USA > New York > A history of the purchase and settlement of western New York : and of the rise, progress and present state of the Presbyterian Church in that section > Part 4
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14
WESTERN NEW YORK.
respects the Military lands, the different lots had been assigned to different individuals, many of whom were dead, and others had sold their rights to speculators ; and in many instances the same individual had repeatedly sold his right. Hence, in a variety of cases, the same lot was claimed by different individuals, and a long course of litigation ensued before the title to the land was es- tablished. Should an emigrant to Phelps and Gorham's purchase find a location satisfactory to him, he could go direct to Canan- daigua to the land office, and make his purchase, and take his deed ; but the individual who should discover a desirable location on the Military Tract, if he wished to purchase it, must first ascertain who was the owner, then where he lived; and having ascertained these facts, might still be utterly uncertain whether the owner would sell, or, if he would, on what terms. Again, the idea was preva- lent in the Eastern States, from which the great mass of the new settlers in Western New York emigrated, that the Genesee lands were of a quality superior to those of the Military Tract. For these reasons the regular settlement of the Genesee country com- menced somewhat earlier, and for a season, at least, progressed with a greater rapidity than that of the Military Tract.
The Indian title to Phelps and Gorham's purchase was not ex- tinguished till July, 1788 ; but in the same year it is narrated, that Peter Shaffer settled at the place where Scotsville now stands ; that he was the first white man who settled on the Genesee river, and that not more than four or five families lived on the road be- tween him and Utica. It is probable that the settlement of Geneva commenced the same year. In the spring of 1789, six or seven families resided in the village, or its immediate vicinity, among whom were Colonel Reed, Roger Noble and family. of Sheffield (Mass.), and Asa Ransom. About the same period the settlement of Canandaigua, then called Kanadarque, was commenced. In the spring of 1789, Augustus Porter, Esq., came on to Canandaigua with a party, in the capacity of a surveyor. He found at Canan- daigua General Chapin, Daniel Gates, Joseph Smith, Indian In- spector, Benjamin Gardiner and family, Benjamin Saxton, sur- veyor, and a few others, all of whom, except Messrs. Smith and Gardiner, had come on a few days before with General Chapin. The parties with General Chapin and Judge Porter, came with their effects, in boats, from Schenectady up the Mohawk river, to Fort Stanwix, then by Wood creek, Oneida lake, &c., to the out- let of Canandaigua lake. The only houses at Canandaigua at this period were four log buildings. The same spring, a man by the name of Adams, from Alford (Mass.), with his large family, con- sisting of his sons, Jonathan, John, William, Abner, and Joseph ; his sons-in-law, Ephraim Rew, and Lorin Hull, with their wives. Elijah Rose, a brother-in-law to Mr. Adams, and Moses Gunn, Lot Rew, John Barnes, Roger Sprague, Asa Heacock, Benjamin
15
ITS EARLY HISTORY.
Gauss, John Keyes, Nathaniel Norton, and Eber Norton, com- menced the settlement of East Bloomfield. Judge Porter says : "From the time we left Fort Stanwix, until we arrived at Kana- dasaga (Geneva), we found no white persons, except at the junc- tion of Canada and Wood creeks, where a man lived by the name of Armstrong ; at Three River Point, where lived a Mr. Bingham, and at Seneca Falls, where was Job Smith." In 1782, Colonel Peregreen Gardiner located his family at West Bloomfield, on the main road which leads from Canandaigua to Buffalo. Gen. Amos Hall, Ebenezer Curtis, Esq., and others, came in soon after him. In the same year, the settlement of the town of Middlesex com- menced, and about the same period, Messrs. James and William Wadsworth commenced the settlement of Geneseo.
