USA > New York > Livingston County > A history of Livingston County, New York: > Part 32
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
valley of the Genesee river and Canaseraga creek. Charles H. Carroll acted as chairman of this meeting, and Allen Ayrault secretary. The object of the meet- ing having been stated, it was announced that a notice had been given that an application would be made to the legislature for a charter for this road, with a capi- tal of $300,000. It was therefore resolved that a call be issued for a general meeting to be held in Geneseo on Tuesday, Nov. 29, 1831, and all residents of the counties previously named, who were interested in this project, were invited to attend. The committee appointed to carry this into effect consisted of Charles H. Carroll, Allen Ayrault, C. H. Bryan, D. Firman, James Proudfit, Asa Arnold, William A. Mills, H. Jones, Jr., D. H. Fitzhugh, Smith Parmalee, James McCurdy, F. Blakesley, Robert Dixon, S. C. Grover, J. Clark and John Young.
Preliminary meetings were also held in Dansville and other places to promote this object, which were participated in by leading citizens. On the 29th inst. the general meeting was held in Geneseo, and proved a large and enthusiastic gathering. All sections were represented, and a great unanimity of sentiment pre- vailed. In the preamble adopted appears this : " Whereas we have repeatedly and in vain petitioned to the legislature of this State for the improvement of our natural means of intercommunication by the con- struction of a canal from Rochester to Olean up the valley of the Genesee river : and whereas, within a few years the science of the construction of railroads and the machinery employed thereon has been so much improved as to exceed the most sanguine expec- tation of power and speed in its adaptation to the transportation of passengers and produce ; and whereas in this latitude the railroad has a decided advantage over the canal system by extending its
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benefits and facilities throughout the whole year." Hezekiah D. Mason, Allen Ayrault, C. H. Bryan, Felix Tracy, William A. Mills and James Faulkner were made a committee to circulate a petition for sig- natures, praying the legislature to incorporate the company.
In the memorial to the legislature on this subject, it was urged that the face of the country over which the projected railroad would pass, was well adapted to its construction. From Rochester to the mouth of Canaseraga creek, about thirty miles, the rise was stated at 45 feet ; and from the latter point to Dans- ville, a distance of about eighteen miles, the rise was 160 feet ; a total rise of 205 feet in forty-eight miles. Referring to the extent of the traffic over the water and land routes at this time, the memorial said : "The surplus products of the Genesee and Canaseraga val- leys and southern country, pass to Rochester down the Genesee valley. The amount of tonage up and down the valley in the last year is 16,846 tons. This appears upon and is taken from the books of the for- warding merchants. Not included in this statement are the articles of oats, barley, beer, butter, cheese, lard, pork unpacked, tar, peltry, salt and lumber, and a great variety of other products that never find their way to the storehouse of the merchant. There are in the immediate vicinity of Dansville fifty-six saw-mills surrounded by immense forests of white and yellow pine. The joint product of these mills at a low esti- mate is 5,000,000 feet." * * " Present price of transportation from Dansville to Rochester, loads fur- nishished both ways, is $4 a ton. From Geneseo by water, twenty shillings. A trip on railroad from Dansville to Rochester and return could be made in nine hours ; from Geneseo in six hours."
The Village Chronicle of Dansville gives an account
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of a meeting held in that village Jan. 7th, 1832, in furtherance of the projected railroad, at which addresses were made by Judge Carroll, James Faulk- ner and others. The members of Congress of the 26th, 27th and 28th districts were requested by this meeting to use their influence to secure the appoint- ment of some member of the corps of topographical engineers to make a survey from Lake Ontario to the head waters of the Susquehanna river, through the valleys of Genesee and Canaseraga.
These united and persistent efforts were speedily crowned with success. The bill incorporating the railroad company passed the Senate Feb. 23d, 1832, by a unanimous vote, and in the latter part of March it was passed by the Assembly. This successful issue was the signal for joyful outbreaks throughout the Valley. Public meetings were held, congratulatory addresses delivered, and in other ways the people tes- tified to the general good feeling. The Village Chron- icle of March 29, 1832, thus notices the reception of the news at Dansville : "The cheering intelligence that the bill incorporating the Dansville and Roches- ter Railroad company had passed the Assembly, and only wanted the signature of the Governor to become a law, was received in this village on Monday evening last, about 8 o'clock, and as a demonstration of the joy with which it was hailed by our citizens in the short space of half an hour, every house and shop in the village was handsomely illuminated, which to- gether with the skyrockets, fire-balls, bonfires, etc., that were flying in all directions, presented a beautiful scene."
