USA > New York > Chautauqua County > History of Chautauqua County, New York > Part 115
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Young carefully gathered facts concerning the early mills. He says in 1875: "The first sawmill was built by Peter Jaquins in 1825 ; he added
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CLYMER.
a gristmill the next year. Eight years after both were burned. A new sawmill was built, and eight years thereafter that was burned ; and Mr. Jaquins again built one, which he subsequently sold to Porter Damon and John Williams, who also built a gristmill. Williams sold his interest to Damon. The mill passed to his sons, Loren and Andrew. The latter sold to Hartson S. Ayer & Bro., and the sawmill was sold to Hall & Shepard. Hall sold to Welch, and Shepard & Welch are erecting a large 3-story plan- ing and shinglemill. William Rice built a gristmill below the village, on the west branch of the Broken-Straw, and sold it to Judson Hurlbut, who built a sawmill. Mills are now owned by Byron J. Hurlbut at the same place. Daniel Hurlbut built a sawmill on Big Broken-Straw, on lot. 50, a mile below the Shepard & Welch mill. John B. Knowlton now owns the mill, with machinery for planing, turning, and the manufacture of agricul- tural implements. Thomas Card built a sawmill on lot 20, where he still owns a mill. James Upton built a sawmill on lot 45 ; the dam is built of stone from a large quarry near the mill. B. Parker early built a mill on lot 9. A mill on the same site is now owned by Christopher Whitford. A steam sawmill was built by Shepard & Havens, at Clymer station, and is now owned by William Havens. A steam mill has also been recently built near the center of the town, by Charles Maxwell and Joshua Hatton."
Byron J. Hurlbut and L. W. Putnam now operate gristmills, H. F. Durand and F. A Burnham sawmills, and Aaron Parker a planing and cider- mill. Mr. Hurlbut is a native of the town, and has done good service for some years as member of the school board. Mr. Durand is a native of West- field, son of Carlisle Durand, long a highly esteemed citizen of that town.
Clymer village and station are practically one place, and is a thriving place of trade. Here are the general stores of John A. Slotboom & Son, Kooman & Son, John G. Wiggins and B. W. Warnslmis ; W. D. Gallup's Sons, hardware store ; the drug store of L. P. McCray & Co .; the creameries of F. W. Edmunds and H. C. Card ; a hotel and the various shops and industries of a prospering village. E. P. Mackres, the harnessmaker, is post- master.
The first physician was Dr. Roswell F. Van Buren, who was in practice from 1826 to 1836, when he moved to Carroll. Dr. S. G. Peck settled early 011 lot 6, and practiced many years. Dr. Harvey A. Phinney succeeded to Dr. Van Buren's practice, and continued a physician until his death in the fifties. Later were Drs. George R. Spratt, J. M. McWharf, Artemas Ross, and others.
SUPERVISORS .- 1821, Ande Nobles ; 1822-23, John Heath ; 1824-25-26-27, Gardner Cleve- land ; 1828, A. S. Underwood ; 1829, Alex. Wilson, Jr. ; 1830, John Heath ; 1831-32-33-34, Wil- liam Rice ; 1835, Harvey A. Phinney ; 1836-37-38-39, William Rice; 1840, Ira F. Gleason ; 1841-42, William Rice ; 1843-44, Moses Randall ; 1845, William Rice; 1846-47, Samuel Bly ;
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HISTORY OF CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY, N. Y.
1848, Lyman Brown ; 1849-50, Charles Brightman ; 1851-52-53-54-55, Stephen W. Steward ; 1856, Jesse Brown ; 1857, Stephen W. Steward ; 1858-59, Charles Brightman ; 1860, Hercules Rice: 1861, I. S. Terry ; 1862-63, Hartson S. Ayer ; 1864-65-66-67, Joshua Hatton ; 1868-69-70, Hartson S. Ayer ; 1871-72, Jesse Brown ; 1873-74, Otis J. Green ; 1875, Jesse Brown ; 1876-77-78, O. D. Hinckley ; 1879-So-SI-82, Lawyer S. Terry ; 1883-84-85-86-87-88-89, John A. Slotboom ; 1890-91-92-93-94, James D. Gallup.
FRENCH CREEK. CHAPTER LXXXV.
