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 7
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33
22. Road leading from the lake road on. lot 42, T. 5. to the main or Erie road, near the brick church in West Portland, was laid May 29, 1821.
90
HISTORICAL SKETCHES OF
23. Road leading from the lake road on north part of lot 36, T. 5, to the north Erie road on north part of lot 30, near the residence of Thomas Quigley, and passing the residence of Clark Walker, was laid September 26, 1821.
24. The road leading from Brocton to the lake was resurveyed and the northern part straightened in May, 1822.
25. Road leading from the South to the North road, near the residence of David Skinner, through the central portion of lot 34, T. 5, was laid October 17. 1816.
26. The road from Brocton to the South road on line of lots 13 and 19 was laid May 10, 1827.
27. A . road was laid in 1827 on the line between Nathaniel Fay and Zadoc Martin to the road near Isaac Howe on lot 10, T. 5, but never opened.
28. A road was laid from the Erie road on the line of lots 12 and 18, south, to the road crossing lot 10, easterly, May 11, 1827. This was never opened.
Many others, and some of them prominent roads, were projected and some of them opened, whilst others were never opened. Those that were opened were afterwards subjected to so many changes at the hands of the commissioners that they are nearly past recognition and it would be of little interest to the local reader even to peruse the record. The main features of the lines given above remain as at first surveyed. though many changes have been made for more convenient ground, to shorten distances, &c. The South road, or the one surveyed by James MeMahan in 1805, has been changed for more than half the distance, but the North roud from the east line of the town through Brocton and Centerville remains as at first surveyed with but one exception. near the house of Ledyard Douglass on lot 26. T. 5. From the above statements with the dates the lines of settlement in the town may be easily inferred.
91
THE TOWN OF PORTLAND.
Niagara and Chautauqua Turnpike Company .- The almost impassable condition of the roads from Buffalo along the south shore of Lake Erie and the inability of the settlers alone to make them at all passable, induced the application by certain citizens along the route, to the Legislature of the state, in the winter of 1817, for a charter for a Turnpike Company, to construct a sufficient turnpike road from the village of Buffalo in the county of Niagara to the east line of Pennsylvania. through the town of Portland.
The Legislature passed an act dated February 28, 1817, incorporating a company for the above purpose, to be known as "The President, Directors and Company of the Niagara and Chautauqua Turnpike and Bridge Com pany." The act recites as follows: "That Zattu Cushing, Jonathan Sprague, Henry Abell, John E. Howard, Nathaniel Bird, David Eaton. Robert Dickson, John Mark, Ozias Hart, John French, David Royce, Richard Williams, Zenas Barker, Ebenezer Goodrich, Daniel Camp. Jonas Harrison, John G. Camp and Charles Townsend, and such other persons as shall associate for the purpose of making a good and sufficient turnpike road to begin at the village of Buffalo, in the county of Niagara, and running from thence to Cattarangus Creek as near the mouth as may be, in reference to the fitness of the ground and straight- ness of the road, to the village of Canadaway, from thence on the best ground and most direct course to the cross roads in the town of Portland, and from thence on the best ground and most direct course to the easterly line of Pennsylvania, at or near the house of Samuel Truesdale, with the privilege of erecting three toll bridges, viz: one across the Buffalo Creek, one across the Catta raugus Creek, and one across the Eighteen Mile Creek." The stock of the company was to consist of four thou sand shares of fifty dollars each, and Jonathan Sprague, Henry Abell. Nathaniel Bird, Daniel Camp and Jonas Har
92
HISTORICAL SKETCHES OF
risou were appointed Commissioners to receive subscrip- tions. The road was to be completed within five years from the passing of the act.
That no favoritism or partiality be shown in the locating of the road. Elijah Leach. Wm. Hodge and Simeon Fil- more were appointed Commissioners to "lay out and establish" the road within the county of Chautauqua : and Ebenezer Johnson. Robert Montgomery and James McMahau were appointed to "locate and establish" the road within the counties of Cattaraugus and Niagara. Toll gates were to be placed not less than ten miles apart. Nothing farther was accomplished.
93
THE TOWN OF PORTLAND.
CHAPTER XVII.
