USA > New York > Cattaraugus County > Historical review of Cattaraugus County > Part 4
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The earliest settlers in rural Cattaraugus County were pre- dominately of early Colonial stock, having come hither from New England and northern and eastern New York. Their ancestors had come to America chiefly from England, although Scottish and "Mohawk-Dutch" constituted considerable of a minority as is in evidence by the appearance of family names of these types. The New England characteristic most in evidence is the retention of the rural twang, which still endures as the regularly spoken accent in the more outlying districts. In such communities as Leon, East Otto, Mansfield and Farmersville, this quaint dialect may still be heard in its most obvious form. In less isolated communities such as Steamburg, Great Valley and Hinsdale, the accent is considerably weakened, if not wholly absent.
Among the peoples who came to the county from foreign shores, the Germans were perhaps most numerous. The nineteenth century
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saw a heavy migration of German immigrants, most of whom settled in the middle-West. A part of them, however, purchased farms in New York State, a group of families often settling together. The towns of Allegany, Little Valley, East Otto, Ashford and New Albion contained many families of German extraction, and the German lan- guage was commonly heard in these towns, being especially used at the parish churches. The conversion of the rolling land in these town- ships into thriving dairy farms was largely due to the vigor and in- dustry of these energetic people. The term "Dutch" is often used as a slang word to indicate the German element, thus causing some con- fusion, since a few people of Netherlandish descent also inhabit the county, especially the so-called "Mohawk-Dutch."
The era of railroad building saw a considerable migration from Ireland, part of the immigrants settling in industrial centers along the railroads while others engaged in agriculture. Nicholas Devereux, the well-known land proprietor, had visions of western New York be- coming a region in which his countrymen might settle in huge num- bers, thus escaping the poverty and oppression which had featured rural life in their native land.
This vision never wholly materialized, although his promotion resulted in the vicinity of Ellicottville becoming the scene of settle- ment of a large number of Irish, the area thus occupied extending beyond the boundaries of that town into Franklinville and Great Valley. Other towns in which they settled in considerable numbers were Carrollton, Randolph, Allegany and Humphrey. As Olean and Salamanca progressed as railroad centers, a large number of Irish were to locate there.
The Irish had a considerable advantage over other foreign groups in that they were familiar with the English language before coming to America. The Irish language had fallen into the background during the period of English domination and English had become the reg- ularly spoken language in most parts of Ireland.
The promotion of education received the prompt attention of this race, and their efforts in this behalf aided greatly in the expanding program of public and private institutions of learning. Opposition to their Catholic religion existed in some quarters, but the qualities of good citizenship and Christian charity which they displayed went a long way toward breaking down this prejudice. The Irish usually took steps toward securing American citizenship soon after their arrival and took a prominent part in local political discussion. These two groups, Germans and Irish, were the only immigrant peoples to settle in Cattaraugus County in considerable numbers during its earlier history. The coming of the Poles, Italians and other groups took place at a later stage of county history. (See Section 16.)
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SECTION NINE 1890896
DEVELOPMENT OF THE SOUTHEASTERN TOWNSHIPS
The township of Hinsdale may be considered an immediate off- shoot of the Hoops' settlement at Olean. Major Hoops' estate origin- ally contained considerable of the land hereabouts, and many of the early settlers purchased their holdings from him. A tavern was opened in Hinsdale by Elihu Murray, Jr., in 1810, followed in 1817 by an- other operated by Simon Hicks. The road from Olean to Angelica, opened in 1817, passed through Hinsdale and gave it some stimulus toward development although, as mentioned previously, the road was ill-fitted for satisfactory use.
A story has been told of Simon Hicks concerning his adventure on his return trip home after purchasing two bags of corn from the Indians. The Indians had ground the corn with a hand-mill and Mr. Hicks placed it on his horse and mounted. While passing through the thickets, the horse became entangled among the slashings and logs in such a way that he was unable to proceed. While the beast was in this predicament, a band of wolves came upon the scene, apparently cutting off escape. Acting on the theory that here was a case of "every man for himself," Mr. Hicks dismounted from dobbin and proceeded to travel "on the wings of the air" for home by foot. He arrived at his domicile safely, but on his lightning-like excursion he had lost both his shoes. The next day a search was conducted and horse, corn and shoes were found unharmed. It may be assumed that Mr. Hicks' ac- tion in literally running out of his shoes to escape the wolves became the subject of much joshing at the Hicks' tavern for some time after- wards.
