History of Chautauqua County, New York, Part 114

Author: Edson, Obed, 1832-; Merrill, Georgia Drew, editor
Publication date: 1894
Publisher: Boston, Mass. : W.A. Fergusson
Number of Pages: 1068

USA > New York > Chautauqua County > History of Chautauqua County, New York > Part 114

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The Sherman Advance is a bright, newsy sheet, published by the Advance Publishing company, established June 6, 1889, F. A. Ellis, man- ager and editor. It is the only prohibitionist journal of the county. Mr. Ellis · was born in Portland. The successful career of The Advance is due very much to his ability. The Advance is the youngest paper of Sher -. man. The first was The Western New Yorker, started in August, 1853, by Patrick McFarland, and was sold about 1857 to The Westfield Transcript. In May, 1868, B. D. Southworth began to publish The Sherman News, which, moved to Mayville in October, 1890, was there called The Chautauqua News. In 1872 The Weekly Record, J. B. Bray, proprietor, had an epheni- eral existence. Fifty-one numbers were printed of The Chautauqua Rural Press, by Miles L. Dorman, from May 1, 1886.

The Chautauqua News was established March 20, 1876, by E. W. Hoag. It was sold December 13, 1879, to C. E. Sheldon, who has continued the publication to the present.

The Edmunds Creamery was started in 1886 with one separator by F. W. Edmunds, a very successful cheese manufacturer. It has increased its capacity about seven fold. In 1893 38,000 pounds of milk were received daily. By four skim stations located at convenient points butter is made from 70,000 pounds of milk daily during the summer. The business of 1893 may be thus stated : Pounds of milk received, 10,411,509; pounds of butter made, 442,818; money received, $106,744.04. Mr. Edmunds operates other creameries, among them one in French Creek and three in Clymer. Mr. Edmunds owns and operates a flouring and custom gristmill with two sets of stones and one set of rollers, operated by a 75 H. P. steam engine.

E. W. Sperry & Son's hardware store is now one of the oldest mercantile establishments, almost antedating that of John T. Green, who has, with others, and alone, been in merchandising here since 1859. Mr. Green was

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· chosen president of the village at its first election and has been its president ever since. W. H. Hart has also been in trade here from 1859, when he was a clerk in the dry-goods and grocery store of "Hawley & Myrick." From 1860 to 1866 he was employed by J. E. Hawley. He was a member of the firm " Coveney, Hart & Co." that succeeded "Thorpe & Coveney " in 1866. In 1871 the firm of "Hart & Corbett " was formed by Charles H. Corbett purchasing the interest of J. M. Coveney. This firm carries a heavy stock of general merchandise and does a large business. Both members stand in higli esteem and are popular. Mr. Corbett was elected in 1882 a member of assembly by a majority of 986, although he was a Democrat running in a a very strong Republican district. Mr. Corbett is prominent in masonry, was chairman of the Democratic county committee for four years, and has been presiding officer of the state organization of the A. O. U. W. Another, perhaps the oldest, merchant is S. B. Adams. He has conducted a success- ful business as a grocer and crockery dealer since 1856. His brother, D. W. . Adams, has been connected with him for years in the firm of " Adams Bros.," and is the present efficient postmaster. It may not be out of place to class Hon. A. B. Sheldon as a leading merchant as well as banker. His extensive purchases and sales of live stock, produce, (especially butter and cheese), have given him a wide and a popular acquaintance. He made a good member of the legislature, too, in 1881 and 1882. Gilbert W. Strong an oil producer from Bradford, Pa., came to Sherman about ten years ago, and has been a valuable factor in its business life. He engaged extensively in the hardware trade and conducted this until 1893. He has for three years carried on the Sherman carriage factory. He is a Democrat and prominent in the local councils of his party, and has been member of the board of education.

