History of Chautauqua County, New York, and its people, Volume I, Part 37

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 37

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

The first log house on lot 29 was built by Jyman Bugbee near the west line of the lot as urly as 1814. In 1815 Frederick Love built mself a log house on his fifty-acre purchase, ist east of Bugbee's, on land occupied by Mrs. darence Baldwin. These houses were built before any highway was laid out in the valley. In June 22, 1816, Simeon Clinton surveyed the Dad commencing at Love's house and run- ing westerly up the valley to the Angelica, or 'd Chautauqua road, near the dwelling of 'amuel McConnell, and on June 30, 1819, he arveyed a continuation of the road from ove's house eastward down the valley until it itersected the road leading west to Gerry, par the southeast corner of the village park.

The Gerry road -- which was called the center road by reason of its running east and west through the center of the town-had its east- ern terminus at this point. Mr. Clinton, how- ever, on the latter date, continued the survey of the road east along the line of lots to the Day school house and, from thence northeasterly to the county line, the present site of the vil- lage of Clear Creek. Prior to the opening of these roads the few inhabitants of the valley were content with footpaths through the woods, with a log spanning Clear Creek below the village for the use of pedestrians. The road running from the southeast corner of the park toward Kennedy was laid out on the west line of Baldwin's purchase by C. H. Nicholson, surveyor, June 19, 1827.

In 1824 Mr. Baldwin built a double log house on his purchase, which stood on a portion of the lot now owned by Mrs. Joel Slater. In this house Mr. Baldwin kept the first hotel in the village. Soon after he built a frame addition on the west end, wherein George Walbridge, from Buffalo, kept a hardware store for four or five years, the first in the village. Subse- quently the frame portion was purchased by Lewis Leet, who moved it upon the Larabee lot, which Mr. Leet had purchased of Mr. Bald- win and where he was then conducting a tan- nery and shoe-shop, locating his vats across the street on Spring Brook. The first frame dwelling was built by Stephen Aldrich west of the Baldwin hotel ; it was subsequently moved across the street and is now owned and occu- pied by Nelson McKee.

Opposite from Baldwin's log hotel, on lot 29, Elisha and Levi Beardsley, two brothers from Genesee county, who were representa- tives and agents of Mr. Vaill, purchased of James Briggs, July 28, 1830, two and three- fourths acres of land upon which they erected a frame building and opened up a general store. To the east of the store they each built a frame dwelling, the first of the kind, with the excep- tion of the one above noted, erected in the vil- lage : both of these houses are still standing and owned and occupied by Whitcomb and Wesley Mather. Back of the store on the Whitcomb Mather lot they built an ashery the following year. Briggs built a log house on the west side of his purchase, but on the 28th day of October, 1833, he sold his remain- ing 6414 acres to Silas Wheeler, whereon Mr. Wheeler built the large dwelling now owned by T. W. Sprague. Mr. Wheeler came from New Ipswich, New Hampshire, about 1830, following his brother, Moses Wheeler, who settled on lot 43 in 1823. Silas was then

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a young man of some means and possessed fine business attainments, was a good surveyor and a valuable man in the community. He invested largely in real estate throughout the town, built several dwellings, and was otherwise actively engaged in business for many years.

In 1833 the Beardsleys built for Mr. Vaill the first gristmill in the village. It was located on the latter's 67-acre purchase, and on the site of the present flouring mill of M. H. Terry. With the starting of these industries by Vaill a nucleus was formed for a little settlement and by his direction, that year Elisha Beards- ley, who withal was an elder in the Christian church, a merchant and practical surveyor, surveyed and plotted out into lots, all that part of lot 29 which Mr. Vaill then owned, whereon the village now stands, reserving therefrom, for a public park, a lot four chains and seventy- five links by four chains and forty links. The village plot was enlarged by the addition of his 75-acre purchase the following year. Among the lots which appear to have been sold for building purposes, was lot 5, deeded to Silas Wheeler, just west of which was lot 8, sold to John Herrick. The old Christian church lot number 6 was eighty-three links wide and ex- tended across the east side of the park. Lot I at the northwest corner of the park had been sold to William T. Norris, upon which he built the old store and dwelling attached, owned by the late Daniel Eigenbroadt. Next east was lot 2, east of lot 2 was lot 3, purchased by Albert Terhune. The Beardsley Brothers pur- chased lot 4 and the following year erected thereon the building now known as the "Grange Hall." On the west side of the park was lot 17, purchased by Merritt & Terhune. Just north of this was lot 18, deeded to the Congregational Church Society. Daniel Eigen- broadt had purchased lot 19, across the street, where he had the year before erected his house, and Alvah Bates had purchased the lot directly west of the church lot. Lot 30, later owned by H. N. Jacobs, had been purchased by Sam- uel Babcock, and Enoch Jenkins had con- tracted for lot 31, lying directly across the street.

