History of Chautauqua County, New York : from its first settlement to the present time : with numerous biographical and family sketches, Part 16

Author: Young, Andrew W. (Andrew White), 1802-1877; Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation. fmo; Huntington Free Library. fmo
Publication date: 1875
Publisher: Buffalo, N.Y. : Printing House of Matthews & Warren
Number of Pages: 948

USA > New York > Chautauqua County > History of Chautauqua County, New York : from its first settlement to the present time : with numerous biographical and family sketches > Part 16

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In 1820, Col. Nathaniel Bird, a soldier of the Revolution, who settled in Westfield in 1815, contracted to carry the mail once a week, on horseback, from Buffalo to Erie, not by way of Mayville, from January 1, 1821. The people of Mayville being dissatisfied, Mayville was restored to its place in the route ; and the carrier was allowed $50 additional compensation. Col. Bird commenced the running of mail stages on this route. The weekly stages were a great accommodation to the public; but the road, for miles east of Cattaraugus creek, was for many years' extremely bad-sometimes almost impassable, except when frozen-and passengers were often compelled to go on foot. The stages were ordinary two-horse wagons, with canvas covering, and seats on wooden springs along the inside of the box, with cushions and low backs. To carry the mail through in the stipulated time, it became necessary at times to forward it on horseback. There was no bridge on the stage route over the Buffalo, Eighteen Mile, or Cattaraugus creek. The "four-mile woods," Cattaraugus creek, and Cash's tavern in the present town of Brant, were the dread of all travelers in carriages. Many a traveler with a team has been compelled to employ a man with a yoke of oxen to assist in dragging the wagon through the mud, the women and children walking over the road.

At the commencement of 1823, Col. Bird, associated with a Mr. Marvin, of Buffalo, commenced running his stage-wagons twice a week ; the postmas- ter-general having added $200 to his compensation, making it $750 for trans- portation of the semi-weekly mail. By the exertions of Col. Bird, the erection of toll bridges over the Buffalo, Eighteen Mile, and Cattaraugus creeks was hastened.

In 1824, Col. Bird associated with him his son, Ira R. Bird, of Westfield, and others, and in 1826 commenced running a daily stage, post-coaches being run on portions of the route. An opposition line, called the Buffalo and Erie Union Line, was put on this road by Walter Smith and others. In February, 1825, the toll bridge over Eighteen Mile creek fell a few minutes after the mail stage had crossed it.

In May, 1826, the Union Stage Company, of which Alanson Holmes was agent, established a tri-weekly line of stages between Buffalo and Erie, by way of Hamburgh, Eden, Collins, Lodi, (now Gowanda,) Perrysburgh, For- estville and Fredonia, to Erie. Fare $3, and four cents a mile for way passengers.

In February, 1826, Obed Edson and Harry Eaton established a semi- weekly line of stages between Fredonia and Jamestown, which they soon extended to Dunkirk and Warren, Pa. Capt. Ballard soon after commenced running his stages between Jamestown and Mayville, except Sundays, making a daily line between Jamestown and Westfield.

Post-coaches were first run regularly on the entire route between Buffalo

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and Erie, with the daily mail, early in 1829, by Rufus S. Reed, of Erie, Thomas G. Abell, of Fredonia, and Bela D. Coe, of Buffalo. Col. Bird sold out his interest in the stages about this time, having reached the age of 76. He died in Hamburgh, N. Y., in 1847, aged 84.

- In the spring of 1827, an arrangement was made between the proprietors of the "Pioneer" steamboat running from Buffalo to Erie and those of the daily stages, by which the former was to take passengers to and from Buffalo and Dunkirk, making connection with the stage' lines. Passengers would then leave by the evening boat and avoid the bad roads between Buffalo and Cattaraugus, and a sea sich oyage on the lake.

POLICY OF THE HOLLAND LAND, COMPANY.

PRICE OF LAND, AND TERMS OF SALE

THE policy of the Holland Company in the disposal of their lands, and the effects of that policy upon the interests of the Company and of the set- tlers respectively, have been a theme of frequent discussion. Although nearly forty years have elapsed since the relation between the Company and the settlers ceased, yet, as an important item of past history, the subject is entitled to a notice in this work.

