USA > New York > Chautauqua County > Portland > Historical sketches of the town of Portland : comprising also the pioneer history of Chautauqua County, with biographical sketches of the early settlers > Part 5
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The interests of the three separate divisions of proprie_ tors before spoken of, were so intimately united or blended that their affairs were placed under the control of one general agent, as though there existed no separate interests ; in fact none did exist, practically, as far as the purchaser was concerned. the books of the company being the only means of distinguishing the amounts of the separate interests.
At the time of the sale of these lands by- Robert Morris to the Holland Company in 1792-3, the Indian title had not been extinguished. The transaction, how- ever, was accompanied by an agreement on the part of Mr. Morris to extinguish that title; the company exerting its influence and lending its aid to bring about the result.
After due notice and agreement, a council of the Seneca nation was held at Genesee on the Genesee River, in September 1797, at which the aboriginal title to the lands in question was transferred to the company except eleven reservations specially designated and described, amounting in the aggregate to three hundred and thirty- eight square miles; and amongst which were the Catta- raugus and Alleghany Reservations, each containing forty- two square miles. These two are mentioned as being of more interest to the local reader.
One other transfer of a part of the company's lands we will refer to before leaving the matter of title. Forty-one years from the time the title fully vested in the Holland Company, in the year 1838, the company by their agent, John
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THE TOWN OF PORTLAND.
J. Van Derkemp acting under a power of attorney, conveyed all their unsold lands in the county of Chautauqua to Johin Duer, Morris Robinson and Wm. H. Seward, in whom the title remained till recently, excepting such parts and parcels since sold and conveyed. At this writing there are less than eight hundred acres unsold in the county, and none in the town of Portland.
It is not the design of the compiler to pursue farther the investigation with reference to title; the only object of thins far pursuing it being to make plain the prominent facts with reference to the general changes that have taken place from the time of the grant by James I. King of England, in 1606, to the vesting of title of lands in wes- tern New York in the Holland Company ; that the reader may have a knowledge of what is not very generally understood with reference to these titles, and wherein rests the title and security of the many happy homes in the town of Portland and of all western New York.
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IHISTORICAL SKETCHES OF
CHAPTER XII.
Surveys-Joseph Ellicott Surveyor-His fitness for the work-Augustus Porter Surveyor for Robert Morris-Lines run around the whole tract-Eastern boundary determined in 1798-Ranges and Townships, Lots and Reservations Surveyed -Size of each-Chautauqua Surveyed into Townships and Lots-Land Office located at Mayville-No. of Ranges and Townships in this county.
We shall not enter into a description of the surveys of the lands of the company which followed immediately upon the extinguishment of the Indian title, except so far as it may seem necessary, and to a fair understand- ing of the same in our own county and town. We will however notice some of the more prominent facts with reference to them, and as fast as is consistent with the original design narrow down our investigations.
In 1797, Theopholus Cazenove was the general agent of the Holland Company, and resided in the city of Phil- adelphia. In July of that year, and preceding the extinguishment of the Indian title, he engaged the ser- vices of Mr. Joseph Ellicott as chief surveyor of the company's lands. Mr. Ellicott had been engaged more or less in the service of the U. S. Government, and had under the direction of the Secretary of War in 1791 run the line between Georgia and the Creek Indians, and was a man eminently fitted for the position he was des- tined to occupy with reference to the company and its affairs for the remainder of his life, or until disease com pelled him to relinquish the active duties of life and seek in retirement to recuperate the worn out energies of his active mind and body.
