History of Chautauqua County, New York, and its people, Volume I, Part 17

Author: Downs, John Phillips, 1853- ed. [from old catalog]; Hedley, Fenwick, Y., joint ed. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1921
Publisher: Boston, New York [etc.] American historical society, inc.
Number of Pages: 649

USA > New York > Chautauqua County > History of Chautauqua County, New York, and its people, Volume I > Part 17

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Samuel Sinclear, the founder of Sinclairville. and many years the supervisor of the old town of Gerry, enlisted in his Uncle Joseph Cilley's regiment (the First New Hampshire, Stark's regiment) when he was but fifteen years of age, and served three years. He was at Val- ley Forge, in the battles of Saratoga and Mon- mouth, and in Sullivan's expedition against

the Indians. His father, Richard Sinclear, was a soldier of the French War, and a major of the Revolution. His three brothers, one an officer, also served in the Revolution. Mr. Sinclear had distinguished relatives, among them Gen Benjamin F. Butler, whose mother was his cousin. He was uncle to Lieut .- Gov. John G. Sinclear, of New Hampshire.

Arthur Bell was one of the earliest settlers at Westfield. He was the second supervisor of the town of Chautauqua. He served with the Niagara board of supervisors at Buffalo in 1808. He served in the American army of the Revolution three years. Elijah Risley, Sr., one of the leading citizens and founders of Fre- donia, was a soldier of the Revolution.

Col. Nathaniel Fenton was the first super- visor of Poland, and afterward represented the county in the Assembly. Before he was eighteen years of age he was a brave and trusty colonial scout in the War of the Revolution. James Dunn, the pioneer settler of Portland, was also a soldier in the same war. Robert Seaver, a founder of the settlement at Char- lotte Center, and all his brothers were Revolu- tionary soldiers.

Col. Nathaniel Bird, one of the most benevo- lent of the early citizens of the county, was also one of the most enterprising. He was the first to run mail stages over the route between Buffalo and Erie. In 1826 he ran the first daily stages and post coaches over this line. llc enlisted in the army of the Revolution at the age of sixteen, and was honorably discharged at the close of the war, and came home ragged and barefoot.

Henry Elliott, of Chautauqua, was a soldier of the Revolution. He was badly wounded in the campaign of Burgoyne, afterward served as coxswain on the ship "Putnam," which in its cruise off the coast of England captured nine prizes. William Martin, of the same town, was in the battle of Bunker Hill; and under Arnold and Montgomery in the expedition against Quebec, where he was wounded by a cannon ball. In 1780 he was captured by the Indians in a skirmish at Little Falls, and taken to Quebec. After several months' detention he made his escape.

The foregoing are some of the names of the soldiers who once resided in Chautauqua county. More than one hundred and fifty have at some time had their homes here. Many of the earliest pioneers were Revolutionary sol- diers. It is interesting to know that so many of the continental soldiers at some time resided in Chautauqua county. There is scarcely a

CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE

pioneer burying ground but contains the re- mains of one or more .*

The Jamestown Chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution, was organized in Octo- ber, 1900, its first regent, Miss Stella Florine Broadhead. Among its members was formerly Mrs. Maria Cheney Hall, daughter of Eben- ezer Cheney, a Revolutionary soldier. He en- listed in the American army at the age of seven- teen, and served in the Revolutionary War as a private. Mrs. Hall died January 17th, 1903, at the age of 97 years. Interesting meetings to promote the objects of the society are often held. The graves of six Revolutionary soldiers buried in Lake View cemetery and two in the Ashville cemetery are annually decorated by the chapter.

A chapter of Sons of the Revolution, having similar purposes with those of the Daughters of the American Revolution has been organ- ized at Jamestown. Lewis Hall was its first regent ; Daniel H. Post, its secretary and treas- urer. Mr. Hall, its regent, was much devoted to its objects until his decease. He was suc- ceeded by Rev. Albert L. Smalley.

Nearly the whole of the population of Chau- tauqua county able to bear arms was called to the front during the War of 1812. The county was represented in the war with Mexico, and even in the struggle of Texas for Independ- ence. It furnished several thousand gallant soldiers and many distinguished officers in the Civil War, and had paid out in that contest for bounties and war purposes $1,078,144 and now was to do its share in the war with Spain.

