USA > New York > Chautauqua County > History of Chautauqua County, New York, and its people, Volume I > Part 44
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Dr. Kennedy died at Meadville in 1813. His children and heirs were: Andrew E. Kennedy, a surgeon in the United States Navy, born 1801, died at Batavia, Island of Java, 1833; Sarah Ann, born 1806, married Augustus Col- sen in 1825. died 1862; Samuel Ruston, born 1807, died 1834; Thomas Ryland, born 1808, died 1832: Joseph C. G., born 1813, was ap- pointed superintendent of the census of 1850 by President Taylor, and of the census of 1860 by President Buchanan. In 1853 he was ap- pointed a member of the Statistical Congress at Brussels and subsequently to that of Paris. In 1856 he was secretary of the United States at the World's Fair at London. His son, Jo- seph M. Kennedy, grandson of Dr. Kennedy, served as captain and major in the Ninth Regi- ment, New York Cavalry, during the Civil War.
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The mills of Kennedy and the lumber busi- ness first attracted settlers to Poland. Of the early purchases in 1808, Gideon Gilson bought on lot 51, James Culbertson, 58; in 1809, Ste- phen Hadley bought on 59, John Owen, 57; in 1810, John Brown, lot 57, Colt and Marlin, 42. These lands were all in the southwest part of Poland. In October, 1813, Nathan Lasall bought near the center of the town, on 37 and 45, Poland Center. In 1814 Aaron Forbes took up land on 57, James Hall, 54, Ebenezer Cheney, 58, James Herriot, 34. The same year Ira Owen, at Clark's Corners, and Ethan Owen near him, on lot 21. In 1816 Elias Tracy took up lands on lot 49 and in 1817 on lot 41, Nicholas Dolloff, 33, and Aaron Taylor, 26. Aaron Forbes settled on lot 57 in the south- west part of the town, where he resided at his death. Ezra Smith also settled on lot 57. He was born in Burlington, Otsego county, in 1832, married Hannah Peck, of Ellicott. Mrs. Smith was born in 1810. Asa and Esther Smith, the parents of Ezra Smith, were born in Haddam, Conn. The former died in 1856; the latter at the age of 102 years and four months. Of Ezra's children were: William, Irwin, Emily (who became the wife of Sam- uel Halladay, and after her death, her sister Matilda became his second wife); Francis, the wife of T. F. Van Dusen, of Jamestown; and Minerva, Mrs. A. D. Hunt. Among the early settlers in the southwest part were Luther Lydell, from Otsego county, about 1830, on lot 59, where he died. Elias Tracy settled on lot 49. His sons were Wayne, Elias and Hatch. Hannah, one of his daughters, married William H. Fenton, of Dexterville. Joshua Woodward, from Otsego county, came about 1816 with his sons, Reuben, Royal, Lewis, Pierce and Hiram. Pierce Woodward was four years supervisor. Ira Kimball was also an early settler who did good work in de- veloping the town. B. B. Kimball is his son.
Horace Hartson settled in the western part of the town, on lot 60, near Levant. He re- sided with his son William in Poland until his decease. Other sons were Orsell H. and George. Ephraim L. Nickerson, between Poland Center and Levant, manufactured brick with profit.
In the northwestern part of the town, Amos Fuller settled upon lot 46. Jeremiah Gifford Hotchkiss, about 1830 on lot 55 ; Elihu Gifford, lot 55; David Tucker, lot 48. He married Miss Montgomery. His daughter, Nancy A., mar- ried Isaac Cobb, of Gerry. Mr. Tucker was several years supervisor of Poland. He died in Cattaraugus county in 1894.
In the northern part of the town, Eliab. Wheelock, from Oneida county, settled on lot 39. He had sons: William, Orrin E. and. Horace F. Norton B. Bill was a native of New England, came from Genesee county about 1830, settled on lot 46, and died there. His daughter Emily married Harvey Forbes, and died in Poland. Malvina married Arad Fuller. Ruth married Darius Wyman. Amos married Artemisia Smith and lived on the homestead of his father. Julia married Emory Wood- ward, and Mary, Miles Tracy.
