USA > New York > Erie County > Centennial history of Erie County, New York : being its annals from the earliest recorded events to the hundredth year of American independence > Part 29
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
These hard conditions caused all the managers to withdraw, except Charles Townsend, George Coit and Oliver Forward. The last of 1819 Samuel Wilkeson joined with them, and then the State's offer was accepted. Wilkeson, Forward and Town- send (with whom Coit was associated) gave their separate bonds and mortgages, each for eight thousand dollars. No work, how-
323
STRONG LANGUAGE.
ever, could be done till the next year. It seems strange to learn that, as Judge Wilkeson afterwards stated, no one ever thought of applying to the general government to do a work so plainly belonging to it as that.
Like almost everything in this country the canal question found its way into politics. Candidates were interrogated as to their position, and in this part of the State a charge of infidelity to the "Grand Canal" was the most damaging that could be brought.
Oliver Forward was elected to the assembly in the fall of 1819, along with Elial T. Foote, of Chautauqua county. Heman B. Potter was appointed district attorney, and Dr. John E. Mar- shall county clerk. The new towns created the year before were organized in 1819, Gen. Timothy S. Hopkins being elected the first supervisor of Amherst, Ebenezer Holmes of Wales, and Arthur Humphrey of Holland ; Aurora unknown. Those from the other towns were Elijah Leach of Buffalo, Otis R. Hopkins of Clarence, Abner Wilson of Hamburg, John March of Eden, and John Twining of Boston ; Concord unknown.
Though politics were rather quiet at this time, there were other subjects in which vigorous language could be used. Said a writer on the Patriot one day, replying to a previous one in the rival sheet: "Some citizen, in the Journal, with a malignity well worthy of a denizen of the lower region, has been kind enough to empty the Augean stable of his bosom on the late cashier of the Bank of Niagara."
"Augean stable of his bosom" is about as strong an ex- pression as can be found in the vocabulary of any modern vituperator.
There were some bad boys then, too, as well as now, if one may judge from the terms in which one individual described his ab- sconding apprentice. Apprenticing was more common then than now, and there were a good many advertisements of run- aways. But a return of the levanting youth was probably not much desired by the master who offered "one cent reward " therefor, describing him as about twenty years old, and adding : " He has light complexion, knavish look, quarrelsome disposi- tion, knows more than anybody else, and is a great liar and tattler."
324
THE INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARY.
In the forepart of 1819 the boundary commission, coming from the east, established the line between the United States and Canada along the Niagara, and in July passed on to the west end of Lake Erie. Gen. Porter was the American, and Col. Ogilvie the English commissioner. The principal surveyor on the part of the Americans was William A. Bird, (the well- known Col. Bird, of Black Rock,) who had just succeeded to that post, having previously been assistant.
The sovereignty of Grand Island was first decisively settled by this commission, though previously claimed by the United States. It was found by actual measurement of depth, width and velocity that the main channel of the river was on the Canadian side. There passed on that side 12,802,750 cubic feet of water per minute ; on the American side 8,540,080 cubic feet rolled by in the same time. To prove the accuracy of these measurements, the quantity passing Black Rock per minute was calculated by the same method, and found to be 21,549,590 cubic feet, or substantially the same as the sum of the amounts at Grand Island.
As, however, the determination of the "main channel" was held by some to involve other considerations than the amount of water, it is possible that Grand Island would not have fallen to the Americans had not a large island in the St. Lawrence just been awarded to Canada. All the small islands in the Ni- agara were also, on account of their location, assigned to the Americans, except Navy island, which fell to Canada.
In the summer of 1819 a strong effort was made by the pre- emption-owners to induce the Indians to sell the whole or a part of their lands. A council was held on the Buffalo reserve, at which were present a commissioner on the part of the United States, one on the part of Massachusetts, Colonel Ogden and some of his associates, and all the principal chiefs of the Sene- cas, Cayugas and Onondagas.
After the United States commissioner had explained the ob- ject of the council, and had submitted two propositions, both looking to the sale of the Buffalo Creek reservation, Red Jacket, on the 9th of July, "rekindled the council fire" and made a long speech. As usual he went over the whole ground of the inter- course between the white men and the red men, and declared
325
CHRISTIANS AND PAGANS.
most emphatically as the voice of his people that they would not sell their lands, no not one foot of them. Warming with his subject, the indignant orator declared that they would not have a single white man on their reservations-neither work- man, school-master nor preacher. Those Indians who wished could send their children to schools outside, and those who de- sired to attend church could go outside the reservation to do so.
