USA > New York > Niagara County > Biographical and portrait cyclopedia of Niagara County, New York > Part 13
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71
the northern and northwestern parts of the county. The present villages in the town arc: Warren's Corners, founded by John Forsythe in 1805; Molyneux's Corners, whose pioneer settler was John Gould, in 1809; Cambria Centre, settled about 1812; and Pekin, which was founded about the same time.
Hartland .- This town was named for the town of Hartland, Vermont, and is bounded as follows: On the north by Somerset, on the east by Ridgeway, Orleans county ; on the south by Royalton, and on the west by New Fane. It was created June 1, 1812, out of Cambria, and from it afterward was taken Royalton, Somerset, and a part of New Fane. The first settlement was made in 1803 by John and David Morrison, Zeb. Barnum, Jed. Riggs. Isaac Southwell, and Daniel Brown. The villages are : Hartland Corners, Johnson's Creek, founded about 1812, and North Hartland.
Lewiston .- It is bounded on the north by Porter and Wilson, on the east by Cambria, on the south by Niagara and Wheatfield, and on the west by the Niagara river. It was formed February 27, 1818, and is rich in picturesque scenery and historic spots. The pioneer settlement was at Lewiston, in 1800, and the Tuscarora reservation is on its territory. Its villages are: Sanborn, laid out in 1865; and Lewiston, which was surveyed in 1805, chartered in 1822, and is a center of the fruit and grain trade.
Lockport .- This town is bounded on the north by New Fane, on the east by Royal -. ton, on the south by Pendleton and Erie county, and on the west by Pendleton and Cambria. It was erected February 2, 1824, out of the eastern part of Cambria and the western portion of Royalton. Its pioneer settler was Charles Wilber, who made a
1
111
OF NIAGARA COUNTY.
clearing at Cold Spring in 1805. Its vil- lages are: Wright's Corners, named for Solomon Wright, who came in 1822; Rap- ids, was laid out in 1839 by Amos and S. B. Kinney; Hickory Corners, and Warren's Corners, which is named for Ezra Warren, who settled on its site in 1813, and kept a tavern for several years.
New Fane .- The town of New Fane was so named by Mrs. James Van Horn, and was formed March 20, 1824, from parts of Wilson, Hartland, and Somerset. It is bounded on the north by Lake Ontario, on the east by Somerset and Hartland, on the south by Lockport, and on the west by Wil- son. Its pioneer settlers were William Chambers and John Brewer, who came to its territory from Canada in 1807. Its vil- lages are: Charlotte, named after Char- lotte, a daughter of Hon. George R. Davis, of Troy, New York; and Olcott, a lake port, which is at the mouth of Eighteen- Mile Creek, on Lake Ontario, and the site of the village was purchased in 1808 by William Chambers and Benjamin Halstead.
Niagara .- It was formed June 1, 1812, as the town of Schlosser, which name was changed to that of Niagara on February 14, 1816. In 1827 Pendleton was formed from it, and in 1836 a part of Wheatfield was taken from its territory. It is bounded on the north by Lewiston; on the east by Wheatfield; and on the south and west by Niagara river. Its wonderful scenery and attractions, and the important historical events occurring on its territory from the days of French exploration down to the late civil war, have been described in other parts of this volume. Its villages besides Niagara Falls and Suspension Bridge are La Salle and Fletcher's Corners. La Salle is at the mouth of Cayuga creek, where
"Big Smith" lived as early as 1806, and went by the name of Cayuga Creek for several years; while Fletcher's Corners was named in honor of William Fletcher.
Porter .- The town of Porter, which con- tains the site of the old Fort Niagara that is of National fame, was formed, June 1, 1812, from Cambra, and named in honor of Judge Augustus Porter. It is bounded on the north by Lake Ontario; on the east by Wilson; on the south by Lewiston, and on the west by the Niagara river. The first English settlers came in 1800 or 1801, and the war of 1812 greatly retarded its settle- ment, and in 1814 its population was only 148. The history of Fort Niagara has been given, as well as an account of many im- portant events occurring on its soil. Its villages are Ransomville, where Gideon Cur- tis settled in 1817, and Youngstown (near the present Fort Niagara), which was in- corporated April 18, 1854.