F RENCH CREEK* was formed from Clymer, April 23, 1829. It takes its name from the stream watering the town, which was early used by the French in their military expeditions, and contains 21,832 acres, with an assessed valuation of real and personal property in 1893 of $309,975, and total taxes of $4, 162.36. Its surface is hilly, broken by the valleys of French creek and its tributaries. The main stream enters the town on the north line, on lot 24, about 2 miles from the northeast corner, and running in a southwesterly direction, leaves the town and state on lot 58, about 1 1/2 miles north of the southwest corner. This stream, in its zigzag course, is a great annoyance to the inhabitants, on account of the height to which the water rises in times of freshets. The town is cut by its valleys into three ridges ; two running nearly east and west, separated by the Beaver Meadow valley ; the other running north and south, and separated from the former by the valley of French creek. These ridges rise in some places 250 feet. Most of their sides is tillable, and well adapted to grazing ; but some places are steep. The soil varies from a heavy clay to a gravelly loam ; there are small deposits of muck along the creek. The hill tops are generally wet, being underlaid by stiff, hard clay, impregnated with oxide of iron.
The French creek flat varies in width from a pass but little wider than the bed of the stream to about three-fourths of a mile, and is about 3 miles long. The beaver meadow flat is so called from the appearance of its having been occupied by beavers. The meadow was covered by alders. There are many pine and balsam of fir trees along the edges, and on what were islands at the time it was occupied by the beavers. In the south part of the town is another beaver meadow, a small one, -- on lot 9, the dam of which is quite perfect. The water from this meadow flows into Hare creek, which takes a southerly course. There was a third beaver meadow on the west branch of
*Young's History gives the best description of this town we have seen, and we use his words in many places.
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the creek, on lot 47. This town is adapted to dairying. Its cool nights and heavy dews keep the grass in better condition than the drier climate of the lake shore, though many fruits can not be raised on account of frost. The representative agriculturist is H. R. Case, who, "in addition to lumbering, is largely interested in dairying, and owns a large creamery, a stock farm of 900 acres, a store and a sawmill." Near the southwest corner is a circular cranberry bog, which was given the name of "Possum." Indications of petroleum occur on lot 21. The population in 1835 was 553 ; in 1845, 647 ; in 1865, 901 ; in 1875, 1,045 ; in 1880, 1,039 ; in 1892, 1,033. French Creek furnished 51 soldiers for the union army in the war of 1861-5.
The first town-meeting was held in March, 1830, at the house of William Hooker. These officers were elected : supervisor, Alexander Wilson ; town clerk, Isaiah Golding ; assessors, John Gotham, Nathaniel Thompson, Silas W. Hatfield ; collector, William Thompson ; overseers of poor, Paul Colburn, Augustus Bolles ; com'rs of highways, Parley Bloss, John Gotham, Royal Herrick ; com'rs of schools, William Hooker,.S. O. Colburn, Eli Belknap ; inspectors of schools, D. H. Peck, A. Noble, Ephraim Dean ; constables, William Thompson, George Adams; justice, Ephriam Dean.
The first settlers came from Oswego, Essex and Oneida counties during the war of 1812. Andy Nobles is said by some to have been here in 1811. He located on lot 44. John Cleveland was on lot 31 in 1812, Roswell Coe on lot 39. Nathaniel Thompson on lot 9 in 1813; Amon Beebe and Gardner Cleveland probably settled the same year. Young says that the first school was tanght by Polly Forbes in 1817. Child says it was taught by a Chitsey in 1818. Child says " the first death was that of a son of Nathaniel Thomp- son, drowned in French creek." Young gives the first death as that of a child of J. Inglesby in 1818. " The first tavern was kept by William Graves, who built the first gristmill, both in 1822, and the first store was kept in one end of the gristmill by John Dodge." Parley Bloss located on lot 46 in 1815. He was the first highway commissioner, and did surveying with a pocket compass and used a rope as a surveyor's chain. He had 10 children ; his sons were Aden, Parley, William, Reuben, Calvin, Richard, Benjamin. He died in 1852 aged 75. His son William was a noted hunter ; one winter before January I he had shot 49 deer with his father's open-sight flint-lock rifle. Many wonderful authenticated tales are told of his adventures and exploits in cutting wood and other labors. In 1870, when 60 years old, in one day he walked a mile and cut down the trees for, and cut into 22-inch lengths, 312 cords of wood. This whole family were energetic workers and did much to clear up the lands of the town. Gardiner Case, a soldier of 1812, some years after that war, came to French Creek and was a permanent set- tler. Hon. Henry R. Case is his son. Silas Terry settled, probably in 1820, on lot 2 where he bought in 1821, coming from Harmony where he settled
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HISTORY OF CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY, N. Y.