As soon as the result of the treaty held at Geneseo
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THE TOWN OF PORTLAND.
was knowń, Mr. Ellicott in company with Augustus Porter as surveyor on the part of Mr. Morris, commenced a survey to ascertain the amount of land, in the whole traet secured to the company, beginning at the northwest corner of the mill seat traet, twelve miles west of the mouth of the Genesee River, and following the shore of Lake Ontario to the mouth of the Niagara River, thence along the east bank of that river to Lake Erie, thence along the south shore of Lake Erie through the now towns of Hanover, Sheridan, Dunkirk. Pomfret, Portland, Westfield and Rip- ley in the county of Chautauqua to the line between the state of New York and Pennsylvania ; this being a meridian 79º 50` west from Greenwich and running due sonth from the west end of Lake Ontario. The survey was successfully accomplished thus far by the 15th of November following. In the sum- mer of 1798 the eastern boundary line of the tract was determined by Mr. Ellicott. Owing to various difficulties and the necessity of accuracy in establishing this line, but eighty-one and a half miles were surveyed and established on the 22d day of November, at the close of operations for the season. There are no known data by which to determine the time when this line was completed. When this line was being run and afterward, other parties of surveyors were engaged under the direction of Mr. Ellicott in surveying the tract into ranges, townships and lots. and determining the boundaries of the various Indian res- ervations, necessarily but very imperfectly defined at the execution of the treaty in September 1797. This work was accomplished or nearly so at the close of the season in 1800. The ranges of townships were run from south to north, and number fifteen ; the townships run from east to west. They were six miles square or as nearly so as it was possible to make theni considering the various offsets, and streams that were encountered, and each was divided into sixty-four lots each of which was intended to contain three hundred and sixty acres thongh varying often
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HISTORICAL SKETCHES OF
for the same causes given for varying the size and form of some of the townships. There is a large difference in the size of the lots "in the town of Portland, as may be seen by referring to the table on page 29. The territory now con- tained in the present county of Chautauqua was surveyed into townships in the year 1800, and between that date and 1810 the various townships were surveyed mostly into lots by William Peacock, who at the latter date received the appointment of local agent and established an office in Mayville. Within the county of Chautauqua there are six ranges of townships containing twenty-seven full and six parts of townships, the last formed by the irregularities of the boundaries on the northern border. The first office for the sale of lands by
the company was opened at Batavia in the year 1801, and those locating within the county previous to 1810 were obliged to make their application there.
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THE TOWN OF PORTLAND.
CHAPTER XIII.
Settlements-First Settlements in the County-Settlement of each town in the County in their order.
Before proceeding to notice the first and early settle- ments of the town of Portland specially, it will be neces- sary in order to a full and fair understanding of their progress, or at least interesting, to consider in brief the progress of settlements in the various portions of the county. The settlement of the county was rapid, almost unprecedented, from the first attempt to the outbreak of the war of 1812 and for many years after its close. The western part of the Purchase had gained a reputa- tion for richness of soil and salubrity of climate, long before it was placed in market or even surveyed, second to no region of equal extent. This was the earliest per- sonal recollection of the writer, and on his removal to the county in 1827 he found his early impressions and expec- tations more than realized. Strong arms and earnest hopes exercised for long years ; privations and sufferings of which their descendants have faint conceptions however. were necessary before the full fruition of their hopes could be realized by the hardy pioneers. Many of them with whom he has since become acquainted removed with their own teams from some of the New England states, and the slow plodding ox-team at that, driving a cow or two, a few sheep, and possibly other stock, grown upon the old homesteads where their fathers aud perhaps their grand- fathers lived and died: and the children, sons and daugh-
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HISTORICAL SKETCHES OF
ters, and possibly their wives relieving the over-driven team by trudging along on foot.
The whole country was covered by a dense forest of gigantic trees with luxuriant undergrowth, and of necessity the progress of improvement by the settler was slow and toilsome: but by a rigid course of industry and economy his success as a general rule was certain, and he obtained a title to his land and surrounded himself and family with the comforts of life, and often with luxu- ries that wealth only can bestow. With some he has conversed who were pioneers of the town of Portland who spent their last dollar in reaching the land of promise, and entered their land at the office "by the payment of a single Spanish quarter, their open.' honest countenances being their only endorsers." A certain amount of improve- ment however was required in each case, which was sure to be made in due season. It is gratifying that such men succeeded. Through their exertions literally the "wil- derness was made to blossom as the rose:" and those who have not passed to "that bourne whence no traveler returns," are enjoying the fruit of their labors surrounded by an abundance of the good things of life. and are going down at last with the honest and com- forting reflections of a well spent life.