The price paid for the lands by the Company, we are informed, was 32 cents per acre » The price at which the early sales were made, was about $2, being varied, more or less, by the location and the quantity sold. The books of the company show the price in this county to have been about $2.50 an acre.This price, after deducting the cost of surveys, and the ex- penses of the land offices would seem to have left to the Company a large profit. Yet the, opinion Nas extensively prevailed, that cash sales at what is usually termed the " government price" would have been better for the Company.

It has often been remarked, that by holding the lands at the high credit prices, eastern emigrants having money were attracted to the Western states, across the Holland Purchase, to get' cheap lands, thus retarding the settle- ment of the Purchas And Leaving its lands to be 'occupied by the poorer class of emigrants " But many are not aware that the price of the public lands, at the time when the Holland Company commenced their sales, was about thesame as the price of ris on the Purchasex( The common price of government lands in western states was . $2. "A person could enter a quarter-section, [160 acts,] by paying down $80 ; the remainder to be paid in sums of $80 yearly. " If the whole were not paid in five years, the claim was forfeited. The land was not liable to taxation before the expiration of five years. As Congress sold to no person less than a quarter-section, poor men joined in the purchase, and divided the land. During the period of general depression and bank suspensions that succeeded the war of: 1812,

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many were unable to make further payments, and forfeited their lands. But for the relief of such, Congress passed an act making the certificate of en- trance receivable on the land it covered. By a later act, the price was reduced to $1.25 per acre, cash. Another act allowed the division of quarter- sections into lots of 80 acres ; so that, with a certificate of the payment of $80, and $20 in cash, a person could buy 80 acres. Still some, unable to raise the $20, lost their lands. It appears, therefore, that, not until several years after the war of 1812, which closed in 1815, did emigrants find more favorable terms of purchase in the Western states.

The books of the Holland Company show remarkably slow progress of payment by purchasers of lands. A large portion of theni must have for- feited their claims. It appears that, at the' expiration of ten years, those who had paid little or nothing, were charged with "increase of purchase money," which was a sum added to the sum remaining unpaid. To what extent this was done in this county does not appear, as many of the older books were destroyed at Mayville by the memorable conflagration at that place, in 1836. The increase charged was, in many instances, nearly equal to, and in a few even greater than the sum due on the contract.

For example : In Wyoming county, G. T. J. was charged April 1, 1806, " To 2,lots, 728 acres, $1,456," being $2 per acre, only $10 having been paid down. At the end of 10 years, he was charged " To Increase, $1,648," making the sum of $3, 104; and the land was bought in parts by six differ- ent purchasers, who took new articles. Another, whose unpaid balance was $615, was charged " To Increase, $642," and articles were given to three new purchasers, charged with $1,257. In Chautauqua county, Eleazar Crocker was charged, Sept. 3, 1808, for land, $225, on which $12 were soon after paid, and on the 4th of September, 1818, $157.50 was added as increase of purchase money. Jonas Seaman, charged Jan. 13, 1810, for land, $435, of which there remained unpaid, $391.25, was charged Jan. 14, 1820, as increase, $281.14, and renewed his article for $672.39. In nearly every instance, the increase is charged the day next after the ten years had expired. In some cases, a smaller increase is charged in less than ten years from the date of the contract.

Some assistance was rendered the settlers in making payments, by the offer of the Company to receive cattle on their contracts. Agents were sent once a year to certain towns for that purpose. We find in the Batavia books, the first credit for cattle in 1822 or 1823. Cattle were thus received for a number of years. We have seen, in the eastern part of the Purchase, a few credits for grain ; but the receiving of grain, it is presumed, was never gen- * eral, at any considerable distance from a good market. An additional stimu- lus was given by a notice to those most in arrears, that in case of speedy payment, a liberal deduction would be made from the sums due. This was the cause of some dissatisfaction to those who had been more prompt in their payments, who regarded it as a premium to their slack neighbors for their want of punctuality.

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HISTORY OF CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY.

