USA > New York > Livingston County > Nunda > Centennial history of the town of Nunda : with a preliminary recital of the winning of western New York, from the fort builders age to the last conquest by our Revolutionary forefathers > Part 12
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CHAPTER II.
NUNDA, MARCH II, 1808.
T IIE town of Nunda having been born with this illustrious ancestry. reaching back to 1683. according to its European ancestry, but back to 1450. according to the Indian possession of the Senecas. it was deemed fitting that this new town, lying at that time on both sides of the Genesee. be christened Nunda. It was eminently fitting and appropriate. The hills of this fine township. with their massive growth of trees, the product of centuries, was then its chief attraction. Caneadea had taken the name of one . Indian village. and five or six Indian villages within this river valley had had various names, variations of this central word-Nunda, besides the Nunda- wa-ono, won this hill encircled valley, centuries before and held it as theirs. the longest of any race. The settlers found them here. This name the Senecas gave themselves because they claimed a hill-born origin. This must or should be preserved : valor and pride begot it ; valor and pride should perpetuate it. The pioneers were mostly veterans of former wars, or sons of veterans,-and conditions have not changed. The town was well named. In the subdivisions that followed that left us but one-eighth of our territory, they left us, as a rich legacy to posterity, our birthday name-Nunda.
ALLEGANY COUNTY DIVIDED INTO FIVE TOWNS
The citizens of the town of Angelica, which included at that time about 49 town plots, and had been already designated Allegany County, again peti- tioned for a subdivision of the town and county into five towns and the eight town plots on the northern part were set off from four ranges of towns, with two town plots in each range : four from the lands of the Morris Reserve, and four from the Holland Purchase, became by act of Legislature, the town of NUNDA.
The Legislature enacted that "all that part of Allegany County bounded East by the east bounds of the said county ; North by the north bounds of the said county, and South by the division lines between the fifth and the sixth townships in said county, be erected into a town by the name of Nunda, and that the first town meeting of the town of Nunda be held at the dwelling house of Peter Granger."
This house was in the center of what is now the town of Pike. Range I. Town 7, Holland Purchase, and there in this commodious log house was held the first town meeting. on April 4. 1809.
We do not know that either of the three heads of families, whose names have come down to us. that lived in the present town of Nunda, were present.
The Indian trail was generally within the sound of the large creek or river, thus avoiding the curves of the stream and so shortening the distance: between places.
The Keshequa trail between Tuscarora and Oakland was on the south- east of the stream till within a mile or so of our present village, then crossed to this northwest side through the MeMaster and Dowling farms and through our village on East Street, passing diagonally through our plaza or public
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square, north of the first Nunda house into the upper part of Portage Street, through (diagonally) the present Craig warehouse, a little to the east of the Gibbs-Fuller mansion and the buildings of the Hugh McNair place to Oakland. and beyond where it crossed over to the Genesee River.
1808
In this year there were no changes in Nunda and Portage, and no election. Pike was having large accessions, doubling her population. Eli Griffith, the leading spirit of the township, was proving himself progressive; he had opened the first inn in Nunda. Joseph Maxom, pioneer and bare foot boy hero, became this year the first settler of Centerville, trading off at Pike a new pair of boots for an axe. with which he hewed out a heroic history. (See sketch.) James Ward was his first neighbor eight months later.
At Mills Mills, Roger Mills. Sr., built a saw mill in 1807, and a grist mill. the first in Nunda, in 1808. Both Mills and Griffith had reasons to do their work quickly,-their years were limited.
Eagle was settled this year by Silas and William Hodges and their hired man, - - Smith. Neither of the Hodges had attained their majority. Both. however, were married soon after settlement. Not much time was wasted in courting in those days.