These are a few of the first sales made by Vaill. Several lots had been laid out on the prospective street leading to Vaill's mill, but no sales appear to have been made, as that street was not formally opened until April 21, 1834. Many of Mr. Vaill's sales were made on contract and in but few instances were deeds executed at time of purchase, as but few settlers were able to pay the money down for their lots. The Beardsleys themselves, a year

or so later, purchased by contract of Mr. Vaill many of his unsold lots, but unfortunately for ) them they became thereby financially embar- t rassed and Ira Day, a prominent citizen of the town, who in 1828 settled on lot 13, and who had become personally liable on many of their i obligations, was obliged, in order to secure · himself, to take by assignment all the Vaill and Beardsley contracts. In 1835 Mr. Vaill died and in the course of the settlement of his estate Mr. Day found it also necessary in order to protect his interests and carry out existing contracts, to purchase the balance of Mr. Vaill's real estate in the town. In so doing he incurred an indebtedness of $2,200, which in those days was looked upon as a debt of alarm- ing proportions, but which he nevertheless successfully liquidated and thereby came into possession of a large part of the real estate whereon the village is now located.

No lots were included in the original village plot on lot 28. Mr. Baldwin, however, who owned the land from the Kennedy road to the east line of that lot, sold off all the lots front- ing the street up to the southeast corner of the park, and in 1832 built his residence on the Kennedy road, the same owned by the late Samuel Griffith. He sold the first lot off the east side of his purchase to Reuben Case, where Matthew Frank now resides. The lot next west where Mrs. Yaw now lives was sold to Elder Morse. Samuel Case purchased the orig- inal lot where Mr. Baldwin erected his log tav- ern and built the dwelling now owned by Sam- uel G. Baldwin. Mr. Case was a blacksmith and for a time had a shop on the same lot. Lewis Leet purchased what is now known as the Larabee lot, as before noted, and Silas Wheeler bought the balance of the street front to the corner. Mr. Wheeler sold the corner to Matthew Norris, who had a cabinet shop on the Fox place on the west side of Mill street. and Mr. Norris moved his shop upon the cor- ner and for several years continued the indus- try at that place. Later John C. Cody bought it and converted it into a grocery and jewelry store. The later owner, Charles A. Clapp, for many years occupied it for a dwelling.

On October 28, 1833, Harwood Boyder bought of Horace Wells his sixty acres lying west of the Baldwin tract, and in 1835 Mr Boyden also purchased the 80-acre tract o Silas Wheeler lying next west, and the same year sold the two to Allen Bagg and Frazie- Luce, who that year moved into town fron Pittsfield, Mass., the former moving into the house that Boyden had erected on the Well tract, across the road from Baldwin's dwelling

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In 1841 Mr. Bagg sold out his interest to Mr. Luce and purchased the 1161/2 acres owned by Mr. Wheeler on the west side of lot 28, known as the Altenburg tract. All the lots, there- fore, on the south side of the park, with one or two exceptions, were sold off by Mr. Luce after he acquired full title to the land, and all the lots on the south side of West Main street from WV. Aldrich's blacksmith shop west to the foot of the hill were sold by Mr. Bagg.

In 1833 Sewell Merritt and Lewis Terhune built a hotel on the lot which they purchased of Vaill on the west side of the park. That year Mr. Baldwin had closed up and sold his log tavern and Merritt & Terhune succeeded to the hotel business ; save perhaps for a year or two, Lyman Little kept a public house in the dwelling erected by Stephen Brown, where Adelbert Andrus now lives. About 1837 Mer- ritt & Terhune sold out to David Torrey, who added considerably to the size and capacity of the building. In addition to the lot, Mr. Tor- rey owned several acres of land lying directly west of his hotel which he sold for church, school and private purposes, at different times. In 1839 Mr. Torrey traded his hotel property to Jarvis B. Rice, for a farm west of the vil- lage. Rice kept the hotel until 1842, when he sold it back to Mr. Torrey, who, in connection with his son Jeremiah, continued the business until 1853, when it passed into the hands of Joel Gates. Gates continued the business until 1856, when he disposed of it to Mrs. Ruth Walkup, a widow, who by the help of her son conducted the hotel until 1860, when it was purchased by A. M. P. Maynard. In January, 1861, while owned by Mr. Maynard, it caught fire and was destroyed and was never rebuilt. The dwelling of Lafayette Eigenbroadt now stands on the site of the old hotel.

