USA > New York > Genesee County > Gazetteer and biographical record of Genesee County, N.Y., 1788-1890 > Part 17
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TOWN OF ALEXANDER.
ley) Colby, and they have one son, Albert E., who is now a proprietor of a restaurant on State street, Batavia.
Byram Moulton, Jr., was born in Alexander in 1851, and married Laura Eleanor, daughter of David and Louisa (Beagle) Fleming, of Ba- tavia. He resides on road 12, and is a farmer.
Gamaliel Millington was born in Bennington, Vt. He came from Ver- mont at the age of 31 years, thence to Alexander, where he died in 1875, at the age of 94 years. By his first wife he had children as follows : Gamaliel, Ann, Deborah, Amie, Esther, and Calvin. By his second wife, Miss Sprague, he had two sons, Quincy and Moses. His son Calvin, now of Alexander, was born in Vermont. He married Martha J., daugh- ter of Gilchrist and Tamma (Towslee) Johnson, of Bethany, and his chil- dren are Fred and Arthur, the latter a resident of La Crosse, Wis., and a train dispatcher on the C. & B. Railroad. He married Belle Meader, of Wisconsin. William Johnson (a drum-major) and Gideon Towsley were in the Revolutionary war at Bennington, Vt. Gilchrist Johnson was a native of Connecticut, and came to Bethany at the age of 78, where he died, aged 80 years. He served in the War of 1812. He had one daughter, Martha J. (Johnson) Millington, now living in Alexander.
John Muhs was born in Germany, where he lived, and died at the age of 58 years. He married Mary Morts, and their children were John, Frederica, Morris, Charles, Fritz, Martin, and William. William Muhs was born in Germany and came here in 1886. He married Henrietta Sharnow, of Germany, and their children are Frank, Mattie, and Minnie
John R. Mullen, M. D., was born in St. Lawrence County, N. Y., December 13, 1852. He received a common school and academic edu- cation, and in 1871 began to study medicine with his father, Isaac V., and graduated from Buffalo University in 1874. He is a Latin, German, French, and Italian scholar, and writes scientific articles for the leading magazines of the country. In 1870 he married Marion, daughter of Charles Hawkins, of Alexander. He is a practicing physician of this town.
Ira Newton, son of Timothy and Abigail, was born in Barnard, Vt., April 28, 1799. At the age of 17 he came to Alexander, and was employed by his brother Josiah for 14 years. July 4, 1825, he was married to Mary Ann Loomis, and they had two children, Alvira A. and Clark C. His first wife died 1839. His second wife was Betsey Frisbie, who died 1870. The crowning attribute of Ira Newton was that he lived in peace with all men; was never sued, nor never had a lawsuit. His
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daughter married John King, of Toronto, Can. Clark C. Newton, his only son, was born May 12, 1836, on the farm his father bought soon after marriage. He received a good education. December 29, 1856, he married Sarah E., daughter of H. G. Lincoln, of Bethany. They have two children, Ella M. and Charles Ira. Mr. Newton has been highway commissioner for four years.
Martin North, son of Ebenezer, was a native of Litchfield County, Connecticut, where he died in 1806, aged 86 years. He served in the war of the Revolution for seven years, and drew a pension. He was a wheelwright. He married Mary Agard, daughter of John, who died in 1825. Their son Noah was born in Connecticut, came to Alexan- der in 1808, and was the first settler on the North farm, so-called, where he lived, and died in 1824, at the age of 39 years. He married Olive, daughter of Reuben and Olive (Gaylord) Hungerford, of Winsted, Conn., and their children were Thetis C., Lot M., Noah, Alcimeda, James A., Olive F., Aurelia N., and Zaxie C. His wife, Olive, died March 11, 1849, in Ohio, aged 61 years. Noah North served as drum-major in the War of 1812. He was a prominent man in the town, and was engaged in so many cases of public trust that on his death a special town meeting was called. Eben North, son of Rufus, came to Alexander in 1816. He died in 1866, aged 76 years. He married, first, Etta Betts, who died in 1841, and second, Mrs. Elizabeth Anderson.