1809-FIRST BOOKS
In Pioneer History, first settlers. first births, first marriages. first deaths. first inns, first saw mills, first grist mills, first stores, first schools and teachers are always prominent. These we have obtained. The writer of these records, after working for a year along historical trails, stumbled over the "First Book" the town of Nunda ever owned. which recorded the names and business trans- actions of the town, which consisted mostly in paying out bounties for killing wolves and other destructive animals, and in building roads. The first law books were soon after sold. probably to some Justice of the Peace. School Records followed, and the Land Agent found it impossible to get along with out a diagram of his territory, as it was subdivided into farms, and this first map of Judge Carroll has also come within my view, as did also the map of Nunda village, when it was laid out previous to the purchase of lands in the village by the Judge. These first books and papers render the reliability of the recital of the past as accurate as the occurrences that have transpired within the recollection of the writer. By means of this first book it will be easy to introduce to the readers our first town officials, probably all expert axemen in a day when the are was mightier than the pen ; for by its use the · narrow trails thousands of years old were widened into sled paths, bridle paths and finally into the highways that have followed essentially those narrow Indian trails of the long ago.
1809
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The book of highway records, with names of town officials from 180) to 1817 inclusive, and with names of all taxpayers from 1812 to 1816, and all but four highway districts in 1817.
As history, this book is of value : how otherwise could these early pio- neers of nine future towns be ascertained? The spelling is exceedingly prim-
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itive. The town clerks were evidently selected for their popularity, not for their penmanship or proficiency in learning. I doubt if there was one among them could spell the word "annual" correctly. Thirteen years afterwards a book of School Records appears in the village called Nunda Valley, with nearly every word spelled correctly excepting "annual," and the very poorest speller in the whole batch was the only one who knew how to spell this trying word. The writer is so thankful that these records were preserved that he considers the spelling a secondary matter, and gives a specimen of it for the benefit of the youthful readers of these records of a century ago, and so I kindly call your attention to the fact that words like certify, were, clerk, ensuing, were then called "sartify," "ware." "clark," "insuin," in those good old days. I also call attention to the fact that there is not a single punctuation mark in the entire book ; the dash, however, does duty to fill up spaces, and capital letters abound.
I transcribe this first record of our first town meeting as I find it, not to sneer at the primitive spelling and excessive use of capitals, for there are some words whose greatness is belittled unless invested with the dignity of a capital letter, such as teacher, pioneer, patriot, hero, statesman, philanthropist -a class of men the writer desires ever to extol.
"TOWN MEETING."
this is to sartify that the anneal Town Meeting was held at the Hous of Peter Grangers on April the 4-1809 for the Purpus of Choosin Town officers and other Purpuses ware chosen for the inSuing Yeare Viz
Eli Griffith Asahel Trowbridge
Supervisor) Town Clark)
John Griffith
Asahel Nucomb
} Assessors
David Hoyt
Constable and Collector)
Jonathan Willard Roger Mills Thomas Dole
Overseers of the poor
Amos Conkey
Zebadeal Ward
Commissioners of Schools
Christopher Olen
Josiah Hammer Pascal Willard
Constable Bail for the above Named Josiah Harmer (Hammer)
Isaac Granger Joseph Bayless (Bailey)
Fence Vewers Damage Prizers
Aron ( Aaron) Fuller Peter Granger Caleb More ( Moore)
Pound Keepers
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District for Path Masters
Pasekal Willard ( Paschal)'
I District
Robert Boggs
2nd .... Do
Roger Mills 3rd .... Do
Salmon Simonds
4th .... Do
Jonathan Couch
5th .... Do
Eli Griffith 6th ... . Do
James Wood
7th .... Do
Peter Granger
8th ... . Do
Ezra Willard
9th .... Do
David Hoyt
Ioth ... . Do
No Hogs to run at Large
Town Bounty on Wolves $3-"
This may serve as a fair record and specimen of the ability of the pioneers to transact business. It also shows that the "Highway" Districts were ten in number. 1810.
Thomas Dole was elected Supervisor, and John Griffith - "Towen Cleork." Evidently the town clerk though a parson thought it was a poor speller who could not spell Town Clerk in more than one way.
The road districts had increased to 13.
This year $30 was to be raised for the support of the poor and $3.00 to be paid for each scalp of a wolf killed in the town.