in 1816 and later married Polly Powers. He resided in French Creek until 1855. He was one of the most important men of the new town, was justice for 16 years, and was collector of Clymer in 1321, which then included Sherman, French Creek and Mina. The tax collected that year in this town was about $800. He was also collector four years later. He was supervisor of French Creek in 1844-5-8, and in 1849 member of assem- bly. Of his nine children Seward W. was captain of Co. G. 49th N. Y. Vols. in the civil war, and was killed at Spottsylvania; Cassius M. became a Congregational clergyman ; Mary R. married Hon. Walter L. Sessions ; Lawyer S. who made his home in French Creek. Nehemiah Royce settled on lot 19 in 1825. He was supervisor seven years. In :894 he had been for 58 years subscriber to the Fredonia Censor, the oldest one on the list. Almond Stephen Park, son of Elijalı Park, was born December 22, 1814, in Granville, Washington county. In 1828 he came to this county. April 27, 1834, he married Rhoda Ann Baker and settled in French Creek in 1836. Their children are Elenor Eliza, Lyman Joseph, George Andrew, . Lewis Henry, Sarah Jane and Laura Ann. Mr. Park represented his town on the board of supervisors in the year 1863. This was an especially responsible office during the war period. Lewis H. Park was born March 2, 1843. He married Mary M. Myers, November 14, 1869. Mrs. Park is of German descent. Their son, Andrew Stephen Park, was born March 4, 1892. Lewis H. Park and his brother George A. are enterprising farmers in French Creek, and reside in the northeastern part of the town. The Durfee family also settled in the same section. A. M. Durfee, a farmer, is a repre- sentative of the family.
RELIGIOUS HISTORY .- French Creek was included in 1816 in the parochial charge of Rev. Karl Wilhelm, (Charles William) Colson, an early Lutheran missionary to the scattered Germans in Ohio, northwestern Pennsylvania and adjacent localities. The early log cabins on French creek no doubt reverb- erated to his eloquence before the visits of the clergy who organized churches. He was grandfather of Mrs. Nathan Brown of Jamestown. The first religious services to form a church were held in 1818 on lot 46, at the house of Alan- son Root by Elder Ashford, who, in :821, organized a Baptist church in a log schoolhouse on lot 56. Among the first members were Nathaniel and William Thompson, William Adams, A. M. Higgins, the wives of all of these, Roswell Coe, Amon Beebe. This church had a brief existence, most of the members removing from the town. Several subsequent abortive attempts to keep up a Baptist church were made. A Methodist Episcopal Church was organized in, the northwest part in 1830 by Rev. J. K. Hallock and Rev. J. Chandler. The members were Isaiah and Betsey Golding, and William and Amy Adams. Moses Olds and wife and a Mrs. Bowles were early members. The society built a fine country church costing $2,000 on lot 46 in :558, which
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was completed, painted and carpeted in 1867. This society received 50 acres of " gospel land " from the Holland Land Compny. It was on lot 30, and was sold by order of the county court, and the money used in building the church. A Christian Church, in which the ceremony of washing feet was literally carried out, was formed in 1834, with a membership of 24, among them Benjamin and Calvin Bloss.
SUPERVISORS .- 1830-31-32, Alexander Willson, Jr. ; 1833, Nathaniel Thompson ; 1834-35- 36-37, Ira F. Gleason ; 1838, Daniel Hooker ; 1839-40-41-42, Philo S. Hawley ; 1843, David L. Gleason ; 1844-45 ; Silas Terry ; 1846-47, Nehemiah Royce ; 1848, Silas Terry ; 1849, Nehemiah Royce ; 1850, Thomas D. Jones; 1851, Nehemiah Royce ; 1852, Philo S. Hawley ; 1853-54-55 Nehemiah Royce ; 1856, John Sliter ; 1857, Marvin Hooker ; 1858, Stephen W. Steward ; 1859-60, Hibbard W. Fenton ; 1861-62, Reuben J. Beach ; 1863, Almond S. Park : 1864-65, Lawyer S. Terry ; 1866-67, Dana P. Horton. ; 1868-69, James A. Merry ; 1870, Dexter M. Hapgood ; 1871-72, Henry R. Case ; 1873, John Jones ; 1874, H. R. Parsons ; 1875, John Jones ; 1876-77, Reuben J. Beach ; 1878, Orson Allis ; 1879, Nehemiah Royce ; 1880-81-82, Henry R. Case ; 1883, Orson Allis ; 1884-85, Edward Jaquins ; 1886-87-88, Henry R. Case ; 1889, James Rhoades ; IS90-91, George I. Hapgood ; 1892-93, Henry R. Jones ; 1894, Henry R. Case.
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