After two attempts which did not succeed, the village was incorporated by vote of the people September 8, 1890. The territory included in the corporate limits is about one square mile and contained 733 inhabitants, according to a census taken just previous. The first municipal election was held October 3, 1890, at which were elected : president, John T. Green, (who has been thrice reelected) ; trustees, J. L. Thayer, Francis A. Ellis, Charles E. Cobb ; treasurer, Henry F. Young ; collector, Jolin Mckean. Thomas J. Newell 2d was appointed village clerk and still holds that office. The trustees now are Charles E. Cobb, Gilbert W. Strong, Fred L. Dutton, with H. F. Young treasurer, and Henry Hooker collector,

FIRES .- Probably few villages in Western New York have suffered more by fires. In February, 1865, a fire destroyed the grocery store of Lyman L. Hoag, the tannery and shoeshop of Platt S. Osborn ; the postoffice, and town- clerk's office with all the town records were burned. In November, 1869, occurred the "great fire " which swept the business portion on the north side of Main street from Miller to Church street, with buildings on Miller

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street. The loss was nearly $50,000. The buildings were wooden ones and were in time replaced by brick. In December, 1876, two brick blocks and C. C. Thompson's drug store and dwelling were burned. July 14, 1890, the whole south side of Main street from Franklin to and including Palmer's blacksmith shop, and Excelsior Hall, comprising many prominent business houses, and Stebbin's photograph gallery on Franklin street were burned. The loss by this fire was nearly $50,000.

SMALL POX .- Chester Bullock, a merchant, returned from a trip to New York city in November 1853, and was soon taken with a light case of vario- Joid. James Barker was soon attacked by small pox and died in a few days. A child of Burnett Osborn also died with the same disease. The village and vicinity was soon in a state of wild excitement. A board of healthi was organized, that established a pest-house and ordered all cases thither for treatment. So bitter was the strife between the board and those refusing to obey its orders that threats of " shooting " were made, and there was actual danger of bloodshed. The excitement ceased on the subsidence of the dis- · ease, but bills for the payment of claims against the town for services ren- dered were brought before the board of town auditors, and were appealed to the board of supervisors in 1854. The Odd Fellows lodge had a hall in the Owen block in which Mr. Barker had his residence. It was driven from its lodge room by this disease, and the order was broken up for many years in the town in consequence thereof.

CHURCHES .- The First Presbyterian Church of Sherman, organized as The First Congregational Church of Mina, came into existence through the set- tlement "on the hill " in 1826 of Josiah R. Keeler, who built a house, a store and an ashery. He was soon followed by his seven brothers and others from Farmington, Con., who brought letters from Dr. Noah Porter's church in that place. It was organized June 23, 1827. It united with the Buffalo presbytery, and Dr. Porter's church selected the first pastor, Rev. Justin Marsh, who was installed in October 1828, that church agreeing to pay one- half of his $400 salary, J. R. and S. B. Keeler to pay one-half of the other $200. The first meetinghouse was built on Presbyterian hill, and dedicated March 7, 1833. It was removed to the village in 1845.

The First Universalist Church of Sherman was organized in 1842, and was admitted to fellowship in the Chautauqua Association of Universalists at the annual meeting at Haight's Corners, in August of the same year. The early records of the church having been burned several years ago, it is diffi- cult to give dates and details, but it is believed that these persons were its original fonnders : Mr. and Mrs. Lester Dewey, George Bates, Loren Park, John H. Jones, Erastus Gibbs, Mrs. Linus Paine, Elliott Smith, Mr. Hill, Mrs. Cushing. Rev. Linus Paine was the first pastor, and remained until

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1846. Eleazer Hathaway is the present pastor. The first church building was of wood and was erected in 1843 or 1844. It was sold to the Catholics in 1868, and the present church was built in 1868-9, at a cost of $8,000. It has a seating capacity of 250, and is finished inside in chestnut and walnut. The present Sunday school was organized in 1874. A Young People's Soci- ety of Christian Endeavor was organized in 1891. There is also a Ladies Social Circle connected with the church, all of which have been efficient aids in its work.

CLYMER.

CHAPTER LXXXIV.