At the election in 1810 Daniel D. Tompkins received 56 votes for Gov- ernor, and Jonas Platt 43 votes. Evidently the town of Nunda had increased in population to have 99 voters for state officials. New citizens that year.
In Centerville: Calvin P. Perry, Abraham and David Gelatt. Zacheous Thomas and Strong Warner, Perkins B. Woodward (who taught school and made brick some years later) and Sargent Morrell, Elijah Thatcher, who opened an inn in 1810. In the future town of Hume, Joshua Skiff, Elisha and George Mills had become voters.
Elisha had started a store in 1809 in his father's mill. There was progress in Southern Nunda. 1811
Thomas Dole was elected Supervisor and Joshua Skiff, Town Clerk. Ephraim Kingsley (now on the Dea. Hunt farm, Oak Hill) was elected As- sessor. There were 17 Highway Districts in the town. Phineas Bates was made Highway Commissioner and Robert Collar, Path Master. Both lived within our present township.
Bates had cut one road through from Sparta and now he probably, with the Collars and Elderkims assisting in laying out the road to connect with the Keshequa trail that bears his name.
FOOT STOVE
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CHAPTER III.
FROM 1812 TO 1817-1812 FROM HIGHWAY RECORDS-JOHN GRIFFITH, SUPER- VISOR-DAVID HOYT, TOWN CLERK.
T HIS historic year, that stands prominently before all patriotic Ameri- cans, is distinguished by being the first of our second struggle with the Mother Country for our rights as citizens of a new but glorious Re- public. Our little town. if measured by its population, but great only in location and extent of territory, was too near the Lake Erie frontier to escape being a participant to some extent in this great struggle, and three, at least, of our citizens were victims in the general calamity that brought untimely death to the conquerors. Our first supervisor, our chief citizen, was the first to enlist. namely, Eli Griffeth, Sr. Jonathan Couch and Chandler Benton followed his example and shared his fate. Their death made them immortal. Probably there were others who went and returned.
This year our "Highway Records" give for the first time the name of the entire voting population. As there is no printed record of this extant, the author deems it best to insert the whole list.
CITIZENS OF GREATER NUNDA WHO PAID HIGHWAY TAXES IN 1812
This is the first authentic statement of the heads of families and of voters. No longer minors, many of them have already been mentioned ; but as this was just before the war of 1812-14 it may include both the heroes who went to the war and the faint hearted ones, who when the Indians, because less affable, concluded to get back to New England, or Pennsylvania, or New Jersey, anywhere,-anywhere,-out of danger! We are told that the County of Allegany sent Major Hoops-the founder of Olean-to a council of Indians at Cold Springs, Caledonia. to try to persuade the Indians (the Senecas ) - to espouse our cause. He had been an aid on Washington's staff and as such was not without honor among them. Ilis mission was successful. The county paid his expenses-S8- and also the expenses of Eli Griffeth, Nunda's first Supervisor, and a Mr. Mullender from Angelica, to the lines showing they were the first to enlist. Two others enlisted from this part of the town. (See Mili- tary Department of this book. )
On the 7th of April. 1812. John Griffith ( Rev. M. E. C.) was elected Super- visor ; David Hoyt, Town Clerk.
Ephraim Kingsley. Assessor (one of three) : Path Masters: No. 1, Joseph Bailey (Oakhill) ; No. 2. Robert Boggs (Portage) ; No. 3, Reuben Collar (Nunda, near county line ) : No. 4. Roger Mills ( Roger Mills, Sr., had died in 1811). There were thirteen Road Districts. about seven of them in Pike. Voted "that Hogs Shall Not Be free Commons." "Voted that Every Person Killing a Woolf Shal Be Allowed five dollars for the Same of the Town." This prodigality of capital letters and generosity of bounty for the killing of "Woolfs" with so much "Wool" in their teeth proves that our fellow citizens were. not mercenary, for they spelled Dollars with a small letter and most of the other words with a capital. However, this Town Clerk gave us the names of all his townsmen, an example his successors followed. Two hundred and fifty dollars were voted for roads.
