USA > New York > Genesee County > Gazetteer and biographical record of Genesee County, N.Y., 1788-1890 > Part 53
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But it is due to the brave hearts who went from our town to the war, never to return, that at least brief mention should be made of their honored names. Some perished on the bloody field ; some in the more terrible and slower death of the southern prison. "They died that the country might live." There was Olmsted at Andersonville, and either
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by shock of battle or wasted by disease there were added to this roll of honor a Hazelton, Thomas, Calvert, Hascall, Hoffman, Swift, Graves, Tyrrell, Bell, Clark, Rose, Gladden, Frasier, Avery, O'Connor, Stamp, Houston, Darrow, McLochlan, King, Moody, Rogers, and the Kinnes. Though no monumental stone has been erected to their memory, they will ever be held by a grateful people in lasting remembrance.
" How sleep the brave who sink to rest By all their country's wishes blest !
* *
There Honor comes a pilgrim gray To bless the turf that wraps their clay ; And Freedom shall awhile repair To dwell a weeping hermit there."
Le Roy .- It was not until 1813 that the name of the town was changed and received the name of Le Roy. The following were the first town officers : Dr. William Sheldon, supervisor; Thomas Tufts, town clerk. The other town officers were Benjamin Ganson, Asa Buell, David Le Barron, Philo Pierson, Salmon Turrell, David Biddlecom, Richard Waite, Henry Prindle, G. Newell, L. Fowler, G. Terry, A. Hascall, and J. Has- call. The town took its name from Herman Le Roy, who was an afflu- ent gentleman of French descent of the old school at the beginning of the present century, residing in the city of New York. His connection with the land tracts of Western New York had commenced in behalf of certain residents in Amsterdam, Holland, known afterwards as the Holland Pur- chase. Being aliens the company could not hold the fee of lands in this country, which disability was afterwards removed by the legislature of New York. The purchase was made in several conveyances of Robert Morris, the distinguished patriot and financial officer of the Revolution, who was tendered the place of Secretary of the Treasury in Washington's first cabinet, and whose large fortune was freely contributed in the sup- port of the war. The tract was bought of the State of Massachusetts, on the failure of Phelps & Gorham to perform their contract, and consisted of 3,300,000 acres, reserving the Indian title, which was gradually, by several treaties, extinguished, the first at Buffalo in 1788 and the second at Big Tree (Geneseo), at less than one cent an acre. By later councils these reservations were further reduced, and the last of the once powerful Senecas are now found in the small reservations of Cattaraugus and Tona- wanda.
In all these concessions Red Jacket, whom our older citizens remem- ber when he made his home with his people, the Senecas, upon the Gen- esee, and on the camping-grounds on Wolcott street and Ganson's Brook, was an eloquent and uncompromising opponent. He was facile princeps of his tribe and race. It was displayed when a young man in the first treaty between the Six Nations and the U. S. commissioners, after the close of the Revolutionary war, at Fort Stanwix in October, 1784, where his marvelous eloquence in opposition gave him his Indian name of power, Sagowatha, the " keeper awake." General La Fayette, who was present
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TOWN OF LE ROY.
at this council, was so fascinated with his power that it was not forgotten 40 years after, on his visit to America, when, in an interview with Red Jacket at Buffalo, he inquired for the young Cicero who had so captivated the council, and was surprised to receive answer from the chief himself that he was the man. He had subsequently frequent occasions for the display of his indignant eloquence against the further surrender by his people of their hunting-grounds and council fires ; but all in vain. By one treaty after another he saw his own tribe, the Senecas, surrender them for a bare pittance to the white man. He stood firmly and boldly against it in the treaty at Buffalo Creek in July, 1788 ; again in the council held at Canandaigua in October, 1794, followed by the one at Big Tree (Gen- eseo) in 1797, when still greater concessions by his tribe were made, until at last he lived to see it dwindled to the present narrow reservations from the vast territory it once possessed. It was the old story of the Indians, fate when in conflict with the pale face and civilization, which no eloquence or logic of theirs have yet been able wholly to resist. But with Red Jacket it embittered the close of his life, and he persistently refused to use the speech or the dress of the white man, or conform to his habits, except as the unfortunate victim of the vice it had introduced among his people. So uncompromising was his bitterness toward his conquerors that Gen. Ely S. Parker, a Seneca and one of Gen. Grant's staff, said that among Red Jacket's last requests was that " white men should not dig his grave or bury him." Notwithstanding this hostility Buffalo has done him honor, in admiration of his genius and his eminent service in the War of 1812, by the removal of his remains to Forest Lawn, and erecting in 1883 a noble monument to his memory, with impressive ceremonies, conducted by its historical society. It was a merited honor. Did a William Tell or a Brutus ever display a loftier patriotism ? As justly might it be said of Red Jacket as of the latter, " This was the noblest Roman of them all."