C LYMER, like many other towns of this county, shows the patriotism of the early settlers, as it bears the name of one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, George Clymer, an eminent Pennsyl- vanian. It was organized February 9, 1821, from Chautauqua. Mina was formed from it in 1824, and French Creek in 1829. Clymer is bounded west by French Creek, north by Sherman, east by Harmony, and the south boundary is Pennsylvania. The town comprises township 1, range 14, and contains 21,985 acres. The population in 1892 was 1,447, and in 1893 the assessed value of real and personal property was $449,750. The surface is a hilly upland adapted to dairying, and is well watered by two branches of the Broken-Straw, which flows into and through a long pond near the southern line and then receives another stream flowing southerly through the western part of the town. The soil is a gravelly loam, and responds well to suitable cultivation. Prof. James Hall, the state geologist, says that a large deposit of stone suitable for grindstones exists, and for many years such stones have been quarried. The Western New York & Pennsylvania railroad passes through the center of the town and has three stations, North Clymer, Cly- mer Center and Clymer. The latter is a brisk point of trade. Tanning was an important early industry, and twenty years ago one of the largest tan- neries of the county was conducted here by J. N. McKay. This was estab- lished about the time of the civil war by Leonard Kooman. The first tan- nery was built on lot 35 by Ebenezer Brownell away back in the thirties. Walter L. and Loren B. Sessions carried on tanning extensively later on the Brownell site. The U. S. Leather Company now controls this industry and employs from 40 to 50 111011.

Settlement commenced in 1820 by Gardner and John Cleveland, who

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located on lot 58, in the southwest corner. The next year William Rice set- tled on lot 59, and in 1822 came Horace and Anson Starkweather and Joseph Wing. Eighteen families had located in the territory embracing the original town of Clymer in 1822. Nathaniel and William Thompson, Thomas Rus- sell and Harry E. Brownell came in 1823. The first townmeeting was held April 3, 1821, at the house of Gardner Cleveland, where were elected : Ande Nobles, supervisor ; Win. Rice, Roger Haskell, John M. Fitch, assessors ; David Waldo, clerk ; Roswell Coe, Jolin Cleveland, Alexander Findley, commissioners of highways ; Ephraim Dean, Ande Nobles, Jolm Lynde, school inspectors ; Jolin Heath, Roger Haskell, school commissioners ; Alexander Findley, Roswell Coe, poor masters; Ande Nobles, Alexan- der Findley, overseers of highways ; Wmn. Thompson, Amon Beebe, Jr., Roger Haskell, fence viewers, etc .; Ande Nobles, sealer ; Eli Belknap, constable and collector. Before 1830 quite a settlement was made. Here had come and located Leonard Amidon in 1824 ; Charles Ross in 1824 on Clymer Hill ; Ebenezer Brownell and Joseph Brownell in 1824 on lots 35, 28 and 50; Peter Jaquins in 1825; David Phinney in 1826 ; Silas Freeman with 1.3 children, came to Clymer Hill in 1828. His son, Leonard B., resided in this and adjoining towns for many years. Leonard married Betsey, daughter of William J. Brown, and had children : Wilhelmina, Constantine, Morley, (who served in the 112th regiment and died in hospital), Eugenia and Adelia. Alexander Maxwell settled on lot 30 early. Other early settlers were Amon Beebe, Jr., lot 30, Elisha Alvord, lot 21, Joseph W. Ross, lot 55, Samuel Ross, lot 27, Moses Randall, lot 23, Jeremiah Glidden, who articled land on lots 3 and 8, Jeremiah R. Doolittle, lot 37, David and Andrew Glidden on lot 16, Samuel Bly, lot 32, O. car F. and Daniel C. Glidden, lot 8, Francis F. Allen, lot 2, Alvah Marsh, lot 40, Archelaus Chadwick, lot I, Ralph and John Petitt, lot 47, Benjamin Sullivan, lot 63, Lyman Brown, lot 26, Jeremiah Chamberlain, lot 53, Urbane Hitchcock, lot 15, Samuel Wickwire, lot 16, Charles Brightman, lot 30, John S. Sessions. The Cleveland and Rice fam- ilies had many representatives. Gardner Cleveland, who was a Revolution- ary soldier, had 3 children and 34 grandchildren. William Rice had 12 children, of whom three were prominent in educational circles. Ist. Victor M., who, born in Mayville in 1818, was educated at Allegheny college, Mead- ville, Pa., and from 1848 to 1854 was connected with the city schools of Buffalo and in 1854 city superintendent. From 1854 to 1867 he was state superintendent of public instruction. 2d. William S., for 21 years teacher in Buffalo city schools and several years city superintendent of the Buffalo schools. 3d. Emily A., long principal of Yonkers Female Seminary. Wil- liam Rice was many years a justice, and in 1840 was one of the three repre- sentatives of the county in the assembly of the state legislature. Ira F. Gleason (whose father, Ira, settled early in French Creek, coming from Conncti-