He added bitterly that if Colonel Ogden had come down from heaven clothed in flesh and blood, and had proved that the Great Spirit had said he should have their lands, then, and then alone, they would have yielded.
Afterwards Captain Pollard and thirteen other chiefs apolo- gized to the commissioner for the language of Red Jacket. Captain Pollard declared that he saw nothing to admire in the old ways of his people, and wished for civilization and Christian- ity. But all were united in opposing the sale of any of their lands, and nothing was effected to that end.
By this time two distinct parties had been developed among the Indians. One favored Christianity and improvement, among whom Captain Pollard was the most prominent. Captain Strong, a distinguished chief on the Cattaraugus reservation, also an- nounced himself a Christian. The other faction was devoted to paganism, and resisted every attempt at change, of whom Red Jacket was the unquestioned leader.
The great orator had become more and more bitter against everything in anywise pertaining to the white race-except whisky. He was doubtless sincere in the belief that the adop- tion of white customs would work the destruction of his people, and he fought them at every step. He could see the evil wrought through the excessive use of liquor, of which he was himself a most conspicuous example ; he could see that since the arrival of the whites the once mighty Iroquois had dwindled to a few feeble bands dependent on the forbearance of their conquerors, and he could not, or would not, see anything else.
Even in minor matters he detested the laws of the whiites, and derided their justice. Not far from the time of which I am speaking, an Indian was indicted at Batavia for burglary, in en- tering Joseph Ellicott's house and stealing some trifling article. Red Jacket and other Indians attended the trial, and the latter
326
THE SACHEM'S SARCASM.
obtained permission to address the jury on behalf of the prisoner (of course through an interpreter). He boldly questioned the jurisdiction of the court, declared that the Senecas were allies, not subjects, of the United States, and said that Indians who committed offenses should be tried by their own laws ; as- serting that if accused persons should be delivered to them they would be so tried and, if guilty, duly punished.
The culprit was, however, convicted and sentenced to impris- onment for life, which was then the penalty for burglary. At the same time a white man who had stolen a larger amount than the Indian, but without the accompaniment of burglary, was sentenced to only a few years imprisonment. This was a new cause of disgust to the chieftain, who in his youth had lived in a wigwam, to whom a house had nonc of the sacredness that it has to a white man, and in whose mind, consequently, the crime of theft was not enhanced by that of burglary.
Going from the court-house to the tavern, after the session, in company with some lawyers, the old sachem observed the State coat-of-arms painted over the door of a newspaper-office. Point- ing to the representation of Liberty, he mustered his little stock of broken English and inquired :
" What-him-call ?"
" Liberty," replied one of the legal gentlemen.
" Ugh!" exclaimed the chieftain, in a tone of derision. Then he pointed to the other figure on the coat-of-arms and again asked :
" What-him-call ?"
"Justice," was the reply.
Red Jacket's eye flashed and his lip curled, as he slowly asked, in a tone of mingled inquiry and sarcasm :
" Where-him-live-now ?"
Very likely the sachem knew as well as his companions what the figures represented, and asked the questions merely to make a point.
In December, 1819, the second execution for murder took place in the present county of Erie. The crime, however, was committed outside its limits, having been the murder of a sol- dier of the garrison of Fort Niagara, by Corporal John Godfrey, who was impatient at his dilatory movements.
327
" THE PEOPLE OF GRAND ISLAND."
Again the people assembled in throngs, again the militia con- panies guarded the prisoner, and again the sonorous tones of Glezen Fillmore rolled out deep and strong, as he preached the funeral sermon of the doomed man.
But probably the most important event of the year occurred on Grand Island. The stave-cutting squatters, heretofore men- tioned, had been so little disturbed by the civil authorities, (partly because of the difficulty of reaching them, and partly because it had not been quite determined whether the island be- longed to the United States or Canada,) that they had grown to consider themselves a kind of independent nation.
They set up a sort of government of their own, under which they settled whatever difficulties may have arisen among them- selves, but bade defiance to the authorities on both sides of the river. A Mr. Pendleton Clark, one of the squatters, was recog- nized as "governor " by his fellows, justices of the peace were elected, and precepts were actually issued " in the name of the people of Grand Island."