Regarding the town of Portville, its early settlement was featured by the parts played by the Athertons and Dodges. The Atherton brothers, Asachel, Rufus and William, came from Allegany County and settled a short distance below the mouth of Oswayo Creek. They were probably the only settlers in the town in 1809. Gideon Haskell and a man by the name of Hill settled along Haskell Creek in 1810. The four Dodge brothers, Jonathan, Lynds, Alfred and Daniel, are believed to have owned all the land within the limits of the present village of Portville at one time.
The Weston lumber mills, which were operated for many years by William Wheeler, were among the foremost industrial establish- ments of the county. When their business was at its height, they pro- duced about twelve million feet of lumber as well as a large quantity of shingles yearly. In 1849, Martin Comstock opened a tannery which, while it began with the employment of only one or two men, grew in
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time into a thriving industry employing about 150 men. This tannery made use of water-power for many years.
The first permanent white settler in Allegany was Ebenezer Reed, who came from Connecticut in 1820 and settled near the mouth of Five Mile Creek. William B. Orton and David Orton also settled in Allegany, but later joined the Mormons and went to Nauvoo in 1828.
Nicholas Devereux, a native of Ireland who had come to America in 1696 or 1697, was the owner of a large amount of land in western New York, and he envisioned a beautiful city on the banks of the Allegany River, the location of which was to be in the vicinity of the present St. Bonaventure's College. Devereux's plan called for a city built on the idea of the great educational centers of Europe, in which the university was the point around which the city was built. The in- tended city was surveyed and divided into lots, and a large building, intended as a hotel, erected. "Allegany City" never took the form Nicholas Devereux had envisioned, but his dream of a great educa- tional institution was in time to be literally fulfilled, resulting in the college and seminary of St. Bonaventure, one of the foremost centers of learning in New York State.
The village of Allegany, occupying the river flats on the right side of the stream between Five Mile Creek and the vicinity of St. Bona- venture's College, owes its growth to its position as an agricultural trading center, to the opening up of the oil and gas fields in the vicin- ity, and to the employment afforded by the tannery located south of the Erie tracks.
The earliest settler in the town of Ischua was Seymour Bouton, a native of Westchester County, and he and his family took an import- ant part in Ischua's early history. When the county government was organized in 1817, his son, Sands Bouton, became the first county clerk. Seymour Bouton kept the first store in the town, also the first tavern. The first school was taught in his barn in the summer of 1816 by Caroline Putnam. Other prominent figures in the early history of this community were Abram S. Farwell, a. native of Massachusetts, who came to this section in 1812, and Samuel Putnam, father of the above-mentioned school teacher, who came to Ischua about 1815. Ischua seems to have been wholly an agricultural and lumbering sec- tion, there being no record of any efforts in other lines.
The village of Ischua, in the northern part of the town, is pri- marily a trading center for this farming community.
The first settler in the town of Humphrey was Russel Chappel, who came from Schenectady in 1815 and settled along Sugartown Creek. Several years later he moved to Chappelsburg, which was the name applied to a small hamlet located at the junction of Wright Creek road and the highway leading toward Five Mile. Mr. Chappel opened a tavern at Chappelsburg and subsequently became the first
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postmaster. Archibald McMurphy built a saw-mill on Wright's Creek, and this stream became the power of operation for three saw-mills along its banks. In 1823 Stephen and Benjamin Cole came from On- tario County and settled at Humphrey Center, which name was applied to another hamlet a few miles north of Chappelsburg. Stephen S. Cole, referred to above, became the first supervisor of the town and later his son, George W. Cole, became a member of the New York State Supreme Court. The first store at Humphrey Center was kept by F. B. Salisbury; much of the merchandise which he sold was brought from Buffalo by means of horses and wagons.
