USA > New York > Genesee County > Gazetteer and biographical record of Genesee County, N.Y., 1788-1890 > Part 18
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Turner gives some interesting narratives obtained from personal inter- views with the early pioneers, which are worth quoting. That of Mrs. Anna Foster, wife of Eden Foster, is as follows :
" In the year of 1805 we settled upon a farm near Batavia. There were then inhabi- tants enough to make an agreeable neighborhood. We used to have ox-sleds ; occasion- ally it would be out to Gideon Dunham's, where we used to avail ourselves of the serv- ices of the left-handed fiddler, Russell Noble.
"Some of our earliest parties were got up by first designating the log house of some settler, and each one contributing to the entertainment ; one would carry some flour, another some sugar, another eggs, another butter, and so on ; the aggregate making up a rustic feast. These parties would alternate from house to house. Frolics in the even- ing ; would uniformly attend husking bees, raisings, quiltings, and pumpkin pearings. All were social, friendly, obliging ; there was little aristocracy in those primitive days. John Forsyth settled near Dunham's grove in 1802, remaining there until 1807. Joseph Hawks came to Batavia in 1802, and moved to Erie County in 1805. It took him three days with a yoke of oxen and a wagon to go about 18 miles."
In the western part of the town William H. Bush, whose wife was a sister of James Post, who settled in 1803, was the pioneer miller, carder, dresser, distiller, papermaker and farmer, and a narrative of his taken from Turner is well worth reading :
" I moved my family from Bloomfield in May, 1806. The settlers on the Buffalo road between my location and Batavia village were Isaac Sutherland, Levi Davis, Timothy Washburn, Rufus McCracken, Daniel McCracken, Thomas Godfrey, Linus Gunn, Henry Starks, Alanson Gunn, David Bowen, John Lamberton, living on the road west. There was then less than 100 acres cleared on the Buffalo road in the distance of six miles west of Batavia. I built a log house, covered it with elm bark,-could not spare time to build a chimney,-laid a better floor in my house, plastered the cracks, and hired an acre of land cleared-just enough to prevent the trees falling upon my house. When the mill was built I had it paid for, but to accomplish it I had sold some pork
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TOWN OF BATAVIA.
and grain I had produced by working land upon shares in Bloomfield-in fact, every- thing but my scanty household furniture. My saw-mill proved a good investment ; boards were much in demand at $7.50 per thousand ; the new settlers stocked the mill with logs to be sawed on shares. In 1808 I built a machine shop, a carding and cloth- dressing establishment. These were the first upon the Holland Purchase. On the Ioth of June, that year, I carded a sack of wool, first ever carded by a machine on the Purchase. It belonged to George Lathrop, of Bethany. I also dressed a full piece of cloth for Theophilus Crocker. There are on my books the names of customers from as far south as Warsaw and Sheldon ; from the east as far as Stafford ; from the west to the Niagara River and Lake Erie, including Chautauqua County ; from pretty much all of the settled portion of the Purchase. I carded in the season of 1818 3,029 lbs. of wool ; the largest quantity for any one man was 70 lbs., the smallest 4 lbs. The lots averaged 18 lbs. Allowing three Ibs. to a sheep, the average number of sheep then kept by the new settlers would be six ; though it is presumed that the number was larger, as in those days much wool was carded by hand.
" The machinists of the present day may be glad to learn how I procured my ma- chinery. I bought my hand-shears of the Shakers at New Lebanon ; my press-plate at a furnace in Onondaga ; my screw and box at Canaan; Conn .; my dye-kettle, press, pa- pers, etc., at Albany. My transportation bill for these things was over $200. I built a grist-mill in 1809 ; in 1817 a paper-mill and distillery. I manufactured the first ream of paper west of the Genesee River. During all the period of my milling operations I was clearing up the farm where I now reside. Coming into the woods, as I have re- lated. dependent almost wholly upon the labor of my hands, in the first 20 years suc- cess had so far attended my efforts that I had accumulated some $15,000 or $16,000."
The above mills were destroyed by fire in 1832. The present mill was built soon after by Clifford & Bailey. It is now owned by John Gar- wood, and has a capacity of 50 barrels of flour per day. The saw-mill built by Mr. Bush in 1806 is now owned by Martin Herbolt.
At Bushville several years ago there was a very extensive canning fac- tory, which made a lively business in its day. But its success was not of long duration. Some of the plant was moved to Batavia.
In 1850 Charles Cornwall commenced making brick on road 50, and still continues the manufacture to the extent of about 100,000 yearly.