Mail Routes-Post Offices-Stages and Stage Routes -- Chautauqua Post Office-No Mail Route until 1806-First Mail Route -- First Contractor -- First Carrier -- First Post Master in the county -- Canadaway Post Office -- Pomfret Post Office -- Name changed to Fredonia -- Mayville Post Office -- Burgettstown Post Office -- Express Mail-Richard Williams Contractor -- Mrs. Williams -- Meadville Post Route -- Dun- kirk Post Office -- The old Chautauqua Office again -- Portage Road -- First Cemetery in the county.
In speaking of the mail service, post offices and stage routes, we shall not be confined to the town of Port land simply, but extend our description to most of the north part of the county. This seems to be necessary to a fair understanding of this part of our work. No apol- ogy therefore is needed. For most of the information furnished I am indebted to the politeness of Hon. E. T. Foote, now of New Haven, Connecticut, formerly county judge of this county for twenty years. The facts were first published by him in 1863, in the Fredonia Censor. I have been permitted to extract facts and phraseology, as seemed sufficient to answer the purpose in hand. changing and abbreviating to suit the circumstances of the case.
To the early settler, the mail service of the United States was one of the "institutions." Hardly could half a (lozen families locate themselves at any point in the wilds of the west, ere an arm of that service was thrust out for their benefit.
Chautauqua county was first settled in 1802, and the first post office established in the county was at the old cross roads, one mile west of the center of the present
94
HISTORICAL SKETCHES OF
village of Westfield, May 6, 1806. There was no mail route in operation through the county until that date. though one was established in 1805. Previous to this, the settlers in the territory now included in the county were obliged to go to Buffalo or Erie for their mail matter. The office at Erie was established in 1798. and John Hay appointed postmaster. Erie at that time was called Presque Isle. This first mail route was between Presque Isle and Buffalo, a distance of ninety miles. John Metcalf of Canandaigua. had the contract for carrying the mail once a week over the route, and commenced as stated, in 1806. The mail was at first carried by a footman, in a hand-bag or rolled up in a handkerchief and placed in the hat. John Edwards was the first carrier on this route. How long he held this import- ant position is not known. As stated above. the first postoffice on this route was established in 1806, by the name of C'hautanqua. James McMahan was the first postmaster. Mr. McMahan was the pioneer settler of the county. and at that time lived on his farm, one fourth of a mile west of the old cross roads and now owned by Wm. Vorce. He held the office until 1818, when it was discontinued. The mail route through the present town of Portland was at first over Paine's road. after- ward the one surveyed by McMahan in 1805.
Canadaway Postoffice-four miles east of Fredonia, at a point for many years known as the Roberts stand. was the second office in the county, and established June 18, 1806. Deacon Orsamus Holmes was the first post- master. This whole section at that time was in the town of Chantanqua and county of Genesee. These two offices were the only ones in the county for three years. and this route the only mail route for several years.
Pomfret Postoffice-was established at Canadaway, now Fredonia, May 6, 1809. This was the third office in the county. Samuel Berry was the first postmaster. The
95
THE TOWN OF PORTLAND.
office was in a building on the premises of the late Charles Burritt. The building is still standing but removed. The name of the settlement at Canadaway was changed to Fredonia at a public meeting of the citizens, January 1. 1817.
Mayville Postoffice-was established as a private office. July 1. 1812. Casper Rouse was the postmaster and con- veyed the mails from the ancient cross roads, or Chautauqua office, once a week, for the emoluments of the office. Mr. Rouse was killed in the battle of Black Rock, a few months afterward, and his brother. Charles B. Rouse, was appointed postmaster February 12th. 1813. This office was the only one south of the ridge until January 1. 1817, and nearly the entire population of the south part of the county obtained from it their mail matter. some of them going or sending thirty miles.
Burgettstown Postoffice-now North East, Pennsylvania. was established on this route May 10. 1812.
In the time of the war of 1812, to facilitate the trans mission of intelligence. the postmaster at Buffalo was directed by the government to dispatch an express mail twice a week from Buffalo to Cleveland. "to go and return as soon as the roads will permit." This was the first express through the county, and the route through the town of Portland was substantially the south road. or the one surveyed by James McMahan in 1805. At this time. 1812. Richard Williams. afterward a citizen of the town of Portland. and who died here, was a sub-contractor in conveying the mail over this route. It was carried on horseback by his son Abner Williams. until late in the season of 1813. when he joined as a volunteer the crew of the Lawrence. one of the vessels of the fleet of Commodore Perry, on Lake Erie, and was killed in the action of the 10th of September of that year. The service was afterward performed by a younger brother for the greater part of the time. Mrs. Williams some times making a trip as it seemed to be necessary.
