USA > New York > Allegany County > Gazetteer and business directory of Allegany County, N. Y. for 1875 > Part 14
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Black Creek Valley Cheese Factory received in 1873, from 700 cows, 2,426, -
*The name of Ilaight, was derived from an individual of that name who agreed to donate 100 acres of land for the benefit of the town on condition that it bore his Name. When a deed of the land was asked for he refused to give it lest the name might subsequently be changed. He expressed a willingness to give a contract which should guarantee the land to the town so long as the latter retained his name. The people resented the parsimonious vanity by changing the name.
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203 pounds of milk, for product of which $32,507 14 was received. #28,256.62 was divided among the patrons. The price paid for making was $1.62} per hundred. The average price received for cheese during the season was $.1305. The average receipts from each cow were $40.360.
The Genesee Valley Canal and the line of the Rochester, Nunda & Pennsylvania R. R. cross the south-east corner of the town in the valley of Black Creek.
The population of the town in 1870 was 1142 ; of whom 1083 were native, 59, foreign and all, except one, white.
BLACK CREEK, (p. o.) situated on Black Creek, in the south- east part of the town, is a canal village on the line of the R .. N. & P. R. R. and contains two churches, (Baptist and M. E.) one hotel, two stores, one harness shop, two blacksmith shops and about seventy-five inhabitants.
MCGRAWVILLE, (New Hudson p. o.) (so named from having been owned by one named McGraw,) is situated on Rush Creek. near the north line of the town, and contains a store, cheese factory, blacksmith shop and ten or twelve dwellings, all of which are located on lands owned by Wm. Simpson Jr. of New York City, who owns the buildings und about 11000 acres of the adjoining lands. The dwellings are mostly tenement houses occupied by Mr. Simpson's workmen.
NORTH VALLEY is & hamlet on Rush Creek a little above McGrawville.
Settlement was commenced in 1816 or '17 by John Spencer, who located in the north-west part, near the town line. Spen- cer Lyon, a native of Waterbury, Vt., located in the south part. on lot 49, in 1820. James Eastwood, John C. McKeen and Capt. JJames Davidson, from New Hampshire, settled in the south part in 1821. Elias D. Briggs came in with his father from Schenectady Co. in July, 1822. They came with an ox team. the journey occupying seventeen days. Stephen Clayson, a native of Westchester Co., removed to Steuben Co. in 1819, and to lot 33 in the south-west part of this town in 1822, and has since lived here. Mr. Clayson says that once when he was drawing logs a deer chased by dogs came up to his oxen and stopped, seemingly for protection. He put his arms around the deer's neck and held him till a rope was procured and put around his horns, when he was taken to the barn. Jacob Mc Elheney was born in Pennsylvania in 1499 and removed with his parents to Tompkins Co. He moved into this town in 1823 and settled at Black Creek. Wyatt Swift and his son George HI .. from Vermont, settled in the town in 1824. Peter Ault, a native of Canada, settled on road 30, in the west part, in 1825 ; and Nehemiah Bosworth, a native of Vermont, located on lot
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55. in June of that year. Alden Griffith and S. Blodget had previously settled in the same locality, at North Valley, and were among the first settlers there. Jared C. Hurd came in with his father in 1826 and located at Black Creek. Harry Hibbard, a native of Vermont, settled where he now lives in 1>27. James R. Bell and his son Nathaniel D. Bell, from New Hampshire, settled on lot 55, at North Valley, the same year, Benjamin Whipp'e, a native of Cayuga Co., settled in 1828, on lot 31, where he now lives. Orlin Marsh, a native of Vermont, settled on road 23 in 1831. Marshall Gere came in with his father from Ontario Co. and settled on lot 71 in 1830, and subsequently removed to the place where he now lives. Benjamin Vanfleet, a native of Orange Co., came in with his father in 1832. Charles Sayres, a native of New Jersey, set- tled where he now lives the same year. The first settlers in that locality were James and Wm. Wright who took up the farin Mr. Savres now occupies. The first birth was that of Mary McKean, in 1821; the first marriage, that of Earl Gould and Catharine Eastwood, in June, 1822. The first school was taught by Mrs. Graham McKean in the summer of 1821. The first inn was kept near Black Creek, in 1826, by Wm. Andrews, and the first store, near the same place, in 1830, by Nelson McCall. The first saw mill was erected on Black Creek, in 1829, by James Davidson.
