History of Chautauqua County, New York : from its first settlement to the present time : with numerous biographical and family sketches, Part 59

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 59

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"In 1811, the first ashery was built by Elijah Risley, Jr., a short distance west of the bridge, a little north of the road. James Mack, an old and respectable resident of this village, came near losing his life, by falling into a kettle of boiling liquid. On or near this spot have been built a tannery, two asheries, one brewery, three distilleries, one furnace ; only one of them being in existence at the same time, and all built by different individuals.

" The first and only articles sent to market, for a number of years after the first settlement, were pot and pearl ashes, which were provisions of Nature to furnish means while the land was being prepared for cultivation. Mon- treal was the market until the Erie canal was opened. Of course, every settlement had its ashery. Ashes were carefully saved on every farm, and made into crude black salts, for which only a potash kettle and a few leaches were needed. The next article furnished for market was stock-a trade that made this county famous for fine steers. Besides these, what was produced before the opening of the canal, was needed in the newly settled parts of the county, and in the lumber regions in the northern portions of the county, and in Pennsylvania.

"The first corn after it was hard enough to cut off by rubbing the ear over a long plane or jointer made hominy. When sufficiently dry, it was pounded in a large wooden mortar, and the finest sifted out to make bread. The first wheat raised was taken in a small boat by a person that only such circum-

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stances produce, to Presque Isle [Erie] to be ground, that being the nearest mill. The trip would require three or four days. Enough was produced, after a time, to spare a little to new-comers, who had usually the means of purchasing supplies for a part of the first year. This was about the only money which settlers had for procuring anything for their families not raised by themselves. It was this state of things that induced many, after strug- gling for years to improve a farm, to sell out without getting half the value of their improvements, and go on to a new piece of land. It is believed there were in Pomfret but two persons who took up land during the first fifteen years, whose heirs now own or occupy any portion of the land-Philo Orton and Daniel Gould. In Dunkirk there was but one such person, it is believed -Richard Douglass.

" Squire White and Leverett Barker bought land in the village of Heze- kiah Barker, and each married one of his daughters.

" A wonderful change has been wrought in a little more than 60 years. The words 'Ohio,' in large letters, on the covers of wagons, conveyed the idea of the extreme West. But now and then a straggling adventurer dared penetrate the then hidden West, before Chicago, Cincinnati, and other western cities were known-when all business on the lakes was done in open boats.

" A tea-party assembled in the fall of 1807. Among the guests were Miss Lucinda Cushing, afterwards Mrs. Wm. Barker, and Miss Desire Barker, afterwards Mrs. Leverett Barker. All possible preparations were made. Some cake, prepared from corn pounded in a mortar, was hung up on a pole overhead to rise. It was near the fire-place, or rather the place for the fire, as there was no chimney. The heat was more intense than was supposed. After the usual chit chat, the cake was taken down to prepare the repast, and lo, it had soured, and could not be used ! A council was held, and it was decided to make a plain cake from similar material, which was baked on a board before the fire. They had crab-apple sauce, which did not get sour ; and all passed off agreeably.

"The first house in the village was built by David Eason, on the bank of the creek, near the residence of the late Gen. Elijah Risley. It was built of logs, and the floor was of split logs smoothed with an axe. The doors were made in the same way, and fastened together with pins, not a nail being used.

"In the spring of 1807, my father built a log house, constructed in the same manner, near the present site of the Berry house, on what is now Berry street. To save hewing the timber for floors, some smooth stones were pro- cured from the creek, so large that two stones formed the floor for the end of the house. There was no chimney, and the aperture for the escape of the smoke was made through the roof over these stones. When the fire was built on them, they began to crack and to fly in all directions, so that it was unsafe to remain in the house. Stick chimneys, plastered with clay to pro- tect them from fire, were a subsequent improvement."

