sent to states prison for life. Nathanael Dike built a sawmill this year, the site being just within the present limits of Wellsville adjoining Andover. A single timber of the dam remains to mark the spot. A road was opened from Angelica to Belvidere in 1803.

In 1804 John T. Hyde, who had previously settled near Nathanael Dike's place, and whose daughter Phebe he married, removed to what is now Amity, purchasing the place now owned by N. Bosworth. In this year Capt. Church erected for a temporary residence at Belvidere, a framed structure of liberal dimensions, which, from its being painted white, came to be known all over Western New York as "The White House." This was said to be the first painted dwelling in New York west of Canandaigua. The building is still standing, and is now used as a hay-barn. The nails used in its construction were all wrought by hand. Betsy Sanford, daughter of Ezra Sanford, was born in April, 1804, being, it is claimed, the first child born in Caneadea. James Rice and Timothy Hitchcock came in 1804, from Bainbridge, Che- nango county, settling at Caneadea village, being the first ones there. Rice built the first house, a log one, no sawmill being near. The first religious service in Caneadea was held by Rev. Ephraim Sanford at his own house, where Oramel now is, in 1804. The first white male child born in Angelica was Moses Van Campen Chamberlain, who " came to town " March 31, 1804, and Widow S. Smith taught the first school in the same town that year.

Among the more important events of 1805 was the settlement of Dr. Ebenezer Hyde, a brother of John T. Hyde. He was the first practicing physician in the county, and an acquisition of very much importance to the sparsely-settled population. He at once erected a very superior log struct- ure of quite ample dimensions, the logs all nicely hewn and carefully " dove- tailed " at the corners. It occupied the ground now covered by the resi- dence of Mr. S. H. Whitcomb, and later was opened as an inn. An upper room in this house was afterwards finished off as a hall for the use of the Masonic order. It was here the first meetings of that fraternity were held in the county. In his practice Dr. Hyde traveled sometimes 40 or 50 miles over the worst of roads, and sometimes with no roads at all, following paths and blazed trees, having in some instances an Indian as a guide. The Indians on the Caneadea Reservation patronized him, and some of them were

THIS CENTURY'S FIRST DECADE.

his best paying patients, for there was a period of a few years when the Indians had more money than the whites.

February 25, 1805, the town of Angelica was formed from Leicester. in territorial extent being 12 miles wide and 34 miles long, and was represented on the board of supervisors on the first day of October by Benjamin Riggs; the session being at Batavia. The supervisors constituting this early board and towns they represented were: Angelica. Benjamin Riggs; Batavia, Isaac Southerland; Erie, Daniel Chapin; Leicester, John H. Jones; North- ampton, Gibbons Jewit; Southampton, Christopher Laybourn; Willink, Peter Vandeventer. As appears by the minutes, David McCracken was chosen clerk; no mention is made of any presiding officer. Joseph Ellicott was re-elected county treasurer, and a bounty was offered of $5 for " each wolf taken and killed in the county aforesaid the ensuing year."

A previous board (1803) had "Resolved unanimously. that twenty miles be considered a day's journey, to be computed going and returning, and that each supervisor be entitled to $2 for 20 miles." Reuben Riggs (was he a brother of the supervisor?) made out a bill for his services as constable in the case of Joseph Rhineberger, who was taken from Angelica to John Jones, Esq., at Leicester. It was in September, and, to quote literally:

From Thursday the 22d to Wednesday the 28th myself and two Gards ; We have considered our Selves intitled to the Same Wages, as if We Were at our own imploy. Which is for myself 8s. per day, and the men 6s. each, and five Shillings per day for our Expenses, Which amounts, to, for myself at thirteen Shillings per Day, 11.27

for the two Gards at IIS, per Day Each,

19.25

& the boarding of Rhineberger three & half. Days 2.19

$32.81

The above accounts We Submit to your Superior judgments, after considering this our Wages here, & the hardships of laying in the Woods, & that We Were Volunteered to the Service. REUBEN RIGGS.

ANGELICA, Oct. the 20th 1803.

If Benjamin Riggs Supervisor, had as hard a time of it in getting to Batavia to meet with the board of supervisors, as Reuben did in getting to Leicester, he probably spent two nights in the woods !

The next year, so say the old Genesee county records, Luke Goodspead represented Angelica on the board. The name of the latter is at least sug- gestive of less time on the road (?), and greater expedition in traveling if nothing more. The session of the Genesee county board of supervisors for 1807 was the last one at which Angelica or any part of present Allegany was represented.

-By act of the Legislature, March 28. 1805, the Lake Erie Turnpike-road Company was organized. It was to extend from Bath to Lake Erie, and Fred. A. Dezeng, Philip Church, Henry A. Townsend, Adam Hoops, William Helm, Dugald Cameron, George Hornell and George McClure were named as corporators.