It is a sad instance that these and other land speculations, of which there was a mania at the close of the Revolutionary war, should have proved late in life the financial ruin of the patient Morris. So great was the reverse of this opulent merchant prince, who, unaided and alone, sustained the army of Washington during the trying period of 1781, that he was, in the crisis which followed, actually imprisoned for debt, and for a time became the tenant of a prison. We have the testimony of his son, Thomas Morris, that his advances to the government were reim- bursed. But he died poor, and his widow was sustained by a dower in - terest of $1,500 from the Holland Purchase.
The parceling out of these several tracts to different companies has more of an historical than local interest, as the title of the owner and occu- pant has long been fixed and settled, and each settler now reposes under his own vine and fig tree.
The final sales of the Holland Land Co. were made and the office closed in 1835. Among the early subdivisions of the original Morris tract was what was termed the "Triangle," consisting of 85,000 acres, of which Le Roy, Bayard, and McIvers became the purchasers.
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· The Le Roy family naturally took a lively interest in the town, where a large landed interest was centered, and from whom it had derived its name. Jacob Le Roy, the son of Herman, came to the village to reside in 1821. having then recently married Charlotte Otis, of Massachusetts. He came as successor of Egbert Benson as land agent of the "Triangle." His brothers, Edward and Daniel Le Roy, followed. The former re- moved to Canawaugus, where he occupied and cultivated a large farm, which he subsequently sold to Gen. James Wadsworth. Daniel opened a store in Le Roy in 1822, under the firm name of Le Roy & Co., pre- viously occupied by Mr. Annin, on the site of the present store of S. Loucks. Trade had now centered and become fixed on the west side of the Oatka. Daniel did not continue long in business before he returned to New York. In the year 1826 Jacob Le Roy built the grist-mill upon the site of the Stoddard & Platt mill, and commenced flouring on a scale hitherto unknown in the West. It is the present mill of C. F. Prentice. He enlarged the Egbert Benson office to a spacious dwelling, on the east side of the Oatka, known as the Le Roy mansion, now occupied by Will- iam Sheldon and the grounds by the Le Roy Academic Institute His grounds were beautifully laid out, with the choicest fruits and flowers, and he was noted for his wide and generous hospitality. He was a brother-in- law of Daniel Webster, the great orator and statesman, whose visits here are remembered by many of our oldest citizens. In one of the volumes of his published speeches there is a dedication by him to the Le Roy family, highly appreciative and laudatory. It was in one of these visits that Mr. Webster had a reception, which drew a large number of his admirers from the country round, with whom he had free and cordial intercourse, who were not a little surprised that the Marshfield farmer was as much at home in agriculture as in affairs of State, and in advance of all in knowledge of stock. Mr. Le Roy, during his residence in the village, was highly respected and esteemed for his uniform courtesy and liber- ality. He donated the lot on which the old Episcopal Church and rectory stood, and was one of its principal supporters. This was con- tinued after his removal to the East, to New York, in 1838, where he resided many years, until his decease. He subsequently donated $1,500 to the church. But one of his children, Otis Le Roy, survives him, who is a resident of New York city.
Joshua Lathrop and family removed to Le Roy from Norwich, Vt., in 1824, and he became the successor of Jacob Le Roy in the agency of the land office. His office was in the present brick dwelling of Mrs. Eliza- beth Brown, daughter of the late C. B. Thomson, after its use as a store had been abandoned, and his dwelling was on the same premises, still occupied by his son, F. C. Lathrop. Mr. Lathrop continued as agent of the company until its final close, when he became the owner and pro- prietor of the present Le Roy flouring-mills, and conducted an extensive milling business until his decease. In all of his business relations Mr. Lathrop bore the highest character for strict probity and honor, and he
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TOWN OF LE ROY.
was also noted for his urbanity and courteous manner in his business and social intercourse. He was a member and liberal supporter of the Episcopal Church of the place for a period of 25 years and a continuous member of the vestry. Mr. Lathrop was a man of but few words, but of exemplary deeds, and through life maintained the reputation of a pub- lic spirited and useful citizen. He died in August, 1856, aged 69 years, leaving a widow, since deceased. His present surviving children are Mary, the widow of A. F. Bartow, Esq., Ruth, and Frank C. (the private banker of the village), all residents of Le Roy ; Joshua, a produce dealer of New York; and Lydia, the widow of Daniel Pierson, of Cincinnati, O. His daughter Rebecca (since deceased) was married to Rev. G. D. Gilles- pie, the present bishop of Western Michigan.