13
96
HISTORICAL, SKETCHIES OF
Mrs. Williams in many respects was a remarkable woman. Few women of the early settlers possessed a more robust and hardy constitution or so energetic and unyielding a disposition. She was peculiarly fitted in all respects for the duties of a pioneer woman. On various occasions she performed, by her unyielding energy, what seemed almost impossibilities. On one occasion during an excessive snow storm when the male members of the family dared not venture themselves upon the road with the mail. Mrs. Williams insisted that it must go through if she had to carry it herself: and to make her threat good, had her horse saddled, and taking the mail in a small bag tied to her saddle, actually made her way through the heavy fall of snow to Fredonia and Buffalo. and returned in good order. On another occasion she swam her horse around a point of rocks in Lake Erie to reach her destination rather than turn back. Many other facts are mentioned of her, that show a hardihood and a determination of character possessed by few women even at that day. She was sister of Thomas Morton. Esq., an early settler of Fredonia. [See Biog. Sketches. R. Williams.]
In 1814, Mr. Williams became a contractor for carrying the mails from Buffalo to Erie by way of Mayville, ou horseback, once a week for $650 a year; commencing January 1st, 1815, and continuing the service to January 1st, 1818. In 1816 a post route was established from Meadville, Pennsylvania, by way of Warren to Mayville. N. Y. The contractors were Brawley and Johnson. Their contract terminated November 1 st, 1819. This was the first and only route established south of the ridge in Chautauqua county for several years. Soon after the establishment of this route it was extended to the cross roads, now Westfield.
Dunkirk Postoffice-was established as a private office in February 1818. though not opened for several months.
97
THE TOWN OF PORTLAND.
Elias Doty was the first postmaster and received the emoluments of the office for his services. Dunkirk was then hardly a point in the wilderness.
The old Chantauqua office, the first established. was near the old cross roads west of Westfield. The old Portage road crossed the Buffalo and Erie road at that place, forming the cross roads. It was the intention of Mr. McMahan to build up a village at that point. which he wished to call Northumberland, after the name of the county of his nativity in Pennsylvania. It was by this old Portage road that the vast quantities of salt were drawn in earlier days from Lake Erie at Barcelona to Chautauqua Lake. to be sent by boats to the Ohio River. Some years after. a new route was surveved on the east side of the creek through the present village of Westfield. crossing the creek on a high log bridge very nearly where the road now passes ; and from this the old cross roads gradually declined. The first cemetery for whites in the county was established a little north of this old center in 1802. The location is now known to but few. In the coming years possibly the bones of these the first to pay the debt of nature in the wilds of Chantanqua. by some casual circumstance may become exhumed and become the study of some savan in regard to the race to which their owners belonged. The postoffice here was kept in a small store near one of the corners. Eliphalet L. Tinker and Jonathan Cass were "deputies under Mr. McMahan.
98
IHISTORICAL SKETCHES OF
CHAPTER XVIII.
Westfield Postoffice-Portland Postoffice-Calvin Barnes Postmaster-North Portland Postoffice and changes-Salem X Roads Postoffice and changes in the village of the "corners."-Name of Salem X Roads originated-Col. Nat. Bird as mail contractor and stage proprietor-Route through Portland-First mail stage- Improvements in 1824-26-Post coaches from Buffalo to Erie-Route through Portland-Withdrawal of coaches.
Westfield Postoffice-was established in the present village of Westfield, June 15, 1818, superceding the old Chautauqua office. Dr. Fenn Deming was the first post- master. Those following in order were Orris Nichols. Calvin Rumsey, Wm. Sexton. Orris Nichols again, Win. Sexton again, Rev. Hiram W. Beers, Dr. L. M. Kenyon, David Mann, Byron Hall, &c. &c.
Portland Postoffice-was established December 7th, 1814. Calvin Barnes was the first postmaster occupying that position until September 2d. 1829 when the office was discontinued. The commission of Mr. Barnes is in the possession of the writer and is signed by Reuben J. Meigs, jun .. "Postmaster General of the U. S. of America." and bears date December 13, 1814, registered by Samuel Hoit December 29, 1814. This office was on the old Erie road, called by the settlers the Ellicott road. on the north part of lot 33, T. 5. The farm of Mr. Barnes is now owned in part by J. S. West Esq. who also occupies the house for some years occupied by Mr. Barnes. At the time of the establishment of this office Portland included all east of Chantangna creek to the
99
THE TOWN OF PORTLAND.
