USA > New York > Steuben County > Wayland > Directory of the Village of Wayland, N.Y, 1901 > Part 10
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Dr. N. N. St. John practiced in this section for many years. Beginning in Springwater, he removed to Atlanta and then to Wayland, in 1874. He was a rugged character of the old school, and especially strong in diagnosis. In pres- ent parlance he would be called a "fad- dist," and in earlier language, "opinion-
ated." In certain directions he was wonderfully successful in practice. He was village trustee in 1877 and 1878, and president in 1881, '82, '84, '87, '91, and '93. He died in 1897.
Dr. Ell Bigelow began the practice of medicine in Wayland in 1873. In character he was antithetical to Dr. St. John, beside whom he practiced for al- most a quarter of a century, being of genial disposition, with a dislike for pol- itics or discussion. The secret of his success was in the careful nursing of his patient. He died in 1899.
Dr. George M. Peabody was born and received his early education in the town of Springwater. Here he also be- gan his study of medicine under the di- rection of Dr. Wooden. The first year of his college course he took at Balti- more, finishing at the University of Ver- mont, from which institution he receiv-
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HISTORY OF WAYLAND, N. Y.
ed his diploma. Beginning his practice in Wayland, he remained here for a year and a half, and removed to the state of Georgia, where in addition to his pro- fession, he was interested in a drug store. In 1894 he returned to Way- land and has since been a resident of the village. He is connected with the Steuben Drug Co., and is serving his second year as village trustee.
Dr. A. A. Piatt began the study of his profession with Dr. W. S. Purdy, of Corning, and then attended the Pulte Medical College of Cincinnati, from which he gratuated, and later took a post-graduate course at that institution. He has also an honorary degree from the Buffalo medical college. For a number of years he practiced in the Southern states, and, in 1889, came to Wayland from Atlanta where he had been for some time previous.
Dr. G. M. Skinner also made his start in medicine under tuition of Dr. Wood- en of Springwater, and then matriculat- ed at the Baltimore college, where he remained for one year, transferring to Buffalo for the second year. Returning to Baltimore he took several special courses, and graduated from that insti- tution. He began his practice in Way- land in ISSS.
Dr. James Clough Dorr was born at Norridgewock. Maine, in 1868. Com- ing to Bath, this county, he was gradu- ated from the Haverling Academy in 1893, and entered the Buffalo medical college from which he received his de- gree in 1896. During the last year of his college course he received the ap- pointment of Assistant Surgeon of the Erie County Penitentary Hospital. Af- ter his graduation he came to Wayland which has since been his home.
In the legal profession William W. Clark is, by length of residence and wide-spread fame, facile primus. After graduation from Hamilton College, he studied law, and in 1879 began his practice in this village. His careful at- tention to the interests of his clients, his uniform success in court, and his cour- teous and polished manner, have ac- quired for him an extended popularity. He was chosen district attorney for the county in 1892, and has twice succeed- ed himself, though hitherto the office had been considered by law of custom a one-term position. During his long incumbency he has made a record, in the number of convictions secured pro- portioned to the number of indictments found, that can probably not be equall- ed in the history of the state. His allegiance to the town of his adoption has never wavered, and to his efforts at home and influence abroad in behalf of its prosperity the town owes as much as to those of any one citizen. Mr. Clark is president of the First National Bank which was established through his ef- forts.
Henry V. Pratt is descended from one of the oldest Steuben county fami- lies, his great-grandfather having settled in Prattsburg in 1802, and, back of Steuben county, he traces his lineage in unbroken line to the earliest days of the Massachusetts colony. His educa- tion received at the famous Franklin academy, was completed at the law school of Cornell University, and in 1892 he came to Wayland and began the practice of his profession. He soon formed a partnership with W. W. Clark, and to his desk comes the greater por- tion of the office work of their large business. He is a thorough student
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HISTORY OF WAYLAND, N. Y.
and a safe counselor. Mr. Pratt is a director of the First National Bank.
F. Allen DeGraw opened a law office in the village in 1900, and is a graduate of the Albany Law School. The fol- lowing year he formed a partnership with Floyd Green, a graduate of the Buffalo Law School, and they have be- gun their practice with every prospect of brilliant success.
