USA > New York > Cattaraugus County > History of Cattaraugus County, New York, with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of Some of Its Prominent Men and Pioneers > Part 129
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FREE-WILL BAPTIST CHURCH.
In 1816 a Free-Will Baptist Church was organized at the house of Seth Markham, by two missionaries, the Revs. Jeremiah and Abraham Folsom. The Rev. Thomas Pratt was the first pastor. The Rev. Mr. Howe has ministered to the church; the Rev. Mr. Cartwright is the present pastor. The church has been supplied part of the time by the ministers in charge of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Rushford. In 1839 the present church edifice was erected at a cost of $1200.
METHODIST CHURCH.
A small society has been organized at Abbot's Corners under charge of Ischua Church.
POST-OFFICE.
The first mail through Lyndon, on the route from An- gelica to Franklinville, was carried by - Shaw, about 1826, and in that year - Hopkins was appointed post- master. The receipts for the first quarter were 50 cents. His successors have been Wm. Spencer, Orrin Upson, Wm. Little, Fred. Landis, and Duncan R. Campbell, who is the present postmaster.
There is also a post-office at the Ransom Settlement, on the east line of the town.
CEMETERIES.
Early burials were made on the north side of the road, about 80 rods west from the United Presbyterian church. The first burial was Mrs. Gilman. A cemetery is connected with the Free-Will Baptist Church, on the east line of the town. Burials are mostly made in Franklinville.
SCHOOLS.
The first school was taught in the east part of the town by Sally Osborne, in the summer of 1815. A school was
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HISTORY OF CATTARAUGUS COUNTY, NEW YORK.
499
taught later, about one mile east from Lyndon Centre. Thankful Spencer was the first teacher at this place. She was succeeded by Jane Frary. The first school-house was built on the top of the hill, at Lyndon Centre, about 1820.
The number of school districts in the town is at present eight, with six school-houses, valued, with sites, at 81140, having in library 335 volumes, valued at $168. Number of teachers employed, 6; amount of money paid for teach- ers' wages in year ending Sept. 30, 1875, $910.75; num- ber of weeks taught, 168; number of children of school age, 262; average daily attendance, 120 ; amount of pub- lic money received from State, 8659.45; amount of money received from tax, $202.
AGRICULTURE.
This town has no villages within its borders, and the people are devoted to dairying and grazing. Butter is made in families to considerable extent, and the statistics are not easily ascertained. The cheese interests are represented by four factories, that manufacture about 570,000 pounds of cheese annually, and are located as follows: Lyndon Fac- tory is situated two miles west of Lyndon Centre, and is owned by Alex. Currie, A. B. Carter, Thomas Case, and E. G. Mitchell. It uses the milk of about 600 cows. Elgin Factory is about half a mile north of the Centre; is owned by Richard Little and others, and has connected with it about 325 cows. Lyndon Factory, No. 2, is situ- ated about two miles southeast of the Centre, and uses the milk of 400 cows. It is owned by J. N. Sheldon, of Cuba. What is now called the Stow Factory is north two and a half miles from the Centre, and has a patronage of about 150 cows. It is owned by De Witt Stow.
There are three factories just over the line of this town, in Allegany County, which use the milk from many cows that belong in this town, and the statement given above does not fairly represent the cheese interest of the town.
Following are the agricultural and school statistics of the town for the year 1835 :
Acres
20,953
" improved.
2,154
Assessed value real estate.
$36,959
Cattle
678
Horses
90
Sheep
808
Swine.
Fulled cloth, yards.
575
Woolen, unfulled, yards.
945
Cottons. linens, etc., yards ..
1,280
County tax
$295.84
Town tax ...
$444.90
Number of school districts
5
Public money expended
$42
Teachers' wages and public money
$67
Number of scholars
153
Below are given, for comparison, the agricultural statistics of 1855 and 1875 from the census returns of those years :
1855.
Acres improved ..
10,289
" unimproved .
9,267
meadow
3,386
Hay cut, tons.
2,502
Oats, acres sowed.
1,671
" bushels harvested
31,873
Corn, acres planted.
162
" bushels harvested.
4,430
Potatoes, acres planted.
144
. bushels harvested.