It is proposed to refer next to the first settlement of the county at Westfield. and afterward briefly to the first settlement of each town in the county, asking the reader to remember that at the time of such first settlement not one of the towns had its present boundaries or was known by the name it now bears: but they are given in order that the mind may the more readily take in a knowledge of the various locations. In some instances it has been extremely difficult to arrive at the facts with ref- erence to names and dates. but it is believed that the statements are are all of them correct. James MeMahan was the first white settler of the county of Chautauqua.
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THE TOWN OF PORTLAND.
He was a native of Northumberland county, Pennsylvania, and first passed through this county in 1795, having in view a residence somewhere on the lake border. He event- ually located a tract in Harbor Creek, Erie county, Penn- sylvania, farm now owned and occupied in part by Joseph Y. Moorehead, and returned to his home in North- uumberland county. The next year he came to his new purchase, cleared a piece of ground of a few acres in extent, sowed it to wheat, built a log house, and again returned. The next year, 1797, he left his old home, and with his family, a wife and one child, after days of toil and hardship took possession of his "Settler's Palace" in the midst of a then almost unbroken wilderness. Two other families came with him, Joseph McCord, a brother- in-law, and Thomas Robinson. The log house of Mr- McMahan stood very nearly on the ground now occupied by the brick house of Mr. Moorehead. He remained on this purchase until quite early in the spring of 1802, when from some defect in title he felt obliged to leave it and again commence a home in the wilderness. In anticipation of the result of the controversy in regard to title then going on in respect to lands in western Penn- sylvania, he had previously selected a tract of land a little west of the present village of Westfield, land in part now owned by Wm. Vorce, which he eventually contracted for and occupied early in the spring of 1802. In the fall he removed his family to this new purchase. Edward MeHenry, also from Northumberland county, Pennsylvania, moved his family on to an adjoining tract of land the same season, in fact before the family of Mr. McMahan removed from Harbor Creek, but McMahan had himself been upon the ground for some months, erected a log house, cleared a piece of land and planted it to corn; thus fairly earning the honor of being the founder of a republic now numbering nearly sixty thousand souls. John McMahan, an elder brother of James, and who was
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HISTORICAL SKETCHES OF
afterward the first supervisor of the old town of Chau- tauqua, came to Chautauqua Creek in 1803; and Arthur Bell and James Montgomery the same year. The fore- going is a correct statement in few words with reference to the first settlement of the county. The facts have been obtained from the most reliable sources; in fact most of them were obtained from Mr. McMahan himself many years since by Hon. E. T. Foote, and at the time placed upon record by him, and to him the writer is indebted for many of the facts mentioned. Mr. McMahan died at Westfield. Dec. 13, 1846, aged 76 years.
Note .- The story that in 1794 a few families from Pennsylvania, and among them the "Lowry brothers" came to this county and sojourned for a few years ; and which gained considerable credence and found a place in the statements of two or three writers, has no foundation in fact. It is well known that George Morrow and Alexander Lowry came into the county much later than the McMa- hans, as late as 1809. The statement made in Turner's History of the Holland Purchase, and repeated by some other writers, that Amos Sottle was the first settler of the county, on the Cattaraugus bottoms, has as little foundation iu truth. The facts are simply these : In 1798, Sottle or Sawtell, was engaged as au axman and attached to the surveying party running the Range lines of the Pur- chase. He was a resident of Chenango county, this state. The returns of the Surveyor show his residence and his occupation. The Pay Roll shows the same facts. After leaving the surveying party in 1799 or 1800 he went to the North-west Territory, where he remained several years. After his return to Cattaraugus he married a very dark squaw and lived among his dusky friends. His name can- not be found in connection with any land sales of the Holland Company until 1806. It is more than probable that he did not return from the Northwest Territory until about that date. It is to be hoped that that important event, the first settlement of the county, will no longer rest in the public mind in con- nection with the parties named in this note. The stories have no foundation in facts. [Hon. E. T. Foote.