In the month of August, 1789, the present township of Pittsford was purchased of Mr. Phelps by Israel Stone, Simon Stone, and Seth Dodge, of Salem, Washington county, for the sum of three thousand dollars. They came on in the autumn of the same year, surveyed the township into lots, and having sowed a few acres with wheat, returned for the purpose of removing their families the en- suing spring. Previous to their return, they provided themselves with a chest of carpenters' tools, and a quantity of iron, which they obtained from a boat lying in Irondequoit Bay, which, for safe keeping until needed, were carefully buried in the ground. In April, 1790, the Messrs. Stone and Jasiel Farr started with their families to take possession of their new home in the wilderness, availing themselves by a circuitous route of water communication most of the way, for their families and effects. On their departure from Salem, they intrusted a small drove of cattle, horses, and swine, to a hired man and two lads, who were to find their way as they might be able, to the little opening in the forest, which had been made the preceding autumn. This party arrived at the place assigned more than two weeks before the arrival of the families, subsisting, in the meantime, on pounded corn, and milk which the cows supplied. One of these lads was Nathan Nye, now an old and respectable inhabitant of Pittsford. During the same season, Glover Perrin, with his family, moved into what is now the town of Perrinton, a name derived from him. The same season, Enos Stone and family, two families of the name of Hyde, and another of the name of Scudder, settled within the limits of the present town of Brighton. These eight families, for a season, constituted the entire white population of the original town of Northfield, which embraced all the territory now included in the towns of Pittsford, Perrinton, Penfield, Webster, Henrietta, Brighton, Iron- dequoit, and that part of the city of Rochester which lies east of the Genesee river.
Capt. Peter Pitts, with his family, commenced the settlement of the town of Richmond in 1790 ; and in the same year the settle-
16
WESTERN NEW YORK.
ment of the towns of Bristol, Victor, and some others was com- menced. In 1791, the settlement of the town of Naples was begun by a company from the county of Berkshire (Mass.). In the same year, William Hincher located his family at the mouth of Genesee river. In 1792, the settlement of the village of Bath was commenced by Col. Charles Williamson, the purchaser of what has since been called the " Pulteney Estate." As a specimen of some of the difficulties of the settlement of a new country, it may be remark- ed, that Col. Williamson, for the support of his establishment, was under the necessity of transporting his flour from Northumberland, in Pennsylvania, and pork from Philadelphia.
In the month of July, 1790, the census of the county of Ontario, which, at that period, included the whole of the Genesee country, was taken by Gen. Amos Hall, in accordance with the constitution of the United States; and for the reader's information, we will give the author's table of the then existing population entire. The towns are designated by their present names. The first column denotes the number of families, and the second the number of per- sons in each town.
Painted Post,
10
59
Victor,
4
20
Milo,
11
65
Richmond,
1
2
Benton,
3
25
Mendon,
2
10
Seneca, includ-
18
115
Pittsford,
8
28
ing Geneva,
Brighton,
4
20
Phelps,
2
11
Lima,
4
23
Middlesex,
7
38
Rush,
9
56
Hopewell,
6
14
Henrietta,
1
8
East Farmington,
2
4
Sparta,
1
5
West Farming- ton,
12
55
Wayne,
1
1
9
Canandaigua,
18
106
Erwin,
11
59
West Palmyra,
4
14
Canisteo,
10
50
South Bristol,
4
20
Avon,
10
66
North Bristol,
4
13
Caledonia,
10
44
East Bloomfield,
10
65
Indian lands, Lei-
4
17
West Bloomfield,
7
26
cester,
205
1081
Geneseo,
8
34
From the period in which this census was taken, the settlement of the country progressed with great rapidity.
The settlement of the Military Tract was of a date somewhat later than that of Phelps' and Gorham's purchase. Some few families, however, might have removed on to the tract, nearly as soon as any on the Purchase. In the spring of 1783, Roswell Franklin, with his family, settled themselves near where the village
17
ITS EARLY HISTORY.
of Aurora now stands. They removed from Wysox, in Pennsyl- vania. They came up the Susquehanna and Tioga rivers, by boat, to Newtown (now Elmira), thence by land to the head of the Seneca lake ; thence, by boat, down the Seneca lake and river to the Cayuga lake, and up that lake to their place of settlement. On their passage, and in their early settlement in the country, they suffered great privations and hardships. They were the first white family in the region. A traveller, in 1792, remarks, that from Onondaga Hollow to the Cayuga lake, the whole country was in forest, and that in the township of Marcellus he met with only one house, and two newly erected huts. It is evident that at that time the settlement of the country had commenced, and from that period made rapid progress. That part of the tract which is situate between the Cayuga and Seneca lakes, was settled at an early date; principally by emigrants from Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
The settlement of the territory west of the Genesee river, was of a still later date. In the year 1801, this whole region consti- tuted but one town, containing, perhaps, fifty families. The greater part of these were located at the Lower Falls, on the Genesee river, where the town-meetings were held. The remainder resided at Caledonia and Leroy, with a very few families on the Niagara river, at Fort Slosser. A mail was at that period carried on horse- back from Canandaigua to Fort Slosser, through this town, once a week and back. The carrier of the mail was under the necessity of putting up over night in the Indian village of Tonawanda, there being no other inhabited place between Ganson's settlement in Leroy and Fort Slosser. From about this period, the settlement of this section of Western New York progressed with great rapidity.