The policy of the authorities in paying bounties for the extermi- nation of wolves appears to have resulted in trouble in Humphrey on at least two occasions. Two Indians, John Logan and David Snow, both claimed the bounties for killing several wolves. This dispute was settled by compromise, but a similar controversy between Hatfield Cooper, a white man, and two Indians, later came before Justices Cole and Wright, resulting in verification of Cooper's claim.
The occupation of Carrollton was largely the result of its re- sources favoring the development of the lumbering industry. The number of inhabitants was small for many years, but by 1860 nearly eight hundred people resided in the town. Charles Foster, Horace Howe and Marcus Leonard were among the earliest settlers, coming on the scene in 1814. Aaron Kelogg claimed to have founded the first permanent home in the township after coming to Carrollton in 1828. He had previously been a resident of Mckean County, Pa. Many of the inhabitants of Tuna Valley possessed boats and Levi Leonard oper- ated a ferry boat across the Allegany for about twenty years. About 1850 a bridge was opened across the river at the mouth of Chipmunk Creek, and it seems likely that Leonard's ferry service was discon- tinued at about that time.
The valley of Tuna Creek became a flourishing lumbering center and several steam operated saw-mills were established there. Steve and Jesse Morrisson operated one a few miles above the mouth of the stream, and in 1857 B. F. Irvine and Nelson Parker opened a large mill at Irvine. This mill is said to have produced four million feet of lumber and two million shingles during its most thriving years. Most of the Irvine Mills products were transported by raft down Tuna Creek and the Allegany River.
The village of Irvine Mills, a thriving hamlet for a time, was destined to disappear after the decline of the lumbering industry.
The advent of the railroads was largely instrumental in develop- ing Limestone on the eastern side of Tuna Valley rather than at its original sight.
The tannery, located between the main street of the village and the railroad, was later removed from the scene, a severe blow to the
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village. Many of the present dwellings are old tannery houses. The opening up of the Bradford oil and gas fields gave Limestone a new lease of life, it being the only industry other than agriculture to thrive in the community in its later days.
James Green is believed to have been the first permanent settler in Great Valley township. He had come from New Hampshire to Olean and later at Killbuck, where he established the first saw-mill in the town. His brothers, Francis and Richard Green, settled near the mouth of Wright's Creek where they engaged in lumbering and mill- ing. Ira Norton located at Peth in 1816, coming from Franklinville. Benjamin Chamberlain, destined to become the famous judge, came to the township in 1816 and operated a grist mill, saw-mill and store, probably at or near Peth. Other members of the Chamberlain family, his father and four brothers, John, David, Simon and William, also located in the township. The hills and valleys about the Great Valley Creek abounded in stately pines and hemlocks, most of which were marketed during the first half of the 19th century.
James Green's mill at Killbuck, founded in 1812, was followed by others, and it has been stated that a mill existed for almost every mile of distance from Killbuck to Ellicottville. The first mill in the town which was operated by steam was opened at Killbuck in 1815. Peth was a thriving lumbering center for many years. During the spring, Great Valley Creek was the means of shipping thousands of feet of lumber by rafts. Creek rafts consisted of one string, four or five plat- forms in length. Because of the heavy volume of activity in the lum- bering business, Great Valley was rather slow in the promotion of agriculture. This handicap, however, did not prevent the township from becoming one of the foremost dairying regions after that in- dustry had supplanted lumbering as the county's foremost rural industry.
During the summer of 1841, Nicholas Flint, who had purchased a holding from the Holland Land Co. near the junction of Willoughby and Wright Creeks, supervised the digging of an intended water well which was destined to lead to curious results. According to tradition, the laborer digging the well left a crow-bar in the excavation, after which he ascended from the well. The next time he descended to re- sume his task, he discovered that the crow-bar had disappeared. It was the opinion at the time that the tool had slipped into a cavern between the rocks. The well was dug to a depth of about forty feet after which, as water had not been discovered, the owner decided to build a stone wall around its interior hoping that water might enter it in the course of time.