On the 15th day of January, 1850, David Torrey sold the southeast corner of his hotel lot to Jeremiah Baldwin, who erected thereon a building, and in company with his son-in- law, John M. Farnham, opened up a hardware store. The co-partnership of Farnham & Bald- win continued until 1860, when Farnham pur- chased Mr. Baldwin's interest and remained in trade until 1865, when he sold out to F. E. and T. A. Case. The firm subsequently be- came F. E. & J. H. Case ; F. E. Case sold out to E. E. DeVoe, and the firm became Case & DeVoe, until Case sold out to Hiram Terry, who in company with DeVoe, engaged in trade until the building and contents were burned in December, 1875. Adjoining this building to the north, on the Torrey lot, was a store erected by Henry Wait soon after Baldwin

built his hardware store. Wait started in the book business, but after a year or two sold out to Alvah Bates, who opened up a dry goods store, Mr. Bates continued in trade until his death, when the property passed into the hands of J. F. Farman & Son, who about 1866 sold the building and stock to Charles A. Clapp. Mr. Clapp in March, 1869, sold out to Sardius Frisbee and Darwin J. Maynard. Mr. May- nard soon disposed of his interest to Mr. Fris- bee, who continued in trade until 1875, when the property was burned with the adjoining store.

In 1876, upon the site of these two stores, John H. Case and Mr. Frisbee erected the pres- ent three-story block, the former engaged in the drug business in the south half and the lat- ter resumed his dry goods trade in the north half, where he engaged in business until Feb- ruary 26, 1903, the date of his death. Upon Mr. Case's death the south half was purchased by George G. Gilbert. William T. Norris started in the grocery trade in the building erected by him on lot I at the northwest cor- ner of the park. He was the first postmaster in the village, succeeding Vinal Bates in 1833, when the office was removed from the Bates neighborhood. Norris sold out his store and business to Seth Grover, and Grover to Henry McConnell. In 1852 the property was pur- chased by Daniel Eigenbroadt, who for many years dealt in groceries and hardware at that point beside working at the blacksmith trade in his shop on the adjoining lot west. Mr. Eigen- broadt came from the Mohawk Valley and set- tled in the village in 1832 and the following year built his residence on village lot 19, where he lived until the time of his death, July, 1899. Upon the site of the old store now stands the brick hardware store and dwelling built by his son, D. J. Eigenbroadt. On the adjoining lot east, now owned by Caroline and Eliza Smith, Seth Hussey and Elijah Edwards had a shoe-shop. Hussey and Edwards were tan- ners and soon after Vaill built his gristmill they purchased a lot east of and adjoining his mill and erected a tannery ; this was afterward owned and operated successively by Lewis Rice. Richard W. Gates, Lewis Leet and Har- vey Nye, but was destroyed by fire during Nye's ownership and was never rebuilt. Henry Haman afterward purchased the lot and privi- leges and erected a steam mill in its place.

Albert Terhune, who purchased lot 3 on the north side of the park, sold it to George J. Phipany, who came from Genesee county in 1836. He built the store and dwelling attached, now on the lot, the property of Mrs. C. D.

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Stockwell. Phipany started in the mercan- tile business in company with Richard W. Gates, but he soon purchased Gate's interest and in July, 1839, formed a co-partnership with John F. Farman, who came from Oneida county with his brother in 1826. Farman had previously been in trade a short time with Silas Wheeler, presumably in the Beardsley store on the adjoining lot. Farman & Phipany con- tinued in partnership until 1841. About 1839 Farman purchased the Beardsley store of his father-in-law, Ira Day, which he enlarged and improved. From 1848-50 Mr. Farman was in partnership with Alvah Bates at that place, after which he conducted the business alone until 1856, when he sold out to Erastus C. Woodworth. Mr. Woodworth remained in trade until 1860, when he sold the property and business to Gates & Wheeler, who the follow- ing year sold to Daniel S. Bailey, who, with his son, Edwin, continued in active trade for many years. John F. Baxter was the last owner and occupant of the property for mercantile pur- poses.

On the east side of the park, Alvah Bates about 1840 purchased of the Christian Church Society the corner lot and built the store now owned by Charles A. Seekins. Two years later Mr. Bates sold out to Norman Guernsey, who in 1843, in company with John F. Farman, engaged in trade at that point until 1847, when Mr. Guernsey bought out Mr. Farman, and the following year formed a co-partnership with Warren Palmer. About 1850 Mason D. Hatch bought the property and continued the mercantile business at that point until his death, which occurred in 1857, since which time the property has passed through several hands. To the north of this Albro S. Brown erected a dwelling and shop on land bought by him of the Christian church. Mr. Brown was a wagon-maker and followed that business until 1866, when he sold his property to A. M. P. Maynard, who converted the shop into a drug store and three or four years later sold the property and business to James Wheeler & Company, who continued in that line of trade at that point for many years.

