A Centennial Memorial History of Allegany county, New York, Part 90

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 90

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).

Christ J. Schmidt, son of Christ and Sophie (Kreuger) Schmidt, was born in Mecklenburg, Scheverin, Germany, in 1828. In 1854 Mr. and Mrs. Schmidt and their children, John, Christ J., Frederica and Mary came to America and in 1856 settled in Caneadea. Mrs. Schmidt died in 1871 and Mr. Schmidt in 1878. Christ J.married in 1862 Elizabeth, daughter of Peter Lutz, who came from Germany in 1852, and settled in Caneadea, where he died in 1880. Mrs. Lutz died about 1865. The children of Christ J. and Elizabeth were John, Henry (married Ella McCarthy, one child), Christ, Ida (Mrs. Fred Lillie, one child, Earl), Albert, George and Roy. Mr. Schmidt bought in 1867 the first 50 acres of his present farm of 170 acres. His son Henry has a farm of 227 acres.

Nathaniel B. Sherman, druggist at Caneadea, was born at Burrville May 4, 1854. His father, William, born in 1818, and his grandfather, Stephen Sherman, came from New York City about 1833. William returned to New York where he was a stone cutter and married Mary Taylor, from Virginia. Children, Henrietta (Mrs. Rev. James I. Scribner), Elizabeth (Mrs. Rev. Walter A. Scribner), William and Nathaniel B. The latter grew up a farmer, and became a canal man, owning and running several boats, his first purchase being the " Isabel of Burrville," and he stuck to the business till the Genesee Valley canal was abandoned Sept. 30, 1878. He kept the Jackson House at Caneadea in 1880, and in 1881 became a partner with Fred L. Davis in the bottling business and a meat market. In 1889 they opened a grocery and drug store. In 1891 Mr. Sherman was elected Sheriff of Allegany county, taking the office in 1892, when he sold his store interest to Mr. Davis, and removed to Angelica. At the close of his three years' term he returned to Caneadea and bought the old grocery and drug business of Mr. Davis in the spring of 1895. In the spring of 1896 he was elected supervisor of Caneadea on the Republican ticket. Dec. 16, 1875, Mr. Sherman married in Rochester Mary

675

CANEADEA.

J. Slewick, who was born in that city of English parents, whose families bore honorable records in their native land.

Charles F. Stebbins is the son of Henry K. Stebbins who was born in Norway, Herkimer Co., N. Y., in 1812, son of John, whose children were, William, John J., Philander W., Charles, Henry K. and his twin sister Fannie, Mary and Kate. Henry K. was a merchant in Salisbury, Herkimer county, and later a commission dealer in Watertown, N. Y., coming in 1849 to this section buying butter and cheese. He married in Salisbury, Rutham S. Ives, and came to Rushford in 1857, a farmer, a merchant, and in 1864, one of the three men who built the pio- neer cheese factory. He removed to Caneadea in 1868, and bought the farm of 140 acres his son, Charles F., still owns. His chidren were, William D., Mary (Mrs. Robert W. Ford), Har- riet A. (Mrs. Henry W. Norton), Martha E. (Mrs. George P. Leet), Henry R., Fred I., Charles F. and Lizzie (Mrs. Frank Crowell). H. K. Stebbins died Feb. 14, 1892. Charles F. was brought up a farmer, and was educated at the Genesee Valley Seminary, one year at Oberlin. Ohio, and at Denison University, Granville, Ohio. He returned in 1877 and has since been a farmer on the old homestead. He married in 1886 Eliza A. Stephenson, who died in 1887. His second marriage was in 1889 to Isabella C. Brown. They have two children, Isabella B. and Charlotte E.