The following are names of early settlers in township 5, range 12, though not all of them original purchasers :

In the north-east part of the town, Joel Harrington settled on lot 8, the land now owned by Wm. Moore. Jonathan Hempsted, on lot 24; died from the kick of a horse ; land sold by his heirs to Lewis Howard and brothers, present owners. Thomas Kepple is said to have settled on lot 23 ;. T. Kepple, probably the same man, appears on the map of 1854, on lot 1, tp. 6.

In the east part of the township, Luther Frank settled on lot 12, a son of

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whom resides in Fredonia. Ezekiel Johnson, on lot 21; was a miller for Risley; a son is, or was recently, editor of a paper in Ohio. Ephraim Wil- son, Sr., settled on lot 20 ; a son resides in the village. Harvey Durkee, on lot 13 ; his descendants reside in Fredonia. Orrin Ford, on lot 4 ; whose wife was a daughter of Benj. Sprague; he was a justice of the peace. Joseph Rood, on lot 22; land now owned by George C. Rood.

In the south-east part of the township, Abel Beebe settled on lot 1 ; a son, Delos, is in Fredonia ; another at Cassadaga. Otis Goulding, Sr., on lot 2 ; farm now occupied by his son.

In the south part, Varnum N. Bacheller settled on lot 25, where he still resides. Levi Risley bought lot 26, since owned by Orland Brigham. In 1817, Eli Webster bought on lot 34 ; at or near where A. Bacheller and L. Keith resided 20 years ago. Willard Blodgett, on lot 35 ; land now owned by his son Orrin.

Near the center of the town, Benjamin Randall bought on lot 30; he was a brother-in-law of Dr. Walworth, of Fredonia. Lot 38 was deeded to Eli- jah Risley, Jr., Alanson Buckingham, and Benjamin Randall ; now owned by John Guest. Isaac Norton and his son Elisha, Sylvanus Sage, Henry Mumford, and Ellsworth Webster, bought lot 39. Elisha Norton still resides on a part of the lot ; the remainder is owned, in great part, by Jackson Sage.

In the north part of the town, Elijah Risley, Sr., bought originally on lots 32 and 33 ; the lands subsequently deeded to J. H. Mulford, Lucius Tuttle, Thomas Osborn, and Rosamond Randall.

In the south-west part, Bela Kelly and Reuben Munger bought parts of lot 42, on the south line of the town; and Joseph Munger was an original purchaser of part of lot 34, in 1817. In 1854, (perhaps much later,) B. Kelly, S. & E. Kelly, and P. Munger, resided on lot 42. Robert King, and John and Rufus S. Martin, took deeds of parts of lot 51; the last named is still on his farm. Leverett Todd bought in October, 1818, a part of 45, where he and his son Albert now reside. Peleg Redfield settled on the west part of lot 58. Earl Bell Thompson and Alfred A. Skinner, and John Cross, on lot 59. Benjamin White settled on lot 60, on the west line of the town, where he and Jonathan Dow continued to reside many years.

In the north-west part, Calvin Hutchinson bought on lot 57, in 1829; and also some land . on the north side of the township line-both in the town of Pomfret-which he still owns. Lewis W. Walker and Nathaniel Wood bought of lot 63, including a part of Milford. Robert Wilson and Levi Warner bought the north part of lot 64; the land subsequently owned by R. Wilson, H. S. Stearns, and E. Marsh. The center of the lot was bought by John Crane; since owned by James Lovell. A part of lot 65, was owned by A. Freeman, in 1854; Jonathan E. and Horace Hubbard owned the south part of the lot.

In the west part of the township, on and near lot 47, settled a number of the Websters, whose names are said to have been Ebenezer, Eli, Elisha, and Horace, brothers. Russell, a son of Ebenezer, resides on the farm of his

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grandfather. Jonathan Sprague bought early parts of lots 48 and 49, about 3 miles westerly from Fredonia, on the Buffalo & Erie road, where he settled, and resided till his death. His son Philander continued to reside on and occupy these lands for many years, when he removed to Red Wing, Minn., where he resides. George Steele settled on lot 53, on which H. Benjamin resides. Joseph Webster settled on lot 61, in 1811; R. Webster subsequent- ly settled on the lot. Jonas Litch, on 53, in 1817 ; and still resides there ; a son resides near him. Rowland Porter settled on lot 54, where he still resides.