Eighteen hundred and ninety-eight was a year of brilliant events in the history of the country. That year covers the whole period of the Spanish War. The revolt of the Cubans from Spanish rule in February, 1895, had early excited the sympathies of the people of the United States, but not until the vigorous policy promised by General Weiler took the form of

*John M. Edson, when a young man, had the honor of sitting at the table with Lafayette when he was enter- tained at Fredonia on his journey through the county in 1825. Mr. Edson says that with others, his step- father, Major Samuel Sinclear, and thirty other Revo- lutionary soldiers, sat at the same table, twelve of whom were from Yorktown. Mr. Edson described Lafayette to be a man less than six feet high, somewhat corpu- lent. He wore a wig of dark hair, was of a dark com- plexion and had full cheeks. He talked English well, and freely upon the subject of the war, with the sold ers, in which they together had participated. He was affable and courteous to all. Mr. Edson said that in the con- fusion made by the crowd of people assembled that day, a woman was thrown from a wagon and injured. Lafayette made many inquiries respecting the accident and expressed great concern for the injured woman.

fire, slaughter and starvation to non-combat- ants, did the United States make emphatic pro- test. The story of Chautauqua county's part in it is told elsewhere in this work.

Of the other important events that occurred in the county in 1898 may be mentioned the completion of the new Erie depot at James- town, on the site of the old one.

The American Library Association met at Celoron in July, 1898, over four hundred pro- fessional librarians present. The annual meet- ing of the Photographers' Association of Amer- ica was also held at the same place this year In June of this year, Fredonia was quaran- tined against the smallpox. There were no deaths, and the cases were of a mild type. Five thousand seven hundred twenty-eight cars of grapes were this year shipped from the grape district between Angola and Erie. The value of the crop was estimated at $1, 170,000.

In the afternoon of March 25th, Oscar E. Rice killed his wife in the town of Westfield. They had separated, and she at the time was serving as a nurse for Mrs. Hattie Dascomb. He killed her with a jackknife, in the presence of Mrs. Dascomb, who was at the time sick in bed. He then tried to kill himself, but was arrested before he accomplished it. He was tried in Mayville at a court held by Justice Childs. District Attorney Eleazer Green, assisted by H. C. Kingsbury, prosecuted in be- half of the people. A. B. Ottaway and S. W. Mason defended. The defense was insanity. A verdict of murder in the first degree was found by the jury. The finding of the jury was affirmed on appeal, and the prisoner was elec- trocuted-the first criminal from Chautauqua county that suffered electrocution.

At the October county court, Joseph Patti, an Italian laborer, was tried before Judge Jerome B. Fisher for the killing of Grisaulti. a companion laborer. They were members of a gang of men working on the railroad track in the town of Ripley in June of the same year. An altercation resulted in the stabbing of Gri- saulti by Patti, who died a few days after. Dis- trict Attorney Eleazer Green conducted the trial for the people; Patti was defended by Thomas Larkin and Archibald D. Falconer The prisoner was convicted of murder in the second degree, and was sentenced to imprison- ment for life.

The year 1899 opened with a winter colder than had been known in Chautauqua county for twenty-five years. On the night of Feb- ruary loth the thermometer fell to ten degrees and more below zero, with a high and cutting wind that forced the cold into the best con-

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structed dwellings. For nearly a week the weather continued bitter cold; a portion of each day for three days it fell to more than wenty degrees below zero. At some places in he county it was reported as falling below hirty degrees.

In July of 1899 a party of English from jamestown were camped at Driftwood on the east shore of Chautauqua Lake. On the 5th of hat month, Squire Tankard, an Englishman, weaver by occupation, about noon suddenly appeared in the camp, and without warning ;hot and instantly killed Mrs. Beaumont, his vife's sister, and then shot and severely in- ured Mr. William Beaumont, her husband, in he arm. He then turned the pistol upon him- self, inflicting a serious but not fatal wound, und ran for the lake, and waded into its shal- ow waters. He then returned to the shore and ittempted to escape across the county, but was next day captured in a barn near the village of Gerry. The defendant was indicted and tried n November, 1899, before Justice Frank C. Laughlin. District Attorney E. Green appeared or the people; A. C. and R. F. Pickard ap- ›eared for the defendant. The defence offered vas insanity, and some evidence was given to sustain it. The prisoner was ably defended ; he jury, however, rendered a verdict of guilty of murder in the first degree. The attorneys or Tankard afterward petitioned to Governor Roosevelt to appoint a commission of physi- ians to examine the defendant as to his insan- ty, resulting in a stay of punishment.

On Sunday, August 20th, a street fight occurred in Jamestown in which a number vere engaged, and Axel Johnson was killed by some one whose identity could not be ascer- ained.