In the central part of the town Charles F. Wolcott settled on lot 37; Ebenezer Cheney, about 1830, on lot 37. His son, Nelson E., married Hannah Merrill, of Carroll. Of their children, Emory was a physician. Nelson also was educated as a physician. Newell was a captain in the Ninth Cavalry and served in the Civil War. He has been supervisor of Poland and in 1886 was a member of Assembly for the Second District of Chautauqua county. Nel- son E. Cheney was a resident of Poland Cen. ter sixty-two years. He died January 6, 1891 aged 97 years, one month and six days, his mental faculties unimpaired until the end Addison H. Phillips settled on lot 28.
In the eastern part of the town Amasa Ives from Madison county, settled on lot 3; Obe diah Jenks, from Essex county, lot 20. A saw mill was built at Mud creek, now Clark's Cor ners, by Isaac Young about 1820, and after ward sold by him to Daniel Wheeler and b' him to Henry N. Hunt and by Hunt to Alber Russell and afterward discontinued. Josepl Clark, a well known early settler, for man years kept a tavern near this sawmill on Mu creek. John Miller, about 1831, settled on lo 5. Henry Nelson Hunt was born in Rutlan. county. Vermont, March 5, 1808, son of Elna than Hunt and Sybil Lincoln. His father moved to Genesee county when Henry wa three years old, and died there at the age of 7: Henry Hunt was twice married and reared large family. He was engaged extensively i the lumber business for a number of years, br later gave his attention to farming. He serve as supervisor of the town two terms, and hel the office of justice of the peace for a numbe of terms.
In the southeastern part of the town, Elih Barber settled on lot 3. At an early day sawmill and gristmill was built in the north eastern part of the town of Waterboro. Th gristmill was burned and the sawmill wer into disuse. Josiah Miles and Daniel Wheele built a sawmill near Conewango, which wa rebuilt and owned by Charles Clark. Joh
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Merrill built a sawmill on Mud creek on lot 3. Nicholas Dolloff built a sawmill on the Conewango in the southern part of the town.
Dr. Samuel Foote, brother of Judge E. T. Foote, is said to have been the first physician in Poland, and Dr. Nelson Rowe the next. Dr. William Smith came about 1840, and died at Kennedy. His son, Summer A., was druggist and postmaster at Kennedy, and served three years in the Civil War. His son Henry died in the war. Three other sons reside in the town. Later physicians were Drs. James H. Monroe, Ingraham, J. W. Button and Early. Many Swedes have settled in the town in re- cent years.
The Kennedy Baptist church was organized January 30, 1836, with twenty-two members. Rev. B. Braman was first pastor. A meeting house was built in 1868.
The Methodist Protestants were here early. In May, 1839, Rev. James Covell organized a society at the school house in district No. 4, und the next year Rev. O. C. Payne, from Fre- lonia, formed one in district II. For a time hey were very flourishing.
Poland Free Church at Kennedy, organized n 1856, built a church the next year.
The Wesleyan Methodist Church at Levant vas early organized by Rev. Emory Jones. A hurch was built in 1872.
Ellington and Kennedy are united as a harge of the Jamestown district of the Erie nnual conference of the Methodist Episcopal church. The combined membership is 210.
Little is known of those who worked on the hills previous to about 1840. Edward Shillito with his family lived at the mills and boarded kennedy's workmen while building the mill nd for several years after. He then bought and at what is now Levant, where he after- cards resided. Potatoes and other vegetables rere grown at the mills for table use. At the rising of the mill frame in 1805, men came up ne Conewango in canoes from as far away as Varren and beyond. Meat, whiskey and other upplies en route by boat being delayed, Shil- to killed a yearling heifer for the occasion. 'he whiskey arrived in time for the celebra- on. No doubt Shillito lived in the house of ewn logs before mentioned and which in later ears was known as the mill house. This puse disappeared some years since. A well ear the house still marks the spot. In 1823, hen Seymour Saxton's family moved in and ttled on Indian Run, about three miles from .ennedy's mills, a Mr. Penoyer was running je mills for the Kennedy heirs. From 1827 to 331 Forbes and Runion ran the mills. Abial
Elkins moved from Canada to Levant about 1828 and worked on the mills there two years for Alvin Plumb. He, about 1830, moved to Kennedy's mills, where he lived in the mill house and ran the mills until 1842, except two years. In 1837-38 Joseph Clark ran the mills for Guy C. Irvine and lived in the house built by Augustus Colsen.