On one occasion a constable crossed to the island to arrest one of these squatter-sovereigns, when several friends of the culprit assembled, put the officer back in his boat, took away his oars and set him adrift on the river. He might very likely have been carried over the Falls, had he not been rescued by a more humane outlaw, living farther down the stream, and taken to the Ameri- can side.
Then the authorities of the State, to which all the land be- longed, thought it was time to clear out this nest of offenders. In April, 1819, an act was passed requiring them to leave the island, and in case they did not the governor was authorized to remove them by force. To this they paid no attention.
In the fall the governor sent orders to remove the intruders, to Sheriff Cronk. That official transmitted the orders to the trans- gressors, with directions to leave by a specified day. Some obeyed, but over many cabins the smoke continued to curl as saucily as before.
The sheriff then called out a detachment of militia, under Lieutenant (afterwards Colonel) Benjamin Hodge, of Buffalo, and prepared to vindicate the laws by force. On the 9th of Decem- ber, Lieutenant Hodge, with Lieutenant Stephen Osborn, of
328
THE ARMY OF INVASION.
Clarence, (afterwards sheriff,) and thirty rank and file, marched down the river from Buffalo to a point opposite the head of the island, to which they crossed by boats, landing about 5 o'clock p. m. The first sergeant of the company was Nathaniel Wilgus, who wrote an account of the expedition for the Buffalo Histo- rical Society, to which I am indebted for many of the facts here related.
Rumors of resistance having been rife, muskets were loaded with ball-cartridges, and guards and pickets duly stationed ere the men encamped for the night. As nearly all the squatters were on the western side of the island, the command was marched over there the next morning. It was then divided into three parties ; a vanguard to read the governor's proclamation and help to clear the houses where the parties were willing to leave, a main body to forcibly remove all persons and property re- maining, and a rear-guard to burn the buildings.
The boats, which were manned by sailors from the lake, had come around the head of the island, and were in readiness to convey the families to the United States or Canada, as they might choose. With one exception they all preferred Canada. Perhaps they had come from this side, and had good reasons for not wishing to return.
That day was occupied in removing people to Canada and burning houses. The next day was devoted to the same work, but there was one case that was peculiar. Dwelling in a comfort- able log house, the sheriff found a man and woman living together, who begged piteously to be allowed to remain. They could not make choice between the United States and Canada, for the man said he had a wife living in the former country, and the woman had a husband in the latter. The good-natured sheriff appreciated the terrors of the dilemma, and, on their promising to leave as soon as they could see a clear path of escape, he gave them permission to remain a while on their island home, and even furnished them with two quarts of whisky to relieve the tedium of solitude.
On the next day (the 12th) the party found an old Irishman named Dennison, who with two sons and some helpers was busy putting up houses. He claimed the right to remain, and told the sheriff he had discovered the secret of perpetual motion, in
" GOVERNOR " CLARK. 329
which he would give Colonel Cronk a half interest if the latter would let him stay. The colonel told him to put his "perpetual motion" in use, and leave the island at once.
Two more days were devoted to the removal of families and the destruction of buildings, making five days spent on the island by the "army of invasion," besides the time occupied in going and returning. About seventy houses (occupied and un- occupied) were destroyed, and a hundred and fifty-five men, women and children transported to the mainland. Nearly all were desperately poor, and Mr. Wilgus stated that he did not remember of seeing a cow or a hog on the island. There were only about a hundred acres of clearing, all told. While crossing the island, on their return, the troops found one of the precepts before mentioned, "in the name of the people of Grand Island," fastened to the door of a deserted building.
The last house visited, and the only one on the eastern shore, was that of "Governor" Pendleton Clark, who had already placed his effects on a scow preparatory to removal. He went to the American side, and not long after bought a tract of land at the point where the Erie canal was expected to enter Tonawanda creek. Here in time a village was built to which he gave his own first name-Pendleton-and of which he was long a respected citizen.
Such is a condensed history of the only civil war (and that a bloodless one) ever known within the bounds of Erie county. A few of the dispossessed parties soon returned, but as they kept very quiet, and were careful not to draw attention to them- selves by committing any depredations, they were permitted to remain for several years. Among them was "perpetual motion" Dennison, who for fifteen years clung to his possession, and in- sisted on the value of liis "motion," with amusing pertinacity.