In 1875 some 20 members of Friends, at Bushville, built a church. The first person in charge of the church and society was Mary G. Weaver, now the president of the W. C. T. U. of the State of New York. W. L. Dean now attends to the spiritual wants of the society. There are 40 members connected with it. The church is built of wood, at a cost of about $500, and will comfortably seat 100 persons. They also have a Sabbath school of 25 scholars and three teachers.
A Dr. Northrup began practice at Bushville about 1840. He died in 1861.
At Dawes Corners, in the, north part of the town, on the Elba town line,
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Dr. J. K. Billings settled early. He was a noted physician in his day and practiced over a large scope of country. On the Buffalo road, six miles from Batavia, was located a tavern, at about 1826, kept by Solomon Fris- bie. In the southeast corner of the town one Bartholf kept a tavern stand as late as 1854.
One authority tells us that "Batavia" in the Seneca dialect is Ge-ne-un-da-sais-ka, the place of mosquitoes, or "Mosquito Town." Another Indian derivation is Deo-on-go-wa (the great hearing place).
From best information available we learn that early in 1801 (in Janu- ary or February) Mr. Ellicott fixed his mind on this location, determin- ing to locate the land office and build up a town. February 17, 1801, he writes to Richard M. Stoddard, at Canandaigua, as follows :
" I expect to make my establishment at or near the Bend of Tonnewauta, and there (or then) let the Genesee Road fork, one to be directed to Buffalo, the other to Queens- ton, and place my office in the fork looking Eastward. Should you be inclined to im- prove a 40-acre lot there you can have it."
The fork is where the arsenal stood, opposite the present residence of F. B. Redfield. A post route had previously been established, leading from Canandaigua, by Avon, to the Bend (Batavia), and thence through the " Big Plains," on the Tonnewauta Indian Reservation, to Lewiston. Mr. Ellicott, in writing to Paul Busti, May 30, 1801, says :
"Finding it extremely inconvenient living from the Post Road, I am about making an establishment thereon. I could have wished, however, for a place more central in my district, for the Queenston and Buffalo Road to have forked, but the Tonnewauta Reservation prevented. This establishment will be situate in the 12th Township and 2d Range. The Tonnewauta Creek, a stream of Water 80 feet in breadth, will pass through the Town, at the Western extremity of which the two most public Roads in this Country will fork : one leading to Queenston, in Upper Canada, and the other to New Amsterdam (now Buffalo) at the East end of Lake Erie, Presque Isle, and New Con- necticut. The Building Lots will contain 40 acres of land, 20 perches in front, and 320 in depth, being a sufficiency of land, well cultivated, to raise bread, and support a family.
" This place being the first establishment, its local situation cannot otherwise be than always a well situated Village, and probably the next County Town, and a Post Town, as soon as I can have a building erected for an office. I beg leave to compliment this place with the name Bustiville, or Bustia. Several lots are already spoken for, and one house erected."
July 14, 1801, Mr. Ellicott further writes :
" It is with pleasure that I enclose a plan of Bustia, or Bustiville."
Calling the place by that name was opposed by Mr. Busti, as convey- ing the idea of something ferocious, and Mr. Ellicott yielded to Mr. Busti's wishes. July 18th Mr. Ellicott, writing to John Thompson, directing him to go to Canandaigua, says :
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" You can return by Big Tree, and pay Minor for the Pork, and from thence you can explore the road Big Tree to the new town at the Bend. That place is not to be called Bustiville, as I had formally an intention, that gentleman not possessing a wish to have his name perpetuated in that way."
After Mr. Ellicott had abandoned the above name he designed calling it Tonnewauta, as appears by his letter of July 31, 1801 :
" In my last letter I neglected mentioning that I had given over the idea of covering the ' House' at Tonnewauta Town with bark. Indeed, I have ever considered those kind of coverings as money thrown away, when made use of for Dwelling Houses; as all work, done merely temporary, is labor, time, and money lost ; therefore my object is to have everything executed for permancey. Mr. Eggleston has engaged to be at Ton- newauta in two weeks, and make shingles and cover the House in a good and sub- stantial manner. I could have it done sooner, but am of the opinion this is the shortest period. If the roads are not too bad to bring some laths from the saw-mill it would be better to shingle on than split stuff. However, if the laths cannot be procured by the period the shingles are made, I suppose rived laths will do.
" P. S .- The pitch of the roof to be middling flat. I enclose a plan of Tonnewauta, which you will find is at last modified agreeably to my ideas when last there ; that is, to have the Public Square in the forks of the Big Tree and Connewaugus roads."