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Districts and names (location not given) :
I. Zededieh Ward, P. M., Jason Goodale, Joseph Bailey, John Bellenger, David Wood, Thomas Hunt, John Fields, David Fancher (Gen. Falls).
2. Josiah Hammer, P. M .. Fay, Samuel Fields, Josiah Webster, Nathan Dickson. Robert Boggs, Cole David Dickson, Josiah Dickson, Abraham Bailey, Stephen Rivenburgh (G. F.).
3. Reuben Collar, P. M., John Hunt, Jacob Shaver (Anger Farm), Levi Huntington.
4.
Ephraim Kingsley, Jonathan Barnes, Seth Sherwood (Short Tract Road Portage), Reuben Collar. Jr., Phineas Bates, Bela Elderkim (Nunda ). Samuel Russell, P. M. (Hume), Rodger Mills, Rufus Mills, Pelatiah Mills, Thomas Pire,-Streeter, \'m. C. Lane (a relative of S. Swain, Sr.), Joshua Skiff, all of Mills Mills.
5. Michael C. Griffith, P. M., Oliver Sweet, Arunah Cooley, Philip Lang- don, David Robinson, John Griffith, Joshua Powers, Albert and Alanson Langdon, Benj. Burroughs, Asaph Griffeth, Eli and Thomas Griffith, Aaron Fuller (Pike).
6. Salmon Simonds, Frederick Mills, Abel Townsend, R. Simons, David Simonds.
7. David Hoyt, P. M., Isaac Granger, Bartholomew Heath, Joseph Farring- ton, Jonathan Couch (enlisted-died), Stone. Eben'r Smith, Joseph and Miles Rood. Asaph Parker.
8. David Granger, P. M. ; Peter Granger, Richard Tozer, Asahel Newcomb, Judah Worden, Daniel Stewart, Josiah Metcalf, Thomas Dole.
Ebenezer Griffith, P. M., Jacob Niles, Michael Griffith, Eli Griffith, Abner 9. Reynolds, Eli Stewart, Andrew Dalton, Thadeus C. Gilbert, Christo- pher Olin, Joseph Wallace. Tilly Parker (Pike).
10. - Roger Campbell. P. M., Sim Eaton, Chandler Benton (enlisted-died), Russell H. Benton, Kelsey Brouton, Aaron Fields, Robert Camp- bell, William Campbell.
II. Joel Doty, P. M., Elijah Simason, Silas Hodges, Wm. Hodges, Reuben Doty, Roswell Doty. ( Eagle).
12. David Flint, P. M., Daniel. Ira, Ezra and Noah Murray, Leonard Doty, William Flint, Samuel Flint. Asahel and Daniel Trowbridge.
13. Anthony Putnam, P. M., Ezra Willand, John Whiting, Leonard Randall, Samuel Woolcott, Danforth Webber.
14. Right Nambleton, P. M., Elijah Thatcher, Zach's Spencer, Allen Spencer. Samuel Hill. Osgood, Reuben Ellis, Samuel Thatcher, Mark Blanchard, Heten, Sargent Morrell, William Foy, Leach, Thompson. George Patterson.
, 15. Abraham Peterson, P. M., Perkins B. Woodard, Joseph Maxson, Maxson, Daniel Wood. Strong Warner. Samuel Webster, Abraham Gelatt. Ammon Andrus. William Andrews ( Centerville).
16. Moses Robinson, P. M., Skiff & Robinson, Amos Robinson, Justus Rob- . inson, Edmond Skiff. Seth Shippey ( Hume).
17. Joel Dutton, P. M., Asa Gilbert. John Willard, Zenarms Blatrum. Asa Whitcomb, Samuel Marsh, Peleg M. Terry, Job Terry, Daniel John- son, Nathaniel Hill. De Witt Blackmere.
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18. Dan Beach, Amos Huntley, Loren Buckley. Adino Hill, Seth Wetmore, Erastus Ives, Jeremiah E. Youngs, Asa K. Tyler (Eagle).
Total 169 families before the war.