Augustus Colsen, who married the daughter of Dr. Kennedy, was the son of a Lutheran minister who emigrated from Germany in 1810, and moved with his famliy to Meadville in 1815. Augustus was twelve years old when he came. In the early twenties he engaged in the mercantile business. In 1826, the next year after his marriage, he moved to take charge of the Conewango mills, where he built a frame house of two stories, on the lot where Delos Merritt now resides. About 1876 this house was moved back forty or fifty rods to the north on Langdon street, Mr. Colsen re- maining at the mills till the sale of the mills and lands to Richard P. Marvin, in 1832. Dr. Ken- nedy held his title by contract. The first deed to these lands was given by the Holland Com- pany to Richard P. Marvin. Mr. Marvin's father and mother moved into the house Col- sen had built, and his brother Erastus was associated with him in conducting the mills and also a store. The dam built by Dr. Ken- nedy had made a pond of water covering over one hundred acres. This pond was the cause of much malarial fever which, about this time, became very malignant. Mr. Marvin's parents and brother all died there that summer of 1832. These misfortunes changed the plans of Mr. Marvin, who had planned to buy more timber land and build up a town at his mills. Already there was a considerable population with two hotels, two or three stores, two small tan- neries, a blacksmith shop near the front of the present cemetery conducted by a Mr. Sawyer, father of Philetus Sawyer, afterwards United States Senator from Wisconsin, a chair shop conducted by Chester A. Lillie, and other in- dustries. Many laborers were employed on the mills and in cutting and hauling logs, some of whom had families living there. Keel boats came up from Pittsburgh and French Creek with merchandise, including flour, pork, dried fruits, sugar. whiskey, tobacco, cloth, glass, nails, etc., and some of them passing through the lock at the dam ran up the Conewango as far as Cherry creek. Settlers were moving in and clearing farms on adjoining lands. The place had become widely known as Kennedys Mills, with the prospect of growing into a large town.
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The township of Poland was formed from Ellicott, April 9, 1832, the same year and month that Mr. Marvin bought the mills, and the first town meeting was appointed to be held at Kennedy's Mills the next March, 1833. In September, 1832, Mr. Marvin sold his mill property and lands to Beardsley and Morse, who sold in 1833 to Guy C. Irvine, Rufus Weatherby and Robert Falconer. These men held the title till about 1850. Many village lots had been laid out on the south side of the Conewango, a cemetery near the present resi- dence of Charles Akins' family, and a town hall built opposite the present residence of Alonzo Bain. Mr. Marvin held the title to a number of these lots after selling his mill prop- erty.
The continuance of much sickness made the place unattractive and many thrifty families moved away. The place gained a bad name as the residence and resort of criminals and men of bad reputation. The town meetings were moved to Poland Center, where they were held for twenty-five or thirty years. Among people of surrounding communities, feeling became so intense over the bad sanitary conditions caused by the great mill pond that in 1848 a number of men tore the dam away. In 1851 Laurens A. Langdon and William T. Falconer succeeded to the ownership, Falconer by in- heritance from his father and Langdon by pur- chase from the Weatherby heirs. Mr. Lang- don moved with his family from Sugar Grove, Pennsylvania, made the Colsen house his resi- dence and proceeded to build a mill race of over a mile in length, with a head gate which did away with the dam and pond. Since that time the place has greatly improved. Besides the sawmill, a large flouring mill, a feed mill and a planing mill now use the water power. The white pine has almost entirely disap- peared, but the sawmill still does a large busi- ness in manufacturing lumber, largely from other kinds of timber. It is a safe estimate that this mill has cut one hundred million feet of lumber from the white pine of the town of Poland, near Kennedy, besides a large amount brought from Cattaraugus county, since the mill was built. About 1840 the name of the postoffice was changed to Kennedyville, though many of the early settlers still con- tinued to write and say Kennedy's Mills. In 1852 Harry Abbott sold his farm in Busti and moved into the hotel at Kennedyville, where he kept a temperance house and was made postmaster. The name of the post office was then changed to Falconer in compliment to William T. Falconer, who then owned a half
interest in the sawmill and a large tract o land adjoining the village, and to his father who had been a prominent citizen of Warrer was then living in Sugar Grove and had owne large interests at Warren, Jamestown an. Sugar Grove, as well as in the mill property a Kennedyville. When the railroad was bui through in 1859, the railroad station, at th request of William Reynolds of Meadville, wa named Kennedy, and the name of the pos office soon followed. In place of canoes an keel boats propelled by hand, two railroad now furnished transportation and exceller passenger service. The village has grown . a population of about six hundred with tel phone lines, rural mail delivery routes servir the thrifty farming communities who find he a market for their products and quick cor munication with the commercial world. T place still, most appropriately, retains t name of Kennedy from the accomplished I Thomas Ruston Kennedy, who built the fir mill here and established the first importa commercial enterprise in Southern Cha- tauqua.