Henry Mitchell, was a native of Massachusetts, where he lived and died. His wife, Elizabeth (now living in Detroit, at the age of 83), bore him five children: Andrew M., Clara, Mary, William, and Nancy L. Nancy L. Mitchell married Henry Banks, of Canandaigua, and had four children who died in infancy, and one still living, viz .: Mary E. Banks, who married Samuel A. Simpson, of Rochester, N. Y., son of Charles and Fanny Simpson. Samuel A. Simpson died in Alexander in 1887, at the age of 53 years. His wife, aged 38 years, survives her husband.
Eliphalet Peck, born in Danbury, Conn., went to Saratoga County, N.Y., and came to Alexander in 1824, settling on the well-known Peck farm, where he died 1840, aged 84 years. By his wife, Abigail, he had chil- dren as follows: Nathaniel Eliphalet, Samuel, Benjamin, Asa, Abigail, Rebecca, Ruth, and Eli. The latter was born in Saratoga County, came to Alexander in 1824, and married Nancy, daughter of John and Mary Smith, of Saratoga County. Their children are Walter, Polly M., Pris- cilla, Adelia, Lois, and Asa. Asa Peck married for his first wife Eliza M.
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Van Tassel. For his second wife he married Sultina, daughter of David and Dorcas Root, of Elba, and their children are Emma J., Lucy A., Pamelia, and Charles E. The latter married Mary A., daughter of Her- man and Hannah (Green) Day, of Alexander, and they had two sons, Elmer and Harry (deceased). Asa Peck now resides on the homestead farm of his father.
Gehial Stanard was born in New Marlboro, Mass., May 23, 1780, where he died at an advanced age. His son, John Stanard, a native of the above town, came to Alexander in 1810, and was the first settler on the farm known as the "Stanard farm," on road 29, where he lived until his death in 1858, aged 78 years. He married Huldah, daughter of Caleb King, and their children are Mary A., Adaline, Alvira, Eleanora, Huldah, and John P. The latter was born in Alexander, July 3, 1823. He married, January 14, 1847, Ann J., daughter of Zina and Rebecca (Buchanan) Wait, of Darien. Their children are Willis Z., Florence A., Wilber C., Butler R., Nellie M., and Horace A. The latter married Mattie A. Van De Bogart, daughter of George W. and Sarah (Coe) Van De Bogart, of Climax, Mich., and resides with his father on the home- stead settled by the grandfather. Butler R. Stanard married Cora M., daughter of Willard and Ellen (Merritt) Pixley, and resides on road 25 corner 26.
Amos Spring was born in Massachusetts, served in the War of 1812, at the burning of Buffalo, and died in Attica, in 1850, aged 71 years. His wife, Reliance Snow, was born in 1780, in Massachusetts, and died in Warsaw, December 3, 1874, aged 94 years. Their children were Eras- tus, Amos, Harvey, Alpheus, Reliance, Louisa, Rebecca, Olive, and Darius N. The latter was born November 21, 1817, in Le Roy, and is now a resident of Warsaw. He married, April 5, 1840, Angeline, daugh- ter of Alvin and Sally (Terry) Chaddock, of Middlebury, who was born November 14, 1817. Their children are D. Scott, born February 20, 1842, and Sarah J., born March 19, 1850. David Scott Spring married three times. His present wife is Rhoda A., daughter of Azel and Nancy (Melvin) Chaddock, of Bennington, N. Y., and his children by her are Andrew P. and Ruth E. His first wife bore him four children, Stella L., Charles S., Cora A., and Frances H. His second wife was Lucy J. Richardson, who bore him two children, Newton L. and Ernest H. He served in the late war in Co. M, N. Y. H. A., enlisting at the age of 18 years, and was honorably discharged, at Baltimore, in 1865. He was in the battles of Cold Harbor, Petersburg, Winchester (where his blanket
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was pierced II times by the explosion of a shell), Fisher's Gap, and Cedar Creek. Mr. Spring lives in Alexander, and is engaged in farming.