The following are names of early settlers in part of township 6, now in the town of Pomfret :

In the east part of the two tiers of lots annexed to Pomfret, Daniel G. Gould settled on lot 2, township 6, land afterwards owned by his sons, Orson and Barzillai ; now by William Moore, Christy, and Orson's widow. J. Baldwin and D. G. Goulding bought on lot 2; now owned by Button and Thayer. On the west part of lot 9, Oliver Barnes settled ; and on the east part, Jesse Baldwin ; principally owned by Gardners, Ball, and A. S. Moss. Hezekiah Barker bought lots, or parts, of 14 and 15 ; a part of which ap- pears to have been owned by Leverett Barker, son-in-law of Hezekiah Bar- ker. Lot 20 was deeded to Hezekiah Turner, Providence L. Shepard, and Levi Risley. Justus Adams, on lot 21 ; two sons reside on the lot. Martin Eastwood on land adjoining, now owned by David J. Matteson, Handy, and Pettit. Lot 26, deeded to John Sawin and Pearson Crosby ; now divided into small lots. Lot 30 was deeded mostly to David Elliott ; now owned by the heirs of Sydney Stearns. The south part of the lot was the ".gospel land," now owned by Joseph Porter's heirs and others. Lot 31-north-east part deeded to Nathaniel and Pearson Crosby ; north-west part deeded to Henry Lasell and Todd, and Irvin Osborne ; now owned by E. F. Osborne and Isaac Saxton. Calvin Hutchinson bought a part of lot 34; owning land in both townships.

Fredonia Academy was the first institution of the kind in the county. Its first principal was Austin Smith, Esq., now of Westfield. The manner in which the school came to be established at that particular time was thus de- scribed by a prominent citizen, then residing at Fredonia :

" There was a contention or rivalry between the inhabitants on the west side and those on the east side of the creek, respecting the building and the location of a Presbyterian house of worship. Several meetings had been held without an agreement. Col. Thomas G. Abell and his brother, Moseley W. Abell, hotel-keepers on the present site of the Taylor House, were of course strongly in favor of building on the east side. Many on that side, who were comparatively indifferent about the site of a church, were known to be anxious for the erection of an academy on the east side. Availing himself of this advantage, Col. Abell started a subscription with a view to the erection of a two story building ; the lower part to be used for an acade- my, and the upper part for the use of the Presbyterian church. The neces- sary amount was raised, and thus the location of the church and the academy was fixed on the east side. It is said, not a few of the inhabitants believed

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HISTORY OF CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY.

the main village would be on the west side of the creek. This probably accounts for the square laid out on that side."

There is at present no school called Fredonia academy. The old insti- tution was a few years ago merged in the Normal and Training school, which was established, by an act of the legislature, in 1866, and opened in February, 1868, in the old academy building, where it was continued until the comple- tion of the present building, in September of the latter year. Its first prin- cipal was Joseph A. Allen. He was succeeded, in 1869, by Rev. J. W. Armstrong, the present principal. The faculty is composed of sixteen per- sons. In addition to the Normal department, the course of studies embraces primary, junior, senior, and academic departments. The number of Normal students, during the year 1872, was about 350. The building is capable of accommodating 700 pupils. It is a beautiful structure. The number of volumes in its libraries is about 3,000. Its cabinet, designed for class pur- poses, was imported from Germany, and is valued at $600. It has also phil- osophical, chemical, and astronomical apparatus, valued at $2,500. The building and grounds, valued at $97,500, with the library and apparatus, amounting to $108,000, were presented by the village to the state, for the purpose of establishing a Normal school; the state guaranteeing the main- tenance of an academic department, free to all persons residing in the village.