The following is a list of the supervisors and town clerks of Le Roy from its organization in 1813 to 1890 :
SUPERVISORS.
William Sheldon
1813
Dr. David C. Chamberlin 1857-58
David Le Barron.
1814-15
Hon. A. P. Hascall 1859-60
Ella Smith
1816
Walter G. Gustin. 1861-62
Thomas Tufts. 1817
John H. Lent (died). 1863
William Sheldon 1818-19
Abial Robertson .
1 863-64
Thaddeus Joy. 1820-22
Walter G. Gustin . 1865-68
Willis Buell ..
1823
Richard L. Selden
Daniel Le Barron
1824
W. Le Roy Bishop
1869
Harry Backus 1825
Gates 1 826-27
W. Le Roy Bishop.
1871
John Hascall. 1828
Seth M. Gates. 1829-30
1831-35
Samuel Gillette. 1875
Knowlton Rich. 1840-41
Richard L. Selden 1876
Elijah Platt. 1842-46
Samuel Gillette. 1877
Abial Robertson.
1847-48
Walter G. Gustin.
1878-79
William Morgan
1849-52
Samuel Gillette .. 1880
John G. Bixby .. 1853
John Tomlinson.
1854
Melvin D. Pratt
1887-90
John J. McPherson
1855-56
TOWN CLERKS.
Thomas Tufts.
1813-15
M. Gates
1824-25
Heman J. Redfield
1816-17
A. P. Hascall. 1826
Willis Buell.
1818-20
J. H. Stanley 1827-78
M. Gates.
1821
James B. Gillett . 1879
Timothy Fitch 1822-23
Samuel F. Comstock. 1 880-90
Early industries. - Among the early tavern-keepers was Charles. Wilber, in 1797, who was also a justice of the peace. He was suc- ceeded by Capt. John Ganson in 1798. Samuel Davis, C. H. Thomas, and Gen. Daniel Daviş were tavern-keepers east of the village.
The Eagle Hotel was built in 1825, and was on the site of Auntie Wemple, kept by Maj. James Ganson, who died in Michigan, Ebenezer Hall, Theodore Dwight, Lewis Jackson, and Powell Carpenter, Jr., who was proprietor for 25 years, and died in 1885, aged 82 years. J. W.
Samuel Gillette. 1873
Dennis Blakely.
Walter G. Gustin . 1874
John Tomlinson. 1836-39
Samuel Gillette. 1870
William S. Brown. 1872
Richard L. Selden 1881-86
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Lyon was proprietor in 1868, and Edward Search succeeded him. A Mr. Wilcox was landlord in 1875. W. C. Reed, the present proprietor, succeeded him.
The old Globe and Eagle, which had a sign of a large globe, was kept by Rufus Robertson in 1816, a Mr. Walbridge in 1827, Elisha Stanley, J. H. Stanley, Sornberger, Spencer, Lyman Ballard, and A. G. Collins, who sold to Wiss, when the name was changed.
John Lent kept tavern in the house now occupied by Gen. Bissell, on the hill. His store was also in the same locality. It may be mentioned here that in the "tavern days," before the railroads, stage travel was a large item ; for 10 or more stages, with four horses, and six horse freight teams passed Le Roy daily. Freight to Albany was $10 to $30 per ton. Whisky was three cents per drink.
Before the Erie Canal there were over a dozen distilleries in this vicin- ity. Corn would not pay for transportation ; whisky would ; and many farmers had their corn made into whisky on shares, and at the distillery hogs and cattle were fattened. The foremost in the business was Thomas Tufts, who was also the last one to close up. Elisha Stanley built one on Fort Hill, on lot 8, in 1812, and a grist-mill near by in 1841. William Morgan had one above Coe's brick yard; J. & M. Colton had one on the hill; and J. H. Lent, who run a mill as well as a hotel. Lampson and Lent were his successors. Dickey had one on the west side of Prentice's mill race. W. Merry had one on the brook near Roanoke road. Fred Foot run one on the flat southeast of Mrs. John- son's. Joseph Annin had a distillery in 1822, and Jonathan Le Barron had one near the paper-mill on the same ground where Jacob Le Roy owned one. It was the largest west of the Genesee River, and was de- voted to the manufacture of proof spirits for the Albany market. There was one also on the Beechnut lot, at the head of the pond.
Elijah Warner built an ashery in 1817, and made potash for five or six years. Thaddeus Joy also had an ashery, and north of the Episco- - pal Church was one owned by a Mr. Sherman. .