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A few boards were placed over the well for the protection of the children, and a tradition states that a warning, "Don't let the oxen go near the well" was given, the well probably being near the road from the public highway to the barn.
During the fall of 1841, at the first snow fall according to tradi- tion, the Flint children while playing near the well, noticed the snow on the boards blowing gently by the force of some breeze. Investiga- tion revealed a breeze blowing from the depth of the well. Further observation showed the current "inhaled" at times while at other periods it "exhaled." It is said that "inhaling" indicates the approach of a storm, while the "exhaling" indicates its passing. For long periods it is inactive. Its current might be compared with that which drains the dust into the blower-pipe of a machine.
Mr. Flint made a willow whistle which he placed at the top of the well and the sound of this device could be heard for a considerable distance at times. The sound of this whistle is the probable cause of the Flint house, located in front of the well, becoming known as "the haunted house." There are no traditions, however, of ghosts or goblins using the dwelling as a center of operations for prowling about the neighborhood, such as they were accused of doing by the good people of Sleepy Hollow.
The odd features of this well, like the dimple on Mary Brown's chin, became the subject of wonder by representatives of science. The best information the writer has been able to gather of their de- ductions is that they believed a cavern had been opened up in the earth. But this statement is decidedly lacking in clarification. The report that the alternation between inhaling and exhaling success- fully fortells the weather, as well as the exact nature of the force be- hind the current, could be made the subject of an exhaustive investi- gation. The air which arises from the well is completely odorless. Another similar well is said to have been discovered in Oklahoma in recent years. The well is still as dry as when dug, nearly 100 years ago. It is well to remember, however, that the shallowest well pro- ducing a regular water supply in that neighborhood is considerably deeper than the "breathing well."
The village of Carrollton grew to a position of considerable prom- inence after the Erie railroad was completed, and it was the point of embarkment for both the passenger and freight trains running on the Bradford branch. The village was further enlivened by the presence of a kindling-wood factory, employing about two hundred men at its height. Several streets containing a considerable number of dwellings were situated near what is now the vacant land between the baseball field and the river, and it was also in this section of the village that the kindling-wood factory was located.
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The lumber mill which flourished for a time left the scene during the 1890's. The kindling-wood factory left about the same time. and the Erie began the policy of operating the Bradford Division from Salamanca. These changes proved to be the undoing of Carrollton's. prosperity. Its rapid. decline gave it a resemblance to the "boom towns" of the mining regions of the West, which, after their metals had been depleted, became "ghost towns." Dodge City, Virginia City, and now Carrollton.
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SECTION TEN THE DUTCH HILL WAR
The years 1836 and 1837 were featured by class-struggle in parts of New York State between some of the land companies and their agents on one side, and a large element of their dissatisfied tenantry on the other. Notable in this conflict was the sacking of the Mayville office of the Holland Land Company on February 6, 1836. A similar attack was made on the Batavia office of the same company a short time later, and its seizure by the mob was prevented by a timely mobilization of military strength. The bitterness of the tenants to- ward the land company took the form of a conviction that the land company was demanding tribute for property on which a large share of the value was determined by the improvements made by the occu- pants themselves. Paul D. Evans, in the introduction to the book, THE HOLLAND LAND CO., says : 1
"Debtor and creditor have ever been but lukewarm friends. Their relationship in general has been less pleasant still when based upon the sale of land the value of which depended in large degree upon labor given to it by the debtor. Particularly was this true after the democratic idea had become firmly fixed in many American minds that the mere labor of exploiting wild lands was sufficient contribution to the country's welfare amply to merit for the settler a gift of the lands themselves."
