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 75
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MEMORANDA OF EARLY EVENTS.
Daniel Smead built the first frame house, about 1820, on lot 30. About the same time Stephen Crosby erected the first frame barn, on the place now belonging to E. N. Lee.
In Stephen Crosby's family also occurred the first birth, March 6, 1817,-a daughter, who was named Orril. She is at present the wife of Silas Choate, of Hillsdale, Mich.
In 1825, Enoch Chase departed this life, and was buried in what afterwards became the town cemetery, near E. N. Lee's. Probably he was the first adult to die in town.
Among the early marriages are mentioned those of Gaius Wheaton and Relief Chase, and Benjamin Winship and Hannah Sanders.
Luther Doolittle and Benjamin Johnson were pioneer innkeepers, the latter keeping at a place where the Coleman farm now is; and Alfred Ayers kept the first store below the village, all before 1830.
CIVIL GOVERNMENT.
The act of the Legislature of April 10, 1818, organizing the new town, provided that the first meeting should be held at the dwelling-house of Jared Benedict, on the first Tuesday
of March next. But the records of this meeting, and those of the meetings up to 1823, cannot be found. Ou the 4th of March, 1823, the meeting was held at the house of Enoch Chase, and the following officers elected : Supervisor, Simcon Smead; Town Clerk, Guilson Morgan ; Assessors, Jonathan Kinnicutt, Aaron Razey, Benjamin Winship ; Collector, Na- thaniel Fish ; Commissioners of Highways, Gaius Wheaton, John A. Kinnicutt, Amos Morgan ; Constables, Nathaniel Fish, Lyman Lee, Noah Hopkins; Overseers of the Poor, David Chase, Benjamin Chamberlain; Commissioners of Common Schools, Aaron Razey, Guilson Morgan, Simeon Smead; Inspectors of Schools, John A. Kinnicutt, Wm. A. Hopkins, Gaius Wheaton.
Since 1823 the principal officers of the town have been :
Supervisors.
Town Clerks.
1824.
Simeon Smead.
Guilson Morgan.
1825.
1826.
46
"
Jacob Galloway. "
1827.
Ezra Canfield.
1828 ..
..
Stephen Crosby.
1829
¥
=
1830.
Simeon Smead.
Levi Godding.
1831.
..
1832
Dimmick Marsh.
David Hathaway.
1833
Simeon Smead.
1834
..
1835.
"
1836
Luther Peabody. .€
1837 Abner Chase.
1838
David Hathaway.
1839
1840
1841
Jonathan Thompson.
1842
Cyrus S. Shepard.
1843
Stephen Crosby.
=
1845
Horace Howe.
1846
John Boardman.
1847.
Luther Peabody.
=
1848.
Converse H. Chase.
1849 John Boardman.
1850.
Dimmick Marsh.
=
1851.
. Luther Peabody. =
1853.
Eliphalet Culver.
1854.
1855
Horace Howe.
0. E. Marsh.
Almon P. Russell.
1858
Luther Peabody.
Joseph H. Green.
1859 Lyman Twomley.
Luther Peabody. Joseph F. Thompson.
1860.
John Manley.
1861.
Norman Wheaton.
"
1862.
Horace S. Huntley. S. C. Green.
1863
Stephen C. Green.
1864
Daniel Bucklin.
1865.
Stepben C. Green.
Joseph F. Thompson.
1866
E. N. Lee.
1867.
John Manley.
1868
Lyman Twomley.
Enos C. Brooks.
1871.
1872
..
1874
1875.
Wm. W. Welch.
1876.
E. A. Nash.
1877.
Dell Tuttle.
1878
JUSTICES OF THE PEACE.
1827. Stephen Crosby.
1834. Dimmick Marsh.
. Jacob Galloway.
1835. John Boardman.
John A. Kinnicutt.
1836. Horatio Dix.
Simeon Smead.
1837. David Hathaway.
1830. Dimmick Marsh. Michael Puddy.
Abner Chase.
1838. Eliphalet Culver.
Alfred Ayers. Simcon Smead.
1839. Dimmick Marsh. John Boardman.
1832. Asa Sweetland.
1840. Nathan Crosby.
1833. Iloratio Dix.
1841. Harvey Eldridge.
Eliphalet Culver.