1813
Thomas Dole, Supervisor ; Joshua Skiff, Town Clerk.
This year there are 23 Highway Districts.
Again our town clerk gives us some lessons in spelling and orthography. "Voted what any Woolf or Panther Keched and Killed by any Peirsn white or Black Reasiding in Said town - shall Receive five Dollars provided any Such Person give Satisfactory proof to any Justice in sd town. Voted that all Hogs runing at large from the first of Apriel till the first of December the owner there of shall pay all dammage that shall acur." But what of these trifling mistakes, when we record that this very year the Great Town of Nunda appointed Commissioners, among them a teacher, Perkins B. Wood- ward and Thomas Dole, who afterward became a Judge of Alleghany County, to divide the town into School Districts, resulting in twelve School Districts for the entire town. Portageville, Pike, Mills Mills and Centerville receiving the first four of them, Perkins B. Woodward locating the latter of these in Centerville and became the first teacher.
This year there are only 153 names of heads of families and one is Molly Couch, whose husband perished in the war. We must conclude that there were more than three who enlisted and possibly more than that perished.
1814
Thomas Dole. Supervisor, and Joshua Skiff, T. C., Samuel Utterley is the new P. M. for district No. 1, Nunda, probably his name was Utter. With all absentees returned, the Austins and L. Harrington also on the list, D. McNutt and D. McNutt, Jr .. J. McNutt. David Corey and D. Corey, Jr., J. Kennedy and D. Roy. This year J. Bailey is in No. 2 with Shaver ; his farm was next to the Portage line. Seth Sherwood and Kingsley, leading to the belief that he is located on lot No. 1, Nunda.
The Highway districts had increased to 24, with 209 names on the list. expenditures 252.46.
The expenses of the town in 1814 were $250.46.
Deer were so numerous this year that they furnished the main supply of food.
1815
Again Thomas Dole is elected Supr. and Joshua Skiff, Town Clerk. Dole had become the leading man in town, had been appointed Justice of the Peace (the office was appointive until 1817) and he became County Jndge later. As for the genial Skiff, he was quite a penman and could spell as strong as any of his predecessors. There were 214 names. on the list and the southern part of the town was making the most progress. This year the P. O. of Nunda was established with Russell G. Hurd as its first Post Master. It was located, of course, at Pike-Nunda. The nearest P. O. before this was at Geneseo, twenty miles away.
1816
Thomas Dole elected Supr. and Asahel Trowbridge, Town Clerk. This year there are 33 Road Districts. And as this is the last time our "first book"
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gives the names from District No. I, it will serve as a summary of families. This is the entire list. Bela Elderkim, Path Master, Phineas Bates, Samuel Wilsey, David McNutt, John McNutt, James Campbell, James Bennet, Chester Bennet, Alex'd McNutt, Michael Rhine. Levi Harrington, Asahel Herrington, Thomas Kennedy, Jeremiah Broach, David Corey, David Corey, Jr., Joseph Austin, Daniel Austin. In No. 2, Eleazur Barnard. The year 1816 is noted as the cold season when it froze every month in the year, destroying the scanty crops that the settlers depended upon for their winter's supply. It was much more severe than in 1806 when the frozen tips of the hazel drove Mr. Scott and others from settling in such a frigid district. To add to the distress of the com- munity the less provident Indians from the reservations, who were nearly fam- ished, sought for a part of everything but what they could procure in the forests. The settlers had to live that winter almost entirely on wild game ; the gun was again king of Nunda.
1816-AN ANNIVERSARY ELECTION
As it was ten years since the organization of Allegany County, the election (County and State) was called by our gallant Captain of Militia, Asahel Newcomb, an Anniversary Election.
This time it was held at the house of Russell Thrall (a man growing into prominence), on the 30th of April, 1816, and closed at the house (an inn) of Susan Chamberlain-pursuant to law-(legal phrases add dignity to the pro- ceedings) resulting in Daniel D. Tompkins for Governor, 117 votes, Rufus King, 95 votes.