The validity of the Holland Company's claims in this section had been brought into question, a prominent Buffalo attorney being one of the foremost figures of the dissatisfied faction. The Holland Land Co. faced the issue squarely and selected two pieces of property in each of several western New York counties, the validity of which was to have a legal test. Although there had thus far been no trouble in Cattaraugus County on this point, the Holland Co. made a legal test of their claim on the holdings of William Cooper of Persia, and Seth Cole of Burton. The decision in the two Cattaraugus County cases, as elsewhere, established the validity of the company's claims. It is quite possible that the land company's action of bringing about these two test-cases was a detriment rather than an aid to their cause. It brought to tenants certain dawnings on the nature of their dealings of which they might otherwise have been left in ignorance. It clearly defined the issue as one of landlord against tenant, and the relation- ship between the two classes had thus far existed without serious friction.
At any rate, the years 1844-1845 were to bring the county serious trouble over this issue. The main theatre of excitement was an area of rolling land known as Dutch Hill, on the heights between Olean
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Creek and Five Mile Run, at about the town-line between Hinsdale and Ischua. Sympathy with the dissatisfied tenants, however, was not limited to this neighborhood, but dominated whole sections of the eastern part of the county.
In the year 1823, Jacob and George Learn, brothers, had taken a single contract from the Holland Land Company for the purchase of over three hundred acres on Dutch Hill. It is stated that Jacob Learn cleared most of the Dutch Hill road himself, there having been no road to the property at the time of the purchase. The contract called for a small down payment, the remainder to be paid in installments lasting over a period of ten years. The estate was divided into two farms, one occupied by each of the brothers. For fourteen years the Learns occupied these two farms without making any payment ex- cept the small sum paid at the outset. During this interval, the Hol- land proprietors had disposed of a considerable amount of their hold- ings, including title of the Learn estate to the Devereux Land Com- pany. The latter company subsequently conferred title to the Jacob Learn property to Goold Hoyt, while the farm on which George Learn resided was assigned to Russel Nevins.
About six years after Messrs. Hoyt and Nevins took over these claims, they requested the Learns to make some step toward settle- ment but were met with a refusal. They waited until the following March (1844) before making their next move, at which time they be- gan suits of ejectment. The occupants made no defense and judgment by default was the result.
Writs were placed in possession of Sheriff George W. White who, on June 12, 1844, went to the home of George Learn, on Dutch Hill, with legal authority to remove the occupants from the premises. The sheriff, however (having instruction to act in this manner by Hoyt and Nevins), agreed not to remove the occupants if the Learns would come to the proprietors' land office and draw up new contracts. It has been said that George Learn might have agreed to do this had he not been prevailed upon to refuse by certain other parties. The Learns refused to comply with the sheriff's offer and consequently the sheriff and his aides began removing the household goods from the dwelling.
Almost immediately a mob of excited and determined sym- pathizers appeared and commanded the sheriff to leave the property. According to one report, the sheriff was so violently attacked that the injuries he received were believed to have hastened his death, which occurred a few years later. Sheriff White, said to have been unarmed and having only a small band of aides, did not battle with the mob, but withdrew from Dutch Hill.
A short time after this affair, a public mass-meeting was held at Hinsdale at which "the land-holders were denounced, their titles dis- credited and resistence recommended." Other meetings were held in
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neighboring communities at which similar passion was shown. At one of the protest meetings a resolution was passed which, after stat- ing that the participants were assembled to "consider relations with certain persons claiming to own a large share of the real estate of the county," declared that it was the "opinion of a large part of the inhabitants of the eastern part of the county that these persons had no legal title to the land in question ... that they could not give good titles, but were determined to force occupants to pay for the protec- tion of lands which their own labor had made valuable."
The resolution ended as follows :
"Resolved, that we seek a good title and reasonable prices, and we seek not to obtain these by force, but by fair and honorable nego- tiation. We highly scorn and repudiate the idea of setting the laws of our country at defiance or violating them in any case whatever, until we have been driven to that extremity where we should be morally justified in violating the letter of the law in defense of our natural rights, in protecting ourselves and our families from the iron grasp of aggressiveness."
A short time after the sheriff's unsuccessful attempt to eject George Learn from his Dutch Hill residence, warrants were issued for the arrest of eleven persons said to have taken part in the disturbance. Action on the warrants was delayed for a considerable length of time, however, and the effect of this delay was an increase in the self- confidence of the Dutch Hill sympathizers.
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