The village of Fredonia was incorporated, May 2, 1829. On the 22d of August ensuing, the inhabitants met at the academy for the election of officers and the transaction of other business, John Crane, justice, presiding. The following are the names of the persons elected :

James Mullett, president. Henry C. Frisbee, clerk. Orrin McClure, Benj. Walworth, James Norton, Noah H. Whitcomb, Benj. F. Taylor, trus- tees. John Z. Saxton, treasurer. James Mark, collector. Leverett Barker, Jas. Norton, Henry Bosworth, overseers of streets. Heman McClure, Chas. Burritt, Daniel W. Douglass, assessors. Reuben Robbins, pound-keeper.

Voted, that the collector be allowed 5 per cent. on moneys collected.

That the assessors be allowed $1.25 a day for their services.

That $200 be raised for the expenses of the current year.

The president and trustees met on the Ist of Sept., 1829, at Abell's hotel, and ordered an assessment of property, and returns to be made in 20 days.

In 1830, John Crane was elected president ; John Barker, collector; Wm. A. Hart, assessor, in the place of Charles Burritt. All the officers of 1829 were reëlected.

Among the ordinances of this year was the following :

Theatrical exhibitions, or shows, and other performances for gain or profit, were forbidden without license previously obtained.

The Buffalo and Erie road was to be called Main street ; the road from the Hamlet, southerly, to be called Hamlet street; the road running by Noah H. Whitcomb's, Mechanic street ; the road from the Academy toward David J. Matteson's, Temple street ; the road from Main street to James Norton's, Eagle street ; the cross-road from Water street to Eagle street, Factory street, .

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since named Mill street; the road from Temple street towards Dunkirk, Lake street, now called Central avenue.

Fredonia is illuminated with natural gas. The following account of its discovery and use is from Child's Gazetteer and. Directory, and, having doubtless been furnished by citizens of Fredonia, is presumed to be correct :

"The use of natural gas at Fredonia was begun in 1821, when experiments were made to determine its illuminating value, and it was introduced into a few of the public places, among which was the hotel which then occupied the site of the Taylor House, and which was thus illuminated when La Fayette passed through the village. The gas used at that time was the first used in the United States, and the gas works established here were the first in this country. The spring first discovered, and from which gas was first used, is located on the north bank of Canadaway creek, at the bridge crossing that stream on Main street, in the village of Fredonia. The gas escaped at vari- ous places in the immediate vicinity, but when the well was sunk it was drawn to it. The gas from this well, which was sufficient for about thirty burners, was used alone until 1858, when another well was sunk on the creek, in the north-west part of the village, by Preston Barmore, the shaft being thirty feet deep, six feet in diameter at the top and fourteen feet at the bottom, with two vertical borings, one of 100 and the other of 150 feet depth. In the fall of 1858, Elias Forbes, the present president of the gas company, purchased a half interest in the well, and that fall a company was formed, and during the remainder of that and the following year, the gas in sufficient quantity to supply about 2,000 cubic feet per day was conducted to the village through three miles of mains, and supplied directly from the well to the stores of the village. During the latter year (1859) the company put in a gas receiver or holder of 12,000 cubic feet capacity, and supplied private houses. In the fall of 1871, Alvah Colburn made a boring for gas near his mill, with a view to supplying fuel for generating steam therefor ; but the supply was inade- quate for that purpose, though it was evolved in considerable quantity. He therefore purchased the Barmore interest in the gas company, and connected his well, which is 1,200 feet deep, with the company's receiver, since which time the supply of gas has been ample for the demands of the village. Pre- vious to the opening of Colburn's well, the supply of gas was not sufficient to meet the demand for it during the winter, and the deficiency was made up by gas manufactured from coal."

LAONA.

Among the pioneers and early settlers at Laona and in its vicinity, were David Cooley, John Van Tassel, Eliphalet Burnham, Thomas and Hezekiah Bull, Ebenezer Eaton, Joel Harrington, and Henry Wilson, the last of whom, about 1820, gave the village its present name. It lies on Canadaway creek, 1 1/2 miles south-east from Fredonia, and adjoining its corporate boundaries.