Martin O. Coe started an oil-mill as early as 1816. It was afterwards purchased by L. C. Morgan, and in later years was owned by Foreman, Starr & Co., and I. M. Foreman, who sold to a Mr. Rogers. He now makes about 25 barrels per day. The seed was mostly raised in Wyom- ing County. Martin O. Coe and Uni Hurlburt operated brick yards. About 1812 J. & A. Nobles had a carding factory where Haskins's mill now is, and one Stewart run one where Tomlinson's mill was. Samuel Clifford also run one in 1833. Luther Newton made bed-cord and kept hotel on the road between here and South Le Roy. James Ballard made hats from 1820 to 1831. A. E. Hutchins and D. Sevey made chairs. Richard Waite was the first blacksmith, and Stephen Stillwell was a shoemaker.
Tomlinson's mill, on the Oatka, two miles southwest of Le Roy, was . first built in 1831, by John Tomlinson. It was a frame building with
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TOWN OF LE ROY.
three burrs. Formerly a large business was transacted. Thomas Tufts also operated a mill on the same site. Now only a small feed business is located on the spot.
D. &. W. Graves operated a tannery below the mill on the flat. Shedd and Ganson were workmen under them, and they afterwards carried on the business in that locality. Jacob Le Roy built a flouring-mill about 1832, about one mile north of the village. In 1869 it was sold to W. F. Jones, who manufactured wrapping-paper there until it was burned in the spring of 1887. Before and after the year 1835 threshing machines were being built at Deacon Webb's foundry, which was located on the bank of the creek near where the Episcopal Church is now located.
Schools .- Like all early settlements of New England stock in the insti- tution of schools Le Roy was not behind. The log school-house fol- lowed closely upon the log cabin. As early as 1801 a log school-house was built opposite the old Dr. Sheldon farm, and the first teacher was Luseba Scott, afterwards the wife of James Ganson. She was succeeded by Phœbe Bates, sister of Asher Bates, and in 1803 by Mrs. Stephen Wolcott. The first framed school-house west of Genesee River was erected in 1804, by a joint stock company organized at a meeting where Daniel Davis was chairman and William Coe, secretary. It was formed by a company, of which there were 30 shares at $4 each, of which one-half could be paid in labor, produce, or building materials. The bachelors evinced their interest in the cause of education and the rising generation by taking one share each. The first teacher called was a Mr. Pomeroy, of Albany. He was succeeded by David Hascall. It was located a little east of the primitive log one. On the advent of Thomas Tufts, on West Main street, a school-house was erected opposite the Lent tavern, where religious services were often held, as were also meetings of the Masonic fraternity. Dr. William Coe gave evening in- struction in the higher branches after his settlement. Later Rev. Calvin Colton, the first settled pastor of the Presbyterian Church, also gave in- struction in the classics.
The Round-house in fact became an educational institution instead of a Masonic lodge, for which it was originally designed. This somewhat noted building in its day had its origin with the Masonic fraternity here in the year 1825. The order had its existence here from the commence- ment of the settlement, and its meetings had been in the school-house, partly built by it, on the Tufts lot on the corner of Craigie street ; also meetings were held in the ball-room of the Ganson tavern. The build- ing was of a circular form, from which it took its name as the Round- house ; was 40 feet in diameter, and built of brick. The ceiling on the first floor was 16 feet in height; the second was not as high, but of the same circular form. The mystery of mysteries was designed to be conducted in an upper room, called " the sounding room," from the echoes that followed any sound in it. The square tower in front had also three stories, and above them a belfry of 20 or 24 feet, and the
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GENESEE COUNTY.
whole height of the imposing Masonic pantheon was 70 feet. But its use for the purpose of its construction was never demanded. The popu- lar excitement, which grew out of the taking off of Morgan in the autumn of 1826, who was spirited through Le Roy, arrested its purpose. The printer Miller, of the Masonic book, was arraigned on a bogus charge before Jacob Bartow, then a justice of peace here ; made this the central point of agitation from whence sprung the Anti-Masonic party, destined to spread over the Union. It was, from the circumstances of its origin, and the mystery which veiled the deep damnation of the taking off, the cause of bitter party feeling, which divided families, churches, and com- munities. Political aspirants soon took advantage of the excitement and made " down with Masonry " the banner cry of the Anti- Masonic party in the State. The first convention was held in Le Roy, of which men- tion has before been made. It brought many new men to the surface, and the party organization spread into the adjoining states, and it be- came a National party which nominated William Wirt for president. But it was a meteor party which had its day, and like the baseless fabric of vision passed away. It, too, achieved its good, in exposing the danger of secret societies and binding oaths-which conflict with the safety of the person or the State, and which none more than the present Masonic fraternity now repudiate and denounce.