A family feud of long standing came to an ind September 23, in the town of Arkwright. The quarrel arose about a land controversy between Lavern and Cassius Wilson ; a lawsuit resulted in favor of Cassius. Lavern in the afternoon of that day left Fredonia for the farm of Cassins, where he found him at work in his corn field with his hired man. Lavern leaped over the fence and ran toward his brother, hreatening to kill him. Cassius, who was a nuch weaker man physically, drew a revolver rom his pocket and shot his enraged brother, tilling him instantly. Cassius was arrested, out soon discharged, as the circumstances howed that the killing was done in self-de- ence.

The most shocking crime of all was commit- ed on the same day, a few hours after the homicide mentioned, at Falconer, at about

eight o'clock in the evening. Some young men heard the continuous screams of a woman pro- ceeding from a retired spot upon which a street crossed the Chadakoin. They ran to her res- cue. The screams continued until they reached the bridge, when they called out to her and she feebly answered. They found her still alive. but unable to speak. Before a physician could be called she died. Her face and throat had been cut. The ground about showed the evi- dence of the terrible struggle that had occurred before the helpless girl gave up her life. Her name was Emily Adolphson, a young Swede girl. Frank Wennerholm, who had been a suitor of Emily Adolphson and resided in Jamestown, was suspected. The handle of a razor was found near the body, which was proved to have been his. The authorities found him in bed ; the clothing he wore was wet and muddy, and in places stained with blood. There were other circumstances to show his guilt. A post mortem examination disclosed the fact that the murdered girl would have been a mother in a few months, which was a strong circumstance throwing light upon the motive for the crime. Wennerholm was tried in June, 1900, at Mayville, Justice White presiding. A. C. Pickard and Frank Wheeler appeared for the defendant; E. Green, district attorney, for the people. After a short absence the jury returned into court with a verdict of guilty. Wennerholm's attorneys carried the case to the Court of Appeals. The verdict of the jury was, however, sustained, and Wennet- holm was electrocuted.

This year Willard Mckinstry, of Fredonia died. He was the oldest and one of the best known editors in the State. In 1842 he became the editor of the "Fredonia Censor," which he published for over fifty-seven years. Upon his retirement he was succeeded by his son, Louis Mckinstry. For years "The Censor" was the leading Whig and afterwards a Republican newspaper. It was the most influential and substantial newspaper in Northern Chau- tauqua, and is now the oldest in the county. having been established in 1821 by H. C. Fris- bee. This year Albert Hilton also died. For more than twenty years he was the well known and popular editor of the "Fredonia Adver- tiser and Union," the leading Democratic news- paper of the county.

July 10th, 1900, the first term of a Federal Court ever held in Chautauqua county was held in Jamestown, by Hon. John R. Hazel. F. E. Shaw, of Charlotte, was appointed fore- man of the grand jury. At this term, Max La

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CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE

Sar was indicted for diamond smuggling, was arraigned, and held in $25,000 bail.

The most disastrous fire that Fredonia had ever before experienced occurred on Main and Center streets, January 25th, 1900. It was dis- covered about 1 :20 o'clock a. m. Twelve build- ings were burned, including the Pan-American Hotel, Miner's Bank, and the Dunkirk & Fre- donia Street Railway power house. Miss Alice Huntington, and Warren Leopold Bretzckgi, a Swiss house painter, lost their lives. Fourteen horses were burned in their stables. The loss of property was estimated at $200,000. In March the Taber felt factory, one of the larg- est manufacturing establishments in the vil- lage, was burned.

A far more terrible fire than all occurred on the morning of December 14, of the same year, when the Fredonia Normal School buildings were burned. The fire broke out shortly be- fore six o'clock in the morning, in the base- ment, in the room occupied by the janitor. The cause of it is not known. No fuel was used in the building, it being heated by steam supplied by the street railway company. Five minutes after the fire was discovered, the alarm was sounded, but in that short time the office, re- ception room and front way were a mass of flames. The elevator shaft and the two spiral staircases afforded a powerful draft, sucking the roaring flames upward to the third story, where were the rooms of the lady students. Miss Julia D. Sherman, one of the two teachers living in the building, by her presence of mind, enabled all the young ladies in the south wing of the building to escape but one, Miss Cora Storms, who perished probably in her room. The young ladies in the north wing ran to the fire escape in that part of the building, but the netted screen of the window was fastened so tightly that they were unable to remove it. Some then went into adjoining rooms and stepped out at the window and made their perilous way along the ice covered window ledge to the fire escape. The weather was in- tensely cold, and they suffered greatly in the dangerous exploit. Five young ladies were less fortunate ; their charred remains were found the Sunday following, close together, near the base of the fire escape, indicating that they were unable to tear away the screen at the window, and overcome by the heat and smoke, they had perished together. Miss Maude Fizzell, one of those who had crawled out of the window and walked along the ledge of the Mansard roof and was safe, exclaimed that she must go back to the room and get her diamond ring. She turned back and was seen