Christian C. Bill was born in Way- land and educated in its schools. He studied law under the tuition of W. W.
the offices at Bowles' Corners, Begole's and Patchin's Mills were consolidated in the Wayland Depot office. Mr. Ben- nett secured the necessary petitions, employed a surveyor to make maps of the territory, and complied with all the other requirements of the department, at an expenditure of a large amount of time and energy, and about two hundred dollars in hard cash. The office was established, and Mr. Bennett had every- thing in readiness to begin operations except the key to the mail bags, when
CYPHERS' INCUBATOR FACTORY.
Clark, and was admitted to practice in 1881. Opening his office in his home town, he has maintained a steady busi- ness. He was elected village treasurer in 1882.
The Wayland post office was estab- lished in 1852, and to pessimists who aver that the world is growing worse, the early intrigue connected with this lone federal office of the town, will show that there were politics and politicians in the "good" old days. It was through the efforts of James G. Bennett that
John Hess, the whig leader showed his hand. In place of the key to the mail bags came a letter from the department enquiring about Mr. Bennett's political faith, and courteously suggesting that he pledge himself to support the party in power, (the whigs.) Mr. Bennett replied in vigorous language, that he was born a Jackson democrat, and should so remain, and he would see the head of that particular governmen- tal office farther in the place supposed to be warm "than a pigeon could fly in
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HISTORY OF WAYLAND, N. Y.
a week," before he would change his the late Edwin Tyler, and he had party for such a contemptible office. secured the names of over two hundred people living in Wayland, Springwater, Canadice and Dansville to a request that he be licensed. This list having served its purpose, Benjamin Hess purchased it for one dollar, and cutting off the heading, attached the names to his peti- tion for the post office, which made his number of signers very much the larger, and forwarded it to Washington, and secured the coveted commission. He served two years, having the office in the south store of the Hess block, and later in a small building west of the old Herrick store. The key to the mail bags was forthwith sent to John Hess, and he became Way- land's first post master. His triumph was, however, short-lived, for Franklin Pierce was elected President by the democrats that fall, and soon after the Inauguration, the following spring, Mr. Bennett received his commission as postmaster, his being the first appoint- ment made by the new administration in Steuben county. He retained the office for seven years, and resigned to become the Erie station agent. Dexter S. Jolly filled out Mr. Bennett's term. John Hess had placed the office in his S. F. Hess held the commission from 1863 to '65, and was succeeded by his partner, Thomas Abrams, who was post- master until 1867. The office was kept in the John Hess store during this per- iod. store then on the south-east corner of Naples and Wayland sticets. Mr. Ben- nett kept it in the house on Wayland street now owned by Mrs. Dr. Skinner, where he retailed tobaccos and small wares, in addition to postage stamps. One of our older citizens recalls buying a cigar here for one cent, the purchase being particularly memorable as it was his first effort at smoking. Mr. Jolly removed the office to a room in the Hess tavern-the house now owned by John J. Morris-and later to the small building that stood where the Sauerbier saloon is now, and is attached to the rear of the present building.
With the change of parties in 1861, John Hess again became an active can- didate for the postmastership, and for- warded a good sized petition to Wash- ington in support of his claim. His nephew, Benjamin B. Hess, had also circulated a petition and secured many endorsers. The village had just been struggling with a license question. A protest had been made against the pro- prietor of the hotel, owned recently by
William Northrup secured the office in 1867, and it was transferred to the Northrup and Dildine store on the south side of the Hess block, where it remained until 1875, when Henry Schley was appointed. The fight at this change was bitter. Mr. Schley moved the paraphernalia of the office to the hardware store of Schwingle and Fess, in the Sauerbier building. Then Mr. Northrup secured a re-appointment, and moved it back to his store. Mr. Schley brought more influence to bear, and ousted his opponent finally, retain- ing the office until 1881.
Henry W. Garnsey was the next in- cumbent, and the office was again lodged in the Hess block, where it remained until the fire. Mr. Garnsey resigned in 1882, and Wilbur W. Capron filled out his term of four years. When the Hess building was burned Mr. Capron
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HISTORY OF WAYLAND, N. Y.
had a small house that stood on his farm in the eastern part of the village -- it has done service since 1885 as a laundry room in the rear of the Bryant House- drawn to a position where the Kimmel hardware store is now, and established the office there, and at the second fire, when it was again threatened, the build- ing and office were drawn across the street to the present site of the Clark building. January I, 1885, it was moved to the room at the western end
Charles M. Jervis succeeded to the postmastership in 1889 and established the office with the new boxes, now in use, in his store, where it remained until the stock was purchased by Ster- ner & Gottschall, when it was transfer- red to the building recently replaced by the new Kimmel block. During this administration an afternoon mail to Rochester, on Erie train number 17, was secured, and mail service on the Lackawanna, which had at first been
RESIDENCE OF MR. CHRISTIAN KLEIN, No. 20 W. Naples Street.
of the Bryant House. During this period the name of the office, which from its erection had been "Wayland Depot," was changed to "Wayland," and the money-order system was inau- gurated.