Surveys for the proposed road were commenced in July, 1832, by Mr. Almy of Geneseo, and Nov. 20th the stock books of the company were opened at the Eagle tavern in Rochester, and Hamilton's tavern in
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Geneseo, for the purpose of receiving subscriptions. A portion of the stock was taken during the three days the books were kept open at this time, but in the following year the directors were compelled to give notice that the subscription to the stock of the company not having been filled, the books would again be opened at the Eagle tavern in Rochester on the 9th of September. The persons signing this notice were Elisha Johnson, Charles H. Carroll, A. M. Scher- merhorn, W. H. Spencer, Daniel H. Fitzhugh, James Faulkner and William Lyman.
Unfortunately, however, this constitutes the most part of the history of the Rochester and Dansville railroad. Like all similar enterprises it met with de- lays, disappointments and embarrassments, and the enterprise was finally wholly abandoned. Subse- quently the Genesee Valley Railroad company built a line from Rochester to Avon, finishing it in 1854; the Avon, Geneseo and Mount Morris Railroad company extended the line to Mount Morris, opening the road to the public in 1859 ; and forty years after Dansville celebrated the chartering of her railroad company, the cars entered that village for the first time in the fall of 1871, the line having been extended by the Erie and Genesee Valley Railroad company from Mount Mor- ris. The entire line from Rochester to Dansville is now under lease to and operated by the Erie Railway company.
In addition to this railroad enterprise, a charter was granted in 1832 for a railroad from Geneseo to Pittsford, but nothing was done to build the road.
The general election of 1830 resulted in the election of the entire anti-masonic ticket. The Senators chosen were Philo C. Fuller and Trumbull Carey ; for the Assembly, Jerediah Horsford and James Percival. Calvin H. Bryan was a candidate for Member of Con-
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gress for the Twenty-seventh district, but was de- feated by Frederick Whittlesey of Rochester, who filled the position during the years 1831 to 1835 inclu- sive, the congressional district at that time embracing Livingston and Monroe counties.
The town elections of 1831 resulted very favorably to anti-masonry. But three towns elected opposition tickets. Groveland, Mount Morris and Lima. The anti-masonic organ in commenting on this result said, "the elections demonstrated that anti-masonry not only holds strong in this county, but that it is contin- ually increasing in strength. In several towns the fraternity, although they put in requisition their ut- most endeavors, were unable to get up any opposi. tion."
In March, 1832, Willard H. Smith was appointed by the Governor and Senate First Judge of the county courts of this county, succeeding Hezekiah D. Mason, who had served since 1829. At the same time Samuel W. Spencer was appointed in the same manner as Surrogate, to succeed James Rosebrugh, who had filled the office since the organization of the county in 1821.
By the act of June 29, 1832, Livingston and Alle- gany were made the Thirtieth Congressional district, and the first Representative chosen was Philo C. Ful- ler of Geneseo, who served from Dec. 2, 1833, to Sept. 2, 1836, when he resigned and was succeeded by John Young of Geneseo. Mr. Young was succeeded by Luther C. Peck of Allegany, whose service covered the years 1837 to 1841 inclusive, when John Young was again returned and served one term.
The history of the county press of this period is one of frequent change and vicissitude. The Village Chronicle was established in Dansville in 1830 by David Mitchell and Benjamin C. Dennison. Its first
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editorial says, "The Chronicle will be subservient to no political party or association of men, but devoted to whatever will conduce to the general good of soci- ety. It will be a faithful chronicler of the times-a brief history of passing events-a valuable domestic paper ; and such an one as may be advantageously introduced into every family." Upon its espousing the anti-masonic cause, Mr. Dennison severed his con- nection with the paper April 12th, 1831, and removed to Geneseo. The paper was continued by Mitchell, who in a short time changed the name to the Village Record. It was soon after this discontinued. On the removal of Mr. Dennison to Geneseo he became the proprietor of the Journal, its name now changed to the Courier. In 1832 the paper was published by Evans & Woodruff, and in the fall of that year Henry F. Evans became the sole proprietor. The paper met with the usual fate of such enterprises, and ceased to exist in 1834.