Pendleton .- This town was formed April 16, 1827. It is bounded on the north by Cambria and Lockport, on the east by Lock- port, on the west by Wheatfield, and south by Erie county. Martin Van Slyke and Jacob Crisman were the first settlers, and came in 1807 or 1808. Pendleton village is on the canal, and its first building was the log tavern of Pendleton Clark.
Royalton. - The town of Royalton is bounded on the north by Hartland, on the east by Orleans and Genesee countics, on the south by Erie county, and on the west by Lockport. It was formed April 5, 1817, from Hartland, and a part of its territory was taken in 1824 to form Lockport. Its earliest pioneer settlers were Joshua and Thomas Slaton, who settled two miles east of Cold Springs. An Indian trail passed from southeast to northwest
112
BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY
through the town, and was used as a path to Fort Niagara by the Indians and Tories during the Revolutionary war. The vil- lages of the town are: Wolcottsville, which is named for Anson Wolcott, who settled on its site in 1847; Royalton Center, that was settled as early as 1808; Orangeport, that is on land once owned by Joshua and Thomas Slaton ; Gasport, one mile east of Orangeport, derives its name from flowing springs, containing large quantities of gas, and founded prior to 1824; Reynale's Ba- sin, named for its first settler, George Rey- nale ; and Middleport, which was incorpor- ated December 25, 1858, and now has a population of nearly 1,300.
Somerset .- This town was formed from Hartland, February 8, 1823, and a part of its territory was taken in 1824 to help form New Fane. It is bounded on the north by Lake Ontario, on the east by Orleans county, on the south by Hartland, and on the west by New Fane. Jacob Filts, in 1810, became its first settler, locating on what is known as the old Filts farm, about two miles west of Somerset Corners. The village of Somerset Corners was founded prior to 1826, and the Thirty-mile Point Light house was first lighted in 1875.
Wheatfield .- The town of Wheatfield was taken from Niagara on May 12, 1836, and derived its name from the wheat producing quality of the soil. It is bounded on the north by Lewiston and Cambria, on the east by Pendleton, on the south by Erie county, and on the west by Niagara. A few years after the first settlements in the town, a number of German neighborhoods and villages were established by several Lutheran congregations which came princi- pally from Prussia. In 1843 they founded Martinsville, which was named in honor of
Martin Luther, and New Bergholtz, named for the village of Bergholtz, in Germany. St. Johnsburg is an off-shoot of New Berg- holtz, and New Walmore, also founded in 1843, was named for Walmore, in Prussia. The history of North Tonawanda is given on a preceding page, with the exception of mentioning its machinist and iron working firm of Armitage-Herschel Company, and lumber firm of Smith, Fassett & Co.
Wilson .- This town was formed on April 10, 1818, from the eastern part of Porter, and was named in honor of Reuben Wilson, the pioneer settler on its present territory. It is bounded on the north by Lake Ontario, on the east by New Fane, on the south by Cambria and Lewiston, and on the west by Porter. Its villages are: East Wilson, Wilson Station, and Wilson, at the mouth of Twelve-mile creek, which was named for its founder, Luther Wilson, who built a grist mill and store on its site in 1825, and two years later laid out the village. Wil- son village was incorporated May 11, 1858, and has a fine Union school, into which the old Wilson collegiate institute was merged in 1869.