Robert Falconer, of Sugar Grove, Penns - vania, was the owner of a large tract of lal in Poland. His son, W. T. Falconer, was merchant, lumber dealer and one of the met influential citizens of the town. He was boa in Sugar Grove, April 1, 1824, and came o Poland about 1850. He married Miss Jer y Daily, of Brocton, in 1867.
Poland was set off as a separate town n April, 1832, and the first town meeting vs held at the houses of A. McGleason and S.l. Gleason, March 5, 1833. Nathaniel Fenton 15 elected supervisor ; Nelson Rowe, town cle .: Emory F. Warren, Henry M. Connell, Same. Hitchcock and Melancthon Smith, justices.
The supervisors have been: Nathaniel Fa- ton, 1834; Summer Allen, 1834-46-64; W. V Chandler, 1843-44; Henry N. Hunt, 1845 4 55; David Tucker, 1847-48; Pierce Woodw d 1849-50-57-58; Eliakim Crosby, 1851-52; M W. Smith, 1853; Galusha M. Wait, 1856; Vi liam M. Falconer, 1859-63; Daniel Grisw.a 1865-68; Harvey S. Elkins, 1869-72; Jo al- H. Monroe, 1873-74-77-82 ; Amos Bill, 1875 3 Ira C. Nichols, 1884-86-88-90-93; Lymar F Weeden, 1891; Newel Cheney, 1885-89; FF Rowley, 1894-95; John F. Anderson, IX 1906-09; Charles N. Taylor, 1910-13; Ray C Crandall, 1914-20.
Of these supervisors the first, Nathaie Fenton, was born in New England in 163. came to Poland about 1823. Fanny, one ohs daughters, married Gen. Horace Allen. in-
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other, Summer Allen, born in Otsego county, February 3, 1804, came to Poland in 1818. He was the son of Phineas Allen and brother of Gen. Horace Allen. Woodley W. Chandler was born in Virginia, February 14, 1800. He resided successively in Tennessee. New Or- leans and Cincinnati, and early came to Po- land. He married Phebe, daughter of Abra- ham Winsor ; he died April 22, 1854. Eliakim Crosby was born in Oneida county, removed to Poland in 1829 and settled on lot 37, at Poland Center, where he kept a public house ; he held nearly every town office. Harvey S. Elkins was born in Poland, November 26, 1835. He was a merchant of Kennedy for five years, superintendent of the poor and supervisor four years. His wife was Maria Nichols. After her death he married Jennie Stratton. Daniel Griswold was born in Wyoming county, Feb- uary 1, 1830, came to Poland in 1831 or 1832. In 1868 he married Martha, daughter of John Townsend. He was a lumberman, supervisor of Poland, Ellicott and Jamestown, and presi- lent of Chautauqua County National Bank.
There are 22,447 acres in Poland, valued at 31, 129,918. The assessed valuation of real :state in the town for the year 1918 was $886,- 500.