Other events of importance in 1805 were the marriage of Capt. Church and Anna Matilda, eldest daughter of Gen. Walter Stewart of Philadelphia, and their commencing house-keeping in the " White House " in June of that

HISTORY OF ALLEGANY COUNTY, N. Y.

year, the youthful couple finishing the journey thitherward by traveling from Bath (44 miles) on horseback, a part of the way following a bridle (why not bridal) path and marked trees. In 1805 Joseph Knight and son Silas, from Oneida county, located at the mouth of Knight's Creek in Scio. Mr. Knight cut the road most of the way from Belmont, and only a sled road at that. From this it might be inferred that the statement just made as to cutting a road from the mouth of Dike's creek to Belfast and farther down was incorrect. Such discrepancies in statements depending entirely upon the accounts of the old settlers will inevitably occur. Benjamin Van Cam- pen opened the first inn in Almond in 1805. He was a brother of the re- nowned Major Moses Van Campen. The inn was in Karr Valley. In 1805 also Moses and Jeremiah Gregory, John Gaddis and Samuel Rodman settled on Canaseraga creek in Burns. In August of 1805 occurred the birth of Deborah Reynolds, the first in Belfast.

From the time of the first settlement to 1802, Allegany formed a part of Ontario with the county seat at Canandaigua. Then (1802) Genesee county was set off from Ontario, the shire-town being Batavia. As the settlements increased the people came to regard their necessary journeys to Canandai- gua and Batavia on legal business as burdensome and oppressive, and, in 1805. began the agitation for a new county, which resulted in the passage by the Legislature, of an act on the 7th of April, 1806, whereby the county of ALLEGANY was formed from territory embraced in Genesee county. How the new county came to be named ALLEGANY, or who suggested it, the writer has never been able to learn. The act creating the county, which in territorial extent was seven townships east and west, and seven north and south, named ANGELICA as the county seat, and it was in fact the only town in the county. No courts were held until the fall of 1807, though the act provided for a court to be held in June, 1807.

In 1806 it came about that the extreme northern part of the county was to receive attention from those seeking homes in this new country, and set- tlers began coming in from the north and east. Roger Mills from Canajo- harie came in the spring of this year, having passed a part of the previous season in Pike. After making an extended exploration, he made choice of lots 36 and 37 in Hume, where were the upper falls of the Wiscoy, and very favorable sites for dams and mills. In 1806 came also James Wilson. a native of Ireland, and began active operations in Allen, and Richard Friar, from Kingston. Ulster county, who was the first to settle in Friendship. In this year occurred the first birth in Scio. Polly, daughter of Silas Knight. The first religious services in Burns were conducted by Robert Parker, a Meth- odist. at the house of Moses Gregory in 1806.

In 1807 Clark Crandall from Rensselaer county, and Nathan Green from Madison county purchased land, and began making improvements in Alfred, the former in the northeast part of the town near " Baker's Bridge." Cran- dall came to be very prominent in town and county affairs, was associate county judge, and a member of the Legislature. Roger Mills threw a dam

THIS CENTURY'S FIRST DECADE.

across the Wiscoy at ". Mill's Mills " in Hume. and erected a sawmill in 1807. John Harrison and Simeon and Zebulon Gates settled in Friendship this year.

Although 1807 marked the first settlement of only one town in the county, a constant stream of immigration was pouring into the towns where settle- ments had already been made, and the year closed with a considerable accession to the population. In November, was convened, in the inn kept by Evart Van Wickle, the first court ever held in the county.

In the spring of 1808 Joseph Maxson from Otsego county, then only 18 years old. arrived in Pike with two cents in money and a few articles of pro- vision and clothing. Bartering the shoes on his feet for an axe. he pushed on. following the newly-opened Allegany road to Centerville Center, and there made the first opening in that town.

The location of the county seat at Angelica was one of the pet projects of Judge Church. [He has heretofore been called Capt. Church, but having on the 8th of June. 1807, been appointed by Gov. Morgan Lewis "First Judge of the Court of Common Pleas for Allegany county, " he will hereafter be referred to as judge.] It being, however, so far to one side of the geo- graphical center of the county, it began quite early to excite in his mind, and in the minds of others interested, serious apprehensions of an attempt to remove it to some point farther west, so as to better accommodate the people. Accordingly the aid of the Legislature was again invoked, and, on the 11th of March, 1808, an act was passed restoring the three western ranges of towns to Genesee, and adding the western range of towns from Steuben county, which made the county seat substantially in the center east and west as well as north and south. By other provisions of the act the county was divided into five towns-Angelica, Alfred, Caneadea, Nunda and Ossian.

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A Centennial Memorial History of Allegany county, New York, Part 8

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