The Canadaway here furnishes a great water power, which began to be utilized at an early day. Thomas and Hezekiah Bull, about 1810 or 1811, built a flouring-mill, which was rebuilt by Leverett Barker and Nathan Hatch, from whom it passed into the possession of Robert S. Newton, and from him to H. E. & J. M. Tyrrel. It has 3 runs of burr stones, and is capable of manufacturing 150 barrels of flour and meal per day.

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HISTORY OF CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY.

A carding-machine and cloth-dressing works were built by Ebenezer Eaton, from Cazenovia, N. Y., in 1812. But, like other works of its class, it was long since superseded by more extensive factories. About 1817, Thomas Bull built a cotton factory, which was soon after destroyed by fire, supposed to have been done by an incendiary. Thomas Bull and Orrin Ford, in 1823, built a woolen factory, which, in 1838, passed into the hands of Major Nelson Gorham and Silas Fletcher, Canadian patriots and refugees : and in 1854 it was purchased of them by Aaron Kellogg and son ; the ma- chinery was removed ; and the business was changed to the manufacture of paper ; and in 1871 it came into the possession of Peter B. Alexander, the present owner, who employs 6 hands, and turns out 1,000 pounds of printing paper daily.

In the fall of 1859, Horace White and H. H. Bumpus, who had for several years carried on the tanning business at Shumla, having taken Cyrenus Ellis as a partner, built the present tannery in Laona, now owned and conducted by White & Ellis. This establishment has attained a position probably un- equaled by any other in the county. The first bark was ground in this tan- nery January 1, 1860. There were then 64 vats for leather, and 6 leaches for bark. The machinery was propelled by a thirty horse power steam engine, which was the first steam power in Laona. Bark, bought in 1860 for $2.50 per cord, cost, in the time of the war, as high as $7, owing, in a great measure, to the scarcity of help to peel it. In July, 1867, Mr. Bumpus retired from business. In 1868, White & Ellis increased the num- ber of vats to 128 for leather ; consuming annually 1,000 cords of bark, and giving employment to 20 men.

In the spring of 1873, a cheese factory was erected by a joint stock com- pany, at an expense of $3,000; and Alanson C. Straight, Samuel G. Bartlett, and Jackson Brainard, were elected trustees. During the season, from May to October, inclusive, the product from 400 cows was 60 tons of cheese. This factory has the capacity and the prospect of doubling its products the next season.

Natural gas is found here in sufficient quantity to supply the village with light, if there were sufficient enterprise and ability to utilize it. About 1859 -60, the sandstone rock which underlies the village, was bored to the depth of 500 to 600 feet in search of oil ; but nothing other than a strong current of gas was obtained.

Laona has a population of 365 persons, a station on the Dunkirk, Alle- gany Valley. & Pittsburgh railroad, I hotel, a post-office, 3 groceries, 1 wagon- shop, 2 shoe-shops, and 3 blacksmith shops.

BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL.

THOMAS G. ABELL was born in Bennington, Vt., April 15, 1791, and was married to Rhoda Hawks, of the same place. In 1814, he removed to Fre- donia, N. Y., and with his brother Moseley, purchased the hotel property, lately known as the Johnson House, now the Taylor House. Mr. Abell,

Noch AS now

----

Jonathan Striaque 1

sievente nett " Barthes .