During these times it was that most was heard of the impolicy of the plan of the Company for the disposal and settlement of their lands. . Prob- ably with the view of inviting immigration, articles were given to settlers on the most easy terms-to some, on payment of a sum barely sufficient to pay for drawing the contract, which was about one dollar; and many, doubtless, were attracted hitber by this easy mode of obtaining possession of land. The early settlers were generally poor, having expended nearly the last dollar in their removal, and could scarcely have purchased on less accommodating terms. Yet some of these, after a short residence and sundry discourage- ments, sold out their "improvements " and sought new homes in more favor- able localities. Then, too, was so often expressed the opinion that the Company would have done better, and the country would have been more prosperous, had the low price and cash plan been adopted, as it would have brought in a better as well as a more industrious and enterprising class of inhabitants. That some persons of the lower class were drawn hither by the easy terms offered by the Company is true. But the old inhabitants of Chautauqua county still living will agree in saying that its early settlers were generally honest, frugal, and industrious, and in point of moral worth, not inferior to the population of any other county in the state.

CONDITION OF THE SETTLERS.

A recurrence to facts will reveal the true cause of the slow progress of the settlers in discharging their obligations to the Company. Most of them were comparatively young men from the East, and poor. Wages had been low ; and they had laid up little more than enough to buy a team and to defray the expense of their removal. They had heavily timbered lands to clear, and for a time had no sons able to help, nor the means of hiring help. And for the little surplus of the products of their farms, there was for years no market beyond the demands of new-comers. War came; and many were obliged to leave their farms and join the army. Some of them served to the end of the war-between two and three years. Peace returned ; labor was again thrown upon the land; and within a few years there was a large surplus which scarcely compensated for raising it. The price of wheat in Rochester, then the nearest and best cash market in the western part of the state, was 2s. 6d. to 3s. per bushel, which would hardly pay for its transpor- tation in that time of bad roads. Occasionally a load was taken to Albany by teamsters going after goods for the merchants. At home, a bushel was given for a pound of tobacco, or a yard of brown cotton cloth.

, In providing means for prosecuting the war, double duties were laid upon imports, which duties were to continne during the war, and for a year after its close. These duties checked importations and encouraged home manu- factures. Many manufactories sprang into being. The period of high duties expired in the winter of 1816. Commercial intercourse with Great Britain was resumed, and the country was again flooded with British goods. Our manufactures were prostrated. The country was drained of its money to

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€ pay for foreign goods ; specie payments were suspended; and bank bills depreciated to 70 or 80 per cent. below par, and in some states to almost nothing. No wonder that the books of the Land Company showed so few and so small credits to settlers, nor that so many children went barefoot until the first snows had fallen.

We have elsewhere spoken of the partial relief found within doors from the help of the spindle and the shuttle, and from the products of the forest- ashes. Thus the struggle continued until the completion of the Erie canal, in 1825, which, by opening to our people an accessible market, brought them permanent relief. They entered upon a course of prosperity, and many of them soon attained a comfortable independence.

A large portion of the settlers, however, still felt the pressure of their land debt. They thought it but just that the Land Company, who had grown rich under the laws of the state removing their alien disabilities, and exempt- ing them from taxation, should contribute some share toward the expenditures of the state government. Application to the legislature was made in 1833, for a law to this effect, which was passed in that year. The act was advocated by its friends upon the principle, that, if any of our own citizens held the same security, as the contracts of these non-resident landholders, such securities would be liable to taxation ; that the present value and ultimate payment of the debt due the Holland Company were involved in the stability of our laws ; and that the construction of the Erie canal, effected by the settlers on their lands in connection with other citizens of the state, had increased the value of the Company's purchase several millions of dollars, a considerable portion of which had been and would be realized by the Company.

After the passage of this law, the Company, through their local agent, served notices on persons having contracts on which payments were due, though the contracts had not expired, requiring them to pay, "or satisfac- torily arrange," the balance due, or quit the premises within two months. A citizen commenting'on this notice in a newspaper remarked, that, "if every species of personal property owned by the settlers could be sold, the money would not half meet the requirements of this summary mandate." The issuing of this notice so soon after the passage of the act, is of itself strong presumptive evidence that this sudden change of policy was designed as a retaliation to those who had been instrumental in procuring the passage of the law. This evidence finds confirmation in the innuendo or threat uttered by one in the interest of the Company, while the bill was pending in the legislafure, that, "it might be worse for the settlers."