no more. The janitor, Mr. Morris, although h could have saved his life, perished in a fruitles effort to stay the fire. Miss McLaury, th. other teacher living in the building, was over come by the heat, but was aided to escape b Miss Sherman. The lives of nineteen person in the building were saved. The following is list of those who perished in the fire: Phinea J. Morris, of Fredonia, the janitor ; Rut" Thomas, of Pike, New York; Cora Storm, o Eden Center, New York; Inez Jones, of Bust New York ; May Williams, Cannonsville. Nev York; Bessie Hathaway, Lake Coma, Pennsyl vania ; Maude Fizzell, Bradford, Pennsylvania seven in all. They were all interred in on grave. The loss of the buildings and other property by the fire was over $200,000.

The burned Normal School building was th successor of the Fredonia Academy. A nev Normal School building more extensive an costly was now built upon the site of th burned building, and was formally dedicated i the presence of a great number of people, Jun 29, 1903.

Nineteen hundred and two closes the histor of the first century of our county. That yea no serious crime was committed or tragedy oc curred. Its events were generally of an agree able character, calculated to bring up an strongly impress a pleasing recollection of th past history of the county. The Historica Society, which was organized in 1883, wit Prof. Samuel G. Love as president and Dr. W W. Henderson secretary, several years before had resolved to celebrate in 1902 the settle ment of the county. In due time the board c supervisors and the Hon. S. Frederick Nixor its chairman, gave their influence and too practical measures to further the movement Patriotic citizens contributed liberally to ai it, and when the time arrived the citizens c. Westfield and in all parts of the county activel. and enthusiastically by their efforts complete the success of the celebration, which occurre June 24-25, 1902.

An interesting event occurred but a few day before, which will aid in preserving in th future an agreeable remembrance of the cele bration. This was the opening of the exten sion of the Jamestown, Chautauqua & Lak Erie railroad, which occurred on Saturday June 21st, 1902. This little piece of road lie wholly within Chautauqua county, and extend through its most picturesque scenery. De scending at the rate of one hundred feet t the mile, it passes through deep cuts, over high but substantial trestle works, winding among the hills and along dark chasms and wild scen,

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ery, until the blue waters of Lake Erie appear in view, terminating in Westfield, close by the precipitous bank of Chautauqua creek. On the second day of the Centennial, a long train passed over this road, loaded with passengers from Jamestown, Falconer and Southern Chau- tauqua county, to participate in the ceremonies of the day.

The people of the county during the year 1902 seemed to be filled with a desire to ex- press their pleasant remembrance of former days. Reunions were held in several towns, where old acquaintances after years of separa- tion gathered from all parts, often from other States. The most notable of these town pic- nics was held at Parkhurst's Grove, in Stock- ton, on the 26th of August. E. L. Mccullough presided. S. Fred Nixon was the principal speaker. Five thousand people were in attend- ance. The year before, the fourth annual town picnic had been held in the same grove, when three thousand people were present. Many articles of interest, relics of early days in Chautauqua county, were displayed in a large tent. Successful town picnics of a like char- acter were held in Cherry Creek and Villenova during the year 1902.

The affection of a Chautauquan for his county seemed everywhere this year kindled anew. The Chautauqua Society of New York City was formed and held its first annual re. union and dinner at the Hoffman House in that city, the guests, nearly one hundred in number. Washington Windsor was president, and Justice John Woodward toastmaster.

Principal among the citizens who have taken part in these commemorative gatherings and have in recent years rendered valuable service to the people of the county in preserving its history, the stories and faces of its old pio- neers, is Charles J. Shults. In 1900 he edited and published a fine collection of illustrated historical matter relating to the town of Cherry Creek. Afterwards he edited and published a like valuable collection relating to the town of Dayton, in Cattaraugus county. As that town adjoins Chautauqua, his publication is of much interest to our county.

Mr. Shults was born in Ellicottville, Catta- ragus county, February 23, 1868. He was educated in the Union schools of that place. He learned the printer's trade of Robert H. Shankland, one of the best known editors of Western New York. He also pursued the study of law and medicine. He published various newspapers in Cattaraugus and Chau- tauqua counties, among them the "Cherry Creek News," and has been for many years

closely connected with Chautauqua county and well versed in its recent history.