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Bela D. Coe, of Buffalo, and Col. Nathaniel Bird, of Westfield, established the first line of stages from Buffalo to Erie, Pa., and ran them for many years. . Col. Abell is said to have built the first stage coach in the county. He was an enterprising man, and was much engaged, with others, in building up the town, having pursued the several employments of merchandising, milling, and conducting an iron foundry; and was one of the founders of the Fredonia academy. He was for many years a colonel of a regiment of infantry in the county. He removed to Buffalo in 1852; but he engaged there in no active business. He died in 1857; his wife, Feb. 18, 1862. They had five chil- ren : 1. William Hawks, [see sketch.] 2. Eunice Eliza, born Sept. 9, 1815; died Feb. 20, 1875, unmarried. 3. Harriet Maria, born March 8, 1818, and is unmarried. 4. Catherine Jennett, born Aug. 24, 1820, and was married to David S. Forbes, of Fredonia, and had three children : Thomas A., Cath- erine L., and Zelia ; and died Feb. 24, 1875. 5. Apphia Louisa, born July 8, 1822 ; died July 11, 1824. 6. Rhoda Louisa, born July 11, 1824 ; died Oct. 11, 1869, unmarried.

WILLIAM H. ABELL, son of Thomas G. Abell, was born in Vermont, January 29, 1814, the year in which his parents removed to Fredonia. He was a graduate of Fredonia academy; and, at the age of 20, was colonel of a regiment. At the age of 21, he went to Buffalo, and lived there two years. During the excitement of the Texas revolution, he went to Texas, and spent a winter in Matagorda, and returned home. In 1839; he went again, and settled in Austin, the capital of the republic, then just laid out for a city. He there held several offices : acting controller, postmaster, and alderman ; and was captain of the Travis Guards. He returned to Fredonia in 1842, and in 1844 removed to Buffalo, where he still resides, and is engaged in the forwarding and commission business. He was married Oct. 22, 1846, to Eliza Lee, daughter of Oliver Lee, who was born Nov. 25, 1820. They had four children : 1. William Oliver, who was born March 16, 1848; died March 18, 1873, aged 25. 2. Harriet Eliza, who was born July 2, 1850, and married Thomas Towers, of Buffalo. 3. Charles Lee, born Oct: 4, 1856. 4. Helen M., born March 12, 1864.

LEVERETT BARKER, son of Russel Barker, was born at Branford, Conn., May 6, 1787, and came to Chautauqua county in 1809. He was married, March 3, 1811, to Desire, daughter of Hezekiah Barker, who came to Canadaway in 1806, and brought in his family in 1807. He was by trade a tanner and currier, and established a tannery at Fredonia, said to have been the first in the county, though an earlier one, so inconsiderable as hardly to deserve the name, had previously existed. Gen. Barker's was conducted on an extensive scale ; and he subsequently bought an interest in a large estab- lishment in Jamestown. In 1815, he was commissioned, by Gov. Tompkins, lieutenant of a company in the 162d regiment of infantry; in 1816, adjutant of the 169th regiment. In 1818, he was commissioned, by Gov. De Witt Clinton, lieutenant-colonel of the 169th regiment of infantry; and in 1823, by Gov. Yates, colonel ; James Mullett, at the same time lieutenant-colonel,

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HISTORY OF CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY.

and Thomas G. Abell, major. In 1824, he was commissioned, by Gov. · Yates, brigadier-general of the 43d brigade of New York infantry; and, in 1826, by Gov. De Witt Clinton, major-general of the 26th division of infantry. Gen. Barker had 8 children : 1. Hamilton A., born May 11, 1812; resides at Dunkirk. 2. S. Eliza, born Sept. 22, 1814, wife of Rosell Green, de- ceased ; she resides at Fredonia. 3. Mary L., born Aug. 24, 1817; died June 16, 1836. 4. Darwin R., born Sept 9, 1820, and is associated with Eber Pettit, his father-in-law, the original proprietor of " Pettit's Eye Salve," in Fredonia. 5. Susan W., born March 3, 1824, wife of Stephen Mead, now residing in California .. . 6. Dorinda C., born Sept. 15, 1826 ; married, first, Thomas Bristol ; second, Walter Finkle, of Dunkirk. 7. Emeline F., born October 28, 1831, was twice married ; first, to Charles Rockwood ; sec- ond, to Harry Rockwood, and died Aug. 5, 1875. 8. Lucretia J., born July 10, 1834.

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