Pomfret line on the east. Westfield office was in the town of Portland, but Portland office was the first established within the bounds of the present town of that name. This office was the only one between Westfield and Fredonia, or the Pomfret office as then called, and was a point of considerable importance to the settlers. Mr. Barnes was an ardent and outspoken abolitionist, and of course never fully in harmony with the administration for the time being, but was never disturbed in the administration of the office during the fifteen years of its continuance.
North Portland Postoffice-was established September 3d. 1828. Moses Sage was the first postmaster. It was kept in the tavern house of Mr. Sage cast of Brocton on north part of lot 13. T. 5, in the house now owned and occupied by J. N. Porter. Mr. Sage removed to Fredonia in 1830, but removed the office in the spring of that year to the tavern house of John R. Coney on the Coney farm west of Brocton, on northwest part of lot 19. T. 5. and recommended Mr. Coney for postmaster. and that the name of the postoffice be changed from North Portland to Portland. Mr. Coney became post- master and kept the office at his house until the spring of 1835, when he removed it to a tavern house he had built at Portland Center: now owned and occupied by R. D. Fuller as a wine house. The name had been changed to Portland in accordance with the wishes of Mr Sage. Mr. Coney held the office until 1849, when he sold his property to Curtis Wilbur. who was appointed postmaster. Those holding the office after Mr. Wilbur were, Philip Mericle, Amos Barton, Isaac Shattuck. Thomas S. Rolph. Dr. T. C. Wilson: and it was kept at the places of business of the various occupants. The building in which the office was kept has been twice burned: once under the administration of T. S. Rolph, and once under that of the present occupant. Dr. T. C. Wilson.
100
HISTORICAL SKETCHES OF
Salem X Rouds Postoffice-was established February 16th. 1835. At that time the territory where now stands the village of Brocton was little else than a swamp. The store building now occupied by C. O. Furman on the southeast corner was then occupied by B. F. Post as a store. Dr. Ingalls lived on the east side of south Div. St. : two small dwellings stood on the southwest corner now occupied by the hotel of D. Morey, one of them now occupied as a dwelling by Mrs. Louisa Bowdish on east Main St., and the other forming a part of the dwelling of L. W. Skinner, one-half mile east of Brocton; a black- smith shop stood on the north side of Main St. west of the corner; the main part of the house of C. S. Ogden on the northeast corner. occupied its present position; two small buildings graced the west side of North Div. St., and five or six small buildings occupied positions on East Main St. and amongst them a log house where now stands the house of the writer; and a frame house where now stands the house of T. S. Moss. This house is now occupied by M. P. Barber. It was built in 1817 by Solomon Coney. Elijah Fay lived a little west of the Corners. where the family. still reside. For a description of the village of Centerville see Biog. Sketches No. 179. There was little about the Corners to invite settlers or make it a center of population. yet through the unyielding energy and perseverance of those particularly interested it was soon made a point of interest and the business center of the town.
The Portland post office it was expected would be removed to the Center, and it seemed important that another should be established at the Corners. To inaugurate the enter- prise a name for the village and postoffice was necessary. and a meeting of the citizens was called at the shop of Mr. Landais Lathrop. a little south of the Corners. Some 8 or 10 were present. To settle the all important question each one present wrote a favorite name on a piece
101
THE TOWN OF PORTLAND.
of paper and cast it into a hat, and a sou of Mr. Lathrop was directed to draw a single slip. The name appearing was Salem, which for the reason that another office of that name existed in the state, was changed to Salem X Roads and adopted. This was in the fall of 1834. The village and office retained that name until September 7. 1857, when at a meeting of citizens it was changed to Brocton.
D. Howell was the first P. M. at Salem X Roads and the office was kept in the building now owned and occupied by C. S. Ogden on the northeast corner of Main and North Division streets. Those occupying the office thereafter were Samnel Hall, Win. L. Minton, Milton Clements, Wm. L. Minton again, Dr. A. McIntyre, R. S. Morrison, Stephen May. Edwin Elmore. Charles O. Furman.