Meantime the Register, the opposition journal, was also experiencing many changes. Mr. Percival had sold the establishment in 1829 to Anson M. Weed and Allen Warner, as previously stated, but the death of Mr. Weed in 1831 dissolved the partnership, and Mr. Percival again became the publisher. In 1832 Elias Clark bought the office and published the Register until 1834, when he disposed of the establishment to William H. Kelsey and Richard M. Miel, Mr. Kelsey retiring in the following year, and Mr. Miel became the sole proprietor. Although the "Register" had been the organ of the Whig party, it received but an indifferent support, and Mr. Miel after consultation with some leading Democratic politicians of the county resolved to turn his paper over to the support of that party and its candidates. This was done in an able editorial which produced a great sensation at
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the time, as it was believed several prominent Whigs were in the secret, and they found it necessary to disclaim publicly any connection with the change. After a precarious existence of several years, during which the Register was successively published by D. $. Curtiss, Hugh Harding and John Kempshall, it was discontinued by the latter at the close of the "Tip- pecanoe " campaign in 1840. The materials of the office were sold to Peter Lawrence and removed to Perry.
The sudden change of front by the Register, and its desertion of the Whig party, was the cause of a good deal of indignation, and the leading Whigs of the county were determined that its place should be filled. To this end David Mitchell and William H. Kelsey purchased the materials of the defunct Journal estab- lishment just before the election of 1835, and com- menced the publication of the Livingston Democrat. Mr. Mitchell soon retired from the paper, and Mr. Kelsey continued it alone until the spring of 1837, when it was compelled to succumb to unfavorable cir- cumstances. Such failures were enough to dishearten most men, but the sturdy Whigs of Livingston were men of great determination, and devotion to the prin- ciples of their party. Besides, the opposition had an organ in the Register, and their pride would not per- mit the Whigs to be behind in this respect. Measures were accordingly taken to establish a new organ, on a firm basis and with an experienced printer at its head. To this end negotiations were opened with Samuel P. Allen, then a young printer, who had learned his trade in the Register office under Mr. Warner, and his uncle Mr. Percival. In reference to these negoti- ations Mr. Allen says : "During the summer of that year [1837], I was called upon at Mount Morris by some of the members of the Whig Central Committee,
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
and urged to undertake the publication of a Whig journal at Geneseo. The committee consisted of Wil- liam H. Spencer, Charles Colt, John Young, Elias Clark and Gurdon Nowlen. * The late Wil- liam W. Weed was also active in the enterprise, and by personal efforts, probably accomplished as much as any other gentleman in securing the necessary funds to purchase a new press, etc." The negotia- tions with Mr. Allen were successful, and early in September, 1837, with a one-horse lumber wagon; he proceeded to Buffalo "with the old type of the Jour- nal-Demoerat establishment, and with a small amount of funds furnished by the committee, exchanged for new type at the foundry of Mr. Nathan Lyman-the journey occupying three days. Meantime a new Washington press had arrived from New York, and the first number of the Livingston Republican was issued on the 19th of September, 1837." 'The office was the property of the Whig central committee, Mr. Allen acting only as editor and publisher, but he says, in the letter from which we have quoted, "in March, 1844, such had been the success of the enterprise, that I was able to purchase the establishment, for which four hundred dollars was paid. The great Clay cam- paign of that year probably furnished the Whig com- mittee an opportunity to 'invest' these funds !"
The election of 1831 resulted in the choice of George W. Patterson and John Young as Members of Assem- bly, and in 1833 the county was represented by George W. Patterson and Samuel W. Smith. The election in the fall of 1833 resulted in the choice for this office of Salmon G. Grover and Tabor Ward. Again in 1834 Mr. Patterson became the choice of the electors for this position, his colleague being Hollom Hutchinson. At the same time Elias Clark was chosen County Clerk -the Whigs carrying the elections.