13,055
Apples,
3,647
Maple-sugar, pounds manufactured.
30,545
Honey, pounds collected
2,620
Cows ...
826
Butter, pounds manufactured
77,700
Cheese,
"
46,370
Sheep ...
4,063
Wool, pounds clipped.
10,172
1875.
Acres improved.
14,824
" unimproved.
5,751
meadow
4,626
Hay cut, tons ..
5,196
Corn, acres planted.
92
" bushels harvested
1,665
Oats, acres sowed
1,560
" bushels harvested.
37,158
Potatoes, acres planted.
151
bushels harvested.
18,500
Apple-trees
8,039
Apples, bushels harvested ..
10,645
Maple-sugar, pounds manufactured.
35,570
Cows ..
1,996
Cows whose milk was sent to factory.
1,772
Butter, pounds made in families. "
200
Sheep shorn ..
384
Wool, pounds clipped.
1,814
Pork, raised.
54,216
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personal estate.
$238
32,790
Cheese, "
604
ISCHUA.
THE town lies upon the east border of the county, south of the centre, and embraces township 3, in the fourth range, except two tiers of lots on the south side, and township 3, in the third range, except 16 lots in the south and southeast corners. It is bounded on the north by Franklinville and Lyndon, east by Allegany County, south by Hinsdale, and west by the town of Humphrey. It is drained principally by the Ischua Creek, which flows through the centre of the town.
The head-waters of Five-Mile Run are in the centre of the west part. The surface is undulating and hilly, the highest land rising about 600 feet above the valleys. It contains an area of 18,678 acres, of which 11,450 are im- proved, and has a population of 908 according to the census of 1875.
EARLY SETTLEMENT.
The territory that comprises this town was originally in the town of Olean until the erection of Hinsdale, and al- though the first settler located in 1808, it was not until after 1830 that many settled within its borders. In 1820 the assessment-roll of the part of Hinsdale now com- prising the town of Ischua contained the names of 16 prop- erty-owners, as given below, and in 1830 even this number decreased to 14. The following is the roll of 1820:
Acres. Value.
Acres. Value.
Seymour Bouton. 982 $2804
William Kimball
125 $650
Sands Bouton. 40 160
Israel Millard. 100 200
Nathaniel Cowden .... 100
240
Silas B. Neff.
217
474
David Camp ... 66 132
Amos Pitcher.
200
700
Ephraim Camp .. 100
200
William S. Pitcher 38
326
David Dodge ...
160
380
Sam'l Putnam. 180
240
Jonathan Davis.
224
546
Jarvis Wood 120
240
Abraham M. Farwell 505
1660
Zephaniah Welton. 100 200
For many interesting facts pertaining to the early Legis- lature of the territory now in the town, reference is made to the history of the town of Hinsdale, of which this was a part.
The earliest settler was Seymour Bouton, who was a native of Westchester County, and settled where is now the village of Ischua in 1808, and became an extensive land-owner, and a prominent man not only in the town of Olean, but in the management of the affairs of the county ; at one time supervisor of Olean. In 1820 he was the possessor of nearly 1000 acres of land. Mrs. Seymour Bouton is still living, and resides in the town of Allegany. Sands Bouton, his son, was also a resident and a land- owner. Upon the organization, in 1817, he was elected the first county clerk. Abram S. Farwell emigrated with his family from Massachusetts in 1812, and settled on lot 45, north of the village, where he afterwards owned about 500 acres. In 1814 he erected a saw-mill on Ischua Creek. Father Spencer, the Congregational missionary, in his 500
wanderings through that section, in the year 1815, stopped at Mr. Farwell's. Notices were sent out, far and near, to the people, and those who were inclined gathered at his house, and religious services were held. His descendants still live in the town. Henry C. Farwell, his son, filled honorable positions in the town. Amos Pitcher located in the village of Ischua in 1815; in after years kept a store and tavern ; was the first to carry mails, and was appointed post- master in 1820. Samuel Putnam came about 1815. His daughter Caroline was the first to teach school in the town. C. G. Chamberlain came to the town about 1830, and now lives in the village of Ischua. He owns a farm on Ischua Creek, about one mile from the village, on which is a pre- historic mound. He represented the town as supervisor in 1856. Isaac, David, and Frederick Carpenter, three brothers, came to this section early in its history ; Isaac settling in Franklinville in 1818. His daughter Eunice taught school that year in Ellicottville. David settled in Farmersville, where he still resides. Frederick located in this town, was its first supervisor, and has held the office fifteen terms. He has also held other important offices.