THE COMPANY SELL THEIR LANDS-LAND OFFICE DESTROYED.

It will readily be imagined, that the announcement of this new policy produced a stir among the settlers throughout the Purchase ; and their feelings found vent, to a great extent, through the newspapers. They advised the making of no new contracts while existing contracts were in life, and when

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HISTORY OF CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY.

they did renew, to agree to the payment of no tax but the ordinary land tax which they now paid. It was suggested that meetings be held in the several towns to consult on measures to be adopted ; that the Company be petitioned to rescind the decree, and if this were not done, to petition the legislature. They also questioned the power of the Company to enforce the forfeiture of a contract until all the stipulated payments were due.

In the same year or the year following, the Company commenced selling out their remaining interest in portions of the Purchase to small companies or to individuals. The first sale in this county by the Company, was the sale of their interest in the town of Charlotte, to Hinman Holden, of Batavia. In November, 1835, the Holland Company made an agreement with Trumbull Cary and George W. Lay, of Batavia, to sell to them all their estate, personal and real, in this county. This consisted in wild lands, reverted lands, lands held under valid contracts, and a few bonds and mortgages on lands sold and not conveyed. The purchase money was payable as follows : $50,000 in hand, and the residue in four equal installments in six, twelve, eighteen, and twenty-four months ; the Company to retain the legal title to the property as security, to receive all the moneys collected, and to take in their own name and retain all securities by bonds, mortgages, and contracts, which should be taken on the sale of the lands and the liquidation of debts. But the local agent of the Holland Company was, as far as should be consistent with its security, to be governed by the direction of the new [equitable] proprietors.

The sale, or agreement to sell, having come to the knowledge of the settlers, Mr. Peacock, the local agent of the Company, was applied to for informa- tion as to the terms and policy adopted, or to be adopted, by the new proprietors ; but the applicants received no definite answer. The fact was reported to a meeting of settlers, at which a committee was appointed, con- sisting of Elial T. Foote, Oliver Lee, Samuel Barrett, Leverett Barker, and George T. Camp, who were to visit the new proprietors at Batavia, for the information which they failed to obtain at Mayville.

The following is a copy of the "Genesee Land Tariff," as it was called. It was copied by Judge Foote from the one exhibited to the Chautauqua committee :

" In all cases of articles which have expired since the first of January, 1835, or which may hereafter expire, a new sale may be made, and new contracts may be issued, payable in ten annual installments, with interest annually, on the following terms, one-eighth of the purchase money being paid down :

" I. In all cases where the amount due on the old contract is less than $3 on the acre, an advance of $1 on the acre to be charged.

"2. Where the amount due is over $3 per acre, and less than $5, an advance of $1.50 per acre to be charged.

" 3. Where the amount is over $5 on the acre, and less than $8, $2 per acre to be added.

" 4. . Where there is due over $8 per acre, an advance of $3 per acre to be charged.

"5. Contracts which have been forfeited in consequence of non-compli- ance with the notices, to be considered as expired.

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"6. Any settler holding under an article expired since January last, may be permitted to pay up and take a deed on the payment of - per acre.

" 7. In all cases where the land is worth twice the amount of the purchase money, a deed may be given and a mortgage taken on the above terms.

"8. Any settler may surrender his article before it expires, and take a new contract on the above terms.

"9. These terms are for the benefit of actual settlers, and not to be extended to those who hold contracts pledged for the payment of debts, or who have purchased them for speculation; but all such persons will be required to pay the full value of the land.

"10. In case any settler whose article has expired since the first of Jan- uary last, or shall hereafter expire, shall neglect to take a new article on the above terms, for the space of six months, the said land to be resold for a sum not less than wild land.

"II. No advance to be charged upon lands held by widows and orphan children.

" 12. No wild land, or other land not heretofore articled, or any of that class of expired articles purchased as wild lands, at $2 per acre, or the lots in Batavia or Buffalo to be sold until the same have been apprized, and a price fixed by the proprietors.

" Dated November, 1835."