Col. Nathaniel Bird, who will be remembered by some of the older citizens of Portland, was a veteran mail contractor and the pioneer stage proprietor of Chautauqua county. He emigrated to Westfield in 1815 and settled on a farm one and one-half miles cast of that village (now owned by Thomas Prendergast). In 1820 he contracted with the P. O. Department to transport the mails from Buffalo to Erie on horseback once a week, to commence January 1. 1821. It will be remembered that in the contract with Richard Williams and others the route included the Mayville office, but in the contract with Mr. Bird that office was left ont, nich to the dissatisfaction of the people there. who at once petitioned for a restoration. This seems to have been proper, for more than half the mail matter was taken from the bag at that office. The reader must not suppose that the bag used then was in hardly any sense like those used now in the mail service: it was a hand bag no larger than a small hand satchel. After the route from Meadville was extended to Westfield Mayville was again dropped from the Buffalo & Eric route. The route through Portland continued to be the South
102
HISTORICAL SKETCHES OF
road, or the one surveyed by Mr. McMahan. and the stops were at the Mckenzie place, the postoffice and the Old Joy Tavern on the ground where stands the house of Wm. W. Pettit. Mr. Bird originated the first mail stage line in the county and transported the mail in a stage wagon, with one span of horses, from Buffalo to Erie, and carrying besides passengers. such things as were sent by him from Buffalo. This was a great accommodation to the public, though at this day a trip to Buffalo in such a vehicle and over such roads would be considered anything but agreeable. The road was anything but good except in the winter when the ground was frozen, and the people along the route and especially the inn keepers donated largely by way of labor to improve it and aid the enterprise. The writer has been informed that a large amount of labor was done in the town of Portland by the citizens from time to time. to facilitate the passage of the stage, in addition to their regular rates. The stage was an ordinary two horse wagon with can- vas covering and with seats on wooden springs. There were no bridges over Buffalo, Cattaraugus or Eighteen Mile Creeks. The road through Portland was compara- tively good : that from Cattaraugus Creek to Buffalo at times almost impassable. "No one unacquainted with these roads can appreciate the difficulties of staging over them, especially in the spring and fall, or of the mnd holes through which they had to pass. The only breathing place was while rising out of one mud hole to plinge into another." The writer can remember when passengers traveled nich of the distance from Cattarangus Creek to Buffalo on foot for the privilege of having a trunk carried. Any man with ordinary powers of loco -. motion could pass over the road from Westfield to Buffalo more rapidly than the stage team in some seasons of the year. We refer to all this to show the difficulties of locomotion in those days, because Portland
103
THE TOWN OF PORTLAND.
was in a manner interested. the route passing through the town; in fact Col. Bird was himself a citizen of the town of Portland. The "four mile woods" was the dread of all travelers, by stage or otherwise. This Syrtis of the west the reader will find often referred to in the Biog. Sketches of the early settlers. It was in the height of its popularity at the commencement of 1823. At this date Col. Bird associated with him Mr. Marvin of Buffalo in the stage business, and they commenced transporting the mail twice a week from Buffalo to Erie for a compensation of $750 per year: previously it had been but $550 a year. They were granted thirty eight hours time between Buffalo and Erie. ninety miles. The same year a better class of stages was put on the route between Erie and Cattaraugus Creek: but the old lum- bering covered wagon was used the balance of the way. Most men would have failed in this enterprise. The difficulties to be overcome and the smallness of the com- pensation would have driven them from the undertaking : but Mr. Bird seems to have been born to this destiny: at all events he seemed to have had a monomania for staging, and he followed his particular "bias" until age compelled him to leave the active duties of life. Early in 1824 he associated with him Ira R. Bird, his son, and two years later, in 1826, he associated with him T. G. Abell of Fredonia. B. D. Coe and others of Buffalo, and commenced running a daily line of stages over the route. This was an epoch in the history of staging in Chantauqua county, and an epoch with the inhabitants along the ronte. The first opposition line was put on the route this year, 1826. but after a few months it withdrew. Thomas Quigley of Portland was the first to drive a post coach through Salem X Roads and over the north road in Portland, in the fall of 1827.
Post coaches were not run over the entire length of the route from Buffalo to Erie until 1829. when Rufus S.
14
104
HISTORICAL SKETCHES OF
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.