1842. Eliphalet Culver.
John Peabody. L. S. Whitney. A. H. Howe.
1869
1870.
S. S. Marsh. John Manley.
Wm. W. Welch. 6€ «
1873
George Hilsle. C. M. Nutting. Lewis A. McMillan.
1852
Leander Stratton. Nathan C. Brown. Leander Stratton. Daniel Bucklin.
1856 Horace S. Huntley.
1857. Horace Howe.
Sidney S. Marsh. "
1844 John Boardman.
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HISTORY OF CATTARAUGUS COUNTY, NEW YORK.
1843. Dimmick Marsh. Edwin O. Locke.
1859. Horace S. Huntley.
1860. Alvin P. Russell.
1844. Nathan Boutelle.
1861. George Town.
1862. Henry Hoyt.
Fuller Bucklin.
E. J. Davis.
Nathan Crosby.
1863. H. V. R. MeKay.
1847. Harvey Eldridge.
1864. Nathan Crosby.
1848. Lyman S. Pratt.
1865. Fuller Bucklin. Alonzo L. Ames.
1849. Edwin O. Locke. Thomas L. Newton.
1867. Elisha Puddy.
1850. Dimmick Marsh.
1868. E. A. Wheat.
1851. H. C. Gaylord.
1869. F. Bucklin.
1852. Stephen C. Green. Alonzo L. Ames. Fuller Bucklin.
1870. Isaac Winship.
1871. Elisha Puddy.
1853. Wm. P. Crawford.
1872. M. N. Pratt.
1854. Thomas L. Newton.
1873. James Morris.
Elisha Puddy.
1874. Isaac Winship.
1855. A. L. Ames.
1875. John Travis.
N. C. Brown.
1876. Willard Gould.
1856. Fuller Bucklin.
1877. M. N. Pratt.
1857. Elisha Puddy.
1878. Vedder C. Reynolds.
1858. Henry Hoyt.
SPECIAL TOWN-MEETINGS
were held April 2, 1864; Aug. 29, 1864; and Feb. 9, 1865, to vote aid to the Government in suppressing the Rebellion. At the latter meeting a bounty of $400 for each volunteer from town was voted, and E. S. McMillan, J. C. Peabody, and E. Puddy appointed a disbursing com- mittee. with discretionary power to fill the quota under the President's call for troops.
On the 26th of May, 1865, $10,000 was voted by the town to secure the erection of the county buildings at Little Valley, and a fund of $30,000 guaranteed to the super- visors, if they should decide to locate at that point.
Nov. 30, 1866, $5000 more was voted by the town to swell the fund to the required amount, and thus secured the county-seat.
LITTLE VALLEY MANUFACTORIES.
David Powers is credited with building the first saw- and grist-mills on Little Valley Creek as early as 1810, but no exact information can be obtained. On the same stream Alvin Chase and brother had a saw-mill at a much later period. Here is now a good mill operated by Jonathan Thompson. Other mills were formerly operated on the different streams of the town, but all have been abandoned, except a few here named.
In 1868, O. and A. Brown erected a steam saw-mill at Little Valley, which was demolished by an explosion in 1872. It was rebuilt on a larger scale, but on the 5th of June, 1875, the boiler again exploded, killing David Brown (at that time one of the proprietors), James H. Wiest, the fireman, and a four-year-old son of Brown.
Below this point, Horace Howe erected a very fine grist- mill, having five run of stones and containing first-class machinery. The mill could not be operated advantageously here, and was removed to Persia by Silas Vinton in 1873, where it is now operated as the " Hidi Mills."
Nearly opposite from where the Howe mill stood, Wil- liam Adye put up in 1869 an establishment for grinding
feed, the manufacture of barrels, and planing lumber. The motor is a 16 horse-power engine. Oscar Adye is the pres- ent proprietor.
The Little Valley saw- and grist-mills are operated by steam and water-power furnished by the main stream above the village. They were built, in 1870, on the site of an old saw-mill by J. H. Mack. The lumber-mill contains also planing and matching machines. Near this place is a cheese-box factory and cooperage by J. F. Mack.