State History .- When Sebastian Cabot, in 1497, planted the standard of Great Britain on the iee-bound shores of Labrador, and placed beside it the banner of a free repub- lic-his native Veniee-the Indians were masters of the soil of New York, which they held in undisputed possession until July 29, 1609, when Champlain invaded the territory of the Five Nations, and with his own arquebus shot down two plumed Iro- quois chiefs. Champlain's death shot was injudicious for Franee in the new world, and its echo, ringing through two centuries of Indian wars, died on the Plains of Abra- ham, when Freneh power in North Amer-
-
113
OF NIAGARA COUNTY.
ica fell before the arms of England. From 1609 to 1632 the French made several un- successful invasions of northern New York.
The Dutch discovery and occupation of the Hudson Valley covers a period from 1602 to 1622, while their colonization and gov- ernment of the same continued from 1622 to 1673, when the Duke of York captured the province and instituted English govern- ment over it, under the claim of Cabot's discovery of it in 1497 and 1498, although no evidence existed that the daring explorer had ever entered New York harbor or saw the soil of the State.
The English rule continued from 1673 to 1765, when the colony of New York made the first step towards the union of the American colonies against British legisla- tion. During the above mentioned period the colony of New York, sometimes aided by English troops, and often hindered by the incompetency of English commanders, carried on the French and Indian war along its northern and western border, and wrested the Niagara frontier and western New York from the French.
From 1765 to 1775 was a period of agi- tation, during which New York stood up to her sister colonies in the struggle against the tyranny of the British ministry.
During the revolution New York bore well her part in that struggle for national independence, and after the Federal govern- ment was organized she was the first State to cede its public lands to form a part of the national domain.
In the second war with England the State became as it had been in the revolution- one of the great theatres of conflict. From the close of that war until 1826 the energies of the State were taxed to complete the Erie canal, and which gave the Commonwealth,
in addition to foothold on the ocean, com- mand on the lakes, and made her commerce national and cosmopolitan in character, as well as adding wonderfully to her wealth and population.
From 1826 down to the present time New York has slowly but steadily increased in material wealth and political power, although temporarily checked in her growth by the late civil war and the plunderings of the Tweed ring.
POPULATION 1698-1890.
1698 18,067
1703
20,665
1723
40,564
1731
50,824
1737
60,437
1749
73,448
1756
96,790
1771
163,337
1790
340,120
1800
589,051
1810
959,049
1820
1,372,111
1830
1,918,608
1840
2,428,921
1850
3,097,394
1860
3,880,735
1870
4,382,759
1880
5,082,871
1890
5,997,853
POPULATION BY COUNTIES, 1890.
Albany
164,555
Allegany 43,240
Broome. 62,973
Cattaraugus.
60,866
Cayuga
65,302
Chautauqua.
75,202
Chemung
48,265
Chenango 37,776
Clinton.
46,437
8
114
BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY
Columbia
46,172
Sullivan 31,031
Cortland .
28,657
Tioga 29,935
Delaware
45,496
Tompkins 32,923
Dutchess.
77,879
Ulster 87,062
Erie
322,981
Warren.
27,866
Essex
33,052
Washington
45,690
Franklin
38,110
Wayne ..
49,729
Fulton
37,650
Genesee
33,265
Greene
31,598
Hamilton
4,762
Herkimer
45,608
Jefferson
68,806
Kings
838,547
Lewis
29,806
Livingston 37,801
Madison
42,892
Monroe
189,586
Montgomery
45,699
New York 1,515,301
Niagara
62,491
Oneida
122,922
Onondaga
146,247
Ontario
48,453
Orange
97,859
Orleans 30,803
Oswego
71,883
Otsego
50,861
Putnam 14,849
Queens. 128,059
Rensselaer 124,511
Richmond.
51,693
Rockland.