Henry Clark is son of Lyman, son of David Clark, whose father came from Ireland and settled in Connecticut where David was born. He came to Tully, Cortland Co., N. Y., where Lyman was born in 1804, about which time David brought his family to Warsaw, and was an early settler of Wyoming county. Lyman married a Miss Spoor, children : Henry, born May 20, 1835, Anna, Isaac W., Cornelius, Catherine, and George. Mr. Clark died in 1880. Henry has always been a farmer. He married in 1857, Candace, daughter of Stephen Rice who came to Caneadea in 1833, son of Eber Rice of Rutland, Vt. After residing in Wyoming and Gen- esee counties, part of the time in Leroy, Henry came in 1869 to Caneadea and bought his pres- ent farm on lot 69, where pioneer Walter Alworth settled in 1834. It has had but two owners. Mr. and Mrs. Clark have one child, George, born in 1867, who is a farmer with his father on the old homestead now containing 184 acres. They are up-to-date farmers, and among the very few who built a silo in 1895. Mr. Clark is Republican. He served as assessor from 1882 to 1888. George married Carrie d'Autremont. They have one child, Henry L. They are both old school teachers and still students and readers.

James J. Thomas, proprietor of the public hall at Caneadea, son of Henry M., and grand- son of George Thomas, was born in 1855, in Adams Co., Pa., his home being but eight miles from Gettysburg. During that historic battle Mr. Thomas says the roar of artillery was con- stant, but the children had a long tin horn which with the big end on the ground and the ear at the small end conveyed a peculiar sound, quite like the buzzing of a disturbed swarm of bees. He also describes the singular action of horses who were excited by the constant trembling of the ground, and would change from one foot to the other, refusing to keep quiet. His father was a soldier in that battle, and served to the close of the war but died on his way home. He married Margaret Orner ; children, James J., born in 1855, John C., William H., and Maggie M. (Mrs. John Haller). James J. learned wagon making and then the builder's trade. In 1882 he went to Kansas and then to the Pacific coast where he had charge of building a life saving station that took two years. In 1892 he came to Caneadea and married Mrs. Prin B. (West- brook) Ingersoll. Mr. Thomas has built a commodious public hall in Caneadea, and a grand stand at the race track, both of which he owns and runs.

Harvey Tucker is the grandson of Joshua Tucker, whose parents were Quakers and lived in Rhode Island. Joshua settled in Greenwich, N. Y., where he married Rebecca Kenyon. Children were : Jonathan, Joshua C., Gardner, Jabez, Abathy and Elizabeth. Joshua C., born in 1804, married Elizabeth S. Wright. Their children were : John . W., Henry, Harvey and Alphonzo. Harvey the only survivor. Mr. Tucker brought his family to West Almond in 1835. In 1840 he moved to Angelica where he was county superintendent of the poor in 1854, 1855 and 1856. He was a veteran school teacher of 25 terms, teaching his last term when he was 60 years old. He died in 1876. Harvey Tucker was born Dec. 25, 1835, in West Almond. He was educated in the Angelica schools, attending the academy when Prof. Center was princi- pal and D. P. Richardson assistant. He was brought up a farmer and in 1858 married Mary A., daughter of David Carey of Hume. Charles J., their eldest child, was graduated from the New York Medical University in 1883, and is now practicing his profession in Topeka, Kan. He has 2 children Clair M. and Bessie C. John E., second son, died when 4 years old, and Nana S. the youngest child died in 1887 at the age of 18 while at school in Batavia. Mr. Tucker bought in 1858 the first 70 acres of his present farm of 204 acres, which originally belonged to the noted Indian, Copperhead, and included the Shongo island in the river. He raised in 1895 50 tons of sweet corn from II acres, and 1, 100 bushels corn from 16 acres. He

676

HISTORY OF ALLEGANY COUNTY, N. Y.

has been justice of the peace for 16 years. Mr. and Mrs. Tucker gave Houghton Seminary II acres of land and $200 in labor and material.

