History of Cattaraugus County, New York, with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of Some of Its Prominent Men and Pioneers, Part 64

Author: Franklin Ellis and Eugene Arns Nash
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At Pine Valley a shingle-mill was built in 1852 by Wallace and William Ranlett, and operated by them six years. Machinery was then supplied to saw lumber, and about that time John Wickham became interested in its operation. Other changes of ownership followed, and it is at present the property of Burkhalter & Wickham. It has a forty horse-power engine, and can cut six thousand feet of lumber per day. Planing and matching machines have been added, and it is now a complete lumber manu- facturing establishment, employing ten men.

At the railroad depot, Jesse Pile erected a lumber-mill in the spring of 1878, which is supplied with a twenty-five horse-power engine and saws, capacitating the mill to cut eight thousand feet per day.

Farther down the railroad track C. J. Babcock & Co. established a stave and heading factory in 1878, which is yet operated by them ; and the same year Palmer & Hall put up another factory, at which one thousand heads and ten thousand shingles are made daily. Box material is also manufactured.

A small broom-factory is in operation at Pine Valley, and several good carriage-shops are also there carried on.

THE DAIRY INTERESTS OF DAYTON

have become so important that they now constitute the leading industry of the people. Formerly large private dairies were maintained, but at present the greater portion of the milk is manufactured at the different creameries in town, at this time seven in number. One of the largest, the East Leon factory, is in the southeastern part of the town and partly in Leon, in whose history it is fully noted.

The West Dayton Cheese-Factory was erected about 1866, by Andrew Brainard. It is a good building, thirty- four by one hundred and twenty feet, two stories high, and is supplied with three vats. William McAdams is the present operator, employing the Cheddar process in the manufacture of from ten to twelve cheeses per day, which bears an excellent reputation in market.

The Dayton Creamery was put up in the village of Day- ton in 1866, by Porter Welch, of Gowanda. It is thirty- three by one hundred feet. three stories high, and is one of

the most complete and best appointed factories in the county. When first operated it had a large number of patrons, and consumed the milk of five hundred cows. Owing to the establishment of other factories in the northern part of the town, this creamery has not been operated the past year.

Seth Bartlett's Cheese-Factory, at Markham's Station, a two-story building, whose dimensions are thirty by eighty feet, was put up in 1875, and is now successfully operated by Johnson & Bartlett. It has a good patronage and the usual complement of cows.

Jenks and Ross' Factory, on the McFarland farm, has been operated since 1877. It consists of a good-sized main building and a wing. The milk of from one hundred and fifty to two hundred cows is here manufactured.

The East Dayton Factory, at Howard's Corners, was built in 1873 by Hall & Park. It is now the property of Rowlain Hall, who manufactures butter and cheese from . the milk of three hundred cows, owned by fifteen patrons.

The Lang, or South Dayton Factory, on the south side of the swamp, on the Jamestown road, was put up in 1872 by Isaac Lang, and has been operated by him since. There are sixteen patrons. Full cream cheese is manufactured from the milk of two hundred cows.

HAMLETS AND VILLAGES.

The oldest hamlet in town is West Dayton. On account of its location on one of the principal highways it was, in early times, a place of much more importance than at present, although it is yet entitled to a respectable position among the many hamlets of the county. It contains a saw- mill, store, shops, a Methodist and a Union church, and about twenty-five dwellings. The post-office is called Cot- tage, and was established after 1850, having John H. Blish as the first postmaster. N. M. Allen was the next appointee, and the subsequent ones have been I. H. Alden, L. W. Day, Charles Blair, and D. S. Alden, the present incum- bent. The first mail was supplied from Smith's Mills, Chautauqua County, and afterwards from Perrysburg, the present from Markham's Station.

John H. Blish was the first to engage in trade, some time about 1845. Four or five years later John Knowlton opened a store. S. W. Day, Barzilla Merrill, and I. H. Alden were afterwards in trade. The present merchant is D. S. Alden.

The first public-house in town was opened at this point, in 1824, by Joshua and Caleb Webb. In after-years the former had another tavern on the Blish place. John H. Blish, J. H. Rice, Daniel Whelpley, L. & G. Flowers, and others followed as the keepers of public-houses; Flowers being the last to have a tavern.

In the southeastern part of the town, at the junction of the Jamestown and other roads, a hamlet sprung up, about 1830, which received the name of

SOCIALITY.

This name was also applied to the post-office, which was established before 1833, with Ephraim Dutton as postmas- ter. It was the first office in town, and was continued until the Erie Railroad was completed through this section

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HOTEL BARN

ORCHARD VIEW.