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
In 1835 the elections resulted in another sweeping Whig victory, the Assemblymen chosen being Charles H. Carroll and George W. Patterson. On the 20th of January, 1836, Calvin H. Bryan was appointed Dis- trict Attorney by the Court of General Sessions, but was superseded May 30th of the same year by A. A Bennett. The election of this year resulted in the choice of George W. Patterson and William Scott As- semblymen, who served two successive terms. In 1838 Mr. Patterson was again re-elected, his colleague being Elias Clark. At the session of 1839 Mr. Patter- son was chosen Speaker and filled the position two successive terms with great credit to himself and honor to his constituents.
Elias Clark was succeeded as County Clerk by William H. Stanley, who was elected in 1837. In 1840 Samuel P. Allen was chosen to fill the office. George Hastings superseded A. A. Bennett as District Attorney, May 27th, 1899, while the Sheriffs of the county during the period covered by this chapter had been Augustus Gibbs, elected in 1831; Josiah Wen- dell, 1834; William W. Weed, 1837, and James Brewer, 1840.
Until the adoption of the new constitution in 1846, Surrogates were appointed by the Governor and Sen- ate, for the term of four years. On the 23d of March, 1836, Benjamin F. Angel was appointed Surrogate, and held the office until April 22d, 1840, when he was superseded by William H. Kelsey, who in turn was superseded by Mr. Angel in 1844, upon the advent to power in the State of a Democratic administration. The office of Supreme Court Commissioner-an officer to perform the duties of a Judge of the Supreme Court at Chambers, was conferred upon Mr. Angel at the same time, and held by him until the new consti- tution went into effect in 1847.
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
Applications to the legislature for charters and legislative aid to various enterprises, were of frequent occurrence at this time. In 1836 notices appeared that applications would be made for charters for banks at Avon, Dansville and York Centre, and the villages of Avon and York Centre wanted to be incorporated, while the people of Dansville asked for an act to incorporate the Dansville Academy, and the directors of the Livingston County Bank desired to increase their capital stock to $250, 000. .
In 1837 an act was passed incorporating the Geneseo Hydraulic Company. It was the design of this com- pany to provide a great water power, by proper dams and other works on the Genesee river. The passage of the bill was hailed with the greatest demonstrations of joy on the part of the people of Geneseo, but it does not appear that the company ever commenced work. It is certain, at least, that the wild expecta- tions of the people were never realized.
The presidential campaign of 1840 was a memorable one, and holds its place in history as one of the most spirited and closely contested political campaigns the country has ever witnessed. The Whig party came early into the field with its standard bearers, William Henry Harrison for President, and John Tyler for Vice President. The Democratic party nominated for re-election President Martin Van Buren and Vice President Richard M. Johnson.
It was a period of great financial distress. In 1837 had occurred the disastrous financial panic, when bank after bank suspended specie payments, enter- prise was crippled, the business of the country to a large degree suspended, and thousands of laborers thrown out of employment. The government, which a few months before had had a surplus of forty mil- lions of dollars, found itself in this crisis unable to
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meet its daily obligations, and an extra session of Congress was rendered necessary to extricate it front its difficulties. In 1840 the financial distress had beca bat little relieved, and the people generally attributed this to the attempts of the government to regulate the currency. Under the generally accepted rule that the party in power is responsible for all existing evils, the Democratic party was held responsible for this wide spread distress and business stagnation, and its nom- inees were thus rendered napopular. This tendency of popular judgment has ever been a markted feature of our political system, and while it may, and un doubtedly does, sometimes do injustice to party Jead- ers and organizations, it also acts as a wholesome check upon the abuse of power or the negleet of man- ifest public duty.
Some peculiar features marked the campaign of 1840. General Harrison, the Whig candidate for President, had served in the campaign of 1811 against the Indians, and at the battle of Tippecanoe had won great military honors. His admirers now took advan- tage of this, and "Tippecanoe and Tyler too," be- came the Whig watchword. Another peculiarity arose from the fact that some injudicious opponents had taunted General Harrison with having lived in a log cabin and used hard cider as a beverage. "Hence the term 'log cabin' was seized upon and became the great talismanic word of the party, the effect of which all the arts of the 'little magician' were insufficient to counteract. Miniature log cabins were a part of the paraphernalia got up to give effect to the mass meet- ings, which were not unfrequently measured by acres. These rude structures, decorated with 'coon skins, ' were also erected of sufficient dimensions for the ao- commodation of the local assemblages. There was scarcely a city or village which was not adorned with
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an edifice of this description. And the number was 'legion' of those who traced their conversion to the 'new light' emitted from these political forums."