Abram L. Vosburgh, merchant at Oramel, is the son of Barnabas and Lydia (Harris) Vos- burgh, of Vermont, where Barnabas, whose father came from Germany, was born in 1789. Their children were: Isaac, Jane, Ann, George, Armenius, Lucy, William, Clarissa, Andrew J., Thomas L., Abram L. and Betsey. Abram L. was born in Danby, Tompkins Co., in 1834. After running lumber on the Chemung river he came in 1852 to Belmont and made shingles there. In 1861 he located near Allentown, Pa., where he ran two shingle machines. In 1881 he came to Oramel and bought the Burleson farm of 140 acres which he still owns. In 1888 he opened a store in the Granger block which he moved to his present location in the old Arcade building the same year, buying it in 1891. This block of 4 stores cost in canal times in the fifties $4,500. Mr. Vosburgh married in 1855, Emily, daughter of N. B. Welch, of Scio ; children. Francis B., Florence A. (Mrs. Charles Bidwell, two children, Claude and Ethel), Myrtie (Mrs. Frank H. Lawton), and Charles W. married Clarie Petty, two children, Robert and Mildred. Mr. Vosburgh has been an active member in the M. E. Church acting as Sabbath school super- intendent 25 years. Politically a Republican, he has been justice of the peace in Caneadea five years, and has managed cases in justice court, and transacted legal business for others since 1860.

John H. Waggoner, postmaster at Oramel, was born at Oramel Sept. 18, 1871. His father Charles W. Waggoner, was born in 1842, in Rensselaer county, N. Y., son of John H. and Eleanor (Sears) Waggoner, whose children were, Francis, Charles W., Martin, Clark and George. Charles W. enlisted in 1861, in Co. E, 93d N. Y., and served in the Army of the Potomac in 32 engagements, among which were Cold Harbor, Antietam, Wilderness and Gettysburg. He was discharged Oct. 10, 1864, returned to Oramel and married Jan. 8, 1865, Lucinda Dake. Chil- dren, John H., Charles and Miles. Mr. Waggoner's health was ruined in the army and he re- ceives a pension. John H. was appointed postmaster Nov. 23. 1895, succeeding William E. Hammond, who was appointed in April, 1862, by Montgomery Blair, and held the office till his death Sept. 20, 1895.

James L. Jackson, merchant at Caneadea, son of Col. James A. Jackson, was born at Burrville Oct. 6, 1843. James Allen Jackson, whose father's name was James Andrew, was born in Herkimer county, in 1806, and settled in Onondaga county, where he was ensign in the 233d Regt. of Infantry. He came to Burrville in 1831 and married Matilda, daughter of Major Alanson Burr. Children, Marion, James L., Andrew F., Ida M. (Mrs. Alpheus Estabrook, children, Minnie M. and Volney J.), and her twin brother Melvin, who died young. He was lieutenant colonel in the 230th Regt. state infantry which he resigned in 1841. He was a farmer and hotel keeper at Burrville, came to Caneadea village in 1866 and bought the Minard House which has since been known as the Jackson House. His wife died in 1852, and he married in 1854, Achsah, daughter of George W. and Betsey (Swift) Dunham of Rushford. Her brothers and sisters were, Lucia (Mrs. A. J. Burr), Harriet (Mrs. Alva C. Burr), George W., killed in battle of Cold Harbor, Milan A. and Lyman. Col. J. A. Jackson died in 1888, and Mrs. Jackson is proprietor of the Jackson House. He held all town offices except justice of the peace, was canal collector two years, and at one time carried the mail from Burrville to Angelica, Franklinville and Pike. James Leroy Jackson graduated in 1865 from Eastman's Commercial College at Poughkeepsie and was clerk and book keeper in various places till he bought Jo. Holden's store in 1874. He still is a merchant, was supervisor in 1884-5, and post- master 1885 to 1889. He married in 1874, Adalaide, daughter of Abijah Sanborn. Children, Allan L., Luella L. (Mrs. Fred R. Leet) and George B.

Theodore C. and Joseph H. Wingert are the sons of Henry G., whose father, Henry Win- gert, was born in Germany, and settled in Jefferson county, Pa., where Henry G. was born in 1844. He married Paulina Walker. Children, Theodore C. born in 1867, Jefferson G., a lawyer in Pennsylvania, Perry L. and Joseph H. born in 1873, Mrs. Wingert died in 1873. Mr. Wingert re-married, and is now a merchant, and the owner of a gristmill and several farms in Marchand, Indiana Co., Pa. Theodore C. was raised a farmer and lumberman. In 1890 he went to the far west, spending a summer near Portland, Oregon. Returning home he came with his brother Joseph H. to Caneadea where they bought in 1894 their present farm of 105 acres on which they raised in 1895, $136 worth of sweet corn from four acres, and 1,900 bushels of potatoes from eight acres, selling 1,100 bushels at 18 cents per bushel, and the rest at IO cents per bushel. Theodore C. Wingert married in 1894, Ida, daughter of Jacob Bartholo- mew of Marchand, Pa. They have one child, Joseph L.