The rapidity of the settlement of Western New York, and the uninterrupted prosperity attending it, constitute a circumstance which finds no parallel in the previous history of new settlements. Formerly, new regions were ordinarily settled at great expense to the government or to the individuals, in a very slow and gradual manner, and almost always with the loss of many lives by the in- cursion of hostile foes. How many new settlements have, after a long period of toil and suffering, and the loss of many valuable lives, been entirely broken up by these circumstances ! The set- tlement of Western New York has not been wholly exempt from these trials. The first settlers of the Genesee country, in coming to their places of settlement, had to transport themselves, their families, effects, and provisions, from Fort Schuyler (now Utica) through an almost unbroken wilderness, with no path better than an Indian trail, to the places of their settlement. When arrived at their stations, all their supplies of provisions, clothing, and what- ever else was needed, must be derived from the country on the
2
18
WESTERN NEW YORK.
· Mohawk river, until they could raise them on their own farms. When they had succeeded in raising their own bread-stuff, mills' for grinding it were at a great distance. These obstacles, how- ever, were speedily overcome. Sickness in the early period of the settlement greatly prevailed. The common disorders prevalent were fevers, and ague and fever. The seasons of 1793 and 1794 were very sickly seasons. "At one time," says Dr. Coventry, “ in the village of Geneva, there was but a single individual who could leave her bed, and she, like a ministering angel, went from house to house, bestowing on the sick the greatest of all boons,-a drink of cold water."
At one period, particularly in the summer of 1794, the white inhabitants felt alarmed in view of some hostile demonstrations on the part of the Seneca Indians. These Indians were not satisfied that the whites should settle so near them. They complained that they had been cheated in the sale of their land, and were undoubt- 1 edly still exasperated in the recollection of the severe chastisement which they had received, by the expedition of General Sullivan into their country. They manifested a strong feeling of hostility, and used threatening language towards the white settlers. In this crisis a council of the Indians was convoked at Canandaigua by the government of the United States, in the month of November, 1794. Some of the Indians on their way to the council told the white people, that, on their return, if their grievances were not redressed, they should take off the scalps of the whites. At this council the Six Nations were represented. Timothy Pickering appeared as commissioner from the government of the United States. On the eleventh day of November, a treaty was concluded between the United States and the Six Nations. By this treaty the United States acknowledged the lands reserved to the Oneida, Cayuga, and Onondaga Nations, in their several treaties with the State of New York, to be the property of the said Nations, and that the United States will never claim these reservations, nor disturb the Indians nor their friends in the possession and enjoyment of them. They also acknowledged that all the lands included within the State of New York, lying west of the west line of Phelps and Gorham's Purchase, with the exception of a small territory on the Niagara river, belonged to the Seneca nation of Indians, and they engaged never to disturb that tribe, nor any of the Six Nations, in the quiet possession of the same.
The Six Nations on their part agreed never to claim any other lands within the limits of the United States, nor to molest the peo- ple of the United States in any manner. They also ceded to the United States the privilege of making roads through their lands, and of navigating the rivers, occupying the harbors, landing-places, &c.
In consideration of the peace and friendship thus established, and
19
ITS EARLY IIISTORY.
the engagements entered into by the Six Nations, and with a view to render the peace perpetual, the United States delivered to the Six Nations $10,000 worth of goods, and contracted to pay them annually the sum of $4,500, to be expended for their benefit, under the direction of a superintendent, to be appointed by the President of the United States.
The establishment of this treaty calmed the hostile feelings of the Indians, and completely removed the fears of the white inhabitants. From this period no serious trouble with the Indians existed, nor was the settlement of the country at all retarded through fear of Indian hostility. It would seem, however, that the spirit of revenge for the chastisement inflicted upon them in Sullivan's ex- pedition was never wholly eradicated from their breasts, for at subsequent periods many of the Senecas were found fighting against the United States, in the battles of Harmer, St. Clair, Wayne, and Harrison at Tippecanoe.