THE DAIRY INTERESTS
of the town are yearly receiving greater attention. The product is principally cheese, although a large quantity of butter is made annually from the milk of the cows be- longing to private dairies.
The Little Valley Cheese-Factory, a mile and a half below the village, was erected by D. P. Bensley in 1867. It is a three-story frame, 35 by 75 feet, and is supplied with good machinery. Since 1875, J. M. Osborne has operated the factory, which has 25 patrons. 10,000 pounds of milk are used daily in the manufacture of 17 sixty- pound full cream-cheeses.
The Larabee Creamery and Cheese-Factory, in the west- ern part of the town, was built by E. C. Brooks in April, 1871. It is a well-appointed building, 32 by 75 feet, in a good neighborhood. For the past few years A. L. Larabee has been the proprietor and operator, and manufactures large quantities of butter and half-skim cheese.
The Little Valley Creamery was established in the spring of 1877 by J. H. Mack, near the village. The factory is 30 by 100 feet, and is abundantly supplied with pure spring-water, but employs steam as the motive-power. 5000 pounds of milk, furnished by 17 patrons, are worked up daily by a process employed by Mr. Mack only in this part of the State. The milk is allowed to sour several days before churning, and is kept at a certain temperature by means of steam-pipes or ice-water, when it yields a larger amount of superior butter, whose keeping qualities far surpass butter made by the old methods. The factory is supplied with good machinery, and is conveniently arranged.
LITTLE VALLEY CENTRE.
This is a small hamlet, a little south of the centre of the town, with a Free-Will Baptist Church, a school house, and half a dozen buildings. In early times it was a place of more consequence than at present, and had a store kept by David Chase. Afterwards Warren Weatherby and Edward S. Bryant were here store-keepers. A tavern was also kept a short time by Dr. Stillman Chase, who united the prac- tice of medicine with this business to some extent. At later periods, Doctors Irish, French, and Miner were prac- titioners in the hamlet, which is now simply a farming settlement.
THE VILLAGE OF LITTLE VALLEY
is a station on the Erie Railroad, near the northwestern part of the town, about eight miles from Salamanca. It is pleasantly located on a level piece of ground, environed by high hills, which give the surroundings a picturesque appearance, and constitute this one of the most attractive
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1845. Thomas L. Newton. Ira Gaylord. 1846. Dimmick Marsh.
Elisha Puddy.
1866. Henry Hoyt.
M. M. Pratt.
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HISTORY OF CATTARAUGUS COUNTY, NEW YORK.
places in the county. There was but a small settlement here before the railroad. In 1851, Horace Howe first platted some village lots on the small creek, where the first business-houses were erected. The same year Cyrus S. Shepard platted an addition on the east, extending down the valley; and, in 1867, John Manley platted 150 acres in the western part of the village, on which were located the county buildings the same year. From this time on the place has had a certain growth, and attained whatever importance now attaches to it. There are at present about 600 inhabitants, three churches, a number of public build- ings and business-houses, where an active trade is carried on. The first store in the town was kept about a mile below the village by Alfred Ayers. He occupied a small building which stood near the railroad-crossing in that locality. Shepard & Sinead followed in business, and later the former alone was very extensively engaged in trade, combining real-estate speculation and stock-dealing with general merchandising. His business had assumed such extensive proportions that nearly every one in the valley suffered from his failure in 1852.
At the old Shepard stand L. L. Coleman and S. C. Green were also in trade, and the place was last occupied for this purpose by Weatherby & Brown.
Horace Howe opened the first store in the village some time after 1850, in what is now known as the Densmore building. His business was extensive and embraced many kinds of traffic; opposite the store he erected a palatial mansion, which was reputed the finest in the county. Like Shepard, Howe met with reverses, and his failure seriously affected the prosperity of the place. The residence was destroyed by fire. S. S. Marsh, S. C. Green, J. S. Pca- body, Chase & Bucklin, and S. B. Densmore followed as principal merchants. Among those at present most active in trade are E. N. Lee, R. H. Butterfield, S. A. Tuttle, and J. H. Mack.