ORGANIZATION OF TOWN.
The present town of Ischua was erected by act of Legis- lature, Feb. 7, 1846, as " Rice," and it was provided " that Frederick Carpenter, and such other persons whom the legal voters of the meeting shall select, may preside at such meeting, and for that purpose shall have power to appoint a clerk, preserve order, and exercise all the powers of pre- siding officers in the same manner as if they were justices of the peace." It was also provided "that the first town- meeting shall be held at the residence of E. Densmore, Feb. 24, 1864." The town-meeting was held at the place ap- pointed, and the town was organized by the election of the following-named officers :
Supervisor, Frederick Carpenter ; Town Clerk, Isaac N. Fuller ; Superintendent of Common Schools, Philo Bur- lingame; Assessors, William S. Pitcher, Simon C. Mallory, and A. L. Barnard; Justices of the Peace, Morgan I. Titus, Frederick Carpenter, C. C. Hatch, and Hiram L. Seavey.
March 27, 1855, the name of the town was changed by special enactment from Rice to " Ischua."
1 Following is a list of succeeding supervisors, town clerks, and justices of the peace to the present time :
SUPERVISORS.
1847-48. Frederick Carpenter.
1849. Jonathan Davis. 1857. Frederick Carpenter.
1850. Frederick Carpenter.
1851. Hazen Chamberlain.
1852-55. Frederick Carpenter.
1856. C. G. Chamberlain.
1858. Philo Burlingame.
1859. Benjamin C. Townsend.
1860. Frederick Carpenter.
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HISTORY OF CATTARAUGUS COUNTY, NEW YORK.
1861-62. Henry Chamberlain.
1872. James A. Haynes.
1863. William Smith.
1873. Henry C. Farwell.
1864. Henry Chamberlain.
1874. Hazen Chamberlain.
1865. F. Carpenter.
1875. H. C. Farwell.
1866. George l'tter.
1876. Hazen Chamberlain.
1867. Frederick Carpenter.
1877. S. R. Sherlock.
1868. Philo Burlingame.
1878. Ransom Terry.
TOWN CLERKS.
1847. S. Botts.
1848. Neri Taylor.
1849-50. Abner Smith.
1864-65. A. R. Thornton.
1851. William S. Pitcher.
1866. Benjamin Bacon.
1852. Samuel Conrad.
1867-68. J. E. Pettingill.
1853. N. Taylor.
1869-70. D. C. Corthill.
1854. H. Chamberlain.
1871-72. B. C. Townsend.
1855. Alonzo Guild.
1873. Wesley Lewis.
1856-57. Alonzo F. Smith.
1874. Wallace Sibley.
1858. William Smith.
1875-76. A. R. Thornton.
1859. Lyman Slocum.
1877-78. A. Densmore.
1860. William H. Smith.
JUSTICES OF THE PEACE.
1848. Philo Burlingame.
1862. Sylvester R. Sherlock. -
1849. Samuel Searl.
1863. Philo Burlingame.
1850. Frederick Carpenter.
1864. Amos S. Bristol.
Charles C. Hatch. 1865. B. C. Townsend.
1851. Frederick Carpenter. 1866. Daniel B. Haynes.
1852. Philo Burlingame. 1867. Sylvester R. Sherlock.
1853. N. Taylor.
1868. Amos Bristol.
J. Sheldon.
1869. B. C. Townsend.
1870. N. Pierce.
1854. Gardner Sheldon. B. C. Townsend. 1871. S. R. Sherlock.
1855. Frederick Carpenter.
1872. William P. Guild.
1856. Stephen Morris. 1873. B. C. Townsend.
1857. Benjamin C. Townsend. Henry Chamberlain.
1875. S. R. Sherlock.
1858. Gardner Sheldon.
1876. F. Carpenter.
1859. Frederick Carpenter.
1877. J. L. Adams.
1860. Charles C. Hatch.
1878. H. C. Farwell.
1861. B. C. Townsend.
The town of Ischua was bonded for $10,000, to aid in the construction of the Buffalo and Washington Railroad, the bonds to become valid when the road was completed through the town ; which was accomplished July 3, 1872.