F. E. Case, about 1879, purchased a lot on the east side of the park and built the store, where he was almost continuously in the hard- ware trade until his death.

At the southeast corner of the park on lot 28, William Jenkins, about 1832-33, built a small building which he used for a tannery, and at the same time erected a frame dwelling on the south bank of Twenty-eight creek, now known as the Dobbin house. Three or four years

later Mr. Jenkins sold the property to Abner Porter, removing his tannery business upon the south hill, on the farm later owned by Henry Bagg.

Mr. Porter built a blacksmith shop on the corner where Jenkins had his tannery and also a frame dwelling just west of his shop, the same lately owned by C. M. Turney. Porter's shop was afterward sold and fitted up for a store. Clapp & Williams, for two or three years occupied it for mercantile purposes ; later Doctor Giles owned the property and used it for a drug store, at the time of the flood it was used for a shoe-shop, but becoming greatly damaged by the water was finally moved over on the east side of the park, between the Wheeler drug store and Case's hardware store. The dwelling, about the same time was moved down on the corner. To the west of this, George H. Chandler built a two-story building which he used for a cabinet shop and dwell- ing ; later this became the property of John B. Stone, who occupied it for like purposes. After the Torrey hotel burned down the building was refitted and used for a public house. At the time of the flood it was owned by W. V. Welch and was very much damaged, but repaired by Mr. Welch and moved down on the north side of East Main street and used for hotel pur- poses. A. W. Clapp is the owner of the prop- erty and for several years acceptably followed that business.

West of the Baptist church lot, Myron Wal- den and David H. Gates in April, 1848, pur- chased a lot of Frazier Luce and built upon it a two-story double store building, for many years known as the "Walden Block." In the west half Alvah Bates opened a dry goods store and Alonzo Palmer occupied the east lower half for a harness shop. Dobbin & : Bartholomew had a cabinet shop overhead, and later George Waith a shoe-shop. After a year or two Bates sold out to Horatio N. Barnes, from Gerry, who later formed a co-partner- ship with Nathaniel Christy, also from Gerry. Owing to failing health, Barnes sold out his stock to Christy in 1854, the latter continuing in trade until 1856, when he sold the business to A. M. P. Maynard. Mr. Maynard at about the same time purchased the drug stock of Dr. Giles and moved it up to the Barnes store. He continued in trade at this place until the fall of 1865, when his property was almost wholly destroyed by the flood that occurred that year. Afterward Mr. Maynard opened a drug store on the east side of the park, as before noted. The building occupied by Perry Fris- bee, grocer, and Waith & Brown, live stock

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TOWNS-ELLINGTON

dealers, was' built on the site of the old "Wal- den Block" by Terry & DeVoe, soon after the latter firm was burned out across the street.

Among others who have at different times and places engaged in mercantile and other business pursuits in the village, we note the following: Milo Wilcox, quite early had a small grocery store situate on the lot now owned by Sylvester Ransom, west of the hotel. He took ashes from the farmers in exchange for goods, and had an ashery northeast of his store. Likewise Richard W. Gates, about the same time, kept a small grocery in the house now occupied by Andrus Seekins, sending out teams to purchase ashes in exchange for goods. His ashery was on the lot later owned by C. H. Rice. Allen Bagg, as early as 1840, engaged in another primitive industry, manufacturing peppermint essence, and for that purpose had a still located on the Luce farm back near the foot of the hill.

In 1848 Lemuel Perrigo built an iron foundry on the lot now occupied by the hotel barn. He soon formed a co-partnership with Daniel Smoke, and for several years did a suc- cessful business. They sold out to John Clapp. Mr. Clapp sold to Franklin Fuller, who con- tinued the industry until 1861, when Warren Arnold purchased the property. After engag- ing in the business a number of years Mr. Arnold disposed of the building and contents, which was moved over on the Chauncey Jack- son lot, but the business was soon after discon- tinued. Ellery Bentley, as early as 1850, had a grocery and tailor shop on the lot now owned by Caroline and Eliza Smith. In 1859 Joseph Wesley purchased the lot with some adjoining land. rebuilt the house and a few years later erected a steam planing mill and cooper shop in the rear. He sold the shop to Lawrence & Shepardson and in 1873 it was burned down. Homer Pratt in 1858 built a grocery store on the lot now owned by Daniel Hadley ; after engaging in trade for about two years he died. and the store building was afterward purchased by Maria Sears and moved over on West Main street and converted into a dwelling, later a part of the Congregational parsonage. In 1853 Benjamin R. Brown commenced business in the old Phipany store, and for many years was one of the leading merchants in town. He sold out to Orrin Strong, of Gerry, who also engaged in trade for several years at that place.