Pomfret :- Was settled at Canadaway, now Fredonia. in 1804. by David Eason and Thomas Mcclintock from Pennsylvania. In that and the following year a number of familes settled there, and amongst them Low Minegar. Zattu Cushing, Samuel Gear and Hezekiah Barker.
Dunkirk :- The western part of the town of Dunkirk was settled as early as 1804 or '5 by two or three families that came in by way of Canadaway, and amongst them that of Mr. Cole. No settlement was made near the harbor until 1808. when Timothy Goulding located one
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THE TOWN OF PORTLAND.
mile west of the harbor. The next year, 1809, Solomon Chadwick located at the harbor, and for many years the settlement was called Chadwick's Bay. Daniel Pier and Luther Goulding and others, in 1809-10 settled at and near the harbor. Timothy Goulding is still living, in his 93d year.
Ripley-was settled at Quincy in 1804, by Josiah Fains- worth. The same year Perry G. Ellsworth, Samuel Tilles- dale, Alexander Cochran and Wm. Alexander located in town, and Silas Baird and Oliver Loomis in 1806.
Chautauqua .- The first settlement was made by Dr. Alexander McIntyre, at Mayville, in 1804. Jonathan Smith settled the same year on the West side of the lake, and Peter Barnhart on the east side. Two years later, in 1806, William Prendergast and others settled in town.
Poland-was first settled by Dr. Thomas R. Kennedy from Meadville, Pennsylvania, at a point now called Fal coner, on the Conewango Creek, in 1805. Dr. Kennedy erected the first saw mill in 1805; and the first grist mill in 1806. Many others soon settled about "the mills." J. C. G. Kennedy, for many years superintendent of the census bureau at Washington, was a son of Dr. T. R. Kennedy.
Ellicott .- The first settlement was made on the outlet of Chautauqua Lake, at Jamestown, by William Wilson, in 1806. The next year Edward Works located upon the outlet and built the first saw mill in 1808, and the first grist mill in 1809.
Ellery .- The first settlement was by Wm. Bemus and Jeremiah Griffith, from Rensselaer county, N. Y., in 1806. Mr. Bemus located at Bemus Point. Others came in soon after.
Harmony .- The first settlement was in 1806, by Reu- ben Slayton from Otsego county, N. Y. Daniel B. Car- penter from Washington county, N. Y., located in town
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HISTORICAL SKETCHES OF
the same year; Jonathan Cheney in 1807, and Theron Bly and others as early as 1811.
Arkwright .- The first settlement made in this town was in the northwest corner by Abiram T. Orton, Ben- jamin, Perry and Augustus Burnham from some of the eastern counties of this state, in 1807.
Carroll .- The first settlement was by_ Joseph Akins from Rensselaer county, N. Y., in 1807. Several others came in the same year, and possibly at the same time. and amongst them Laban Case and Win. Akins.
Kiantone .- Robert Russell was the first settler in this town, in 1807. James Hall came in 1810. Mr. Russell built the first saw-mill on Kiantone Creek.
Charlotte .- The first settlement was made at the Cen- ter by Robert W. Seaver and Wm. Divine, from Oneida county, N. Y., in 1809.
Stockton .- It is stated that the first settlement in this town was by Jonathan Bugbee from Madison county, N. Y., March 1st. 1810. About the same time Ebenezer and Solomon Tyler from Greene county, John West, Joseph Greene and Bela Todd from Herkimer county, N. Y .. settled in the same vicinity, near the south line of the town. In October of the same year Samuel Waterbury. Shadrack Scofield and Henry Walker from Saratoga county, settled in the west part of the town. James Hay- wood opened the first store at Delanti, in 1816. Icha- abod Fisher kept the first tavern at Casadaga.