35,162
Saint Lawrence
85,048
Saratoga
57,663
Schenectady
29,797
Schoharie 29,164
Schuyler 16,711
Seneca
28,227
Steuben
81,473
Suffolk
62,491
Westchester
146,772
Wyoming
31,193
Yates
21,001
Of the Empire commonwealth and its people, we quote the following from an able writer : "In the century and a half past, the tender plant which those old governors (Dutchi) nursed so carefully, has grown to such proportions. Even their Dutch phlegm might gather inspiration from the scene, and their peering eyes might scan the fu- ture, and behold all possibilities inviting six million people with opportunities so multi- plied, with possessions so abundant, on a domain so imperial, with civilization casting its gifts at their feet. They might gather cheer too from the record that the ances- tors and predecessors of these millions in the main met the tasks and duties of their position with prudence, courage, fore- thought, and devotion to worthy ideals and purposes. They might weigh the character of the people who have made the commnon- wealth what it is, and discern in it the com- bination of elements, the resultant of di- vergent forces, the equipoise that comes from motion and genuine life, and thus from their elevation over the surging tides of the New World's metropolis, take heart of hope that the generations and the cen- turies to come will add to the development of the Empire State in all that constitutes the glory of a free commonwealth."
NIAGARA COUNTY .
BIOGRAPHIES.
E DWARD E. RUSSELL, one of the solid and substantial business men of Niagara Falls, who have left their imprint on the history of the village, was born near Rochester, New York, June 30, 1839, and is a son of Perry G. and Abigail A. (Church) Russell. His grandfather, Benjamin Rus- sell, was a native of Vermont, but removed to New York and located at Henrietta, near Rochester, where he was engaged in farming until his death in 1843. He was twiee married, and to his last marriage was born one child, Perry G. The latter was born in Vermont in 1787, but removed to this State, and died in Rochester in 1863. IIe was a farmer by oceupation, and a life-long democrat, though he took no aetive part in politics. In 1802 he married Charity White, to whom were born two children, both dying at an early age. His second marriage was to Abigail Church, in 1822, and they reared a family of three sons and three daughters : George W., who enlisted in the army in 1862, and served until the close of the civil war; B. Franklin, now deceased, who was sergeant of a company in the third regiment of Ohio
cavalry, serving three years; Edward E .; Mary J., who married William M. Ware, of Rochester, and died in 1883; Ann A. and Cynthia, both of whom reside in Rochester.
Edward E. Russell received his education in the common schools of his native place, and at an carly age had his attention drawn to the drug business, embarking in that ealling at Rochester in 1854. In the year 1857 he removed to Niagara Falls and opened a drug store, and, except the years of the civil war, has been engaged in that line ever since, winning a business reputa- tion of which any man might feel proud. In 1862 he enlisted in Company B, 151st New York volunteer infantry, as a private, and promoted to first lieutenant ; and after serving until the elose of the war in the army of the Potomac, he was mustered out as adjutant. During his entire term of service he was never sick, taken prisoner, or seriously wounded. This fact tells of an iron constitution and unusual good luck.
On November 24, 1859, Edward E. Rus- sell was united in marriage with Margaret Griffith, daughter of William Griffith, of
(115)
116
BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY
Niagara Falls. To them have been born three children: William P., who married Ida M. Fales, and is now a practicing phy- sician at Suspension Bridge; Edward F., and Allie A., who married Neil Campbell, and lives in New York city.
In politics he is a democrat, and has held the important positions of trustce and pres- ident of the village, assessor, and justice of the peace, being elected as justice in the spring of 1888. He is a member of Frontier Lodge, No. 132, Free and Accepted Masons ; Niagara Chapter, No. 200, Royal Arch Ma- sons; and Genesec Commandery, No. 10, Knights Templar.