Adam Roth was born on the Rhine, Germany, where he died at the age of 75 years. By marriage with his wife Catherine he had children as follows: Dabolt, Andrew, Philip, Elizabeth, Catherine, Amelia, Sophia, Susanna, Annie, and Adam. The latter was born January 3, 1826, in Germany, and came to New York, August 15, 1849, and to Alexander in 1854, locating on a farm. He married Mena, daughter of Gottifred Bame, of Attica, and their children are Albert, Fred, Hammond, Louis, Charles, and Louise. Mr. Roth lives on a farm on road 66, where he purchased 21 years ago.
Ebenezer Shepard and his son Ebenezer, Jr., were natives of Massa- chusetts. The latter died in New London, N. H., in 1849, aged 82 years. He married Sarah Burpee, of New London, daughter of Thomas Burpee, and his children were Mary, Daniel, Abigail, Amial, Samuel, Jer- emiah, George, Sylvester, Thomas, Benjamin, and James G. The last mentioned was born in New London, N. H., January 4, 1816, came to Alexander in 1851, and settled on a farm on road 33, known as the Nel- son farm, which he now owns. He married Mary A., daughter of Will- iam and Mary A. (Dudley) Cogswell, of Pittsford, N. Y., and they have one daughter, Mary C., who married Burley, son of Augustus Smith, of Alexander. His children are Florence S., Elizabeth B., Burley, and James A. James G. Shepard is now a retired farmer and publisher, has served as presidential elector in 1858, and is a member of the Grange.
Theodore Schneider was a native of Prussia, where he lived, and died in 1852, at the age of 39 years. He married Mary Dickman, and his children were Gerhard, Henry, and Fred. Fred Schneider, a native of Germany, came to Alexander in 1873. He married Mary, daughter of Constance Bohle, of Rochester, and they have four children, Annie, Au- gusta, Minnie, and Fred C. Mr. Schneider started the the noted green- houses located near Attica, in 1881, and has been constantly making additions to them, owing to an increase of business. They are the most extensive in Western New York, outside the cities.
Wilber J. Tallman was born in Wales, Erie County. He served in the late war. He married Cornelia, daughter of William Nichols, of Erie County, and has one son, Adelbert C., who was born in Erie County, and in 1868 came to Alexander. He married Emma E., daughter of Samuel L. and Adaline M. Garrett, and they have one son, Frank G. A. C. Tallman is now a resident of Alexander, and is proprietor of a
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TOWN OF ALEXANDER.
saloon and boarding-house on the D., L. & W. Railroad. Cornelia Tall- man died in 1857, aged 22 years.
Cherrick, son of Francis Van De Bogart, a native of Schenectady, N. Y., came here in 1816, and was the first settler on the present Van De Bogart farm, bought of the Holland Land Co. He died in 1835, at the age of 83 years. He married Sally Adams, of Schenectady, and his chil- dren are Nicholas, Francis, Nancy, Polly, William, James, Margaretta, John, Cherrick, Abram, and Joseph. The latter, born in Charleston, Mont- gomery County, came to Alexander in 1806, where he remained until his death in 1865, aged 78 years. He served in the War of 1812. He married Lois, daughter of Alexander Knapp (a native of Connecticut), of Alexander, and his children are Cherrick A., James A., Isaac K., Fran- cis C., Philetus S., Henry I., and Joseph E. Joseph E. Van De Bogart was born here June 10, 1824, and married, in 1844, Ann, daughter of Will- iam and Betsey A. Van De Bogart, of the Black River country, N. Y. Their children are George F., Henry D., Stephen R., John A., and Miles H. The latter married Edith M., daughter of Nial and Josephine (Moulton) Cooley, of Alexander, and they have one daughter, Alta F. He is now a resident on the homestead farm of his great-great-grand- father, on road 19, with his father, Joseph E. Sarah, a sister of Mrs. Van De Bogart, is and has been a member of the family for 40 years. Joseph E. Van De Bogart has served his town as assessor for 18 years and justice for four years.