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cut), came from Madison county in 1831 to French Creek, thence in 1837 to Clymer village and engaged in trade, which he conducted continuously for 20 years. He has held many important offices-justice, supervisor, etc. Young gives the early merchants thus : "The first store is said to have been kept by Jolin Stow in 1823. John Heath and Joseph H. Williams succeeded him. Alvin Williams succeeded them, and also kept an inn, the first in town, in 1826. Later were Gardner Cleveland, Jr., and Howard Blodgett ; Ira F. Gleason and John Williams; Gleason and Stephen W. Steward ; Stephen W. Steward ; Ayres & Blood. In 1875 William B. Blodgett and Arthur Beach were general merchants ; Ayres & Coffin, druggists ; Willis D. Gallup & Son, hardware and stoves."

One of the early and industrious pioneers of Clymer was Peter Jaquins, who was a soldier in the war of 1812, and participated in the battle at Queenstown, Canada. He removed from Guilford, Chenango county, to Cat- taraugus county in 1820, in 1824 bought lot 42 in Clymer, and in 1825 made his home here, and erected the first saw and gristmills in the town. He was an excellent hunter, and it is said " that he captured nearly 100 wolves previous to 1832, for which he received an average bounty of $12 per head." His children were Bruce, who located near his father ; Edward, who went to Kansas; Wallace ; Art, a farmer and cattle-dealer, who married Frances Vrooman ; Elizabeth. The name of this enterprising pioneer is per- petuated in the postoffice called Jaquins.

James, John and David Petitt, brothers, emigrants, arrived at New York about 1789 to become citizens of the New World. One of them settled on Long Island, one located in New Jersey and James made his home on the west shore of Lake Champlain. Here his son Ralph was born at Wills- borough in Essex county. Ralph when a young man went to Genesce county, where he married Julia Lyons, March 25, 1827, and the 27th of the next month the young couple came to Clymer and commenced housekeeping in the primitive house hastily erected on Mr. Petitt's location on lot 47 on Clymer Hill. Mr. Petitt was thereafter a lifelong resident of the town and held numerous local offices. Ten of his children attained maturity, of whom nine were living in 1892: Ralph, in Erie county, Pa. ; William, at North Clymer , James, at French Creek ; Burrows, on the original home- stead ; Clarissa, in Kansas; Lovenia, at French Creek ; Polly, in Clymer ; Charlotte at Chautauqua ; and Amanda, at Sherman.

Lyman Brown, a native of Kingston, Pa., born May 30, ISO1, subse- quently was a resident of Hamburg, Erie county. In 1829 he bought land on lot 26 in Clymer, and in 1831 became a settler of the town, where lie resided until his death in 1873. His wife died the same year. Mr. Brown was extensively engaged in cattle dealing, was supervisor in 1848, and held

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other town offices. His sons were. Jesse, Martin, Homer. Jesse was born May 9, 1825 in Erie county, married Louisa Bligh of North Clymer in 1851, resides near the homestead. He followed the vocation of his father, and has been much engaged in town affairs. He has served as town superintendent, supervisor several years, inspector of elections many years, loan commissioner for several terms, has been engaged in merchandising, is a prominent Demo- ocrat, and one of the substantial citizens of Clymer.