PHOTO BY E.A EDGERTON.

PHOTO BY E A EDGERTON

MRS. GEORGE VOLK

TIN SHOP HARDWARE.

NYLE W.Ry.

VOLK'S HOUSE, GEORGE VOLK, PROPRIETOR. DAYTON, CATTARAUGUS COUNTY, N. Y.

GEORGE VOLK

VOLKS

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HISTORY OF CATTARAUGUS COUNTY, NEW YORK.

of the county, when other offices were established, so that the business of the Sociality office became too meagre to warrant its longer continuance. Nelson Hillebert was the last postmaster.

At this place William H. Leland opened the first store in town, in 1833. He had, also, a public-house, and con- tinued the keeper of both about ten years. Franklin Phil- brick afterwards kept a store and Harry Howard the tavern, and as " Howard's Corners" this place is yet locally known. After Howard's retirement from this house Leander Bacon became the keeper, and others, for short periods, were here as landlords ; but the suspension of travel on the Jamestown road, after the railroads were built, caused the house to be used for other purposes, and the only place of business at present is a grocery-store by C. W. Hall. In the huddle are a few mechanic shops, a cheese-factory, and a very neat Methodist church.

North of the centre of the town is another hamlet, gener- ally known as

MARKHAM'S CORNERS.

It derived its name from Joshua Markham, who became a resident here in 1834, and soon after opened a tavern, which he continued about thirty years. In this vicinity Colonel Ralph Johnson had another public-house, from 1845 on, continuing a number of years, and the building is at present occupied by Leonard Metsker for a grocery- store. Near here was formerly a post-office, which was re- moved to Dayton village. In 1876 a new office was estab- lished, having John Wallace as postmaster. The name of this office is, like the station, Markham, of which Wallace is also agent. Since 1875 he has had a small store near the railroad. The place contains a cheese-factory, several saw-mills, and half a dozen houses.

DAYTON,

a station on the Erie and Buffalo and Southwestern Railroads, is in the northeastern part of the town, principally ou lot 23. It has grown up wholly since 1851, and largely since 1872. It contains a few hundred inhabitants, a Catholic and a Methodist church, several factories, half a dozen places of business, and two hotels.

The first here to engage in business was A. W. W. Chaffee, in 1851. He put up and occupied the building in which is now kept the post-office, and in which after- wards James H. Chaffee, James S. Shaw, A. M. De Long, H. N. Hooker, Spencer Horton, Frederick Moore, and N. A. Chaffee were in trade. The latter has continued since 1868.

James Rice had the next place of business, a grocery, near the cheese-factory. In 1866, Henry Wagner erected a store building, which was occupied by James Currin. After its destruction by fire it was rebuilt by him, but has been occupied by a general store, since 1874, by A. M. Hall. Since 1870 Fernando Smith has been in trade, handling general merchandise, and for the same period M. P. Roberts has had a drug-store. The hardware trade was established in 1874, in a building put up by the Buffalo and Southwestern Railroad for a supply-store, by Langmaid & Cheney. They were succeeded by John Marvin, and he by John Volk, who is at present in trade.

The first furniture-store was opened by J. M. Parmelee, and is at present carried on by Marcus Rhodes. G. Fitz Morris has had a boot- and shoe-store a number of years, and a few smaller stores in the same branch of trade have been kept a short time in the village.

The first public-house in the village of Dayton was erected in 1852 by Colonel Ralph Johnson, and was kept four or five years by T. W. Johnson. This is at present continued by George Volk. Nearer the railroad station is another hotel, built by Charles Sisson, and now owned and kept by Wm. Eggleston.

The post-office was established about 1836, at the house of Ralph Johnson, near Markham's, and was kept there until 1851, when it was removed to the village, and James Rice appointed postmaster. His successors have been James H. Chaffee, Jonathan Shepard, Spencer Horton, A. M. De Long, and, since 1868, N. A. Chaffee. There are four mails per day.

Dr. Samuel Redfield was the first physician in town. He came in 1821, and located on lot 39, following his pro- fession until his death, about 1835. Drs. Sill, Johnson, Canfield, Shuey, and others were physicians a short time. Since 1852 Dr. M. P. Roberts has been located as a prac- ticing physician at Dayton village, and since 1877, Dr. D. A. Dye at Markham's.

No regularly-admitted attorney lived in town until 1864, when N. M. Allen commenced practice at the village of Dayton, and has since continued there, having a fine office and a large practice. In 1872, W. S. Thrasher, one of his students, formed a partnership with Mr. Allen, which is yet continued. Other graduates from this office are I. R. Leonard and E. A. Hayes.