The precise point of these forks is near where Dellinger avenue inter- sects Main street, or where the Hon. D. E. Evans built his house (since occupied as a school by Mrs. Bryan), a view being obtained of all the roads in every direction. It will thus be seen that this place was once called " Tonnewauta," for a short time at least, and the " House " above noted was important as being the focus of operations of the Holland Land Company.
August 6, 1801, Mr. Busti wrote to Mr. Ellicott as follows ::
" By the sketch of the town whose name deriving from mine, I wish you to suppress, and to change to that of its founder, or, if you prefer it, into that of ' Batavia.' " 1
Mr. Busti also says:
" I approve of the cheapness of your prices for the lots, but as it may induce specula- tion I leave it to you to consider whether it would not be advisable to oblige the pur- chaser to build a convenient House, in a fixed period, on each Lot. The site of your of- fice is chosen with judgment, and I hope will stop all travelers to the West, to make bargains with you. I suppose that in the neighborhood of the office you will take 500 acres, the half of the 1,000 allowed to you according to contract."
September 8, 1801, Mr. Ellicott, writing from Ransom's, says :
" In respect to the Lots in the Town of Batavia I had anticipated your idea: I dispose of none but to absolute settlers, and only one lot to one man. My intention in laying out the town was for the purpose of forming a compact settlement, and should I dis- pose of four or five Lots to one man my object would be defeated : and if the place should ever become of much importance the purchaser of a Town Lot will be enabled to
1 In honor of the republic to which the Dutch proprietors belonged.
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speculate upon part of his front, which I conceived would be a sufficient inducement to encourage the settlement of the place. In respect to the 500 acres, the half of the 1,000 allowed by contract, I have not as yet fixed its boundaries."
The next allusion to the name of Batavia is in a letter from Mr. Elli- cott to Mr. Busti, dated West Genesee, October 3, 1801, and is as follows :
" In my last of Sept. 12th (from Canandaigua) I promised to write you immediately on my return to my office (Ransom's), at which place I expected to arrive in a few days, but on my arrival at Batavia I found it necessary to remain there to stimulate the hands employed in the erection of a Mill-Dam, at that place ; my Brother, who has that business in charge, being at times, in consequence of indisposition with a slight fever, unable to attend to it. In consequence thereof I was detained so long that I did not reach my quarters here until the 30th ultimo."
The first letter written from this place which would seem to settle its name is from Ellicott to Busti dated " Batavia, 7th Nov., 1801," and reads :
" I have delayed writing until this period, with a hope that I should have been ena- bled to inform you that the Saw- Mill we are erecting at this place, to accommodate the settlement with boards, was in motion, but in this I am disappointed. This season has. been extremely unfavorable for business, in this part of the country, as well on account of the continual rains, as that of almost the whole of the people in the infant settlement having been afflicted with the Billious and other Fevers, which circumstance has greatly retarded all our operations, as well as the settlement, and add to the catalogue of our misfortunes.
" The snow commenced falling the night before last, and is now 10 inches deep. I am happy, however, to be enabled to inform you that, amidst all the difficulties we have had to contend with, the Saw-Mill is in such a state of forwardness, that, without some- thing very extraordinary occurs, we shall be able, shortly, to supply the settlement with boards, an article much wanted.
" In regard to the name of this place, it heretofore was called the Bend, from the cir- cumstance of the Bend of the Creek, and is generally known by that name, but I have baptized it by the name of Batavia."
The saw mill above alluded to was an object of great solicitude. Its construction was of slow progress, but it was completed in December, as per letter of Ellicott's, dated "Ransom's, Dec. 4, 1801":
" The Saw-Mill I have been erecting at Batavia, which has cost a deal of labor, not being a natural seat, but a place where a convenience of this kind is absolutely neces- sary, will, the millwright informs me, be in motion by the 10th inst., at which period we expect to begin to make ourselves and the settlers comfortable floors, etc."
This saw-mill, operated until about 1822, was situated directly above the grist-mill that stood upon the ground where the present water works building now stands. The pine timber cut up at the mill was brought from the "Pinery" (now Elba, or Pine Hill), six miles distant, and, the demand for lumber being great, Mr. Ellicott employed Isaac Sutherland
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to cut a road to the "Pinery," and the job was commenced in January, 1802.
The building designed for the land office appears to have been com- pleted in December, 1801. It was a two-story log building of good size, and situated in front of where D. E. Evans's house stood; and in rear of it was erected a kitchen for the accommodation of Mr. Ellicott and his. household. On its completion John Thompson and others in the employ of the company occupied it, but Mr. Ellicott did not remove his office from Ransom's until the spring of 1802.