But it is in its educational use that the Round- house has a conspicuous place. It was never finished by the projectors for the purpose designed. The lower room was used for religious purposes by the Congregational Church, and for public meetings and lectures. The second story was finished off for a school room in 1828, and occupied as a select school until its demolition in 1859, and the erection of the Universalist Church on its site. It was rented to Mr. Hatch and afterwards to a Mr. Brad- ley. In 1834 the school passed into the hands of William Le Roy An- nin, who still lives, and from his "reminiscences " the present writer is indebted for many of the foregoing items. He gives his personal experi- ence and says in this connection :
" I had been to the Wadsworth school in Geneseo at its opening in October, 1827, and had remained about two years. Not then being prepared to enter Harvard Col- lege, I spent most of the two other years in teaching and studying privately, and then joined the Sophomore class of that institution and graduated in 1834."
On his graduation he rented the Round-house and opened a classical school, which was a success. William Le Roy Annin is an accom- plished scholar, especially in the Greek and Latin classics, and at an ad- vanced age still pursues his favorite reading and studies. He is usually selected by the Regents of the State in the examination of the schools here previous to the award by the board to them of the public moneys. He was the first child born after the organization of the town.
Afterwards Messrs Daniels and Olmsted had a flourishing school in the building, and still later Joel Whiting, Messrs. Brooks, Reed, McCall, Beckley, and others. The demolition of the Round-house rendered the
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TOWN OF LE ROY.
erection of another and more commodious edifice for school purpose as necessity.
It will revive this period of our early history by giving an extract from a letter written by an intelligent lady of the village, on the 26th of June, 1826, cotemporaneous with the laying of the corner-stone of this Masonic temple. She thus graphically writes :
"The site of the building is nearly opposite the church, and is to unite taste and elegance in an uncommon degree. Its cost is to be $7,000, $4,000 of which is to be supplied by the different lodges in the State and the remainder by the village. The spirit of Masonry is excessively prevalent in these parts, as the display on Saturday clearly evinced. Among the novelties of the scene I was particularly struck with the ladies and babies walking in procession ; the latter of course in the arms of the parent, whose turn it might be to bear the lovely burden. The procession of Masons, headed. by a band of music, marched to the base of the temple. halted, parted to the right and left, while the ladies from youth to age, two by two, marched through the lines to the. spot where the ceremony of laying the corner-stone was performed ; from thence in like order to the church, where an oration was pronounced (it being St. John's Day), thence to Ganson's tavern, where 250 females took dinner, and double that num- ber of men-the former within doors, the latter in a bower made for the occasion. The company dispersed, without accident, in vehicles of various form and size, chiefly drawn by mares with colts in train. The whole was a rare exhibition."
The trustees into whose hands the Round house fell were John Lent, I. M. Murphy, Israel Rathbone, William Sheldon, John Jackson, John Clifford, Marshall Smead, James Ganson, Ezekiel Hall, and Jonathan Barron, all of the Masonic order. It was disposed of by them to J. G. Barbor, who held it until the time of its sale to the Universalist Society,. when it was demolished.
The Le Roy Academic Institute grew out of this necessity. It was de- signed from its origin for a first class institution for English and classical; instruction for both sexes. It was started by its friends by a stock sub- scription, which was promptly filled, and the requisite amount raised for an organization which was completed, and in 1864 an incorporation obtained from the legislature of the State. D. R. Bacon was the first president; L. N. Bangs, secretary; and J. R. Olmsted, treasurer. The first term commenced January 5, 1865. Its first principal was J. K. Lombard, from 1863 to 1865, and on the resignation ¿of Mr. Lombard, E. Har- low Russell succeeded him as principal, remaining until 1874. In recog- nition of the high character of the school the town of Le Roy, by a decisive vote, appropriated $10,000 for the institute. Since its first or- ganization it has maintained, without any diminution, its high standard of instruction in the classical and modern languages, and in the natural sci- ences as well as in music. The several principals who succeeded Mr. Russell (who resigned to accept the headship of the Normal School at Worcester, Mass.) are as follows : Alvin P. Chapin, 1875; Prof. W. H. Munroe, 1875 to 1879, called from here to the presidency of Deveaux College ; and the present principal, F. C. Comstock, who took charge in 1880. The academy was never more flourishing in number of pupils than under the present principal. The officers of the board of trustees for 1890 consist of John Maloney, president ; Fred A. Steuber, vice-
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