By the beginning of 1820 the Clintonian and Bucktail par- ties were in full blast all over the State. Clinton was of course the leader and candidate of the former, which claimed, and gen- erally received, the benefit of the strong canal feeling which pre- vailed. The latter had to some extent the benefit of the regular Republican organization, and nominated Vice-President Tomp- kins for governor.
Clinton was elected by a large majority, though his opponent
22
330
CLINTONIANS AND BUCKTAILS.
had a few years before been the most popular man in the State. In the present county of Erie, Clinton received seven hundred and thirty-seven votes, to three hundred and ten for Tompkins. Boston gave thirty-five votes for Clinton, to one for Tompkins ; Aurora a hundred and sixty-four for Clinton, to twenty for Tompkins; Wales a hundred and twenty-six for Clinton, to twenty-seven for Tompkins; and Concord a hundred and twenty-eight for Clinton, to twenty for Tompkins.
The Patriot was the organ of the Bucktails, the Journal of the Clintonians. It should be remembered that there was still a property qualification, which accounts for the small vote. It seems, too, that fraudulent voting was not an unheard of offense in those days, for the Patriot charged that neither Aurora nor Wales had a hundred legal voters, although the former polled a hundred and eighty-four votes, and the latter a hundred and forty-seven.
The assemblyman this year was Judge Hotchkiss, from north of the Tonawanda. The young congressman, Albert H. Tracy, was again elected to the national legislature, as the candidate of the Clintonians. Judge Oliver Forward, of Buffalo, was elected to the State senate, and took a very active part in pro- moting the canal, and bringing it to Buffalo.
The supervisors chosen in 1820 were Ebenezer Walden of Buffalo, Oziel Smith of Amherst, Otis R. Hopkins of Clarence, Lemuel Wasson of Hamburg, James Aldrich of Eden, John Twining of Boston, Ebenezer Holmes of Wales, and Arthur Humphrey of Holland. Isaac Phelps, Jr., of Aurora, was ap- pointed a judge of the Common Pleas.
One hardly ever thinks of slavery as having existed in Erie county, and in fact slaves were extremely rare there, even when the institution was tolerated by law. Yet I think there had been two or three colored people permanently held in bondage, besides those brought here by officers during the war. The law of 1818 decreed the gradual abolition of slavery, providing that males under twenty-eight and females under twenty-five should remain slaves until those ages, and allowing none but young slaves to be brought from other states ; in which case the owner was obliged to file an affidavit that they were only to be kept till those ages respectively. The only case in this county under
331
BEGINNING A HARBOR.
the law, of which I am aware, occurred in 1820. Gen. Porter married a Mrs. Grayson, of Kentucky, daughter of Hon. John Breckenridge, attorney-general of the United States under Jef- ferson, and aunt of the late John C. Breckenridge. She brought five young slaves to Black Rock, and a certified copy of the affi- davit of herself and husband, under the above mentioned law, is now on file in the old town-book of Buffalo. It is surrounded on all sides by records of town-elections, stray heifers and sheep's ear-marks, among which this solitary memento of a pow- erful but fallen institution has a curious and almost startling appearance.
It was not merely by voting for Clinton that the Buffalonians sought to build up their town. The all-important work of con- structing a harbor was begun. A superintendent was hired at fifty dollars a month! Cheap as were his services, however, it was soon found that his estimates were too liberal for a twelve- thousand-dollar fund, and he was discharged. No one, however, knew where a better man could be found, and nonc of the com- pany knew anything about building a harbor.
Rather than see the work stop, Mr. Wilkeson abandoned his own business and accepted the superintendency. Once installed he pushed on the work with even more than his wonted energy. The laborers' wages were increased two dollars a month above the ordinary price, to induce them to work in the rain, and then, in all weather, superintendent and subordinates were seen at their task.
I have read several reminiscences of that critical period of Buffalo's history, and all agree that to Samuel Wilkeson, more than to any other one man, the city is indebted for its proud commercial position. If Ellicott was its founder, Wilkeson was certainly its preserver.