Spencer Waldo was a native of New Jersey, but moved to Rutland County, Vt. His children were Loren, Allen, Spencer, and three daugh- ters. Allen Waldo came to Batavia (now Alexander) in IS10, and died in Java, N. Y., in 1858, aged 82 years. He married Phœbe, daughter of Thomas Rice, and their children were Catherine, Phoebe A., and Allen A. Allen A. Waldo came here at the age of three years, with his father, in covered wagons, from Vermont. He married Phœbe A., daughter of Nicholas and Rebecca (Williams) Van De Bogert, and their children are Loren C., Mariette, Edward A., Violetta (a widow with one daughter), Emily P., Ellen E., Nathan P., and Clinton.
David Williams, a native of York County, Pa., came to Rochester, and died in 1863, at the age of 65 years. He married Jane Eel, and their chil- dren were Mary, James, Joseph, Jane, Susan, Hattie, and David. David was born in Pennsylvania, came to Bethany in 1869, located on a farm, and in 1886 removed to Alexander village. He married Lucinda Hurl- burt, of Naples, N. Y. David, Hattie, and Charles were their children.
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For his second wife he married Caroline Scribner, of Victor, N. Y. She is a daughter of Abram and Henrietta Scribner. Mr. Scribner is a retired farmer, living in Alexander village.
John D. Egleston, son of Joseph, was a native of Massachusetts. He moved to Ohio, and died at the age of 65 years. He married Betsey Hoxie, of Marcellus, N. Y., daughter of Rowland and Renhama Hoxie. Their children were Eliza, Louisa, Eveline, Renhama, Jeanette, Jane, Mary, Lavender, Maria B., and Alexander. The latter was born in Marcellus in 1812, and died at the age of 39. He married Ann E., daughter of Ebenezer and Eliza (Snow) Snell, and their children are Jennie E. (Mrs. Lucius Roth) ; Frank Lewis, of Batavia ; and Charles R., of Alexander. Charles R. Egleston lives with his mother, who is 79 years of age. He has been a school teacher eight years, a justice of peace, constable, and president of the village. William Snell and Silas Snow served in the Revolutionary war.
Frank C. Zwetsch, a native of Prussia, came to Alexander in 1852, and died in 1865, aged 68. He married Dora Peck, and had nine children, among whom was Peter, who came here in 1854. He married Christine Woelfley, of Germany, and their children were Emily and John, who re- side here. Philip Zwetsch, a native of Prussia, went to Attica in 1852, but now resides in Alexander. He married Margaret Weimar, of Alex- ander, daughter of George and Margaret, and his children are George, Charles, Philip, Lizzie, James, Maggie, and Harry. Mr. Zwetsch has been a merchant 32 years, a justice of the peace 13 years, was deputy sheriff three years, and notary seven years. John J. Zwetsch served in the late war, and died at the age of 60. Christian also served in the late war.
Daniel Kelsey, son of William, came to this town in 1849, and died in 1861, aged 53 years. He married for his first wife Penninah Van Wart, of Le Roy, and they had eight children. For his second wife he married Sarah Harris, of Le Roy, and had one son, De Forest. Theodore, son of Daniel, is a native of Le Roy, came in 1840, and died in 1889, aged 49 years. He married Lucy Crawford, of Bethany, November 5, 1861. She was a daughter of Daniel and Mary (Fuller) Crawford. Their children are Charles, Mary, and Arthur, with whom their mother resides.
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BATAVIA.