Another circumstance which greatly facilitated the settlement of the country was the construction of roads. The paths by which the first inhabitants came into the country were mere Indian trails. Often they were obliged to stop in their progress for hours to con- struct a temporary bridge to enable them to cross a stream of water. It was also necessary that they should travel in consider- able companies for the purpose of mutual assistance in crossing streams, passing swamps, and rising hills, such was the state of the road when the settlement of the country commenced. But in March, 1794, three commissioners were appointed to lay out a road, authorized by law, from Utica, by Cayuga Ferry and Canan- daigua, to the Genesee river at Avon ; the road to be as straight as practicable, and to be six rods wide. To aid in the construction of this road, the legislature granted $1500 from the proceeds of the military lands, to be expended on that part of the road which was situated on those lands ; and $3750 to be appropriated to the re- mainder of the road-one-half to be expended on that part of the road which lay eastward of the Military Tract, and the other half on that part which lay west. This road, for many years after its construction, was called the State Road. The construction of this road greatly facilitated the settlement of Western New York. Col. Williamson remarks :- " This line of road having been esta- blished by law, not less than fifty families settled upon it in the space of four months after it was opened. Though this road was probably laid out in 1794, it seems not to have been constructed for some time, for in June, 1797, Col. Williamson represents the road from Fort Schuyler to the Genesee as but little better than an Indian trail. It was, however, so far improved subsequently, that on the 30th day of September, 1799, a stage started from Utica and arrived at Genesee in the afternoon of the third day, and from that period, it is believed that a regular stage has passed between
20
WESTERN NEW YORK.
those two places. In the year 1800, a law was enacted by the Legislature of the State for making this road a turnpike road. The work of construction was commenced without delay, and com- pleted in a short time.
In 1800, a road was made from the Genesee river, at Avon, to Ganson's Settlement (now Leroy), and the same year a road was commenced from Buffalo eastward, and three miles of it completed, to connect with the one from Avon to Ganson's Settlement, and thus constitute one continuous road from Utica to Buffalo. At subsequent periods some other principal lines of roads in Western New York have been laid out in accordance with special acts of the Legislature, generally, however, at the expense of the counties through which they were constructed. As late as 1813, the Legis- lature granted the sum of $5000 for cutting the path and making bridges across the streams on the Ridge road from Rochester to Lewiston. Until this period the road was nearly impassable.
Roads, in some instances, at a very early date, were constructed by the large landholders, for the purpose of facilitating the sale and settlement of their lands. Several such roads were constructed by Col. Williamson and his successors, the Agents of the Pulteney Estate.
In the month of May, 1799, the Manhattan Company of New York commenced the building of a bridge across the Cayuga lake, and completed it in September of the following year, at an expense of $150,000. Its length was a mile and a quarter, being the long- est bridge in the United States ; and yet, five years previous to its commencement, the land from which it was built was a forest in the possession of the Indians.
At later periods, the construction of the Erie Canal, with its lateral branches opening to all parts of Western New York a mar- ket for its productions ; the building of railroads, affording to tra- vellers the means of more convenient and rapid communication ; and the erection of manufacturing establishments of various descrip- tions, and in immense numbers-have all been instrumental in increasing the population of Western New York in an unexampled degree. Through the good providence of Almighty God, an almost uninterrupted scene of prosperity has attended the enterprise of emigrants to this region of country ; and, comparing their history with that of preceding attempts to colonize new countries, we may truly adopt the language of the inspired writer with respect to God's dealings with Israel and say, "He hath not dealt so with any nation."
A brief notice of the civil divisions of the country will, to a con- siderable extent, exhibit the progress of population and improve- ment in Western New York. Previous to the year 1789, the county of Montgomery included all the western part of the State of New York. In that year Ontario was erected into a county,
21
ITS EARLY HISTORY.
comprehending all that part of the State lying west of the Pre- emption line. From this county Steuben was detached and orga- nized into a separate county in 1796. The limits of this county remain the same as when organized, with the exception that the towns of Barrington and Starkey, with part of the town of Jerusa- lem, have been detached from it and connected with the county of Yates ; also once tier of towns taken from the west side and attached to the county of Alleghany, with one quarter of a township, in- cluding the village of Dansville, connected with the county of Livingston. The county of Genesee, comprehending, at the time of its organization, all the territory lying west of the Genesee river and the west boundary of the county of Steuben, was erected in 1802. Alleghany with its present limits was detached from Gene- see and Steuben, in 1806; and Chatauqua, Niagara, and Cattarau- gus, in 1808. Monroe was formed from Ontario and Genesee in 1821, and in the same year the county of Erie was taken from the south part of Niagara. In 1823, the county of Livingstone was erected from parts of Ontario and Genesee. In 1823, the county of Yates was formed from parts of Ontario and Steuben, and the county of Wayne from Ontario and Seneca. In 1824, the county of Orleans was constituted from the north part of Genesee, and, in 1841, Wyoming, from its southern part.