In 1832 Gideon Brockway, with his wife and four children, removed from Southampton, Mass., to Clymer, purchased a farm and resided here until his death. His youngest son, Richard B., accompanied his father, and made Clymer his home. Beman, his oldest son, came a year later to visit his parents, and as he says, "in the winter of 1833 I taught a district school in Clymer, for which I was about as well qualified as the average citizen is to edit a newspaper. However, I made out to stand the occupation three months, which were the longest ones I remember to have passed in my whole life." Mr. Brockway proved his ability to "edit a newspaper " not many years after, by making a success of the Mayville Sentinel, which he edited and published for to years. He was on the editorial staff of the New York Tribune with such men as Horace Greeley and Charles A. Dana as compan- ions. At the time of his death, December, 1892, he was the oldest news- paper editor and publisher of the state, and the owner of the Watertown Daily ond Weekly Times. In him all elements of a strong character were so united as to cause one to say " He was a man."

Willard Mckinstry writes in the Fredonia Censor in 1885 this of the town : "The dwellings 50 years ago were mostly of logs. Some noted characters have lived in this vicinity, Horace Greeley's parents about two miles from the village, and this was their postoffice address. J. F. Cleve- land, since connected with the New York Tribune, spent his boyhood days here. William Rice, a member of the legislature in 1840, was the village blacksmith, and his son, Hon. Victor M. Rice, has since occupied a promi- nent position as state superintendent of public instruction, and was the founder of the free school system of this state. He strug led to get an educa- tion. His first schoolbooks were bought by his going to the woods and cut- ting wood for the ashery and drawing it there with a pair of steers which he had broken made the exchange with my uncle who then carried it on. Hon. Silas Terry, a most worthy citizen, held a seat in the legislature of 18.49, and his son, I. S. Terry, who has been supervisor several times, is one of the progressive farmers of the town. When Senater Lorenzo Morris first commenced practising law he opened an office over Ira F. Gleason's store in Clymer, and Stephen W. Steward did mercantile business here before found- ing the First National Bank of Corry. It is a prosperous agricultural town, and the railroad and the building up of the city of Corry, eight miles dis-

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tant, have given it a good market and prosperity. It has an excellent soil and contains many splendid farms. Hon. Walter L. and Loren B. Sessions passed their youthful days with their father, John S. Sessions, an early set- tler on a farm in this town, and have always had a strong support here in their political aspirations. Although a small town Clymer has exerted an important influence at times in the politics of our state through the men who have lived here."

An element of romance was introduced into the early history which tra- dition has preserved. It runs in this wise. In the days of the anti-masonic excitement, one of the alleged abductors of William Morgan fled from arrest and was secreted for months, some say years, in the deep wilderness of Clymer, and found faithful friends and protectors, whose chivalrie devotion cared for his needs as for those of a brother. The romance continues in that the man's name is almost, it not quite, forgotten, and his subsequent fate unknown. He comes, is here, and nothing more is preserved.

Garrett Slotboom, a native of Holland, came to Clymer in 1850, and died here in 1885. Previous to coming to this country, he had served his time in the Dutch army and married a daughter of John Huytinck. Their son, John A., born in Holland, was educated in the Clymer schools, and assisted his father in farming. He enlisted in August, 1862, in Co. D, 112th Reg't. N. Y. Vols., and served until the close of the war. He was wounded at the battle of Cold Harbor, Va., June 1, 1864. In 1866 he commenced merchan- dising at Clymer Hill, continued 25 years, then located at Clymer village, where he is in trade. He has served as justice of the peace and as supervisor. He married Magdalene, a daughter of Peter Kooman, (who settled in Clymer about 1858. He was born near Antwerp, Holland, emigrated to Buffalo in 1847. He died January 6, 1879). John Kooman is a merchant of Clymer. The Hollanders, many of whom have made their homes in the town, are useful and worthy citizens. Hon. G. W. Patterson, the land agent, it is said was so impressed with the value of obtaining such a frugal, honest and industri- ous people as residents, that he made extra inducements to secure their coni- ing. About 1846 the first nucleus was formed here, and now a large percentage of the town's best citizens are of this stock.