Benjamin Fuller put up one of the first taverns in the place, on the site of the " Rock City Hotel." This was afterwards known as the Howe tavern, and was kept, among others, by John Hickey. The latter afterwards built a tavern near the railroad, which he kept many years, but which is now a residence. The Howe tavern was burned, and the present house was built about 1866, by .J. Gano.
The " Palace Hotel" was built in 1876, by Henry Dow, and soon after became the property of S. C. Green, who very successfully conducted it until the spring of 1878, since when F. K. Alvord has been the landlord. It is a large three-story building with accommodations for 75 guests, and its appointments and conduct reflect credit on the place.
A banking office was opened in the place by S. S. Marsh, in 1868. It became a bank of deposit and exchange, and suspended in February, 1875.
The Cattaraugus Republican, a weekly journal of in- fluence and large circulation, was removed to Little Valley from Ellicottville in 1868, and is the first newspaper published at this point.
It is believed that Dr. A. B. Wilder, a native of Ver- mont, was the first settled physician in town. He died at Little Valley Centre.
Dr. Daniel Bucklin, from Wallingford, Vt., came in 1839, and began a practice which has been continued nearly ever since.' He is a resident of Little Valley, and has a con- temporary in Dr. Lyman Twomley, from New Hampshire, who has here followed his profession since 1852. Doctors C. Z. Fisher and S. S. Bedient are also in practice ; and Doctors Powers, Davis, Baker, and Satterlee, formerly fol- lowed the healing art in town.
Simcon Smead sometimes acted as a counsel in early days, although not a regular lawyer. E. A. Anderson, who came about 1869, was one of the first accredited at- torneys. Joseph R. Jewell was in the village from 1868 to 1872; Frank S. Smith, since 1871; Charles Z. Lin- coln, since 1874; E. A. Nash, since 1876; and Samuel Dunham, since 1877, have been the practicing attorneys in Little Valley.
From all accounts, a post-office was kept at the house of Stephen Crosby, some time before 1830. In 1833, Cyrus S. Shepard held the appointment, and the accrued postage that year was reported as $32.80. Subsequent postmasters have been Dimmick Marsh, Fuller Bucklin, John Fitch, Lydia Gaylord, Addie Fuller, and the present incumbent, Miss J. Woodward. The office enjoys good mail facilities, supplying the service for Napoli, and on the 5th of July, 1873, became a postal money-order office.
The Little Valley Cornet Band is a flourishing organiza- tion, having a dozen members, under the leadership of James Brown, which furnishes music for public gatherings and special occasions.
MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT.
The village was incorporated May 9, 1876, with bounds embracing 640 acres, situated partly on lots 40, 41, 52, and 53 of the Holland Company's survey. The election was held at " Rock City Hotel," and of the 69 votes polled, 64 were in favor of the proposed incorporation.
The first board of village officers was elected May 27, 1876, and was composed as follows : President, Stephen C. Green ; Clerk, John Manley ; Trustees, Augustus Hover, Almon Brown, Zina Dudley ; Treasurer, Samuel Merrick ; Collector, Caleb W. Barton ; Police Constable, Lewis Sprague ; Street Commissioner, Amos H. Bedient.
In 1877, Samuel Merrick was the president, and Dell Tuttle the clerk of the board ; and in 1878, the same clerk, and W. W. Henry president.
Since the village has been incorporated, its appearance has been materially improved and beautified.
THE LITTLE VALLEY WATER COMPANY
was organized in 1872, with a capital stock of 44 shares, of $25 each. The first board of managers was composed of A. W. Ferrin, President ; W. W. Welsh, Secretary and Treasurer ; and S. B. Densmore, Superintendent.
The water supply is obtained from the mains at the county buildings, which lead from an excellent spring a mile distant, and is abundant and of a good quality. About half a mile of pipes in the village are controlled by the company, which furnishes the water at a moderate cost to the inhabitants.
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S. C. GREEN.
S.C. GREEN, OWNER.
PALACE HOTEL, LITTLE VALLEY, CATTARAUGUS COUNTY, NEW YORK.
F. K.ALVORD, PROPR
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HISTORY OF CATTARAUGUS COUNTY, NEW YORK.