Like their brethren in other parts of the country, the Whigs of Livingston had their log cabins and hard cider, much to the amusement of their opponents, who derided them unmercifully. The Whigs of Gen- eseo erected a cabin near the centre of the village it the latter part of August, and it afforded a place for numerous gatherings during the campaign. It was not a sightly structure, however, and many were the derisive laughs enjoyed by the Democrats at its rough appearance and uncouth shape. The Register for Sept. 1st, under the head of "village improvements," announces the completion of the log cabin, which had been built in one week. It considered the architecture unique, and compared the cornice in front, which had Bo posts to sustain it, to "Federal Tippecanoe Whig- gery," which, it said, "is destitute of props, posts or supports, that can save it from the fate that awaits it."
Dansville also had her log cabin, erected in one day, at a grand mass meeting of Whigs, and although threatened with destruction by the Democrats, it served its purpose in the campaign, and was the scene of a number of exciting and enthusiastic political bar- bocues.
After a canvass which will long be remembered, the two great parties met at the polls and measured their relative strength. The result proved an overwhelm- ing Whig victory, the party electing its candidates for the Presidency and Vice Presidency, gaining a large majority in Congress, and sweeping everything before it on its local tickets. In Livingston county it achieved a signal victory. The entire Whig ticket was elected. The Register, the organ of the Democ- racy, discouraged by this result, and its resources
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exhausted in attempts to maintain an existence, grace- fully yielded to the inevitable and suspended publica- tion. The county officers chosen at this election were Samuel P. Allen, County Clerk ; James Brewer, Sheriff; Augustus Gibbs and Reuben P. Wisner, Members of Assembly. John Young was also chosen Member of Congress, and John Wheeler Presidential Elector.
The county had now nearly reached the twentieth year of its separate existence, and was prosperous to a degree exceeding the highest expectations of those who had favored its erection. The population at this time had reached 37,777, an increase of about 8,767 in ten years. The assessed valuation of real estate was $10,477,692 ; of personal estate, $768,432 ; aggregate valuation, $11,246,124.
The development of the manufacturing interests of the county had kept pace with her agricultural pro- gress, and among the principal manufacturing estab- lishments were one woolen mill, six iron establish- ments, four paper mills, twenty tanneries, one brewery, sixty nine saw-mills, thirty grist-mills, sixteen fulling mills, fifteen carding mills, and one oil mill.
Of banking establishments the county had two. The Livingston County Bank, at Geneseo, with a cap- ital of $100,000, and its report for 1839 showed loans and discounts to the amount of $217,844, dividends in that year, $14,000, and surplus, or profits on hand, $37,762. Allen Ayrault was President, and Ephraim Cone Cashier. The Bank of Dansville was a banking association, located at Dansville. Its capital was $150,300 at this time, and the amount of its circula- tion $124,000.
Two villages in the county were incorporated, Gene- seo and Mount Morris, the former in 1832, the latter in 1835. But Dansville, Moscow, Avon, York, Lima
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and Livonia were flourishing villages, Dansville, at least, having a larger population than either of the incorporated villages. The number of postoffices in the county was thirty.
Three newspapers were at this time making their weekly visits to the people. These were the Living- ston Republican and Livingston Register,* published at Geneseo, and the Spectator, published at Mount Morris by Hugh Harding.
Two incorporated academies furnished educational facilities, in addition to the excellent district schools. These were the Genesee Wesleyan Seminary at Lima, with an average attendance per term of 180 pupils, and the Livingston County High School, with an aver- age attendance of 83 pupils per term. There were also several unincorporated academies which enjoyed a high reputation as institutions of learning. Among these were the academies at Moscow and West Avon.
A daily line of stages gave comparatively easy com- munication with all points, and carried the mails with .regularity and despatch. A line run from Rochester to Bath, accommodating all the principal places in this county, and making connection with a Philadel- phia and Washington line, and also with lines run- ning to Buffalo, Lewiston, Utica and Albany ; while the Genesee Valley Canal, now completed to Mount Morris, and rapidly approaching a finished state on its upper sections, afforded ample and cheap facilities for transporting the abundant products of the Valley.
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