Alfred W. Steward is a son of John Steward, Sr., who settled in Harmony in 1821 and had a large family ; his sons were Joli, Sardius, Stephen W., Eliphalet, Alfred W. Stephen W. was for some years a merchant in Cly- mer, and was later one of the most prominent in founding the First National Bank of Corry, Pa. Alfred W., is a farmer and cattle-dealer, resides in the village. Sardius located in Harmony and was prominent.

Otis D. Hinckley has been a resident of Clymer since 1850, and has been one of the town's most active and useful residents. He was for a time a

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merchant, but has been long and extensively employed as a surveyor. He has been for years almost continuously in office as justice of the peace, has been justice of sessions of the county court, represented the first assembly district of the county in the state legislature of 1875, and has served as clerk of the board of supervisors with marked ability.

James D. Gallup was born in Sherman, February 8, 1855, and in 1860 became a resident of Clymer. In 1873 he became a member of the mercan- tile firm of W. D. Gallup & Son. After some years, associated with his younger brother L. E., he purchased his father's interest in the business and founded the firm of W. D. Gallup's Sons now in trade. Mr. Gallup has been town clerk two years, was elected supervisor in 1890 and still continues to hold that office.

William Emery, son of Gilbert Emery, an early settler of Harmony, born in Harmony, April 19, 1840, has been long an esteeuied citizen of this town. He is a farmer and lawyer, and has long held the office of justice of the peace and other positions of trust. Byron King, son of James King, another . son of Clymer, is one of its substantial citizens. Maurice Smith, son of Walker Smith, was also born in the town and is a farmer. J. B. Johnson is also a farmer and lumberman. Other residents of the town during its his- tory, who have been of local importance, are Hon. Silas Terry, Artemas Ross, Esq., James Wiltsie, Daniel Hurlbut, John B. Knowlton, H. E. Brownell, Jesse Brown, W. D. Gallup, Otis D. Hinckley, Ira F., Win. B. and Charles S. Gleason, Stephen W. Steward, Charles Brightman, Hartson S. Ayer. Our list by no means exhausts the list of the town's bright men. The Cleve- lands, Rices, Brockways and others we have already noticed, and John Bid- well, who has headed the national ticket of the Prohibition party, is credited with being a native of the town. Few small rural towns show such a per- centage of men of ability.

The religious denominations are well represented with six churches : Methodist Episcopal, Rev. W. H. Fenton, pastor ; Baptist, Rev. Emery Dar- ling, pastor ; United Brethren ; and three Dutch Reformed churches, of whom Rev's. Henry Hospers, P. G. M. Bähler, and Mr. Einink are pastors. A good interest has been manifested in education, and, besides the district schools, a fine union school of three departments under charge of Prof. John Niles Gillies is conducted at Clymer village. This is the home of C. C. Hill, the popular and efficient school commissioner of the first district of the county, which embraces the towns of Busti, Chautauqua, Clymer, French Creek, Harmony, Mina and Sherman. Mr. Hill is a native of Clymer and is now in his fourth year of service as commissioner.

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History of Chautauqua County, New York, Part 114

Author: Edson, Obed, 1832-; Merrill, Georgia Drew, editor Publication date: 1894 Publisher: Boston, Mass. : W.A. Fergusson Number of Pages: 1068

Author: Edson, Obed, 1832-; Merrill, Georgia Drew, editor
Publication date: 1894
Publisher: Boston, Mass. : W.A. Fergusson
Number of Pages: 1068