Busti .- Was first settled in 1810 by John L. Frank. from Herkimer county, N. Y. Heman Bush and Theron Plumb settled on lot 60, in 1811.
Villenova .- First settlement was made in 1810, by Daniel Whipple from New England. Daniel Wright, Vil- leroy Balcomb, John Kent and Eli Arnold were early settlers.
Gerry-was first settled by John Love, Jun., and Stephen Jones, in the north-west part. in 1811. Hugh B. Patterson. David Cobb, Jesse Dexter and others came in soon after.
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THE TOWN OF PORTLAND.
Cherry Creek .- The first settler was Joshua Bentley, who came from Rensselaer Co., N. Y., in 1812. He settled on lot . 15. Joseph Kent settled on lot 9 in 1815. Willard Cheney and others settled in town in 1816.
French Creek .- The first settlement was made on lot 44, in 1812, by Andy Nobles, from Oswego Co., N. Y. John Cleveland settled on lot 31 the same year. Others settled in town about that time.
Ellington .- In 1814 Joseph Bentley made the first settle- ment in this town, on lot 7. James Bates, fiom Mass., Samuel McConnell. from Caynga Co., N. Y., and others settled in town in 1816.
Mina-was settled in 1816 by Alex. Findley, from l'a., but originally from Ireland. Aaron Whitney settled on lot 59. Zina Rexford on lot 28 and Roger Haskill on lot 50, in 1821.
Clymer .- The first settlement was made on lot 58, in 1820. by John Cleveland. Wm. Rice settled on lot 59 in 1821. In 1822 a number of families from New England settled in town.
Sherman .- Alanson Weed was the first settler in this town, locating on lot 31 in 1824. In the same year Harvey W. Goff. Lester R. Dewey, Otis Skinner and Hiram N. Gleason became settlers.
Hanover .- David Dickinson contracted for a section of land covering the site of the present village of Silver Creek, Angust 1, 1803, agreeing to build upon it a saw mill by the first of April, 1804, and a grist mill by the first of April, 1805. The original papers, with reference to this land and the conditions of purchase, are now in the hands of the writer. The article was finally given to David Dickinson and Abel Cleveland Feb. 29, 1805. Wm. Sydnor settled at Cattarangus village in 1804. Jesse and John Skinner settled on lot 73, T. 6: John Tyler on lot 60 and David Marsh on lot 7 in 1805. Charles Avery. John Mack, Amos Sottle, Ezekiel Lane and Henry Johnson at Cattarangus village. Aaron Dolph on lot 46 and Abram Cooley on lot 61, in 1806. Jehial Moore and Jonas Greene at Forestville, in 1805.
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HISTORICAL SKETCHES OF
Sheridan .- The first settlement was made at the Center on lot 17, by Francis Webber, from Mass., in 1804. Orsamus and Alanson Holmes and Uriah Lee settled in town in 1805. Jared Griswold, from Conn., on lot 35, in 1805, and Rev. John Spencer in 1807.