"At a special town meeting held at the house of Ebenezar Griffith in the town of Nunda on the 28th of Dec., 1816, for the purpose of appointing a col- lector in the place of Ira Doty, voted Benj'n B. Earl be collector for the town, and here we have a little touch of pathos and sympathy, and public spirit, for the widow of Chandler Benton-(one of the Nunda heroes who perished in the war of 1812-14).
"Voted that one dollar per week be appropriated for the relief of Mis Benton Widow of Chandler Benton Deceased till some other way shall be provided." Another case of indigence was provided for at a cost of ten dollars.
The county now took charge of the bounty on wolves and other de- structive wild beasts, with bounties from five to ten dollars for old wolves and five dollars for young ones. Portage, Nunda, had as settlers this year, Zopher Strong, Samuel Fuller ( Revolutionary soldier), George Williams (land agent), Solomon Williams, Dr. Carpenter and Prosper Adams (Borroughs farm), Oakhill.
OUR LAST YEAR IN GREATER NUNDA-1817
We have now 36 districts and 351 taxpayers. Not a rich man among them. Nunda has never been noted for rich men, all commenced poor, almost too poor for comfort; some started with only a gun, some with only an axe, some with one horse, more with a yoke of oxen, some hired their goods brought ; one wagon carried them all, family included. Colonel Williams, having land galore. employed help. Such men as John Barber and Hiram Smith of Granger (born in 1808) paid for their farms by working for lim at from Șio to $12 a month-but died comparatively rich. Captain
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John H. Townsend cut wood at Hunt's Hollow to help pay for his first farm. But these stories of struggle and victory must be reserved. Lewis Gould- another who reached competence-commenced down at the bottom of the ladder. Great industry and perseverance. with a good sized modicum of com- mon sense, were essentials long ago, and no less so to-day. But it is 1817 we are thinking of. when Alleghany County was but eleven years old and with wild beasts far more common than men or domestic animals. In proof of this, is the fact that as late as 1826 the bounty paid on wolves in Allegany County was $510, without thinning them out much, for the same rates ob- tained for many years.
Unfortunately for historical research, the book that has given us more than a birds-eye view of early settlements leaves out Nunda and Portage in 1817 four districts, giving us only the names of their path masters. Fortunately, the settlers who came to Nunda in 1817 were mostly permanent and of a type of men who make homes, highways, and history. George W. Merrick and his brother-in-law, James Paine. and a friend, Reuben Bates, who proved but a transient. With over 500 families of mostly young men the big town became a bee-hive of activity and. like bees, made preparations for swarming.
There were not offices enough in one town to go around and Nunda, and its neighbor. Portage, which had quadrupled its population in the past two years, demanded that the place for voting be nearer the geographical center. on the natural dividing line of the Holland Purchase and the Morris Reserve.
This demand resulted in the division of Nunda into two towns of equal size, on the 6th of March, 1818. The southern town was named Pike in honor of Gen. Zebulon Pike of historic memory.
GOING TO A PARTY
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CHAPTER IV. NUNDA (PRESENT BOUNDARIES) FROM 1808 TO 1817.
F ROM 1808 to 1811 there resided within the present limits of Nunda only the three families already mentioned : Bates, Elderkim and Kingsley- The lands were not in the market, and there were only Indian trails and no roads.
In 1811, Thomas Austen, wife and children found their way either from Sparta or Ossian into the town. The highway records give us, in 1812, Daniel Austen ; 1813, I. Austen and Josiah Austen ; were they twins, or of a different family? In 1816, Joseph Austen. These dates suggest that they had just reached their majority.
Fifth family, B. Bada built a log house where the Livingston Building now stands,-the only house in the village prior to 1816. Though a squatter, he was the Adam of the future Garden of Eden,-Nunda village. His Eve was not mentioned, but, doubtless, they ate of all the fruit they found-berries, wild plums and crabapples-for all these grew here. He probably was crabbed enough when McSweeney, the Irish land agent, drove him out, that he might sell the land to James M. Heath, or some one else. Probably McSweeney was the next settler.
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