The bonds are all paid, and the town is free from any public debt.
THE VILLAGE OF ISCHUA.
It is situated in the valley of Ischua Creek, in the north part of the town, near the centre. Hills rise on either side to heights varying from 400 to 600 feet. It contains, a church ( Methodist Episcopal), two hotels, school-house, post-office, two dry-goods stores, two groceries, tin-shop, two blacksmith-shops, grist- and carding-mill, wagon-shop, two milliner-shops, and two physicians. It is a station on the Buffalo, New York and Philadelphia Railroad.
Seymour Bouton was the first settler that located where the village now is, and built a log house on the flats, near where the water-tank of the railroad stands. He after- wards erected a house where the residence of John Adams is located. The first school in the village was taught in his barn, in the summer of 1816, by Caroline Putnam. The same year he erected a tavern and kept the first in the town. He also kept the first store in his house. Amos Pitcher came in a little later, and settled near the grocery of Mr. Le Fever. He was a hatter by trade, and in after- years followed his trade to the benefit of the community.
He was appointed postmaster about 1820, and held the po- sition for many years. He also kept a store and tavern. In 1826, Amos Pitcher, Joseph Cole, and Justin Cook built the first grist-mill in the town, where the present grist-mill stands. In 1830, one Stoddard built a foundry in the village, but after three or four years it was discontinued. Edmund McKee built a tannery and shoe-shop in 1833. Father Spencer preached at the house of Samuel Putnam, about a mile south of the village, in 1817. About 1820 a log school- house was built, a little south of the present one. The Rev. Samuel Searle preached in the village early, and in 1827 the Methodist Church was organized.
POST-OFFICE.
Amos Pitcher carried the first mail from Olean to York- shire, about 1820. He was the first postmaster, and the office was kept in his house. He occupied the position many years, and was succeeded by his son, William Pitcher. The postmasters since that day are Eleazer Densmore, Henry Chamberlain, B. C. Townsend,-who filled the position about twenty years,-Wallace Sibley, and Anson Dens- more, who is the present incumbent.
THE ANCIENT ORDER OF UNITED WORKMEN
was organized in this town as Ischua Lodge, No. 179, Oct. 21, 1878, with four members : Ransom Terry, as Past Master Workman ; B. B. Hinman, as Master Workman ; J. W. Haight, as Recorder ; F. Searl, as Receiver; C. C. Baxter, as Financier.
SCHOOLS.
The first school taught in the town was by Miss Caroline Putnam, in the summer of 1816, and was held in the barn of Seymour Bouton. The first school-house was built of logs, in 1820, and was a little south of the present school- house.
The number of school districts in the town at present is 8, with 8 school buildings, valued, with their sites, at $2140, and having 50 volumes in library, valued at $5; 8 teachers are employed; amount of money paid for teachers' wages is $1195.66; number of weeks taught was 226; number of children of school age is 283; average daily attendance, 124-25% ; amount of public money re- ceived from State, $773.80; amount received from tax, $316.72.
BAPTIST CHURCH.
The present church was organized in June, 1878, with 21 members; admitted to the Cattaraugus Association, Sept. 3, 1878. Services were held in the Methodist Episcopal church. The Rev. R. Cherryman is pastor, having this church in connection with the church on Haskell Creek, in Hinsdale.
A Baptist Church had been in existence when this terri- tory was in Hinsdale, and the history of that church will be found in the history of that town. Rev. Eliab Going was the pastor.
No house of worship was erected.
METHODIST CHURCH.
This church was organized Dec. 28, 1827, and was the first in the town. The first trustees were Wm. S. Pitcher, Abner Smith, and Daniel A. Ferris.
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1869-71. Frederick Carpenter.
1861-62. Anson Densmore. 1863. William Densmore.
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1874. E. Chamberlain.
502
HISTORY OF CATTARAUGUS COUNTY, NEW YORK.