Portland .- Although the town of Portland was among the first settled in the county, we have purposely placed it last on the list. The first settler of this town was Capt. James Dunn, from near Meadville, Pa. He located about eleven hundred acres near the center of the town, in 1804, before the town was surveyed into lots. The next year, 1805, he built a shanty near a spring of water, not far from the present residence of Edward B. Taylor, on lot 31, T. 5, and into this he moved his family, which consisted of himself, his wife and six children- eight persons in all. This was the first beginning in the wilderness of Portland, and was the germ from which has grown a community of about two thousand inhabitants. A few months later he built a hut or shanty on the east side of the road leading from school house No. 8, near the junction with the Main road (though at this time no roads had been laid) on land now owned by John Dudley. In this he lived until the next year, 1806, when he built a larger log house on the rise of ground very near the present residence of Mr. Dudley, on lot 30, T. 5, and in 1808 opened a tavern, the road surveyed by James McMahan in 1805, and the first road laid in the county, running immediately south of it. During this year, 1806, the following persons settled in town :
Nathan Fay, on the farm now owned by Lincoln Fay, lot 25, T. 5; Elisha Fay, on the farm on which he so long resided, east part lot 25, T. 5; Peter Kane, on farm now owned by Mrs. Leath, part lot 38, T. 5; John Price, on farm now owned by Edward McGarrall, part lot 38, T. 5; Benj. Hutchins, on farm now owned by heirs of Geo. W. Arnold, part lot 41, T. 5; David Eaton, on the farm he occupied at his death, a part of lot 37, T. 5; Nathaniel Fay eventually
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THE TOWN OF PORTLAND.
settled on part lot 12, T. 5, now occupied by F. Fay. Of this number Elisha Fay only is living.
In 1807 James Parker settled on part of lot 37, T. 5 ; Joseph Correll on east part of lot 29. T. 5; Nathan Crosby on part of lot 33, T. 5.
In 1808 Erastus Taylor settled on part of lot 34, T. 5 ; land now owned by Willard Turk, Cullen Burr, John Fleming and others; afterward on south part of lot 35. T. 5.
In 1809 Roe Goldsmith located on the northwest part of lot 7, T. 5, and in 1814 parts of lots 5 and 6, T. 5, which he sold in 1815 to Hezekiah and Barzilla Barker; Jeremiah Klumph on lot 19, T. 5 (the Judson farm,) but the next year on lot 62, T. 4; Rufus Perry on lot 33 T. 5, afterward on west part of lot 33, called since the Bowdish farm ; David B. Granger on lot 37, T. 5, now owned by Darwin Holenbeck ; Andrew Kelsey on lot 55, T. 4, farm now owned by Elisha Tower : David Joy on east part of lot 33, T. 5, land now owned by M. J. Munson and others ; Peter Ingersoll on lot 41, T. 5, now called the Mckenzie farm; Parsons Taylor bought of Erastus Taylor, (See 1808) ; Jared Taylor eventually settled on part of lot 63, T. 4. farm now owned by N. F. Stowell ; afterward on part of lot 62, T. 4.
In 1810 Perry Hall located part of lot 62, T. 4, near Deloss Hall; in 1816 on part of lot 32, T. 4; Leonard Vibbard on lot 62, T. 4, near Perry Hall; Daniel Barnes on east part of lot 3, T. 5, land now owned in part by A. B. Post ; Jeremiah Potter settled on lot 29, T. 5. afterward east part of lot 33, T. 5, now owned in part by J. S. West, H. S. Munson and M. J. Munson ; Wm. Hutchins located west part of lot. 29, T. 5; the next year on part of lot 41, T. 5: Absalom Harris east part of lot 33, T. 5, selling the same year to Jeremiah Potter.
In 1811 Wilder Emerson settled on part of lot 55, T. 4, farm now owned by S. M. Granger; Jonathan Burch
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HISTORICAL SKETCHES OF
on lot 62, T. 4, buying a claim of Benj. Hutchins, farm now owned by his son Oliver W. Burch; Elijah Fay all of lot 20, T. 5, where his family still lives; Wm. Berry on part of lot 25, T. 5, farm now owned by Lincoln Fay ; IIollis Fay came to Portland this year but located no land until 1813, when he located north part lot 13, T. 5, the east part of the village of Brocton, but sold the next year and located on west part of lot 42, T. 5, farm owned by him at the time of his death; John Quigley on lot 30. T. 5, farm now owned by Mrs. Mericle: Calvin Barnes on lot 33, T. 5, now owned by J. S. West and others.
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