PINE VALLEY

is a flourishing village in the southwestern part of the town, on the Buffalo and Southwestern Railroad, six miles from Dayton junction. The locality was formerly known as South Dayton, and the post-office is yet known by this name. This office was established about 1860, with E. O. Beach postmaster, who appointed John Wickham deputy. The latter kept the office at his residence, and had the mail brought from West Dayton twice per week. Henry T. Rice was next appointed, and M. L. Ranlett is the present incumbent. The mail service is twice per day. In the neighborhood where the post-office was, on the West Day- ton road, the village had its beginning as a hamlet, and did not improve much until 1875. That year the Buffalo and Southwestern Railroad located a station, one hundred and twenty rods southeast from the post-office, and Robert F. Ewing platted thirty acres of the Wickham farm for a vil- lage, extending from the station westward. This was the beginning of Pine Valley proper, and on this plat N. L. Rowe put up a small store building that year. The fol- lowing season Ewing put up the first large building on the new plat, and many residences were erected the same season.

John Wickham platted an addition of thirty acres to Ewing's Pine Valley in the fall of 1875, and since that period the place has had a rapid but healthy growth, con- taining at present seventy-five buildings, many of large

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proportions and fine architecture. It is the largest ship- ping point on the railroad between Jamestown and Buffalo, and has an increasing trade, which makes its future prom- ising and very auspicious.

In this locality David Barrett was the first in trade, keeping a grocery-store on the West Dayton road about 1862. In the same building John Wickham opened a store in 1871, but the following year occupied a new build- ing, which is now the business place of Ranlett & Chase. At the station, besides A. L. Rowe, Ewing & Whipple are engaged in general merchandising, and near by a hardware- store was opened in 1878 by Wilson & Wade. The first tavern was in a house changed for this purpose by A. B. Charlesworth, and was kept a number of years. It is again a farm-house, and the only hotel is the " Wickham House," at the station, which was erected in 1877 and oc- cupied in 1878. It is sixty by sixty-two feet, and three stories high, and presents an attractive appearance.

THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

In 1835 the Commissioners of Common Schools, James Cadwell, Russell Brown, and W. B. Smith, reported four whole and five fractional districts in town, in which an aggregate of forty-three months of school had been taught, in terms of from three to seven months in each district. The number of children taught was three hundred and sixty-five, and the money apportioned to the town by the county was $121.15.

There are at present nine school districts, owning build- ings and lots valued at $3600; in these two hundred and seventy-seven and four-fifths weeks of school were taught at a cost of $2246.35 for teachers' wages; the apportion- ment from the county was $1170.68, and the amount raised by taxation $1222.39. The number of children of school age was reported as four hundred and eighty-five, and the average daily attendance a little more than two hundred and seven.

In most districts good school-houses have been provided, and the reputation of the schools will bear comparison with those of other towns.

District No. 2 is the owner of a fine grove near Dayton village, which is locally known as " Educational Grove." It contains about five acres of well-drained ground, covered by a magnificent growth of maple-trees. It is a favorite place for picnics and public out-door gatherings. It was and is the purpose of the purchasers to have the school buildings erected on these grounds the present year, 1879.

RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES.

It is generally believed that the Rev. Elnathan Finch, a Baptist missionary, held the first religious meeting in town in 1816, at the house of Caleb Webb, at West Dayton. It does not appear that any society was organized in conse- quence, immediately or in the years following. It seems that the settlements were too sparse to maintain a church organization, and no effort was made in this direction by the Baptists. But in the fall of 1818 a class of four Methodists was formed, and met for worship at the house of Caleb Webb. The members were Webb and wife, Daniel and Clarinda Brand. The meetings were led by a

Mr. Whipple, living at Kent's Mills; and occasional preaching was supplied by Revs. Dennis Goddard and Samuel R. Brockway. Soon the class was augmented by members from the Webb, Darbee, and Prosser families, and shortly after a log meeting-house was built on the land of Daniel Prosser, in southwestern Perrysburg, which was used until 1845. From this class was formed

THE FIRST METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN DAYTON, or what is now known as the Cottage Methodist Episcopal Church. . The incorporation was effected Oct. 31, 1845, at a meeting over which Daniel Prosser and John H. Blish presided. The trustees elected were Gile Johnson, Wm. Howlet, and John B. Reed. The membership of the church at this time was about sixty, under the pastoral direction of the Revs. W. S. Warallo and T. H. Cummings, preachers in charge of a circuit which embraced appoint- ments in Dayton, Perrysburg, and other towns.