₿ ENJAMIN J. HABECKER is of
Pennsylvania German descent, and is well and favorably known in Niagara county. He is the youngest son of Joseph and Anna (Herr) Habecker, and was born in the town of Wheatfield, Niagara county, New York, on May 6, 1854. His grandfather, David Habeeker, was born in Laneaster county, Pennsylvania, August 5, 1791, and married Barbara Newcomer, by whom he had two children. He died September 7, 1889, aged ninety-eight years. Barbara Newcomer, his wife, was born September 16, 1796, in Lan- caster eounty, Pennsylvania, and died De- eember 5, 1870, aged seventy-four years. Joseph Habecker (father) was born in Lan- caster county, Pennsylvania, January 17, 1817. He was elected to several positions of honor and trust, and acquitted himself honorably in all positions. He was eom- inissioner of highways and supervisor of his town, and in politics was a republican. On May 29, 1845, he married Anna Herr, by whom he had three children : Franklin D. (see his sketch), Joseph H., now deceased,
and Benjamin J. Mrs. Joseph Habecker was the oldest daughter of John Herr, who married Mary Long and had seven chil- dren. She died April 3, 1889, in her sixty- eighth year.
Benjamin J. was reared in the town of Wheatfield, and received a good common school education. The farm in which he now owns a half interest, and on which he resided until 1887, was bought by his grand- father, cleared and improved by his father, and occupied by him during his life time. It was fine timber land, and he was inter- ested in getting out ship timber until suffi- cient of it was cleared to begin farming. At Williamsville, Erie county, New York, on February 6, 1884, Benjamin J. Habecker was married to Ella E. Metz, who was born March 25, 1857. Mrs. B. J. Habecker's maternal grandfather, Daniel Snearly, was born in Pennsylvania, on March 30, 1804; married Catherine Brewer, April 13, 1830, and died January 28, 1873. His wife dicd April 7, 1880. Her paternal grandfather, John Metz, was born March 4, 1784, in Lan- caster county, Pennsylvania, and on April 17, 1810, married Elizabeth Martin and had ten children. He died January 11, 1860, aged seventy-six years. Elizabeth Martin, his wife, was born April 11, 1791, and died April 23, 1871, in her seventy-ninth year. Mrs. B. J. Habecker's father, C. C. Metz, was a native of Scipio, Cayuga county, this State, and was a farmer by occupation. May 9, 1854, he married Esther A. Snearly, who was born in the town of Amherst, this State, and had three daughters: Ella E. (Mrs. Habecker), Kate Lillian, deceased, and Cora A.
Benjamin J. Habecker is a republican in polities, and at present resides at Sanborn, in the town of Cambria.
A
117
OF NIAGARA COUNTY.
A. A. MOSSELL, a promising young lawyer of Lockport, was born at Ham- ilton, Ontario, Canada, November 5, 1863, and is a son of Aaron and Elizabeth Mos- sell. The Mossells are Afro-Americans. . The father and mother of A. A. Mossell were bothı born in the city of Baltimore, Maryland, but removed to Canada in 1854, while yet in their early years. They were never slaves, but sought a residence in Can- ada because they believed a more liberal public sentiment prevailed there toward the people of their race. Aaron Mossell was a brickmaker by trade, and followed that oc- cupation all his life. In 1866 he removed to Lockport, this county, and commenced the manufacture of bricks under adverse circumstances. He persevered, however, and time brought his reward. He now has a large and prosperous business, and is in the sixty-seventh year of his age. He and his son, the Rev. Charles Mossell, of Balti- more, own the Commercial hotel in Lock- port, valued at thirty-five thousand dollars. IIe also owns about ten acres of valuable land where his brick yard is located.
A. A. Mossell was reared partly in Can- ada and partly in the United States. His education was received at the Lincoln uni- versity, in Chester county, Pennsylvania, from which institution he was graduated in 1883, after a complete course of four years. He then went to Lynchburg, Virginia, where he taught school for three years, and re- turned to Philadelphia, immediately enter- ing the law department of the University of Pennsylvania at Philadelphia, and was grad- uated therefrom in 1888. He enjoys the distinction of being the only colored student ever graduated from the law department of that well known institution. IIe was ad- mitted to practice in the courts of Pennsyl-
vania in 1888, but soon removed to Lock- port, New York, where he read law one year with D. E. Brong, the district attorney of Niagara county, and was then admitted to practice in the courts of New York State.
On the 9th of June, 1890, Mr. Mossell was wedded to Mary L. Tanner, daughter of Bishop B. T. Tanner, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is independent in poli- tics, believing that he only is a good citizen who votes the issues as they appeal to his intelligent understanding, irrespective of the party representing them. IIe owns an in- terest in his father's brick business, but de- votes most of his time to the practice of his profession.
H ON. WASHINGTON HUNT. Irre- proachable in private and efficient and faithful in public life, Washington Hunt is one without whose biography the history . of Niagara county would be incomplete. His life was straightforward, energetic and eventful, and is worthy of imitation. He was a son of Sanford Hunt, and was born in the town of Windham, Greene county,
New York, August 5, 1811. Members of the Hunt family served in the Revolutionary war, and Sanford Hunt, after marriage, re- moved to Livingston county, where Hunts' Hollow became the name of the settlement in which he located. He afterward went to Greene county, where he resided for some years. Washington Hunt was reared and received his education in Greene county, and in 1828, came to the city of Lockport, where he commenced life for himself as a clerk in the general mercantile store of Tucker & Bissell. Two years later he en- tered the law office of Lot Clark, and after completing the required course of reading was admitted to the bar, but never engaged
118
BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY
in the active practice of his profession, as he found more profitable and congenial eni- ployment in real estate transactions, which constituted his principal business through- out life. In 1833 he became a member of the firm of Hunt & Walbridge, and they purchased from the Albany Land Company 32,000 acres of land in Niagara eounty. This fortunate investment of Mr. Hunt gave him considerable wealth, which he used wisely and judiciously in various busi- ness enterprises.
In 1834, he married Mary, daughter of the Mr. Walbridge who was his partner in the firm of Hunt & Walbridge.
At twenty-four years of age he was ap- pointed as first judge of the county by Gover- nor Marey, and served very aeceptaby in that position from 1836 to 1841. In 1840 he left the Democratie party on a financial issue, and served two terms in Congress from 1843 to 1849 as a whig, representing the 34th district. Leaving Congress he was appointed comptroller, and in 1850 was nominated as the whig candidate for Gov- ernor of New York. At the polls in the ensuing election he was elected over Ilora- tio Seymour, the democratic candidate, by a majority of 262 in a total vote of 428,966. His services as governor were satisfactory, and he was renominated by the Whig party, but went down in the next gubernatorial contest before his former opponent, Horatio Seymour, as the whigs in New York were punished for the failure of their party under Fillmore to obey nationally the positive in- junetions of popular sentiment. He was intimately connected with the business his- tory of Lockport, and aided largely in its material and financial development. He was a pillar in the Protestant Episcopal church of Lockport, which he frequently
represented in diocesan and other conven- tions.
Governor IIunt died from caneer, in the city of New York, on February 2, 1867, and his remains were interred in Glenwood cemetery, at Lockwood, where an imposing monument twenty-two feet in height, and costing $6,000, was erected to his memory by influential political friends from all parts of the Union. Suitable inscriptions are on each of the four sides, and on the south side it is stated that it is erected "In grateful remembrance of the public services and private virtues of WASHINGTON HUNT."
THEODORE H. VAN HORN, a pop-
ular and successful druggist of Loek- port, and a well known and useful eitizen of the county of Niagara, is a son of Danicl Van Horn, and was born August 11, 1832, in Newburg, Orange county, New York. Daniel Van Horn (father) was a son of Judge James Van Horn, and a brother of Hon. Burt Van Horn, whose biography appears on page 306 of this volume, to which referenee is made for the ancestral history of the family. Daniel Van Horn was born in Seneca county, New York, but removed to the town of Hartland, Niagara county, and died near Middleport, New York. He studied law, and practiced for a time, but later engaged in milling and various other pursuits. He was a democrat in politics, and held the offices of supervisor, justice of the peace, and judge in Niagara county.
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.