In the year 1791, the counties of Herkimer and Tioga were de- tached from the county of Montgomery, and constituted separate counties. They included all the territory east of Ontario county to a great distance. The county of Onondaga, including the whole Military Tract, was set off from Herkimer, in 1794. From Onon- daga, Cayuga was detached, in 1799 ; and Cortland, in 1808. From Cayuga, Seneca was formed into a county, in 1804; and from Cayuga, Tioga, and Seneca, Tompkins was set off, in 1817. From Herkimer and Tioga, Chenango was, in 1798, erected into a county, and from Chenango, Madison, in 1806. Broome was detached from Tioga in 1806, and Chemung in 1836.
The changes which have taken place in the limits of some of the towns of Western New York, since their original organization, are illustrative of the progress and amount of improvement, and a pass- ing notice of them may be amusing, at least, to some of the rising generation. In the year 1788, less than sixty years since, the town of German Flatts, in the county of Montgomery, was divided, and by an act of the Legislature, a new town was erected, and named Whitestown, from the Honorable Hugh White, who was the first white settler in the town. This town at its organization compre- hended all the territory included in the present counties of St. Lawrence, Lewis, Jefferson, Oneida, Madison, Chenango, Broome, and those which lie west to the extreme part of the State. At its organization the town contained, exclusive of Indians, less than two hundred inhabitants. By a succession of subdivisions, this town
-
22
WESTERN NEW YORK.
is reduced to an area of about eight miles by five. The town of Geneseo, which at its organization embraced all that part of the State which lies west of the Pre-emption line, is now reduced to a territory of six miles square, being Township No. 9 in the seventh Range of Townships in Phelps and Gorham's Purchase. In 1811, all that part of the State which lies west of the Genesee river and the county of Steuben, constituted a town by the name of North- ampton (since changed to Gates by an act of the Legislature in 1812), now occupying a small territory adjoining the city of Roches- ter on the west.
The changes in the civil divisions of a country like that of the United States, must always be the result of necessity, and must therefore, in a great degree, constitute an infallible index of its pro- gress in population and improvements. The state of the popula- tion of Western New York in 1800, and its progressive increase from that period to a late period, may be seen with great accuracy from the annexed Table.
-
23
PROGRESSIVE POPULATION.
COUNTIES
ORGAN- IZED.
1800.
1810.
1820.
1830.
1840.
1845.
Allegany.
1806
1,942
9,330
26,218
40,975
40,084
Broome.
1806
8,130
14,343
17,582
22,338
25,808
Cattaraugus.
1808
458
4,090
16,726
28,872
30,169
Cayuga.
1799
15,871
29,843
38,897
47,947
50,338
49,663
Chautauque.
1808
2,381
15,268
34,657
47,975
46,548
Chemung.
1836
15,666
21,704
31,215
37,404
40,785
39,900
Cortland.
1808
8,869
16,507
23,693
24,607
25,081
Erie.
1821
12,588
58,093
51,992
29,924
28,845
Livingston.
1821
18,444
27,719
35,140
33,193
Madison.
1806
25,144
32,208
39,037
40,008
40,987
Monroe.
1821
26,855
49,862
64,902
70,899
Niagara.
1808
8,971
22,990
18,485
31,132
34,550
Onondaga.
1794
7,466
25,987
47,467
58,974
67,911
70,175
Ontario.
1789
15,218
42,032
88,267
40,167
43,501
42,592
Orleans.
1824
18,773
25,127
25,845
Seneca.
1804
16,609
23,619
21,031
24,874
24,972
Steuben.
1796
1,788
7,246
21,989
33,975
46,138
51,679
Tioga.
1791
6,879
7,899
16,971
27,704
20,527
22,456
Tompkins.
1817
20,681
. 36,545
37,948
38,168
Wayne.
1823
33,555
42,057
42,516
Yates.
1823
19,019
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