William H. Green became postmaster in 1885, and the office was placed in the store of F. K. Smith, first in the Sauerbier building, and then at his pres- ent location, and later it was moved back to the room in the Bryant House.
refused by the department, was estab- lished. This latter event resulted in the discontinuance of the Dansville stage route, and the date seems of historical importance, as marking the com- pletion of the change from stage-coach to railroads in this town. The old southern tier route, which was the pride of our grandfathers, and which connect- ed Buffalo with the east in competition with the old "state" road through the north counties, had dropped link after
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HISTORY OF WAYLAND, N. Y.
link as the railroad system advanced, shrinking to Corning to Dansville, then to Bath to Dansville, then Wayland to Dansville. The gaily painted stage- coach, with its six horses, its big "boot," and its driver's whip and bugle, had be- come a "buck-board," with wheels bare of color, drawn by one antiquated spec- imen of horseflesh, whose melancholy gait no whip could hasten, and a driver destitute of even a tin horn. On the 20th day of July, 1889, the last trip was
In 1900, Peter H. Zimmerman re- ceived his appointment, and moved the office to its present commodious quar- ters.
During the present and the two pre- vious administrations, George H. Stan- narius has been the deputy postmaster. He entered the work as a youth, and full of ambition to become expert at the business, and by careful attention to the multiplicity of detail connected with the work, and a temper unruffled
RESIDENCE OF MR. GLEN D. ABRAMS, No. 15 Ham.It on Street
made, and the triumph of the locomotive was complete. About this time the Per- kinsville office received service from the Lackawanna road, and their mail that had until then passed through the Way- land office, ceased to be handled here.
John Kimmel received his commis- sisn in 1894, and under his administra- tion the increased business of the office caused by the opening of the Incubator Factory raised the office to the presi- dential rank.
by the petty annoyances that soon sour most inen who are called to deal with humanity of all grades of obtuseness, he has rendered a service to the public that cannot be fully appreciated except by those acquainted with the demands of the position.
ยท Henry Schley was an active citizen of the village for fifteen years, coming herc in 1871. He was a hustler in be- half of the proposition for incorpora- ting the village, and served as trustee
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HISTORY OF WAYLAND, N. Y.
MR. JOHN F. KIEL
in 1877 and 1878. In 1886 he moved to Michigan, where he died in 1900.
John Kimmel, a son of Martin Kim- mel and partner with his father in the hardware store, finished his education at Canisus College, Buffalo, and has since been one of Wayland's active young business men. He is interested with Shaffer & Wolff in the electric lighting plant, and in addition to his term as postmaster has served as village treas- urer since 1896.
Peter H. Zimmerman was born in Wayland and began life as a clerk. Af- ter a short time spent as billing clerk in the office of the Illinois Central railroad, in Carbondale, Ill., he returned to Way- land and entered the office of Capron and Fowler, who were then among the largest produce buyers in this part of the state. He was appointed federal census enumerator in 1880 ; elected justice of the peace in 1884, which of- fice he has held continuously to the' present time ; was chosen justice of sessions for the county in 1894, the last term before that office was abolished ; was village treasurer in 1884,and village
clerk from 1891 to 1897 ; special ex aminer of mortgage indebtedness for the twenty-ninth Congressional District for the eleventh federal census, and post- master since 1900. He has also been secretary of the Wayland Dime Savings and Loan Association since 1888, and is president of the board of directors of the Canning Factory.
David E. Shafer was born on a farm in the town of Sparta in 1836, being descended from Pennsylvania Dutch stock that dates back to the colonial period of this country. His education was received in the common schools, and, in 1864, he married Miss Martha Rowe. Moving to Wayland in 1876, he settled on the Wesley Doughty farm, just east of the village, where he died in 1888. Mrs. Shafer and two sons, James G. and Herbert F., survive him.
William Flora was born and passed his early life on a Scottsburg farm. In young manhood he went west, traveling through a number of states, and remain- ing for several years. About 1866, he returned and made his home in this vil- lage, where he died in 1900, at the age of sixty-nine years. Mr. Flora was pres- ident of the village in 1883, 1885 and 1886, and trustee in 1892.