Following Henry McConnell in the old Nor- ris store, back in the forties, Winfield Leach and David Knight, each for several years en- gaged in the grocery trade until the property

passed into the hands of Mr. Eigenbroadt in 1852.

After the death of Mason D. Hatch his store was occupied by Andrews & Preston, of Jamestown, under the management of Andrew C. Holmes; they did a large and profitable trade. Later Holmes took the business in his own hands and for several years was one of the leading dry goods merchants in town.

In 1872 John Benedict started in the mer- cantile business on West Main street in a building erected by him and continued in active trade until 1889, the time of his death. He was succeeded in business by his widow, Mary W. Benedict, who was later burned out. She subsequently rebuilt the store, but continued the business only for a short time.

Wesley Milspaw, in 1872, purchased a build- ing on the south side of the park and engaged in the sale of agricultural implements, wagons and sundry supplies, until his death, which occurred in 1902, besides for many years he was an extensive dealer in hides, furs, etc. In 1853 Joseph B. Nessel purchased the Jamestown "Herald" of Dr. Asaph Rhodes and removed the printing plant to Ellington and commenced the publication of a paper called "The Elling- ton Herald." He continued its publication until 1856, when it was discontinued. Albro S. Brown for a time had charge of its editorial department. In those days Mr. Nessel was a strong anti-slavery man and was closely identi- fied with what was then called the "Under- ground railroad." In addition to that he was an earnest advocate of the Anti-Masonic move- ment and was commonly known as a "man with a hobby."

The Christian church was the first church organized in the town of Ellington (then town of Gerry).

Elder Freeman Walden, from Genesee county, New York, came to the town in 1822, and commenced holding religious services in a log school house situate upon what is now known as the Joseph Smith farm, about mid- way between the present villages of Ellington and Clear Creek; also in barns and private houses in other parts of the town. On July 13, 1823, the church was organized with seven members, as follows: Elder Freeman Wal- den, Malinda Walden, his wife; Ira Gates and Clarissa Gates, his wife; Polly Gates, Rolli Rublee and Simon Lawrence. They took and subscribed to the following pledge or covenant : "We, the undersigned, agree to take the Scrip- tures of the Old and New Testament for our rule of faith and practice at all times." On

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April 22, 1824, the society held a meeting to perfect a legal organization under the statute and to choose a board of trustees. Ira Gates, Simon Lawrence and Joshua Bush were elected the first trustees.

Elder Freeman Walden was duly installed pastor and ministered to the spiritual wants of the little flock. He and his wife settled on a small farm about two miles southeast from the village, where he supported his family with what little aid he received from his hand- ful of followers. He continued his pastorate for a period of about twelve years. In 1835 his wife died, and the following year he moved away. It was during his ministration that the church edifice was erected.

It appears that on May 18, 1833, a subscrip- tion paper was circulated to raise funds for the erection of the building which, as expressed in said paper, was "to be thirty by forty feet and high enough for a gallery." The structure was raised (a heavy timber frame) August 15, 1833, and completed at an outlay of about $500, the members contributing in work, money and material, and the following year it was dedi-

cated to public worship, upon which occasion Elder Seth Marvin delivered the dedicatory sermon. In 1828 Elder Elisha Beardsley, also from Genesee county, moved into town and assisted occasionally in church work. After the departure of Elder Walden, services were conducted with more or less regularity by Elders Oliver Barr, Seth Waterman, Warren Skeels and D. Willard. From 1838 to 1840 there seems to be no record of church service. During the latter year and for two years fol- lowing, Elder Jeremiah Knowls served as pas- tor. From 1842 to 1845 Elders Halliday (from Fluvanna, New York), Irwin Bullock and Tot- man, by turns, officiated. Elder Havens, 1845- 47; Elder Nye, 1848. For ten years following there is no record of other than occasional services held by Elders Totman and one or two others. In 1859 to 1861 Elder J. W. Snyder served as pastor. In 1860 the church building was repaired and rededicated, on which occa- sion a sermon was delivered by Rev. E. B. Rowlins.

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History of Chautauqua County, New York, and its people, Volume I, Part 37

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