The first church edifice was erected in 1861, at a cost of $1300. The pastors who have labored with the church since 1865 are A. W. Willson, - Guernsey, J. K. Tor- rey, J. C. Whiteside, Thomas C. Clayton, T. D. Goodrich, A. W. Mervale, who is the present pastor, and who has in connection the charge of an organization at Abbott's Corners, in the town of Lyndon.
THE FREE METHODIST CHURCH.
This church is situated on what was formerly known as " Dutch Hill," in the southwest part of the town, and was organized with 4 members, by the Rev. O. O. Bacon, in 1867. A church edifice was erected in 1869, at a cost of about $800.
In 1875 the church had a membership of 32, and the pastor was the Rev. Mr. Robinson.
CEMETERIES.
The first burial was made on the farm of Aaron Pitcher. Local cemeteries are in many parts of the town, the most prominent of which are, one in the Hibner neighborhood, containing about half an acre; one in the west part of the town, about three miles from the village, and containing about three-fourths of an acre. Another about half a mile northeast of the village. The Ischua Cemetery, located near the village, was laid out about 1868, contains about three-fourths of an acre. The land was presented by B. C. Townsend for that purpose. The present trustees are Benj. H. Osgood, Sidney J. Smith, and Salmon Canfield.
AGRICULTURE.
This town, like the others in the northern and middle parts of the county, is best adapted to grazing and dairying. The main attention of the people is given to the manufac- ture of cheese. This interest is represented by three fac- tories; one about two and a half miles north from the village, owned by J. K. Button, of Franklinville, has in connection with it about 450 cows.
The Cuba Cheese-Manufacturing Company, located half a mile south of the village, uses the milk of 300 cows.
The Sheldon Factory, formerly known as the Abbott Factory, is situated in the northeast corner of the town.
These factories manufacture about 400,000 pounds of cheese annually.
The agricultural statistics from the years 1855 and 1875 are taken from the census returns of these years, and are given below for comparison :
1855.
Number of acres improved ..
7,394
unimproved.
12,566
meadow land
2,124
tons of hay cut ..
1,903
acres of oats sowed
1,460
bushels " harvested
33,749
acres of corn planted
230
bushels " harvested
6,552
acres of potatoes planted
99
bushels
gathered ..
8.078
apples
5.448
pounds of maple-sugar manufactured ..
19,188
honey collected
3,606
COWS.
542
pounds of butter manufactured.
44,640
cheese
5,870
sheep.
pounds of wool clipped.
5,960
1875.
Number of acres improved.
11,450
=
meadow land.
3,486
tons of hay cut.
3,786
acres of corn planted.
225
bushels " harvested
8,020
acres of oats sowed
1,205
bushels " harvested
31,780
acres of potatoes planted.
128
bushels
harvested
17,004
apple-trees
10,795
bushels of apples harvested
14,670
pounds of maple-sugar manufactured.
25,275
honey collected
375
=
coWS ...
1,370
" whose milk was sent to factory
1,130
pounds of butter made in families.
57,800
cheese "
9,100
sheep shorn
833
16
pounds of wool clipped
3,419
«
" pork raised
65,058
RED HOUSE.
THIS town embraces all of township 1, and nearly all of township 2, in the seventh range of the Holland Survey. It is the youngest town in the county, and was erected from Salamanca, Nov. 23, 1868. The name was derived from the principal creek of the town, which was so called before the country was settled, from a house painted red, which stood near its mouth, and which was built for the accommodation of raftsmen on the Allegany. The eddy formerly in that stream at this point was also called Red House. Who was the proprietor of this house and what became of him is unknown to the present inhabitants of the town. The building has long since gone to decay.
The town contains 36,392 acres of land, mostly broken
1 and of a mountainous nature. The summits rise from 600 to 1000 feet above the valleys, and usually present a sterile aspect. There is but little arable land on the uplands, and as the Allegany Reservation embraces nearly all the valley of the river, but little land is subject to improvement by the whites. Although the soil in the valleys is fertile and highly productive, but a small portion is thoroughly culti- vated. On the lowlands the soil is a sandy loam, but becomes more mixed with clay as you ascend the hills. Lumbering has been and yet remains the controlling in- dustry. In the southern part of the town are vast forests of deciduous trees, and a limited quantity of pine and hem- lock. Originally the valleys were covered with the latter
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2,603
" unimproved.