James F. Wood moved to Wayland from Cohocton in the year 1870, and purchased the house now occupied by his son-in-law, U. H. Steinhardt. He was justice of the peace for eleven years preceding his death, and had an office in the Hess block, which was the village court house of the time. Mr. Wood died in 1884, at 67 years of age.
Chauncey S. Avery purchased the homestead farm in 1873, where he has since resided. He has been twice mar- ried, his first wife being Mary J. Math-
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HISTORY OF WAYLAND, N. Y.
ers, who died in 1886 leaving three was principal of the Wayland Union daughters : Mrs. Maryette VanRiper, of School from March 1885 to 1887, when he resigned to accept a position in New York City, his family spending the sum- mer seasons in Wayland until 1895, when they resumed their permanent residence here. Cohocton ; Mrs. Frank M. Cole, of Hornellsville ; and Mrs. Harriet A. Pierce, of South Dansville. His second wife was Lucinda R. Tripp. Mr. Avery served in the 188th N. Y. Infantry from Sept. 9, 1864, to July 1, 1865.
Henry P. VanLiew was born at Berne, Albany county, N. Y., and re- ceived his education at the Troy Con- ference Academy, Poulteney, Vt, the
The oldest residents at the dawn of the twentieth century, whose names ap- pear in our directory are :
Mrs. Theckla Vogt, aged 91. She was born in Germany in 1810, at the
RESIDENCE OF MR. WILLIAM H. GREEN, No. 10 N. Scott Street.
State Normal School, Albany, N. Y., and the University of the City of New York. He taught and superintended in public and private schools in New York state and Colorado, being Superintend- ent of Schools in the latter state. The season of 1894 he entered the illustrat- ed lecture field, since which time he has given over 1,200 entertainments in fif- teen different states. His entire time for the next season, 1901-02, being al- ready spoken for. Professor Van Liew
time when Napoleon I, was changing the political lines of Europe to his own liking, and George III, against whom these colonies rebeled, was still on the throne of England. In 1840 she came to the town of Wayland, which has since been her home. Of her five children, three, Joseph Vogt, John Vogt and Mrs. Martin Kimmel are living in this vicin- ity, two daughters having died. Mr. Vogt, her husband, passed away in 1872. Mrs. Vogt is remarkably active for one
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HISTORY OF WAYLAND, N. Y.
of her years, and it is hoped that she may fill out five score years.
Ira Wilbur, aged 89. Mr. Wilbur was born in Vermont in 1812 and was brought by his parents to Springwater in 1815. Being of small stature, his father did not regard him as promising material for a pioneer farmer, and when he was eighteen years old, "gave him his time," and advised him to learn a trade. Young Ira went to Dansville, and in due course of time became a mill-wright, at which occupation he worked for many years. Having buried his first wife in Dansville, he came to Wayland in 1854, being employed as a carpenter by the Hesses, and the follow- ing year he married Schuyler Granger's daughter, Martha, and they have since resided in this village. Mr. Wilbur died in March of the present year, since this sketch was begun.
Matthias Rauber, aged 84. Mr. Rauber was born in Prussia in 1816,and emigrated to the United States in 1856, settling on a farm near Perkinsville. He married Margeret Brick in 1841,and they had eight children, Mrs. Catherine Conrad, Nicholas, Mrs. Marien Klein, Peter, Jacob N., Mrs. Margaret Schu. Elizabeth, and Anna, deceased. All, except the last two, were born in Ger- many, and all, except Miss Lizzie, are residents of the town of Wayland. Mr. Rauber retired from active life several years ago, and resides with his daughter, Mrs. Nicholas Schu, Jr. His wife died in 1892.
The youngest citizen of the village at the opening of the century is the infant daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Engel, who was born on the night of Dec. 28, 1900. Should she live to be three days over one hundred years, she will have
lived in three centuries. May her life be spared.
In general politics Wayland has long been prominent. James G. Bennett was member of assembly in 1870 and 1871, James P. Clark being nominated against him on the republican ticket the latter year. He was succeeded by Thomas M. Fowler in the sessions of 1872 and 1873. George E. Whiteman served two terms, 1884 and 1885, and Gordon M. Patchin was a member of the sessions of 1892 and 1893. Butler M. Morris was a candidate in 1881, and Jacob B. Whiteman in 1892 and 1894.