A road through the village being of vital importance, Mr. Ellicott en- gaged John Lamberton (with the assistance of one Mayo) to cut a road 100 feet wide and two miles long, from the west bounds of the village, where Mr. Redfield now lives, east, which road is now Main street. The contract price was $12 per acre, the timber to be cut up for logging, sub- sequently to be removed by the owners of the lots living upon the road.
A grist-mill was talked of as early as February, 1802, but was not com- pleted until early in 1804, which event was hailed with delight, for it was sadly needed among even the few residents at that time, who had been obliged to go long distances for flour and meal.
As early as 1801 this place was decided upon for a village and the permanent location of the land office, and several people were attracted here to look around for a residence, among them being Abel Rowe, who. arrived in March, 1801. He located on the lot opposite the present land office, raising the first building ever erected in the place. The first frame building was erected on what is now the corner of Main and Church streets, just west of where the old Presbyterian meeting-house stood, and was built by Isaac Sutherland in 1802 as a residence for him- self and family. About the same time he and Mr. Geer put up another frame building, designed for their use as a joiner's shop, east of the dwelling. James Brisbane purchased for $700, in the summer of 1803, the first building from Mr. Sutherland, which was occupied as a dwelling by James W. Stevens. It afterwards became Mr. Brisbane's residence.
During the summer of 1802 William Munger erected the west half of what was known as Keyes House (or tavern), occupied by him, then by Mr. Rowe, and afterwards by Keyes, who enlarged, improved, and kept it as a tavern for many years. It was referred to as "Rowe's Hotel," as appears in a postscript of a letter of Mr. Ellicott's to John M. Minor, of Genesee, in which he says :
" A line forwarded either to the Transit Store House, or Mr. Rowe's Hotel, at the- bend of Tonnewauta, will come to hand."
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Soon after this Stephen Russell put up a log house on the spot where the old " Genesee House " stood, and where the Genesee Hotel, a brick building, stood, corner of Main and State streets, being the second build- ing erected in the village. In March, 1801, Isaac Sutherland erected a log house on the Lewiston road northeast of the village. In the summer of 1802 Mr. Ellicott erected what was the east wing of the D. E. Evans residence, to which place he moved the land office, and the same year tore down the old two story land office.
Hotels and taverns .- Abel Rowe was the first tavern-keeper. He lo- cated nearly opposite the land office in 1801, but afterwards changed so Mr. Ellicott could locate his tract of 500 acres reserved by him. Rowe founded the "Keyes" stand, afterwards called "Frontier House." Under the administration of Rowe, and afterwards Keyes, the tavern was widely known in early times. It was the home of the early settler, whose busi- ness was with the land office. About its yard used to be seen the huge covered wagons that transported goods from Albany to Buffalo, and dur- ing the War of 1812 was headquarters for officers of the army. This building stood on ground now owned by George Brisbane. A part of it was moved to Church street, and is now used as a dwelling. Keyes oc- cupied it as late as 1829, and during the Morgan excitement announced himself as an anti-Mason. He was also proprietor of a line of stages. He died in 1833. At the court-house (now Ellicott Hall), in 1811, was a place of entertainment, the south portion of the building being used for that purpose. Aaron Van Cleve was sheriff and landlord. John Heacock (or Hickox) kept it in 1815. That portion of the building was so used up to 1820. One Ganson was the proprietor of an hotel in 1823.
Many of the present residents will recollect the "Genesee House," built by C. M. Russell, on the corner of Main and State streets. This was the location of the "Old Snake Den tavern" (one-half log and frame), which was burnt in 1833. C. M. Russell kept this place from 1802 until his death, in 1809, when Horace Gibbs (father of D. D. Gibbs) took pos- session. Mr. Gibbs married Russell's widow. He was a builder by oc- cupation, and was also a farmer and proprietor of a daily line of stages from Canandaigua to Buffalo, owning 75 horses. Other landlords there were, among whom were Burnham, a partner of Russell, Gifford & Put- nam, Belden, Monroe, and Gilbert, between 1825 and 1833. There was also John W. Stewart, brother of the late James W. Stewart, who kept it in 1826, and where William Morgan boarded. The old Eagle tavern was built in 1822, by Gibbs and a company. Erastus Smith, from Buffalo,
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was its first landlord. Bissell Humphrey, who had worked for Gibbs, was one of its most noted landlords. In 1827 he bought the site for $558.75, and put up a new tavern. This was of brick and painted yellow, and was burned in 1834. Another tavern or hotel soon took its place, and was called the " Eagle " until 1868, when Collins & Andrews changed the name to St. James. Some of its proprietors up to that period were Erastus Smith, E. Hall, Tisdale, Wilson (1857), Bradt, Van De Bogart (1863), McLean (1864), and Farnsworth (1866). O. C. Parker was there in 1886, when it was burned. A new and handsome brick structure, the Richmond, has been erected on its site, and is under the management of W. J. Mann, of Buffalo.