Pomfret-The survey of the Holland Land Purchase, begun in 1798, was so far completed hat when in 1803 the first settler within the resent limits of the town-Thomas McClin- ock, arrived, he was able to locate the land which he purchased in December, 1803-lots 3, 4 and 20 in township 6, now in Pomfret. Low Miniger was the next purchaser, in 1804. nd in October, Zattu Cushing, the third pur- ·haser in township 6, bought lots 28, 29 and :3. Sales dropped off entirely for six years, ut in the meantime township 5, range 12, was being taken up. Eliphalet Burnham buying lot , in March, 1805, and the same year Zattu Cushing bought lot 16. In 1800 the first wheat vas raised in Clarence Hollow, and it was then stimated that but twelve persons were living ipon the Holland Purchase. In 1801 the first vhite child was born in Pomfret, Catherine Putnam Cushing, who married Philo Hull Stevens, all this antedating the coming of Thomas McClintock, the first settler within he limits of the present town, and the first purchaser of land in township 6. David Eason ettled on the west side of Canadaway in 1804, und in 1805 Zattu Cushing came to now Fre- lonia, moving with his wife and five children nto a partly finished log house built by Low Miniger, the second purchaser of land in town- hip 6, now in Pomfret. At that time except-
ing McClintock, the first settler, and David Eason, the Cushings' nearest neighbor was John Dunn on the west, and on the east the Stedmans, eight miles away. Seth Cole, the first actual settler in the town of Dunkirk, came from Paris, Oneida county, with Zattu Cushing, who sold Cole land at the mouth of the Canadaway, upon which he settled in Feb- ruary, 1805, the Cushings going on to now Fre- donia. Later in 1805, Benjamin Barnes, Sam- uel Gear, Benjamin Barrett, and Orsamus Holmes, settled near enough to be considered neighbors to the first comers, and in 1806 canie Hezekiah Barker, whose name is per- petuated in the beautiful park in Fredonia. The Risleys came in 1806, and in 1808 Elijah Risley opened at Fredonia the first store in the county. In 1807 Thomas Mcclintock sold his land to Zattu Cushing, and in 1808 came Dr. Squire White, the first educated physician in the county. He taught the first school in 1808 in a log house in the present town of Sherman, reserving the right to dismiss school should a call be made for his professional services. Until 1807 all the county was the town of Chautauqua, with town meetings at the Cross Roads. Zattu Cushing rallied all the voters of his section of the county, and when town meeting day came around again it was voted to hold the next meeting at Fredonia. This act led to the erection of the town of Pomfret.
In 1807 the Connecticut Baptist Missionary Society sent a missionary, Rev. Joy Handy, to preach the gospel. About the same time Rev. John Spencer, a Connecticut Congregational missionary, was sent to the Purchase. In the log cabins and beneath the trees they preached and performed the functions of their calling, their first burial service being held in 1807 over the body of a little girl killed by a falling tree. As late as 1820 the Cushing barn was the most commodious place for a religious assembly in all northern Chautauqua.
The town of Pomfret was formed from Chautauqua, March II, 1808, and was the first division of the county after its organization. The town originally comprised the tenth and eleventh ranges of townships and all the area now included in the towns of Pomfret and Dunkirk. The town is drained chiefly by Canadaway creek, entering from the east near the southeastern corner of the town, and pur- suing a northerly and northwesterly course enters Lake Erie about two miles above Dun- kirk. From 1830 until 1859 Pomfret com- prised townships 5 and 6 in the 12th range. In 1859 Dunkirk (town) was formed, leaving two tiers of lots from township 6 attached to
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Pomfret. The village of Fredonia was princi- pally in township 6, and extended north into the second tier of lots. In order to keep the entire village in the town of Pomfret, an un- equal division of territory was necessary and unavoidable. Pomfret has an area of 28,899 acres, Dunkirk, 6,632.
The first three settlers in Pomfret-Thomas McClintock, David Eason, and Low Miniger -in 1806-07 sold their lands to Zattu Cushing, who thus became the first settler to remain in the town, although the three settlers only moved to Westfield. Another buyer of their land was Hezekiah Barker. The early settle- ment of the town of Pomfret was chiefly on the north line of township 5, range 12. The greater part of the village of Fredonia is north of that line in township 6. The first town meeting in Pomfret was held at Elisha Manus' in 1808. Rev. John Spencer opened the meet- ing with prayer, and Ozias Hart was chosen moderator. The officers elected were: Super- visor, Philo Orton; town clerk, John S. Bel- lows; assessors, Richard Williams, Justin Hin- man, John E. Howard ; highway commission- ers, Samuel Berry, Abiram Orton, John Mack ; overseers of the poor, Zattu Cushing, Orsamus Holmes; constable and collector, George W. Pierce.
In the northeastern part of Pomfret in town- ship 5, range 12, the early settlers were Joel Harrington, Jonathan Hempstead, Thomas Kepple ; in the east part, Luther Frank, Eze- kiel Johnson, Ephraim Wilson, Haway Dur- kee, Orrin Ford, Joseph Rood; in the south- eastern part, Abel Beebe and Otis Goulding ; in the southern part Varnum Bacheller, Levi Risley, Eli Webster, Willard Blodgett; in the western part several Websters settled, Jona- than Sprague, George Steele, Jonas Litch, Rowland Porter. Near the center of the town the early settlers were Benjamin Randall and Isaac Norton. Early settlers in part of town- ship 6, now a part of the town of Pomfret, were Daniel G. Gould, Oliver Barnes, J. Bald- win, D. G. Goulding, Justus Adams, Mar- tin Eastwood, John Sawin, Pearson Crosby, David Elliot, Nathaniel Pearson, Calvin Hutchinson, Henry Lassell, Todd Osborne, Irwin Osborne.
The early settlers found the plats of Canada- way creek well timbered, the Canadaway fur- nished abundant water power, and soon saw and grist mills were in operation, although for a number of years the only articles sent to market were pot and pearl ashes. At Laona, named by Henry Wilson about 1820, the fine water power was utilized by Thomas and
Hezekiah Bull to operate a flouring mill, either in 1810 or 1811. A carding mill was built by Ebenezer Eaton in 1812; a cotton mill by Thomas Bull about 1817, which soon burned down; another cotton mill built by Thomas : Bull and Orrin Ford in 1823, which was changed in 1854 to a paper mill. At different times about thirty factories have drawn their motive power from Canadaway creek, but now the little manufacturing done uses steam, electricity, or gasoline. The three Risley brothers, about 1830, established the Risley Seed Gardens in Fredonia. For a long time they were the most extensive in the United States, sending their products to every State and territory. In 1849 they sold onion seeds in California for the same weight in gold.
Pomfret has the distinction of having first used natural gas as an illuminant ; first in 1821, and the gas works established in Fredonia were the first in this country. Grapes are raised in great abundance, and the production of grape roots has grown into an immense business, a market being found in every State and Territory, and almost every nationality upon the globe. Manufacturing of fruit products, general farming, dairying, and fruit growing constitute other activities of the town.
An important event in the history of Pom- fret was the founding of the Fredonia Acad- emy, in 1823. It was a plain, unpretending structure, but ample for its purposes, and im- posing, when nine-tenths of the people livec in rude log cabins. The original subscription is still preserved. Mortgages to the land com pany, with unpaid interest, hung like a funera pall over the the whole Western New York Many mechanics did not receive for work five dollars in cash during the entire year. Th subscription was drawn in such a form tha every man might aid as he could, in labor from his mill, his field, or his workshop. Th whole cash subscription was $75, barely suffi cient to procure glass and nails. To this Gen eral Barker contributed $25, Dr. White $IC and others smaller sums. General Barker an Colonel Abell each contributed in some forr $100, and Dr. White the next amount, $60 Every form of material for building is upo the subscription, besides cattle, rye, cori chairs, cabinet work, shoes and hay. Solomo Hinchley gave $30 in pork, ten bushels of cor and ten bushels of rye, and three hundre pounds of beef. Lyman Ross subscribe twenty gallons of whiskey. When this Acac emy was established, it was the "lone star" ( the west, and soon exerted an influence be yond the hopes of its founders. It not onl
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