677

BELFAST.

BELFAST .*

BY JOHN S. MINARD.

CHAPTER LVIII.

ELFAST, as it was originally formed March 24, 1874, was called Orrins- B burgh, and was that part of Caneadea included in township 4, range 1, of the Holland Purchase. This town had a length north and south of six miles, but lacked the width of 2 lots, or 13 miles of the regulation width, as township 4, range 2, had a width of 73 miles, including the two western ranges of lots of present Belfast. April 26, 1825, the lots from 1 to 16 in- clusive, of township 4, range 2, were annexed to Orrinsburgh, and lots 1 to 6. and 29, 53 and 61 were set off to Caneadea, and the name changed to Bel- fast. The suggestion of the name of Belfast is ascribed to John McKeen, a native of Belfast, Me., an early justice of the peace. In 1831, the part set off to Caneadea in 1825, was re-annexed, and since then no changes have been made in the boundaries.

The first town meeting was held, April 6, 1824, when these officers were elected : David Hitchcock, supervisor ; Elijah Reynolds, town clerk ; Elisha Chamberlain, Jr., constable and collector ; Solomon Benjamin, John McIn- tosh, John McKeen, assessor ; Packard Bruce, Nathaniel Reynolds, Joseph Benjamin. highway commissioners ; Joseph T. Ford, Samuel Wilkinson, John McKeen, commissioners of common schools; James Jennings, overseer of the poor ; David Hitchcock, Elijah Reynolds. John McIntosh, John Mc- Keen, inspectors of election.

The Genesee river enters this town from the east and passes northwest into Caneadea a little east of the middle of the town line. There are some fine flats along the river, but the surface is generally uneven, and broken into distinct ridges by White and Blackt creeks which discharge into the Genesee from the west at points less than a mile apart, and Crawford creek, which passes through the northwest corner. On the east Wigwam creek breaks down through a precipitous defile, emptying north of the mouth of Black creek. Some of the hills reach altitudes of 500 to 750 feet above the streams. Upon the hills the soil is a clayey loam, in some places mixed with gravel. On the narrow creek bottoms and the river flats sandy and gravelly loam appears, and the soil is very productive. A small part of the town is profitably devoted to grain raising, but as a whole it is better adapted to.

* Much of the material used in preparing this sketch of Belfast has been kindly furnished by Mr. E. M. Wilson in memoranda taken by him in interviews had at various times with such intelligent early settlers as Daniel and Ward Pierce, W. A. Burlingame, Abram Willison, Daniel Howard, Mrs. Betsey Crawford and others. Miss L. E. Ford furnished the data for the history of the Baptist church and W. B. Renwick, Esq. that for Belfast Seminary, etc.

+ These creeks were probably so named because the water in Black Creek is quite dark, nearly black; in White Creek it is very clear and white.

678

HISTORY OF ALLEGANY COUNTY, N. Y.

grazing. Distinct rapids in the river east of the village afford excellent water power, and the mill privileges determined the location of the village. The lateral streams also afforded many desirable mill seats, but since the forests have been denuded, the volume of water has shrunk to insignifi- cance, and the old mills have disappeared.

The town has three postoffices, Rockville, Frank Burlingame, P. M. ; Transit Bridge, Charles Coleman, P. M. ; Belfast, B. T. Willis, P. M.