Incensed by what the settlers deemed an unreasonable advance on the prices of their lands, arrangements were soon made for a raid upon the land- office in Mayville, with a view to the destruction of the books and papers belonging to the office. This design was carried into effect on the 6th of February, 1836. The land-office was demolished ; and most of the books, records, maps, mortgages and contracts, were carried off about two miles and burned. The mob consisted of about two hundred and fifty men. The excitement was not confined to this county. In the spring of 1836, a crowd of seven hundred made a descent upon the Holland Company's office at Batavia, which, however, was successfully defended by an organized military force and citizens, armed from the state arsenal in that village, and two block- houses, erected in anticipation of an attack.

POLICY OF MR. SEWARD.

William H. Seward had, just before the day fixed for the attack upon the Batavia office, been applied to by the new proprietors to assume the agency of the estate. He was also to take an interest in the purchase. And sub- sequently, Abraham M. Schermerhorn, a banker in Rochester, also became a partner. In June, 1836, before Mr. Seward had accepted the proposition of the proprietors, a convention, held at Mayville, resolved, that the proprie- tors be invited to open an office in the county, and pledged themselves that the settlers would cheerfully pay the principal and interest accrued upon their contracts, but would submit to no extortionate demands, by way of what was called the "Genesee Tariff," compound interest, or otherwise. Confiding in the intelligence and justice of the people, he was determined by this expres- sion to accept the trust proposed. With a view to greater safety, he estab- lished his office at Westfield, the citizens of that place having pledged them-

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selves to protect it from mob violence. Rooms were fitted up in the West- field House building ; and the business was conducted to the general satis- faction of the settlers. A commodious building for a land-office was soon erected on North Portage street, and was occupied for this purpose until the business of the new Company was closed.

In 1838, Mr. Seward was nominated for the office of governor. A few weeks after, it was insinuated by an anonymous correspondent of a county paper, that-

" The bonds and mortgages of the settlers of Chautauqua county are now in Wall street, New York :

" That some Trust Company has a deed of all the lands of the settlers :

" That through the agency of Nicholas Biddle and others, William H. Seward has raised money in Europe at an interest of five per cent , while he demands seven per cent. from you, [the settlers] :

" And that he and his associates pay interest annually, and extort interest from you semi-annually."

These accusations, as might be expected during an election campaign, were copied into leading papers of the party opposed to Mr. Seward@ elec- tion, with numerous additional accusations : " having violated his agreement with the settlers ; sold their mortgages to soulless corporations, which would demand payment the moment they expired ;" that their farms " would be sold on mortgage for half their value, and Seward, a wealthy and heartless speculator by trade, would be the purchaser, and thus rob the poor settlers of millions of their hard earnings."

A few weeks after the publication of these accusations, Mr. Seward addressed the citizens of Chautauqua county, through the press of the county, defending himself against what he called "misrepresentations of fact and injurious inferences." Regarding it as having a legitimate connection with the history of the Holland Purchase, and especially that portion which is embraced within the bounds of Chautauqua county, a large portion of it is here copied as a part of our county history :

" Compelled by ill health to relinquish my profession, it seemed to me that I might, without wrong or injury to you, contribute to restore peace, harmony and prosperity in that flourishing region of the state where so much unhappy agitation prevailed. . . Nor did it appear to me morally wrong to receive from the purchasers an adequate compensation for my services. The compensation tendered, as an equivalent for the not unprofitable pursuits which I abandoned, was invested in the purchase.

"The Holland Company reposed in me the extreme confidence of consti- tuting me their agent, although I was a purchaser under them ; and it is due to them and to the proprietors to say, that without even the previous formal- ity of an agreement in writing, or other instrument than a letter of attorney, I went among you to undertake the agency you desired should be estab- lished.

" It was known to me that the Holland Company insisted upon its pay- ments ; and these could only be made by raising a loan in Europe or else- where, to meet their demands sooner than they could be collected from you, without intolerable oppression. I therefore stipulated with the American

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POLICY OF THE HOLLAND LAND COMPANY.

Trust Company, before commencing my agency, that as soon as the liquida- tion of the debts by bonds and mortgages could be effected, and the mone- tary affairs of the country would permit, they should advance me their bonds for the amount. I secured also an understanding with the Holland Com- pany, that they would favor the proprietors and settlers, until I could accom- plish this preliminary settlement and security.

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