In the year 1902 the weather was so unfa- vorable that the attendance at the Chautauqua Assembly was not so great as the year before Nineteen hundred and one was the Pan-Ameri- can year. Fifty thousand people then visited Chautauqua, from every State and Territory in the Union, including Hawaii, and also from Canada, New Zealand, India, China, Peru, Ger- many, England, Cuba, Congo, South Africa, Sweden, Mexico, Argentine Republic and Bra- zil. In 1902, although the total attendance was less, the duration of those in attendance was longer than ever before. The final exercises of the Chautauqua Assembly for that year and the last in the closing year in the first century of the settlement of the county were held Au- gust 28th, in the Hall of Philosophy.

The Hall of Philosophy was regarded as a classic spot in the grove. So many notable men had so often discoursed upon learned and interesting subjects beneath the roof of this old Parthenon, that it had become very dear to Old Chautauquans. This was the last exercise held within its colonades, for now it was to be torn down and replaced with an edifice of stone.

On the opposite shore of the lake at Point Chautauqua, later in the season another struc- ture was destroyed, this time by fire-the Grand Hotel, a noble edifice which then occu- pied the most sightly place on the lake. It was 300 feet long by 165 feet wide, the main structure five stories high and the wings four stories. It was built in 1877-78 by the Baptist Association, which had control of the point at the time. They had hopes of making it a great resort equal to the Chautauqua Assembly across the lake.

Chautauqua county had at the close of 1902 reached a degree of prosperity that its citizens of early years had never anticipated. The county had all the attractions of soil and seen- ery, market facilities, early educational and social opportunities, possessed by the most favorable of rural communities. To these were added in the last quarter of a century the well- known important advantages, which had caused it to lead all other counties of the Empire State not having large cities within its borders-the growth of the grape industry, which estab- lished its material prosperity : and the rise of the Chautauqua Assembly, which in a still greater degree promoted its material advance- ment. The beauty of the lake and its many attractions would have been sufficient to draw many to its shores. It was, however, the

CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE

annual meetings of the Assembly that attracted the great mass of people to visit it, and that gave it its worldwide fame. During its twenty- nine seasons of meetings it had been visited by Presidents, the Governor-General of Can- ada, Statesmen, Governors and Generals, its audiences had been addressed by some of the most eminent men of the land, and of the day, audiences that were immense, that Joseph Jef- ferson said were so large as to appall him. Be- sides those who actually attended Chautauqua, more than ten thousand Chautauqua Home Reading Circles were formed and nearly a mil- lion people availed themselves of their benefits. To nearly every country in the world has the Chautauqua idea been carried. People every- where have been made familiar with the name of our lake. It has been adopted not only as the name for other assemblies, offsprings of our own, but as the name for other descriptions of places besides.

We cannot better conclude the annals of the first century of our county than with some account of the general racial character of its inhabitants and of their distribution through the county. The first colonists have a strong influence in fixing the characteristics of their descendants for generations. The leading pio- neer himself leaves a deep impression upon his community. His ideas and methods are gen- erally long followed. James and John Mc- Mahan furnish instances of this kind. It was through their influence that the first settlers emigrated from Pennsylvania and established themselves around Westfield. These early set- tlers came from Northumberland and the coun- ties along the Susquehanna river, near the cen- ter and in the eastern part of Pennsylvania ; some were of German, but they were generally descendants from the Protestant-Irish families that had emigrated from County Down, Ire- land. The McMahans were of Irish parentage. These Pennsylvanians were an industrious, reliable and religious people, and their charac- teristics are still to be seen in many of their descendants, not only in Westfield, but in other of the earliest settled parts of the county. The first who came were emigrants from the east- ern part of Pennsylvania, among them David Eason, Low Minegar and Thomas Mcclintock. These were the earliest settlers at Fredonia. The same is true of Captain James Dun, who first settled at Portland.

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History of Chautauqua County, New York, and its people, Volume I, Part 17

Author: Downs, John Phillips, 1853- ed. [from old catalog]; Hedley, Fenwick, Y., joint ed. [from old catalog] Publication date: 1921 Publisher: Boston, New York [etc.] American historical society, inc. Number of Pages: 649

Author: Downs, John Phillips, 1853- ed. [from old catalog]; Hedley, Fenwick, Y., joint ed. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1921
Publisher: Boston, New York [etc.] American historical society, inc.
Number of Pages: 649