William W. Clark was elected district attorney in 1892, 1895 and 1898.
Charles M. Jervis was nominated for school commissioner in 1887.
Peter H. Zimmerman was chosen justice of sessions in 1894.
Dr. E. Bigelow was candidate for cor- onor in 1890 ; Dr. A. A. Piatt in 1893 ; and Dr. G. M. Peabody in 1896.
Henry V. Pratt was candidate for sur- rogate in 1900.
Wilbur W. Capron has held the state appointment as Port Warden, at New York, for six years.
Hon. Gordon M. Patchin is the only son of Myron M. Patchin, and was born, and has always lived at the homestead in Patchinsville. He was educated at the Rogersville Seminary and the Franklin Academy, Prattsburg, and has been a leader in county politics from youth, having been a delegate to a nom- inating convention before he had cast his first vote. He has, however, never been an office seeker, and reluctantly consented to become a candidate for the assembly. In the legislature he was quickly recognized as a man of clear intellect and sound judgment, and his two terms were distinctly creditable to his district.
HISTORY OF WAYLAND, N. Y.
UNITED EVANGELICAL CHURCH, Sullivan Street.
CHAPTER X.
EVENTS FROM 1870 TO 1900.
January 9, 1871 occurred the tragedy that shocked this entire part of the state, and threw a deep gloom over the town. Mrs. Mary Hess shot and killed William H. Lewis a neighbor, and War- ren Northrup her brother. The inten- tion attributed to her of running amuck and taking several other lives merely makes the deed seem the more insane. Mrs. Hess was examined and adjudged a lunatic, and she was sent to the Utica asylum, where she died seven years later.
The "Liberal League" flourished during the '70's. There were about twenty-three members, among whom some were possessed of that little learn-
ing, of which Pope speaks, but none had sufficient depth to sustain the argu- ment in favor of their extreme position. They were deistical, rather than atheis- tical, but their research, which could scarcely be termed even superficial, and their utter lack of scientific analysis reduced most of them to mere scoffers. Their influence on the morality of the community was wholly bad, and gave to it a reputation that retarded its growth by deterring much respectable settlement.
The village having, in 1871, attained a population of about one-third of that of the remainder of the town, could no longer depend upon the commissioner of highways to care for its streets, and it must also have improvements in side- walks and restrictive ordinances that the town government could not supply.
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HISTORY OF WAYLAND, N. Y.
The proper steps were taken under however, compels us to state that the the general state law providing for the proposition was carried by a fair majority. incorporation of villages, in the way of surveys, maps, etc., and by the follow- Following the adoption of the plan of incorporation the call for election of officers was issued as follows : ing notice a meeting of the electors was called to decide the question of incor- poration : VILLAGE ELECTION NOTICE.
CORPORATION ELECTION NOTICE.
To be held at the hotel of Adam Pfaff on April 10, 1877, from 10 a. m. to 3 p. m., to vote on the incorporation and proposed expense of $150 for ex- penses for the first year. (The techni- cal description of the territory to be included in the village limits follows.)
Signed :
George W. Morehouse, James F. Wood, John W. Doughty,
Mark H Hess, Albert Sauerbier, Charles C. Tinker,
James H. Totten, Everett M. Fowler,
Wilbur W Capron, Butler M Morris,
Northrup N. St. John,
Nicholas Rauber,
Jacob F. Schumaker,
W. Fred Kiel.
Nicholas Sieb. Henry Schley, Adam Pfaff,
George Nold,
Gottlieb Zeilbeer, George Acker.
Dated Wayland, N. Y., Feb. 27, '77.
The adoption of the proposition was hotly discussed during the days preced- ing the election and the two sides seemed very evenly balanced. On elec- tion day, the story is told, just before the polls closed H. B. Newell came to vote, and being undecided which side to favor, he mixed up a ballot "for" with one "against," and picked one at random, which proved to be the "for" ballot, and so voted. On counting the votes it was found that there was just one majority in favor of the proposition. Had this tale come to us from ancient times Mr. Newell would doubtless have been represented as under the same supernatural influence that caused the horse of Darius to neigh at the oppor- tune moment to make his master king of Persia. Defference to historic truth,
Notice is hereby given that a corpor- ation election of the village of Wayland, Steuben county, N. Y., will be held at the house of Adam Pfaff in said village on the 22d day of May, 1877, for the purpose of electing the following officers, viz : a president, a collector, a treasurer, and three trustees.
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