A church edifice was erected the following year, 1846, at West Dayton, which was replaced by the present struc- ture in 1872. It is a very attractive place of worship, with a capacity to seat 300 persons, and cost to build $2500. A parsonage and two acres of ground were secured for the use of Dayton circuit about twenty years ago, at West Dayton. This property is valued at $1500, and is occupied by the preacher in charge of the circuit, which embraces other appointments in the town of Dayton. The pastorate is at present filled by the Rev. A. H. Bowers. Others who have served Dayton circuit have been the Revs. W. W. Warner, Peter Burroughs, T. G. MeCrary, W. H. H. Snowden, W. H. Hover, J. H. Whalon, T. P. Warner, and L. A. Chapin. The names of the ministry previously connected with the church can be found in the history of the Methodist Church of Perrys- burg. The present membership of the church is not as large as it was at the time it was formerly organized. A Sunday-school is here maintained.

THE SECOND METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN DAY- TON,

which was constituted of members living in the eastern part of the town, was duly incorporated March 8, 1848. A board of trustees was chosen, composed of Avery Park, Nelson Hillibert, Norman L. Bacon, Esek B. Nash, Aaron P. Knowles, Jonathan Prince, and Benjamin J. Allen, to attend to the temporal affairs of this body ; but no church building was erected, and after a few years the society was allowed to disorganize. A class of Methodists continued to exist, and meetings were held statedly, the preaching being supplied by the pastors of the neighboring churches.

On the 21st of April, 1875, a meeting of these members was held in the school-house at Howard's Corners, over which the pastor, Rev. J. H. Whallon, presided. A new organization was formed, to be known as the

EAST DAYTON SOCIETY OF THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH,

and B. J. Allen, O. J. Nash, Ansel A. Nash, Esck K. Park, Charles W. Hall, L. O. Hall, and A. G. Park were elected trustees.

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Photos. by Edgerton & Chase, Gowanda, N. Y.

BARZILLAI MERRILL.

WILLIAM RANLETT.

HENRY T. RICE.

ELLEN RICE.

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HISTORY OF CATTARAUGUS COUNTY, NEW YORK.

In the summer and fall of 1875 a very attractive church edifice was erected by this society at Howard's Corners. It is a frame, 30 by 45 feet, with a well-proportioned front tower, and cost two thousand dollars. In January, 1876, the church was dedicated with appropriate services, con- ducted by the Rev. J. T. Edwards, of the Chamberlain In- stitute. Here thirty-five members at present worship, and are under the ministrations of the clergy of the East Leon Circuit, which embraces this as one of its appointments.

A Sunday-school, having forty members, is conducted under the superintendence of Ansel A. Nash.

At Dayton village was also, many years ago, a class of Methodists, which was organized into a church society in 1864 by the Rev. W. W. Warner, at that time in charge of the Dayton circuit. On the 15th of May, 1875, the name of this body became

THE SOCIETY AT DAYTON OF THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.

It yet remains a part of the Dayton circuit, and has always been served by the ministers from the Cottage church. The present pastor is the Rev. A. H. Bowers, and the members number about forty.

In 1870 a comfortable church edifice was erected at a cost of nearly three thousand dollars, which was conse- crated to the worship of the Divine Being the same year by the Rev. C. C. Carruthers, presiding elder of the dis- trict. The property yet bears a neat appearance, and is estimated worth two thousand five hundred dollars. It is controlled by a board of trustees composed of E. C. Bart- lett, James Rice, A. T. Gregg, J. M. Rich, and A. M. Hall.

THE FIRST FREE-WILL BAPTIST CHURCH OF DAYTON.

The Free-Will Baptists held meetings in the eastern part of Dayton and the southern part of Dayton soon after those sections were settled. The organization of a church followed these occasional services, May 4, 1831. Seven persons constituted the original membership, which cove- nanted itself according to the rites of the church of which they now became a part, and which was represented by the Rev. Amos C. Andrus, the organizer of the new body. John Seckins was chosen the first clerk, and the following year the Rev. Stacy Smith became the first regular pastor. His connection did not extend beyond a year, the Rev. Hiram Whicher becoming the spiritual tutor of the church in 1833. The same year William Bartlett was chosen clerk. In 1834 the Rev. F. B. Tanner was the preacher of the church, and in 1835 the Rev. Freeman Darte. The latter year Lyman Judd became the church clerk.

In 1847 the church had forty-two members, and the Rev. McKoon, pastor ; John Seekins, deacon ; and William Seekins, clerk. In two years Rev. Horatio Plumb became pastor, and the church was so prosperous that it was soon after determined to build a meeting-house, the services up to this time having been held in private places and school- houses, principally in District No. 8. Here the society was duly incorporated Feb. 16, 1852, with William Waldron, Jonathan Wait, Harrison Judd, Daniel Brown, Ezekiel Seekins, and John Seekins as trustees.