The Black Creek St. Religious Society (Congregational) was organized with six members, as a Presbyterian society, June 4, 1822, by Rev. Robert Hubbard. The first church edifice was erected in 1832 or '33; and the present one, which will seat 250 persons, in 1849, at a cost of $1,600. The first pastor was Rev. Reuben Hurd; the present one is Rev. John T. Marsh. There are forty members. The Church property is valued at $3,000. In 1831 a division of the Church took place, the seceding party locating at the center of the town. It was subsequently removed to North Valley,and in 1844 was reorganized as a Congregational Church with thirty- right members, by Rev. A. S. Allen. Both churches claim the original organization of 1822. The seceding Church is denominated the Congre- national Society of New Hudson and consists of sixteen members. Their house of worship will seat 200 persons. It was erected at a cost of $1,200. The Church property is valued at $2,000. [Information obtained from Mr. N. D. Bell and from the Church Records.
The M. E. Church, nt Black Creek, was organized about 1827 or '28, by Rev Jonas Eastwood, the first pastor. The church editice, which will seat 200 persons, was created about 1839, at a cost of $1,000. The Society numbers thirty and is under the pastoral care of Rev. E. B. Williams. The Church property is valued at $1,500. [Information furnished by Mr. Jacob B. Me Witheney.
RUSHFORD was formed from Caneadea, March 8, 1816. Haight (New Hudson) was taken off April 10, 1825. The first town meeting was held at the house of Levi Benjamin, in
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April, 1816, and the following named officers were elected : Dr. Dyer Story, Supervisor ; Pliny Banister, Town Clerk ; Abel Bel- knap, Mathew P. Cady and Roderick Banister, Assessors; Tarbel Gordon. J. White and James Orcutt, Commissioners of Highways; Daniel Wood. Collector ; Levi Benjamin and Thomas L. Pratt, Constables ; Ebenezer P. Perry and Levi Benjamin, Overseers of the Poor ; Dr. D. Story and Abel Belknap, Inspectors of Schools.
The town lies upon the west border of the county, north of the center, and contains 22,350 acres. The surface is a hilly upland and is divided into narrow ridges by the valleys of the streams tributary to Caneadea Creek, the principal stream, which flows east a little south of the center and divides it into two distinct parts. Quarries of building stone, several sulphur springs, and a brown mineral paint resembling ocher are found in the town. The soil is a shaly loam underlaid by hardpan. The dairying interest of this town is important and increasing. As much cheese is made in this town as in any in the county.
The population of the town in 1870 was 1636; of whom 1528 were native, 108, foreign and all, except fourteen, white.
RUSHFORD, (p. v.) situated in the center of the town, on a small stream tributary to Caneadea Creek, is the seat of Rush- ford Academy, (incorporated by the Regents March 4, 1852, ) and contains four churches, two hotels, several stores and mechanic shops, a saw mill, cheese factory, foundry, tannery, an under- taking establishment and about 115 dwellings. The popula- tion in 1870 was 543.
Rushford Academy is located on the main street. The build- ing was erected in 1851, at a cost of $4,786, which was defraved by the town. Its present value is $6,750. It is now a graded school, employing three teachers.
Rushford Foundry, located on the main street, was erected in 1844, by Luther Gordon & Bros. and is now owned by Messrs. White & Blanchard, who are engaged in the manufacture of cheese factory furnishing goods.
Rushford Cheese Factory is owned by Charles Helmer, was erected in 1863, receives the milk of about 1100 cows, and manu- factures over 500,000 pounds of cheese per annum, some of it pine-apple cheese.
EAST RUSHFORD, (p. o.) situated on Caneadea Creek, about one and one half miles east of Rushford, contains a grocery, tannery, saw mill, sash, door and blind factory, grist mill, black- smith shop and about twenty-nine houses.
Settlement was commenced in 1808, by Eneas Garey, from Vermont, who located on lot 30. He built the first framed barn, which is still standing on road 23, three miles from Rush-
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ford village. Settlements were made in 1810 by Abraham J. Lyon, from Sullivan, Madison Co., and Charles Swift, Abel Belknap, Amos Rose, Joshua Wilson and Joseph Young, from New England. Lyon located on lot 35, where his son Ebenezer P. Lyon is now living. He was a lawyer by profession. IIe held the office of justice of the peace and was for several years county Judge. Young came from Weathersfield, Windsor Co., V'i., with an ox team, the journey occupying twenty-two days. lle settled on lot 31. Bethiah Belknap and Samuel Gordon, born this year, (1810) the former in the spring and the latter on the 12th of June, were the first births in town. John Gor- don and Samuel Hardy, from Vermont, came in 1811, and loca- ted, the former on lot 29 and the latter on lot 37. Tarbel and W'm. Gordon settled about the same time. ,Settlements were also made this latter year by Daniel and David Vaughn, natives of Washington Co., and Ezra Lewis and father, from Mass. The Vaughns are now living in the town of New Hudson. David came with his father from Cayuga Co., and moved to New Hudson in 1830. Damel moved there in 1832. Ezra Lewis, who also removed to New Hudson, (where he is now liv- ing.) in 1824, says when he first came in here he went six weeks without bread, having no wheat, nor money to buy it with. The first marriage occurred in 1811. The contracting parties were Win. Rawson and Lawrence Swift. Wilson Gordon, a native of Covendish, Windsor Co., Vt., settled on lot 4, March 20. 1812. James Gordon came the same year and settled on lot 55. Ile came with an ox team and was twenty-one days in completing the journey. Abraham Crabb, a native of Herkimer Co., and now residing in New Hudson, also came here in 1812 and set- tled in the south-west part. Roderick Banester, from Vermont, who married Esther, daughter of Eneas Garey, the pioneer set- tler, and Luther L. Woodworth and John White settled here in 1813. The latter two came in company from Connectient on foot. Woodworth was a native of Coventry, Conn. He located on lot 2s. He says three brush heaps and they only then marked the site of Rushford village.
When he came the Indians had underbrushed the woods where he is living, along Caneadea Creek, and occupied it as a camping ground. Plina Banester taught the first school in the winter of 1813-14. In this year also (1813) the first grist mill was built by a Mr. Warren. " 'This was a very small mill, the bolting cloths of which were made of book muslin, and the upper stone was hung upon a spindle at the end of the shaft of a tub wheel, and no interme- diate gearing. The first miller was drowned in 1815, while re- pairing his mill dam." Pomeroy Johnson came from Vermont. in 1814 and settled a little north of the center of the town.