7,228
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A.H. REYNOLD S' MILLS AND PROPERTY, RED HOUSIE
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SE, CATTARAUGUS COUNTY, NEW YORK (1879.)
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HISTORY OF CATTARAUGUS COUNTY, NEW YORK.
timber, and their manufacture into lumber was an exten- sive and profitable business.
The streams of the town are Allegany River, flowing through the northwest corner, and Big and Little Red House Creeks, rising in the southern part of the town, and flowing north and west into the Allegany. Both have many tributary brooks. In the southern part of the town are also the head-waters of Quaker Run, which flow north- west into the town of South Valley.
PIONEER SETTLERS.
In 1827, Darius Frink moved from his native place, Sterling, Conn., to the town of Carroll, in Chautauqua County, where he lived a year ; then came to the present town of Red House, settling on the little creek, where he became the first permanent settler in town. For many years he was the only white man living in these parts. He had a son named Nelson, who lived in the town till his death, a few years ago. The last twenty odd years of his life he lived on lot 18, in town 2, where one of his chil- dren, James Frink, now resides.
James Rosenberry, a native of Butler Co., Pa., was the second permanent settler, locating on lot 31, in 1837. While but a young man, in 1815, Rosenberry went to Great Val- ley, and worked there about a year; then moved to the present town of Salamanca, where he settled on the farm now occupied by W. P. Crawford. Mr. Rosenberry is now the oldest resident in town, and although aged eighty-two years, still works on his farm, on which he has cleared 100 acres, removing many stumps four feet in diameter.
On the Big Red House, Lysander Whaley was an early settler, removing from there to the West. On lot 18 originally lived Caleb Owens, and removed from there to Steamburg, where he was murdered in 1874. On this place-lot 18, town 2-now resides Howard Fuller, who came to Cattaraugus County in 1820, settling first in the town of Randolph, then removed to Pennsylvania, coming to Cold Spring in 1839. Thirty years thereafter, he came to live with his son Howard, who became a resident of Red House in 1858. The old gentleman has attained the age of eighty-two years, and has been a pioneer in several towns of the county.
Other early settlers in Red House were Elijah Pease, Squire Payne, Hubbard Clark, William Coan, Richard Wright, Abner Thomas, Marcus Frisbie, Richard Burgett, Sylvester Dunbar, Stephen Carr, George Decker, Francis Strickland, David Kelley, and Ezekiel R. Kelley. In con- sequence of the conditions alluded to, settlements were slowly made.
In 1869 land was owned in town by the following per- sons : C. W. Bosworth, Abner Brown, Nelson Bean, T. E. Bristol, R. Burgett, Stephen Carr, Howard Carr, William Clark, S. V. Dunbar, George Decker, James Eighme, Nel- son Frink, E. Flanders, Howard Fuller, T. Grove, Noel Gray, Lyman Jeffords, D. N. Kelly, E. R. Kelly, Henry Learned, Joseph Mead, Caleb Merritt, Henry Oaks, H. Ogden, S. F. Pease, Robert Philip, James Rosenberry, A. H. Reynolds, J. B. Strong, F. Strickland, Giles Stoddart, John Sharp, C. W. Sharp, Abner Thomas, Allen Tibbitts, E. W. Taylor, S. D. Woodford, Martin White.
The Bay State Company owned nearly 20,000 acres of land in the southern part of the town.
The population in 1870 was 407, and in 1875, 453; nearly all of whom were whites.
CIVIL GOVERNMENT.
The first annual meeting of the town of Red House was held Feb. 23, 1869, when the following officers were elected : Supervisor, F. Strickland; Town Clerk, T. E. Bristol ; Justices, John Sharp, D. A. Scoutten, F. F. Deyo, and S. D. Woodford ; Commissioner of Highways, Abner Brown ; Assessors, E. R. Kelly, Nelson Frink, and F. Strickland ; Inspectors of Elections, F. F. Deyo, J. F. Eighme, and J. W. Crosby ; Collector, Daniel Carr; Overseer of Poor, J. C. Wright ; Constables, Albert Sheffield, Daniel Carr, Wm. Critchell, S. F. Pease, and Wm. Backus.
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