B ATAVIA .- We here append a list (incomplete as it must be) of early settlers and pioneers of the town of Batavia to 1820, repre- sented by the present limits of the town. We have taken great pains to make the list as full as possible, but difficulties are met with in every direction. Many of the names are taken from the books of the Holland Land Co., which undoubtedly include names of some who took contracts, but never became actual settlers and purchasers. Where no date is given the inference is that they were here before 1820:
Andrew Adams, 1819; Elisha Adams, 1801 ; Joseph Alvord, 1802 ; John Alger, 1805; David Anderson, 1804; Libbeus Allen, , 1817 ; Dr. J. Arnold, 1802; Thomas Ashley, 1801; James Brisbane, 1798 ; William Blackman, 1801 ; Hiram Blackman, 1801 ; David Bowen, 1803; William H. Bush, 1806; Benjamin Blodgett, 1808; Ephraim Brown, 1809; Isaiah Babcock, 1811; Guilliam Bartholf, 1815; Jeremiah Bennett ; J. I. Bar- tholf, 1819; Ira Boutwell, 1818; John Branan, 1800; T. Beckwith, 1815 ; James A. Bill- ings, 1818 ; Thomas Bliss, 1819; James Cawte ; Samuel Benedict ; Daniel B. Brown ; Richard Buell ; M. Brooks, 1803 ; Clement Carpenter, 1818 ; William Curtis, 1803 ; T. B. Campbell, 1814; Russell Crane, 1802 ; E. M. Cook, 1815; Benjamin Cary, 1804 ; Ebe- nezer Cary, 1802 ; Charles Cooley, 1802 ; Silas Chapin, 1802 ; Daniel Curtis, 1802 ; James Clement, 1802 ; Jeremiah Cutler, 1802; Elisha Cox, 1803; Nathaniel Coleman, 1803 ; Eleazer Cantling, 1811 ; L. L. Clark, 1805 ; Simeon Cummings, 1808 ; John Cotes, 1817 ; Trumbull Cary, 1805 ; James Cochrane, 1802 ; General Worthy L. Churchill; Daniel H. Chandler ; Gideon Dunham, 1801 ; Garret Davis, 1801 ; Peleg Douglass, 1803 ; Levi Davis, 1804 ; Silas Dibble, Jr., 1805 ; Hugh Duffy, 1805 ; John Dorman, 1808 ; L. Dis- brow, 1810; Andrew Debow, 1813; Andrew Dibble, 1816; Richard Dibble, 1816; John De Wolf, 1805; Joseph Ellicott, 1798; Andrew A. Ellicott, 1812; Gideon Ellicott, 1812 ; John B. Ellicott, 1812 ; Benjamin Ellicott, 1798 ; Dr. C. Chapin, 1801 ; David E. Evans, 1803 ; William Ewing, 1805; Seymour Ensign ; Phineas Ford, 1809; John Forsyth. 1802 ; Libbeus Fish, 1806; Eden Foster, 1805; Ezekiel Fox, 1805 ; Othniel Field, 1807 ; Orin Follett, 1816 ; Roswell Graham, 1802; E. Gettings, 1802; Samuel F. Geer, 1801 ; David Goss, 1804 ; R. Godfrey, 1805 ; Thomas Godfrey, 1805 ; Linus Gunn, 1806; Alan- son Gunn, 1806; Horace Gibbs, 1813; Thomas Green, 1817; Libbeus Graves ; Rufus Hart, 1802 ; James Holden, 1802 ; Paul Hinkley, 1802 ; Paul Hill, 1802 ; Jesse Hurlburt, 1802 ; Hugh Henry, 1803; James Henry, 1803 ; John Herring, 1805 ; Hinman Holden, 1805 ; Samuel C. Holden, 1806; General Amos Hall, 1809; David Hall, 1808; R. O. Holden, 1814 ; Winter Hewitt, 1812 ; James G. Hoyt, 1812 ; John Hickox ; Silas Hollister, 1814; Joseph Hawks, 1802; H. Jerome, 1804 ; Samuel Jacks, 1811 ; Seymour Kell- ogg, 1807; Zenas Keyes, 1804; Chauncey Keyes; William Keyes ; Solomon Kingsley, 1806; John Lamberton, 1803; John S. Leonard, 1803 ; Henry Lake, 1803; William Lu- cas, 1803 ; John B. Leonard, 1813 ; John Lamberton, 1802 ; Amos Lamberton, 1803; Reu- ben Lamberton, 1805; Thomas Layton, 1804; David Locke, 1813; John Lown, 1813;