Settlement was begun in 1803 by Benjamin, Elisha, Calvin and David Chamberlain, brothers, from Pennsylvania, who "took up" farms on the river a short distance below the "transit."* Thaddeus Bennett, Nathaniel Reynolds and David Sanford soon after appeared, and Jedediah Nobles and Benjamin Littleton, from Elmira, came in 1805, Nobles purchasing land on the river, and Littleton on Wigwam creek. Abraham D. Hendern, Isaac Sanford and Marvin Harding were other early settlers. John Crawford, from the Susquehanna, settled in the northwest part on Crawford creek, the first settler in that part. His sons, Benjamin, Lyndes, Harry and John, settled farther up the creek. The roof of their first habitation was fast- ened on with poles and withes. This stood on one of the Indian trails be- tween the Genesee and Allegany rivers, and the family became well ac- quainted with many Indians. Other settlers here were the Gowans and the Emerys.

Rockwell Hopper was a settler on lot 10 as early as 1812. It is probable that Jedediah Nobles was the first keeper of a public house, as the first town meeting for Caneadea was held at his house April 5, 1808. As Caneadea ex- tended south to the state line, and as New Hudson, Cuba, Friendship, Clarks- ville, Rushford, Genesee, Bolivar and Wirt, though part of the town had not welcomed their first settlers, the fact shows the primitive condition of things. This house has long since been removed. It was on the west side of the road, nearly opposite the large old fashioned building on the Byrns place. This also for many years was a public house. In 1813, Simon C. Moore walked here from Worcester county, Mass., taught school one year, then was clerk 3 years in Alexander D'Autremont's store in Angelica. He later settled in Cuba.

Harry Byrns was a settler just south of Belfast village in 1813. Only the saw and gristmill and log cabin of David Sanford was at the village of Belfast. The mills were the first in town and were erected in 1809. It is said the first birth in town was that of Deborah Reynolds, and the first mar- riage that of John Sanford and Mary Collar in 1806. Elijah Reynolds taught the first school in 1807. A Schoonover girl taught school on the Miles place in 1807-8, and Susan McGray was then teaching in Ezra Sanford's house.

* Elder Ephraim Sanford, from Keuka Lake region, in 1802 explored the river country from the " transit " down into present Caneadea, and selected four tracts in this town for as many sons, locating Abram on the Bennett or Miles place, Isaac on the Royce place (now Addison Clark's), David at Belfast village, and Ezra on the Dougherty place in Caneadea. Other tracts further down he also purchased, and the Sanfords may have settled as early as the Chamberlains.

679

BELFAST.

Bears were numerous and the early settlers had to securely fasten their pigs in pens made safe against their attacks, and often they were obliged to seize a firebrand to compel their retreat. Joseph S. Raymond kept an inn near the village in 1821. The nearest place at which the settlers could trade was Angelica. From $1.50 to $2.50 per acre was usually paid for land. The main land office was at Batavia, over 50 miles away. Samuel S. Haight, as early as 1821, was appointed agent for the Holland Land Company at Angel- ica, and this was a great convenience.

About 1830 a mill was built on the river on lot 12 at " Gougeville," later " Hopperville," a place which attained some importance and where Rockwell Hopper kept a public house. Joseph S. Raymond built the first mill here. The riffle or rapids in the river which afforded the power was early called "Bennett's Falls," from Bill Bennett the hunter. Ed. Gastin and Wm. Potter were subsequent owners of the sawmill and the flood of 1857 took it away. It has never been rebuilt. Cabinet, blacksmith and wagon shops, etc., were once in operation here, and the hamlet had 16 or 18 families. In 1832 or '33 Robert Renwick kept a store here for Sherman Brothers of Angelica.

Joseph T. and Lewis H. Ford from Connecticut came in 1818-19, settling on the east side of the river about 1} miles above the iron bridge. Mrs. Melton Millett from Canada. settled on lot 55 in the White Creek valley in 1820. Mrs. Ezra Tibbetts, Charles Drew and Matthew Lounsbury were settlers as early as 1824. Martin Butts and Samuel King (who kept the first store) came that year on the east side of the river a little below the iron bridge. Settlement had so progressed that by 1823 the people began to talk of a new town and it was erected March 24, 1824.