In 1815 Hinman Hoiden purchased of James Cochrane a small tavern, which he removed, and upon its site built an old-fashioned three-story framed " inn." This was about where 112 to 118 Main street is. Mr. Holden kept the tavern until 1822, when he leased it. Among its pro- prietors were James McKain (about 1825), Russell, Ezekiel Hall (1836), A. Smith (1840), J. Chatfield (who kept it as a temperance house in 1842), B. G. Tisdale, and others. David Danolds kept it in 1826, and it was here that Morgan and Miller were taken during the excitement. S. D. Green, an anti- Mason, succeeded Danolds. The American Hotel, a brick edifice, replaced it, which was burnt in 1850.
In 1813 a Mr. Leonard built the house now owned by Solomon Masse, and used it as a tavern. He died, and Cotton Denio married his widow and assumed the duties of landlord. Mr. Denio married for his first wife Debby, granddaughter of Benjamin Porter. At the east end of the vil- lage, where the Rochester road forks, a place of entertainment was kept by one Hurd, who was succeeded by a Mr. Johnson. Lamont Holden kept the West End Hotel at an early day. It is now under the manage- ment of Stephen W. Brown.
The Wilson House was opened in 1869 by one Mossman. O. C. Parker succeeded him in 1871, and D. Hooper in 1885, and it is now called the Tibbitts House.I The Western Hotel, built a good many years ago by Mr. Gast, was burned in 1889. On the present site of the Parker House was a tavern called the "Farmers' House," afterwards the "Allen House," and finally the " Western Hotel." It was kept by a Mr. Tisdale in 1847, by I. Backus in 1848, and by a Mr. Norton in 1859. John Washburn re- built it in 1868, calling it the "Washburn House." It was run by one
1 'The Tibbitts House has recently been purchased by Eugene H. Stone, who has changed its name to The Arlington .- Editor.
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Humphrey for a number of years, and L. S. Crocker had it as late as 1886, when it was changed to the " Purdy House," and O. C. Parker, in 1889, renamed it the " Parker House." The "Pioneer House " was next east of the " Eagle tavern," kept by Ezekiel Hall in 1825. E. Parmelee succeeded him in 1826, and Gifford & Putnam in 1831, when it was burned. The East End Hotel, 508 East Main street, was built in 1843, by An- thony Bechtel
The business of tavern-keeping in early days was a remunerative one, and the arrival and departure of stages was atttended with no little curi- osity and excitement. Batavia, being on the " Great Bend," was an im- portant trading point ; and being on the " State road " from Canawaugus to Buffalo all travel necessarily tended in this direction. A grant by the legislature was made, in the very early settlement of the place, to Lewis Street for carrying mail from Canandaigua to Buffalo, and to one Beach for carrying mail from Batavia to Lewiston. The stage started from Can- andaigua on Monday mornings at 6 o'clock, and, passing through Bata- via and Buffalo, reached Niagara on Thursday. The fare was six cents per mile. In 1817 a tri-weekly mail passed through Batavia. The advent of the railroads, in about 1837, caused a great depreciation in tavern and stage values, and the incentive no longer existed for keeping up the old- time hospitality. The stage proprietors continued to run their lines for about six years after the opening of the railroads.
The postoffice .- In early days mail for this village was directed to Gen- esee court-house, and as early as 1802 it was received and dispatched but once in two weeks, sometimes on foot, or on horseback, Canandaigua being the distributing point. James Brisbane was the first postmaster, his commission being dated July 21, 1802. He holding the office until 1806, when Ebenezer Cary was appointed in his place. Mr. Cary held the office until 1815, when his brother was appointed in his place, re- taining the office for 14 years. Trumbull Cary was clerk for Mr. Bris- bane, and also for Mr. Cary, and virtually discharged the duties of post- master from 1805 to 1829, or for 24 years. In 1823 Mr. Cary placed the office in full charge of William Seaver, allowing him the emoluments of the same, which condition was also carried out by Simeon Cummings, who became postmaster in 1829, retaining that position until 1836, when Mr. Seaver was appointed in his place. The latter filled the position until 1842, when, on the accession of Harrison to the Presidency, Dr. Levant B. Cotes was given the commission by President Tyler. Fred- erick Follett succeeded Mr. Cotes in 1843, who was succeeded by Dr. Charles E. Ford in 1849.
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