THE CATTARAUGUS COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY
began holding its meetings in the village in 1856. It first owned a lot of ten acres neur Asa Sweetland's. In 1870, a more spacious piece of ground was secured on the Little Valley Creek, in the upper part of the village, and im- proved for fair purposes. The first meetings of the society here were very successful, but latterly have been attended with abated interest. For the past few years the fairs have been held at Randolph.
THE COUNTY BUILDINGS.
In 1867 the erection of the Cattaraugus County court- house and jail was begun on a five-acre lot, donated for this purpose by John Manley, in his addition to the village of Little Valley. The buildings are after plans prepared by H. M. White, architect, of Syracuse, and were completed in the spring of 1868. The county offices were opened May 21, and the first term of court held the latter part of the same month.
The court-house is 56 feet wide and 82 feet long, built of brick, and covered with figured slate. The lower story is 13 feet high, and contains the county offices, which are provided with fire-proof vaults and rendered secure in other ways against the destroying element. The upper story is 20 feet high, and contains the court-room and its adjunct offices. The building has a handsome tower in front 100 feet high, which is surmounted by a figure of the American eagle. The style of architecture is attractive, making the building a conspicuous object in the valley. The jail, also built of brick, is in the rear of the court-house, has ample room, and well serves its intended purpose.
The cost of the buildings was $33,000, $18,000 of which were appropriated by the towns of Little Valley and Na- poli, the balance was contributed by individuals. Among the most liberal donors were Hon. John Manley, Judge Chamberlain, Ezra Eames, and Dr. Lyman Twomley.
SECRET ORDERS.
Little Valley Lodge, No. 377, I. O. of O. F., was in- stituted Aug. 15, 1848, on the petition of C. S. Shepard, Abner Chase, Horace Howe, D. H. Geron, and Luther Peabody. Abner Chase was installed the first N. G. In 1850 the number of the lodge was changed to 120, by which it was recognized until its discontinuance. At that time and until 1852, the meetings were held in a hall which belonged to Horace Howe, being the building now used by McGuire as a saloon. Howe withdrew from the order and subsequently forcibly ejected the lodge, destroying its prop- erty and proceeding to other extreme acts, which created in- tense excitement and much bitter feeling. C. S. Shepard immediately built a new hall on the opposite side of the creek, which has generally been known as " Masonic Hall," in which the lodge met until 1854, when owing to the de- moralizing agencies at work among its members, it dis- banded, and the order has since been without a lodge in the place.
Cattaraugus Lodge, No. 239, F. and A. M., was insti- tuted in January, 1851, and found a home in the old Howe Hall. Later, the meetings were held in the Shepard Hall,
afterwards especially set aside for its use. For many years it flourished here, but was removed to Salamanca in 1875.
Little Valley Lodge, No. 47, A. O. U. W., was organ- ized Dec. 29, 1876, with about 20 members and the follow- ing officers : A. Hover, P. M. W .; C. Z. Lincoln, M. W .; S. B. Densmore, G. F .; Emery Sweetland, R .; D. F. Run- dell, F .; C. L. Sprague, R. The present membership is 36, having as officers C. Z. Lincoln, P. M. W .; M. N. Pratt, M. W .; A. C. Merrick, G. F .; S. B. Densmore, R .; D. F. Rundell. F .; C. L. Sprague, R. The meetings of the lodge are held semi-monthly in Masonic Hall.
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
of the town are taught in comfortable buildings, and are usually well attended. The school at the centre was the first organized. Wheelock Chase was an early teacher in winter, and Mary Marsh and Axie Fay of summer schools, at this point. The present is the, second house that occu- pies the site. In 1828 the town was divided into districts, and liberal appropriations made for the support of schools.
In 1853 the school building in district No. 3, which in- cludes the village of Little Valley, was erected. It is an attractive, roomy structure, and contained, since 1869, two schools. In December, 1877, the district was organized under the general act of 1864 into
A UNION FREE SCHOOL.