As early as 1827 settlements had been made along Black Creek valley by Daniel Howell. Daniel and Jonathan Gleason, John and Thomas Bartlett, Peter Miner, Selah Bacon, Ira and Reuben Bridgeman, Lyman Tibbets, Samuel Lounsbury, Charles Drew, Jacob Cole, Packard Bruce and a Jones. On the road from Belfast over Gleason Hill were Jonathan Gleason, Ira Hastings and Ephraim Stewart. Packard Bruce had built a saw and grist- mill, and had erected a large framed house, the first on Black Creek. The timbers were large enough for a mill. The plates and beams were rabbetted to receive the boards which were put on upright. One Killburn ran the Bruce mill for a time. Ira Bridgeman's barn was used for a schoolhouse. Mrs. Bruce was an early teacher on Black Creek.

Martin Butts, from Vermont, who in 1822, had settled in Friendship, and "Col" Samuel King in 1824 opened the first store in Belfast. This was east of the river on the main Indian trail along the Genesee below the iron bridge; a solitary apple tree, between the road and river, to-day marks the spot.

Mrs. Betsy Crawford says "Dr. Hardy lived there by the apple tree also " at the same time. Col. King had built a sash and door factory also on the east side of the river, a good business was built up, and the manufact-

680

HISTORY OF ALLEGANY COUNTY, N. Y.

ured products were sent as far as Chicago. In 1824 there was not a plas- tered house in town. In the spring of 1835 the sash factory was burned. A large gristmill was at once built upon the ruins. It was designed for three run of stones. The stones had been hauled from Friendship and laid upon the bridge to the mill, when the "big flood " of Oct. 19, 1835, carried the mill off bodily, and left it standing on the east side of the river on the Ste- phen Rock place. There was a "paring bee " at Mr. Alexander's house by the mill race on the night of the flood. The water came up all around the house, and the party found other business than paring and stringing apples, dancing, or playing "snap and catch 'em." Robert Renwick's store and house stood near the west end of the bridge, and he moved most of his goods over to the east side. The building was carried off. All the people living on the flats moved out, the water reaching the window sills of their houses.

Martin Butts was popular, and the little village soon came to be " Butts- ville." Mr. Butts in a few years returned to Friendship, but the place re- tained his name for years. About 1830 a dispute arose as to a permanent name for the village. Some insisted on retaining Buttsville, others wished to call it Antioch. The Jackson men took one side and the anti-Jackson men the other. One party would nail a board inscribed with the name they de- sired upon the bridge. The other party would tear it down and replace it with one upon which was the name they favored. Excitement ran high, but a compromise was made and the village took the name of the town. At this time (whenever it was), according to Mrs. Crawford, there were living in the place families named Dunn, Bass and Howe. Dr. Davis and "Bob " Renwick had been there for some time. The place was also called the Huddle, Podunk, and Poland or Portland by some in 1833.

Col. King built a saw and gristmill under one roof (John Babcock, a millwright, did the work), a carding mill and a fulling mill. A mill or factory was put up by Lyman and Aikens where they made spinning wheels. The cardingmill was burned after some years. The original village was on the flats north of the eastern part of the present village on both sides of the river below the iron bridge. Soon after the " big flood " vague intimations of a projected Genesee Valley canal began to be heard. This was the one thing needed to stimulate settlement and their fulfillment enhanced values and greatly improved all the interests of the people.

July 26, 1838, occurred a disastrous windstorm from which Belfast suffered most severely. Ward and Daniel Pierce give vivid descriptions of its fury. Daniel says:

" It was in black-raspberry time, for I was in a berry patch on the point of the hill between Andrew Cough- lin's and Mckeanan's. This was in the center of its path, and we ran to the house which stood through it all, though it seemed as though it would go to pieces. Oh, how it roared ! After the wind passed the rain fell in torrents. After the shower the sun came out scorching hot. The whirlwind next struck where John D. Nellis then lived, partly tore down his barns, unroofed the larger one, and some of the siding was blown off. The frame stood but was blown more than its width off from its foundation. The house was low and stood." Ward Pierce was at work on the " Billy Ashley " place, settled by Squire Baird, who was building a barn (still standing, so Daniel Pierce thinks). He says: " We could see two great black clouds approach each other over toward ' Bullville,' from the south and from the north. Starkey Gleason said, 'when those two clouds come

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

A Centennial Memorial History of Allegany county, New York, Part 90

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