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George W. Lay, 1817 ; P. Lewis, 1801 ; A. Lincoln, 1804 ; - Leonard, 1812 ; Da- vid McCracken, 1801 ; Asa McCracken, 1803; Daniel McCracken, 1802; Rufus Mc- Cracken, 1802 ; James McKain, 1802 ; Benjamin F. Morgan, 1802 ; David Mather, 1802; Elisha Mann, 1802; E. Messenger, 1804; Azor Marsh, 1804 ; David C. Miller, 1808; Thomas McCulley, 1816 ; Ebenezer Mix, 1809 ; Lemon Miller, 1816; Wheaton Mason, 1820; William McCormick, 1813; N. Miner, 1804; R. Noble, 1801 ; Zerah Phelps, 1802 ; Peter Powers, 1802; William Pierce, 1803; Blanchard Powers, 1806; Patrick Powers, 1809 ; James Post, 1803 ; Tracy Pardee, 1816; Benjamin Porter, 1801 ; William Rumsey. 1801 ; Nathan Rumsey, 1807; Stephen Russell, 1801 ; Benjamin Russell, 1802; H. Rhodes, 1802; Abel Rowe, 1801 ; Amos Ranger, 1802 ; Samuel Ranger, 1810; J. Z. Ross, 1811; Calvin Rich, 1813 ; Alpheus Reynolds, 1814; Daniel Upton, 1818; Aaron Van Cleve, 1809; Samuel Thomas, 1815 ; Reuben Town, 1803; Rowlen Town, 1802; I. Norman Town, 1808; E. Tillottson, 1802; Benjamin Tainter, 1803; Joel Tyrrill, 1805 ; P. L. Tracy, 1813 ; Moses Taggart, 1817 ; Ephraim Towner ; Henry Wilder, 1802; Aaron White, 1801 ; J. Washburn, 1802 ; William Wood (pioneer black- smith), 1802 ; Jonathan Wood, 1805; Reuben W. Wilder, 1805 ; Oswald Williams, 1806; Elias Williams, 1807 ; Abel Wheeler, 1807; John B. Watkins, 1812; Oliver Wilcox, 1813; David D. Waite, 1813 ; Joseph Wheaton, 1814; Richard Williams, 1815; M. Wurts, 1815 ; James Walton, 1817; James W. Stevens, 1800; Elijah Spencer, 1802 ; Isaac Spencer, 1802 ; Isaac Sutherland, 1803 ; Abraham Starks, 1803 ; Joshua Sutherland, 1803 ; David Smith, 1804; Isaac Smith, 1804; Henry Starks, 1806; J. P. Smith, 1810; Richard Smith, 1817 ; Alva Smith, 1815 ; William Sullings, 1817 ; William Seaver, 1817; Erastus Smith ; S. Stoughton, 1809; Moses and Aaron Wilcox, 1818; William H. Wells ; William Watkins, 1817; Seth Wakeman, 1820; Benajah Worden ; N. Walker, 1804.
It was under date of February 24, 1802, that Joseph Ellicott applied for the new county of Genesee. It was taken from Ontario, and erected by act of March 30, 1802. Then Mr. Ellicott removed his land office from Ransom's to the new building he had erected in " the forks of the trail," leading from the Genesee to Lewiston and Buffalo. The first land office was really located near where D. E. E. Mix lives. It was only a temporary affair. The early settlers stopped in that section of the place and unpacked their traps. The town of Batavia at this date included the entire Holland Purchase. From this town (or territory) other towns, then counties, were formed, so rapid was the influx of settlers until 1812. In that year Alexander, Bergen, Bethany, and Pembroke were taken off, and Elba and Stafford in 1820, leaving the present town beautifully located in the center of the county. Its surface is level, or gently undulating ; a limestone ridge, forming a terrace from 20 to 50 feet high, extends east and west through the north part of the town. Tonawanda Creek flows slowly northward to Batavia village, and bending westward passes through the town near the center to the west border. The other principal stream is Bowen's Creek, which flows northwesterly across the
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TOWN OF BATAVIA.
southwest corner of the town into the Tonawanda. The soil is a deep sandy and gravely loam, very fertile, and has a clay subsoil. The town is rectangular in shape, is nine miles east and west, and six miles north and south, and contains 34,437 acres of land.