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Elijah Lyman, a native of Weathersfield, Vt., moved in from Springville, Pa., the same year and settled about two miles north of Rushford village. In 1815 Levi Benjamin, from Ver- mont, settled on lot 30. He was the first postmaster at Rush- ford, and kept the first inn a little north of that village. In 1816 the first saw mill was built by Mathew P. Cady and others, on Caneadea Creek ; and in this year also the first store was opened by Judge James MeCall. His store was the first framed building in town. Says a writer in the Allegany County Advo- cute of April 2, 1869. " The venerable Judge James McCall, the early merchant, was State Senator for a number of years, and filled many other important public offices, and was conspicnous in the various enterprises that have contributed to the prosper- ity of the place. He raised a family of thirteen children, twelve of whom, at least, lived to become married and settled. The cold season, 1816, caused almost an entire loss of the small crops of the new settlers here, and in most of the new settle- ments, an extreme scarcity of provisions prevailed. The Judge owning a mill, controlled nearly all the grain, and in the kind exercise of his monopoly, he gave his miller orders to sell no more than forty pounds of flour or meal to any one man, and not to sell any to those who had teams and the means to go to the older settlements for breadstuff. Afterward, when his snp- plies were reduced, he limited the amount to be sold to any one person, to twenty pounds. Thus the poor and destitute were partially provided for until the next harvest." Settlements were made in this year (1816) by James Kendall, a native of Mass., who came with his family from Windsor, with an ox team, and located on lot 44 ; by David J. Board, who came from Castleton, Vt., settled on lot 22, and established the first black- smith shop; and by Ely Woods, a native of Windsor, Vt., who came with an ox team, in company with David Kenney and Jacob and Elijah Childs, and settled on lot 22. Ely Woods built the first framed house on road 24, three miles north-east of- Rushford, in 1819. His wife, Nancy M., daughter of Eneas Garey, is said to be the first woman who slept in the town of Rushford. Abel and James Tarbell, brothers, and Nathan C. Kimball and family, natives of New Hampshire, settled in 1820, the two former on lot 53, and the latter on lot 37. The Tar- bells moved in from Vermont with ox teams and when they arrived they had together but one shilling. Kimball came from the town of Catharine, Schuyler Co., and followed the business of a dry goods merchant. He died March 10, 1855. Samuel White came from Vermont and settled on lot 28, in 1821; and Micah Hall settled on lot 61, in 1824. Othniel Perry and An - dre Bennett were settlers of a very early day.
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The first religious services were held by Rev. Mr. Sanford, a Baptist, in 1813 , and the first Church, belonging to the same denomination, was formed by Rev. Nathan Peck, a missionary from Boston, in 1815.
The First Baptist Church, in Rushford village, was organized with six members, by Elder Beckwith, Nov. 8, 1815. The first house of worship wis erected in 1818; and the present one, which will seat 400 persons, in 1-2's, nt n cost of $3,000. The first pastor was Rev. Titus Gillett, the present one is Rev A. V. Eddy. The Society numbers 138. Its property is valuedl nt $3,000. [Information furnished by L. C. Kimball, Church Clerk ]
The M. E. Church, of Rushford village, was organized with ten mem- bers, by Rev. E. Metealf, in 1816. The first pastor was Rev. C. Story; the present one is Rev. Z. Hurd. The church edifice was erected in 1854. It cost $6,000, and will seat 850 persons. There are 123 members. The property of the Church is valued at $10,000. [Information furnished by Mr. James G. Benjamin. ]
Rashford First Presbyterian Church, in the village of Rushford, was organized with nineteen members, by Revs. Lemuel Hall, Phineas Smith and A. S. Allen, April 16, 1838. The house of worship was erected in 1×12, at a cost of some $2,000. It will seat 300 persons and, with other Church property, is valued at $3,000. The present number of members is thirty-two. The first pastor was Rev. Royal Twitchell; the present one is Rev. John W. Lane, our informant.
The First Free Methodist Church was organized with seventeen mem- bers, by Rev. J. W. Reddy, the first pastor, in 1861. Their first church editice was purchased in 1861 and was subsequently burned; the present one, which will seat 250 persons, was dedicated in 1873. There are sixty- seven members, who are under the pastoral care of Rev. T. B. Catton. The Church property is valued at $2,000. [Information furnished by Rev. T. B. Catton, the pastor, and Mr. C. English, the clerk.
SCIO was formed from Angelica, Jan. 31, 1823. A part of Amity was taken off Feb. 22, 1830, a part of Willing, Nov. 19, 1851, and n part of Wellsville, Nov. 22, 1855. A part was annexed to Wellsville in 1868. It is an interior town, lying south of the center of the county, and contains 22,289 acres. Its surface is a mountainous upland, the highest summits being 700 to 1000 feet above the valleys. It is watered by Genesee River, which flows north through the central part, and Vande- mark and Knights creeks, the former of which discharges into the Genesce on the east and the latter on the west. The soil is principally a sandy lonm. This is an important lumbering town. It contains eight saw mills and three grist and flouring mills.
O. W. Roby's flouring and grist mill is operated by both steam und water, contains two runs of stones, and is capable of grind- ing 200 bushels of grain per day. A saw mill, also belonging to Mr. Roby, is operated by water power, contains a muley saw, nud is capable of sawing 3,000 feet of lumber per day. The mills when run to their full capacity give employment to six persons.
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Potter Bros. steam saw and shingle mill, located on Knights Creek, about two miles above Scio, contains a circular saw and is capable of cutting 10,000 feet of lumber and 10,000 shingles per day. When both mills are running five persons are em- ployed.
Budd & Lindsay's steam saw and shingle mill, located in the south-east corner of the town, contains a circular saw, employs nine persons and is capable of cutting 10,000 feet of lumber and 12,000 shingles per day.
E. C. Elwell's saw mill, located at "Riverside", on the Genesee, contains a circular saw for cutting lumber, a shingle machine, a matcher and planer and a lath machine.
L. D. Browning & Co.'s grist mill is located on the Genesee, about one mile above Scio.
Wm. H. Hamilton's steam saw mill, located in the north -east cor- ner of the town, employs four persons and is capable of sawing 6.000 to 10,000 feet of lumber per day. It is said to be the oldest saw mill in the county. The Erie R. R. crosses the town in the valley of the Genesee, on the east side of that stream.
The population of the town in 1870 was 1652 ; of whom 1551 were native, 101, foreign, 1576, white and 76, colored.
Scro, (p. v.) situated on Genesee River and the Erie R. R., in the northern part of the town, is a pleasant little village of abont 1000 inhabitants and contains four churches, (Union, Methodist, Episcopal and Catholic) two hotels, one grocery and provision, five dry goods, two drug and one jewelry stores, one grist mill, three steam saw mills, a shook factory, a harness shop, two shoe shops and four blacksmith shops.
Settlement was commenced in 1805, by Joseph Knight and his son Silas, from Oneida Co., who located at the mouth of Knights Creek. Win. Knight, son of Joseph, who was three years old at the date of his father's settlement, is still living on the farm then taken up. Mr. Knight cut his road, the first in the town, most of the way from Belmont. The only roads then in existence in this region were sled roads. The nearest post office was at Angelica, which was then the only one in the county ; and the nearest grist mill was at Caneadea. Silas Bellamy and Silas Palmer settled in 1809, the former at Scio village and the latter in the north part of the town. Among the first settlers were Benjamin Millard, Charles Smith, Alvah G. and Barnabas York, Nehemiah Clark, Benjamin Palmer, Daniel Benjamin, John Burrell, John Cook, John Middaugh, Allen Foster, Abram Midlaugh, Alvin Middaugh, Wm. Earley, Peter Gordon, Stephen Palmer and George Sortore. Joseph Clark, from Herkimer Co., settled here in 1815 ; and Israel Herrington,
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who cleared the first acre in Andover, and Isaac Ray, from Delaware Co., Pa., in 1824. Polly, daughter of Silas Knight, who was born in 1806, was the first child born in town, and her death, in 1808, was the first in town. The first marriage Was contracted by Silas Bellamy and Betsey Knight, in 1809. The first school was taught in a part of Silas Knights' house, in 1516, by Lucy Moore. Alfred Johnson kept the first hotel in a little log house a little south of the town line, on the farm now owned by Wm. Niekerson, in 1821. Benj. Palmer built the first saw mill in 1822, and the first grist mill in 1823.
The First M. E. Church of Scio was organized with twenty members, by Rev. Win Buck, the first pa-tor, in 1845. The church edifice was erected in 1990, at n cost of $3000. It will seat 300 persons. The Society num- bers seventy-tive, and is under the spiritual tutelage of Rev. M. D. Jack- son, our informant. Its property is valued at $4,500.
WARD was formed from Alfred and Amity, Nov. 21, 1856, by action of the supervisors which was legalized April 2, 1858. The first town meeting was held at the house of N. H. Rey- holds. March 3, 1856, and the following named officers were chosen : Silas W. Cartwright, Supervisor; Michael J. Bower, Town Clerk; Jeffrey M. Thomas, Andrew Baker, Lorenzo D. Collins and David H. Babbitt, Justices of the Peace; Joseph Ed- wards Jr., Assessor; Silas W. Cartwright, Commissioner of High- ways; George A. Bushnell, Collector; John Penny, Overseer of the Poor; Wm. Fuller, Alex. Black and Henry Sheldon, Inspec- lors of Elections; George A. Bunnell, Orson P. McOmber, Pat- rick Hogan, Isaae Sprague and John Sheldon, Constables; aud Loren Bennett, Seuler.
It is an interior town, lying a little south-east of the center of the county, and contains 17.455 acres. The surface is a hilly upland, the highest summits being 500 to 800 feet above the valleys. It is drained in the north by Philips Creek and in the east and south by Vandemark Creek. The soil is a clavey loam upon the hills and a gravelly loam in the valleys. The chief pursuit of the farmers is dairying. There are three cheese factories in the town.
The population in 1870 was 745; all of whom were white, 693, native and 52, foreign.
PHILIPS CREEK, (p. 0 ) situated on the creek of the same name, near the north line of the town, contains two churches, three stores, two blacksmith shops and about twenty dwellings. A steam grist and saw mill is in process of erection ..
Settlement was commenced in 1817, by Abraham Walldorf from Onvida Co. Daniel Hart und Hezekiah Ward settled in the northern part in 1817-18. Stephen Easton, from Seneca
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Co., came about that time. Harvey Thompson, from Living- ston Co., and Joseph Goodrich, from Rensselaer Co., came in 1819. Goodrich kept the first store and the first hotel. James Allen, from Rhode Island, moved in in 1820. Henry Sheldon moved in from Genesce Co. in 1823, and Simeon Brown, from Ontario Co., in 1826. The first settlers on Vandemark Creek were Wm. Tucker, Alex. Black, Beriah Bliven, Joseph and Uriah Goodrich, Gardner L. and Lorenzo D. Worden, William 1). Black, Benj. Powers George Maxson and Reuben Chadwick, who came in between 1819 and '30. The first death was that of Luther Powell, in 1827. The first grist mill was built by Benj. Powers, near the site of Thomas & Bliven's cheese factory.
During the war of the Rebellion this town Inrnished eighty- one soldiers, of whom seventy-one were credited to Ward, three to Scio, three to Amity, two to Lockport, one to Victory and one to Hornelleville. Of this number four were killed in bat- tle, five died from wounds received in battle, four died in prison, six in hospitals and one at home, and one deserted.
WELLSVILLE was formed from Scio, Andover and Willing, Nov. 22, 1855. It is an interior town, lying south-east of the center of the county, and contains 22,647 acres. Its sur- face is broken and mountainous, the highest smmits being 800 to 1,200 feet above the valleys. It is watered by Genesee River and streams tributary to it, the principal of which are Dykes and Chenunda creeks, all of which flow through deep, narrow and winding ravines, The soil is mostly a sandy loam.
The Erte R. R. passes through the northern part of the town. The population in 1870 was 3.781; of whom 3,010 were na- tive, 471, foreign and all, except thirteen, white.
WELLSVILLE (p. v.) (Genesee Station ) is situated on Genesee River, at the mouth of Dykes Creek, and on the Erie R. R., and contains five churches, ( Presb., Bap., M. E., Prot. Epise, and R. C.) two newspapers, ( The Allegany County Reporter, published weekly by an association and edited by G. W. Dickinson, and the Allegany Co. Democrat, published weekly by Wm. W. Nich- ols,) two banks, eight or nine hotels, fifteen or twenty saloons and restaurants, or places where whisky or beer or both are sold, one public hall, three tanneries, two grist mills, two foun- deries, one sash, door, blind and moulding manufactory and several paint, carriage and otter mechanic shops. The popu- lation in 1870 was 2,034. It was incorporated as a village Oet. 12, 1857.
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