Willard Gould, Cyrus A. Fuller, Charles Z. Lincoln, Wm. W. Henry, and Stephen C. Green were chosen trus- tees of the Board of Education, which organized by choos- ing Willard Gould president, and Charles Z. Lincoln clerk. George E. Town is the present principal of the school, which has an attendance of 120 pupils. The town is divided into six school districts, containing six school buildings, valued at $3575, with 175 volumes in library, valued at $150. There are seven teachers employed, to whom was paid $1721.85. Number of children of school age, 341 ; aver- age daily attendance, 172.668 TOOT. Amount of public money received from State, $858.63. Amount of money received from tax, $1031.55.
RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES.
The Free- Will Baptists are credited with organizing the first church society in town, Oct. 8, 1826, although it does not appear that a legal organization was effected until June 15, 1839. The trustees then elected were Lyman Lee, Abner Chase, Samuel Owen, Lyman Culver, Benjamin Winship, Cyrus W. Fuller, and Cyrus S. Shepard.
A small meeting-house was built about a mile below the village, in which worship was held by Elder R. M. Cary and others a number of years, when the house was removed to the centre of the town. Here its use for church pur- poses was continued at irregular periods until the society became so weak that the meetings could no longer be kept up. The house is still used for occasional services by dif- ferent denominations, but the original society has long since disbanded, leaving no records from which to compile a com- plete history.
In the old town of Little Valley
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HISTORY OF CATTARAUGUS COUNTY, NEW YORK.
THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH
was the first incorporated. A meeting for this purpose was held Dec. 5, 1823, over which Levi Dow and Wm. A. Hopkins presided. Benjamin Chamberlain, Smith Water- man, John A. Kinnicutt, Wm. Kendall, Jonathan Kinni- cutt, and Jeremiah Maybce were elected trustees, but we have no knowledge that anything was accomplished by the organization. Services were held at stated times by the itinerants of the circuits formed in the western part of the county, in school-houses, and at the homes of the members in the northern part of the present town and the southern part of New Albion. In 1852, Randolph Circuit supplied this section, having as preachers in charge Revs. A. Bur- gess and N. W. Jones. A class had been formed in the Sweetland neighborhood several years before, which was now to form the nucleus of the church at the village. Among the chief members were the Sweetlands, Thomp- sons, Giddings, Taggarts, and others, to the number of a score. On the 20th of August, 1858, this class was legally incorporated at a meeting held at Odd-Fellows' Hall, and L. M. Bottsford, L. H. Wilson, Asa Sweetland, S. C. Green, and Jonathan Thompson chosen as trustees of the new body. In 1859 a frame meeting-house was erected by the society in the village of Little Valley, which was dedicated No- vember 19, by Bishops Simpson and Ames. In this house worship was held in connection with other appointments in the adjoining town, which resulted in an encouraging in- crease of membership. The winter of 1877 was made es_ pecially notable by a revival whereby 41 persons were added to the church under the ministrations of the Rev. James P. Mills. The membership is at present 100.
In the summer of 1878 the meeting-house was enlarged, and handsomely remodeled at a cost of $1650, under the direction of S. C. Green, W. W. Henry, and Willard Gould as a building committee, and was rededicated Aug. 1, 1878, by Bishop R. S. Foster, assisted by Prof. Bowne, of the Boston University. It is now one of the handsomest church edifices in the county, and will comfortably seat 300 per- sons. In the rear of the main structure is a chapel, which will seat 75 persons more. The estimated value is $3500. The parsonage, erected in 1866, and repaired in 1878, is a very comfortable home, reported worth $1500.
Since 1852 the following have been among the clergy of the Methodist Church at this point : Revs. W. Chesbrough, D. C. Osborne, T. D. Blinn, S. L. Mead, J. Robinson, T. Warner, J. Akers, F. W. Smith, A. Barras, E. A. Ander- son, W. W. Case, E. B. Cummings, R. W. Scott, Peter Burroughs, E. Brown, W. B. Holt, and, in 1878, J. P. Mills.
A well-attended Sunday-school is maintained by the church, which is superintended by the pastor.
THE FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF LITTLE VAL- LEY
was organized Dec. 3, 1840, at the house of C. S. Shepard, and was constituted of 17 persons. William Hall and Ira Gaylord prepared the articles of faith, and the Rev. Reuben Willoughby was the first pastor, maintaining that relation many years. On the 22d of October, 1842, Ephraim Hall and Harrison Fisher were elected the deacons of the church,
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