The first settlers in the township were Isaac Sutherland, who erected a log house on his farm two miles west of the village, and Col. William Rum- sey and Gen. Worthy L. Churchill, who settled in the east part. Others were John Lamberton, Samuel F. Geer, and Benjamin Morgan. The first town meeting was held at Vandeventer's tavern (now Newstead, Erie County), March 1, 1803. The following officers were elected : Supervisor, Peter Vandeventer; town clerk, David Cully ; assessors, Enos Kellogg, Asa Ransom, Alexander Rhea ; commissioners of high- ways, Alexander Rhea, Isaac Sutherland, Suffrenus Maybee ; overseers of the poor, David Cully, Benjamin Porter ; collector, Abel Rowe; constables, John Mudge, Levi Felton, Rufus Hart, Abel Rowe, Seymour Kellogg, Hugh Howell ; overseers of highways, Martin Middaugh, Timo- thy Hopkins, Orlando Hopkins, Benjamin Morgan, Rufus Hart, Lovell Churchill, Jabez Warren, William Blackman, Samuel Clark, Gideon Dun- ham, Jonathan Willard, Thomas Layton, Hugh Howell, Benjamin Por- ter, and William Walsworth.
The settlement for each year up to 1809 was as follows : in 1801 there 40; 1802, 56; 1803, 230 ; 1804, 300; 1805, 415 ; 1806, 524; 1807, 607; 1808, 612; and 1809, 1,160. In 1825 there was a population of 3,352 in the town and village. In 1840 there was 4,000; in 1875 over 7,000 ; and it is presumed there is now a population of 12,000 in the town and village, with a sure and steady increase.
James L. Barton, son of Sheriff Barton, in 1807, in commenting on the early settlement of the town, writes :
" Between Stafford and Batavia were a number of farms taken up by settlers. My father was sheriff that year (1807), and executed McLean. Governor Tompkins was circuit judge. The great number attending the trial made it difficult to get lodgings, and the judge and sheriff slept in the same bed. Near the arsenal in Batavia the road divides, one branch to Buffalo, the other to Lewiston via Lockport. The latter was called Queenston road. On it, for four or five miles, were only four log houses. The first house from Dunham's tavern, after crossing the openings and the Indian village, was Walworth's (tavern), 13 miles."
Gideon Dunham, Sr., a Revolutionary soldier, came in 1804, and kept a tavern until his death in 1841. He came from Massachusetts, and was mixed up in Shay's rebellion. He had a noted peach orchard, and it was a celebrated resort for pleasure parties who went to " Gid's to eat
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peaches and hear him swear." His son, Shubael Dunham, succeeded him in tavern-keeping. He was also a member of the State legislature in 1823, and again in 1826, and also a presidential elector. He was a very prominent man in his day, and died in 1848.
We are enabled to give the location of a few of the pioneer settlers. Rufus McCracken, in Jauuary, 1802, bought lot 6, section 10, 168 acres, for $263.37. David McCracken, at the same time, bought lot 8, section 10, 152 acres, for $418. Abel Rowe, in April, 1803, bought lot 8. Sam- uel F. Geer, in October, 1802, bought lots 5 and 6, sections 7 and 8. Isaac Sutherland, in November, 1803, bought lots I and 2, sections 7 and 8. Benjamin Morgan, in November, 1802, bought lot 2, section 6. All the above were in the west part of the town. In the east part Col. William Rumsey bought, in July, 1803, lot 8, section 4.
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