In the spring of 1820 a new mail-route was established, run- ning from Buffalo to Olean, with three new offices in this county- one at "Smithville," more commonly called Smith's Mills, one at " Boston," generally known as Torrey's Corners, and one at " Springville," still in common parlance called Fiddler's Green. Ralph Shepard was the first postmaster at Smithville, Erastus Torrey at Boston, and Rufus C. Eaton at Springville.
A post-office had already been located on the lake shore, in
332
AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.
the present town of Evans, but under the name of Eden, which was then the appellation of the whole town. James W. Peters was the first postmaster.
Although there was as yet nothing in the shape of a village, nor even a post-office, in Sardinia, yet in 1820 a young physi- cian established himself there, who soon acquired wide renown in the healing art. This was Dr. Bela H. Colegrove, who located at what has since been called Colegrove's Corners. As a sur- geon, especially, his reputation in time became equal to that of almost any one in Western New York, and he was often called in difficult cases, not only in Eric and the adjoining counties, but as far south as Pennsylvania. He was prominent, also, in political life, and showed himself in all respects a leader among men.
In 1820 the first daily mail was established between Buffalo and Albany. The year was also noteworthy for the holding of the first agricultural fair, an important event in those days. It was under the management of the Niagara County Agricultural Society, which had been organized the fall before.
Dr. Cyrenius Chapin, who had been little heard of for a long time, was its president. The vice-presidents were Arthur Hum- phrey, Asher Saxton, Ebenezer Goodrich, Ebenezer Walden and James Cronk ; the secretary was Joseph W. Moulton ; the treasurer, Reuben B. Heacock ; and the auditor, Heman B. Potter.
There was also a board of town-managers, consisting of three in each town, which may be presumed to have comprised some of the leading men, especially farmers, in their respective local- ities. These were Elias Ransom, Adial Sherwood and Elijah Leach, of Buffalo ; William W. Morseman, David Eddy and Abner Wilson, of Hamburg ; Isaac Phelps, Jr., Jonathan Bowen and Ephraim Woodruff of Aurora ; Richard Buffum, Asa Crook and Samuel Corliss, of Holland; Ethan Allen, Ebenezer Holmes and Henry B. Stevens, of Wales ; John Hill, Benjamin Bowen and John March, of Eden ; Belden Slosson, Alexander Hitchcock and Abram Miller, of Amherst; L. Parmely, M. Cary and Daniel Swain, of Boston. I can find no representation of either Clarence or Concord.
The list of premiums offered is noticeable for some seldom
333
OFFICIAL AND NUMERICAL.
found on modern catalogues-which in fact would hardly find takers if offered. As for instance-for the best fifteen yards of woolen cloth, "made in the family," ten dollars; which is as large as the premium offered for the best two acres of wheat. For the best worsted cloth, "made in the family," six dollars. For the best fine linen, "made in the family," six dollars.
For a long time the fair of the Agricultural Society was one of the great events of the year. Everybody, high and low, at- tended, and the proceedings were closed with a ball, which was graced by whatever of aristocracy was to be found in the county.
The first Episcopal church-building, and the third of any kind in the county, was St. Paul's. The society of that name, at Buffalo, erected a neat edifice in 1820, with a gothic tower and spire, which was consecrated by Bishop Hobart the next February.
Almost an entire new set of officers was appointed in Feb- ruary, 1821. Samuel Wilkeson was made first judge of the Common Pleas, and Samuel Russell, Belden Slosson, Robert Fleming and Henry M. Campbell, judges. John G. Camp was appointed sheriff; Roswell Chapin, surrogate; and James L. Barton, county clerk.
The selection of Mr. Wilkeson for the office of "first judge " had been strongly opposed by some, on the ground that he was not an attorney. He was, however, earnestly supported by his friends, and after his appointment his native common sense, firmness and diligence enabled him to fulfill his duties accepta- bly to the community.
By the census of 1820 the population of the whole of Ni- agara county was 23,313, of which 15,668 were in the present county of Erie. These numbers were considered sufficient to justify a division, and the northern part of the county was anx- ious to have its business transacted nearer home than Buffalo ; a desire which was gratified by the legislature of 1821.
Just before the division of the county, three new towns were created. By a law of the 16th of March, 1821, all that part of Eden comprised in township Eight, range Nine, was formed into a new town named Evans. This was a little larger than an or- dinary township, being nearly nine miles east and west on its
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.