The church edifice, a plain frame structure, whose seat- ing capacity is two hundred, was not completed until 1854, and was consecrated that winter by the Rev. J. H. Ball, of Buffalo. It is in the southeastern part of the town, near the Leon line, and is now reported worth eight hundred dollars. When the church was built, Rev. Geo. Donocker was the pastor, and about this time Daniel Brown was here licensed to preach. Subsequently he became the pastor of the church, and now ministers to it. Among others who filled the pastoral office since 1855 have been Revs. J. H. Lovelace, S. Crosby, L. D. Howe, J. C. Steele, and Jerome Higbec.

In 1878 the church had thirty-two members, George H. Mosher, Frank Judd, Walker Ingersoll, Richard Easton, Collins Spencer, W. S. Easton, trustees, and Harrison Judd, church clerk.

ST. PAUL'S CHURCH (ROMAN CATHOLIC),

at Dayton village, was formed as the result of missionary meetings held here in 1863, by Passionists from Dunkirk. In 1864 a small church, capacitated to seat one hundred and fifty persons, was built in the southern part of the vil- lage, in which about ten families met regularly for worship, and were under the spiritual tutelage of Passionists, until Dayton became a parish, with Father Charles C. Geppert as the first resident priest.

In 1876 a fine church edifice, forty by seventy feet, with a handsome tower eighty feet high, was erected on an acre of ground, at a cost of nearly four thousand dollars. The tower contains an excellent bell, weighing six hundred pounds. A part of the church lot is used for cemetery purposes.

There are at present fifty-three families and three hun- dred communicants connected with the church, which has for its resident priest Father Welch. A Sunday-school of thirty members, and a parish school for religious instruction are also maintained.

THE GERMAN UNITED PROTESTANT ST. PETER'S CON- GREGATION

was incorporated Sept. 3, 1864, and had for its first trus- tees Charles Koeppel, William Borneman, and John Ochser. Previous to this period a small but neat house of worship had been built about four miles south of Dayton village. In the house meetings have been held statedly by the Revs. Shonstein, Fegale, and others, the congregation having no regular pastor. The membership in consequence is small, and the society not so prosperous as under more favorable circumstances.

THE FREE UNION CHURCH

was erected at West Dayton, in the fall of 1878, and con- secrated Oct. 31, by the Rev. Dr. Hall, of Buffalo, and Rev. Mr. Cook, of Cherry Creek. It was built by the people of Cottage and vicinity for the accommodation of any persuasion, irrespective of creed, which may choose to worship in it, and in its appearance and arrangement is a very creditable edifice.

At Pine Valley the Methodists hold meetings, with pros- pects of organizing as a church; and in other localities

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meetings are held by various denominations with a view to form organic religious societies.

SECRET ORDERS.

Summit Lodge, No. 72, A. O. U. W., was instituted at Dayton village, Feb. 24, 1877, with twelve charter-mem- bers, and the following officers : E. O. Hayes, M. W .; L. D. Bartlett, G. F .; J. L. Fenton, O .; D. J. Pierce, R .; A. M. Hall, F .; N. A. Chaffee, Rec. There are at present thirty-six members, and the meetings are held in Volk's Hall.

The principal offices were filled in 1878 by M. H. Mer- rill, P. M. W .; John Locke, M. W .; M. W. Johnson, G. F .; James L. Fenton, O .; and the three last-named officers of 1877.

Valley Lodge, No. 704, K. of H., was instituted at Pine Valley, Aug. 1, 1877, with eleven charter-members. The first principal officers were B. H. Lamb, D .; J. C. Shults, P. D .; T. R. Simpson, R. D. ; A. B. Charlesworth, V. D .; George Young, Jr., R. ; E. A. Chase, F. R. ; Charles Ber- wald, T .; D. Ranlett, G. Sixteen members were reported in November, 1878.

The Valley Lodge Building Association was organized in April, 1878, with the following members : J. C. Shults, Charles Berwald, Joseph Le Barron, John Le Barron, W. Foley, B. H. Lamb, E. A. Chase, George Young, Jr., John Oaks, D. Ranlett, George Burkhalter.

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History of Cattaraugus County, New York, with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of Some of Its Prominent Men and Pioneers, Part 64

Author: Franklin Ellis and Eugene Arns Nash Publication date: Publisher: Number of Pages:

Author: Franklin Ellis and Eugene Arns Nash
Publication date:
Publisher:
Number of Pages: