USA > New York > Chautauqua County > History of Chautauqua County, New York > Part 22
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HISTORY OF CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY, N. Y.
Ellery by Bemus and Griffith, Alanson Weed of Cayuga county, Abijali Ben- nett and others explored the country around the lake, and in June, 1805, took articles for their land. In the spring of 1806, after the settlement by Bemus and Griffith, Weed came with his family and settled in Ellery on the lake about two miles south of Dewittville .. Bennett came with him, worked dur- ing the summer, and brought his family the next winter.
Harmony, the largest town in the county, remained a dense unbroken wilderness, scarcely visited by white men until 1806. Thomas Bemus, son of William Bemus, and grandson of William Prendergast, Sr., settled upon lot 54 at the " Narrows," in Harmony upon lands bought in January, 1806, by his father. Soon after the purchase he built his cabin and commenced clearing the land. Jonathan Cheney, the next settler of Harmony, was born in Connecticut, March 10, 1769. When 17 years old he went down the Ohio river. He was in the United States service under Wayne during his cam- paign against the Indians of the Northwestern Territory. He afterwards lived in Pittstown, New York, and married Amy Cole. In May, 1806, he bought lot 13, township 3, range 13 in the town of Chantanqua, a mile or more north- erly of Dewittville, not far from the county ahns house. The next year he brought his family and settled on lot 52, township 2, range 12 in Harmony, near the lake about two miles below the " Narrows." No other persons set- tled immediately in Harmony. Dr. Kennedy, who visited Chautauqua lake in 1806, wrote Joseph Ellicott that "settlement there was progressing fast, and that upwards of twenty families had settled around it."
In the northern part of the county, during 1806, settlement progressed rapidly. Captain John Mack came this year to Cattaraugus village and pur- chased the Sydnor claim including the primitive tavern and ferry. He was born in Londonderry, N. H., April 2, 1762, and had resided at Avon, Liv- ingston county, and also lived near the Eighteen-mile creek in Hamburgh, Erie county. At the time he came to the Cattaraugus bottoms, but little progress had been made at the settlement. Only three white men were there ; Amos Sottle, Charles Avery and Ezekiel Lane. Cornelius Winne was the first white settler of Buffalo. Ezekiel Lane and his father-in-law, Martin Middangh next followed. They settled in Buffalo about 1794. Lane now became a settler of Chautauqua.
Mr. Mack possessed some means and introduced a new era at the creek. The tavern was a small log cabin with a " lean-to" attached which served for lodging-rooms and stowaways. A plank addition was used as a parlor and dining-room. Captain Mack provided other conveniences, so that emigrants for the first time had a comfortable place to stay in. The ferrying was then unsafe. A small scow was used which was suffi- cient to carry only a wagon. Horses and oxen had to be taken over separ- ately or caused to swim the stream guided by a line by the side of a canoe.
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Captain Mack built a broad bottomed flatboat large enough to transport teams of all kinds. It was drawn across the stream by a rope held in place by posts at each end of the scow at its up-stream edge, and fastened to a stake on the north side of the stream. On the opposite side it was kept taut by a wind- lass. The license to run the ferry was renewed annually. Captain Mack's tavern was of wood, two stories high, and stood on the Chautauqua side of the Cattaraugus. The ferry was about ten rods across, and quite a clearing was made near the tavern and ferry on both sides of the stream. There were other cleared lots near. The ferry was below the tavern and nearly opposite the stables on the same side. When Captain Mack lived at Cattaraugus, nearly across from his residence was that of Captain Strong. Benjamin Ken- yon lived on the Chautauqua side about half-a-mile above the tavern. Cap- tain Mack was an honorable man, and his tavern was long and deservedly popular.
About 1815, a rival ferry was attempted by Sylvanus Maybee, who lived on the same side of the creek with Mack and whose ferry ran to an island in the stream, a bridge leading thence to the Erie county side. Maybee had been one of the earliest settlers of Buffalo. He came there from Canada about 1796 or 1797 as an Indian trader. He was an important personage in Buffalo during its early years, but was intemperate and eccentric. He was appointed major of the regiment of militia organized in the western part of Genesee county. In 1807 a dispute arose between him and Asa Ransom, the lieutenant colonel commanding the regiment, as to who should be recom- mended as the captain of the Buffalo company. An amusing scene occurred in which Maybee challenged his superior officer to fight a duel. For this infraction of military discipline he was placed under arrest and tried by a court-martial. Erastus Granger in a letter to Joseph Ellicott gives this des- cription of this son of Mars : " Major Maybee ever alert at his post was soon prepared for duty. His hat was of the royal patent kind. His epaulette was by chance on the right shoulder. His coat and boots were truly martial. His sword, his belt sword knot, and the tinsels which hung at his belt drew a crowd of boys after him, and made the Indians and squaws look wild with wonder. The major thus equipped cap-a-pie, began by degrees to assume his station. As it is the duty of a soldier to be always prepared for action, so the major according to his custom was early charged, highly charged, and over charged with a composition of inflammable material known as rinn." This unfortunate condition led to his downfall. The result of the court-martial was that he was cashiered. . His presence was no longer observed in the high places of Buffalo where he had been so conspicuous a citizen. He sought to bury his grief at his military misfortunes in the wilds of the Cattaraugus bottoms.
Captain Mack died at Cattaraugus. His son William J. Mack is living
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HISTORY OF CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY, N. Y.
in Buffalo. His ferry across the Cattarangus was the principal portal for immigration into Chautauqua in early years, and he was the gatekeeper. For many years the great majority of the settlers of the county who came from the East were ferried across the little river that formed its boundary by Capt. Mack and were most hospitably entertained at his tavern. When he commenced keeping the ferry immigration had fairly begun. It rapidly increased for many years. A scene then typical of the Holland Purchase was the arrival of the pioneers at the ferry and the crossing of the Cattaran- gus. Emerging from the forest, and leading the way, would come a hardy and sunburnt pioneer in the prime of life guiding the oxteam that bore along all his personal effects. His boys followed after, driving perhaps a cow, a few sheep or pigs. His wife and daughters, tired by their long tramp through the woods and over rough roads, trudged behind. Sometimes a hale, white- haired patriarch, staff in hand, with head erect and firm steps, would walk at the head of the teams or among his grown up and married sons and daugh- ters, undaunted by the privation and hardships that he knew was before him. His powers still vigorous, he would go along with his children to aid them in starting in their new home in the back woods, or, perhaps, that his bones might at last be laid near his kindred's. More favored settlers came in cov- ered wagons drawn by horses.
To the pioneer when he paused to look upon the endless waste of woods beyond the ferry this little river must have seemed a Rubicon, and misgiv- ings must have oppressed him at the thought of venturing the future of his family in this western forest. Not so with the pioneer's glorious wife. She does not falter, with undoubting faith she is willing to forego the comforts of the old home to bear the hardships and privations of the new life. Where he goes she is willing to go. Once across this boundary stream, the Rubicon is passed and the journey ended. The remainder of the way was but as a pleasure excursion in which their eyes were to enjoy the luxurious vegetation and lofty trees of which they had heard so much and to see the great wal- mut at Silver Creek. the inflammable springs at Fredonia and all the wonders of this promised land.
Previous to the year 186 the inhabitants of Chautauqua county were obliged to obtain their mail matter at Buffalo Creek or Erie, Pa. A post office was established at Presque Isle (Erie) about 1798 which was at that time the end of the mail route from Pittsburgh. In 1805 the mail route from Canandaigua to Niagara was extended, so that once in two weeks the mail was carried to Buffalo. No mail route reached Buffalo Creek before that date, although a private postoffice existed there. In 1805, a post route was estab- lished between Buffalo Creek and Presque Isle, a distance of ninety miles. John Metcalf of Canandaigua was the contractor. The mail was to be car- ried once in two weeks, to commence in the fore part of 1806. That year
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the mail, it was said, was at first carried in a handkerchief placed in the mail carrier's hat, and afterwards in a bag carried by hand. The first postoffice in Chautauqua county was established May 6th, 1806, and was named Chau- tanque. It was kept at the Cross Roads, and James McMahan was the post- master. John Edwards was the first mail carrier. The second postoffice was established on this mail route, June 18, 1806, at the Canadaway settlement. Orsamus Holmes was postmaster and the office was kept at his house in Sher- idan. The route between Presque Isle and Buffalo contimed to be the only one in the county for about ten years, and these two postoffices the only ones in the county for about three years.
At the second town meeting, held in the spring of this year, John McMa- han was re-elected supervisor of Chautauqua, and met with the board of supervisors of Genesee county at Batavia.
CHAPTER XXI.
I 807-1808.
N 1807 Arkwright was first settled. Abiram Orton came that year from Oneida county and settled in the extreme northwest part of the town, probably on lot 64 not far from Fredonia. He was for several years an associate judge of the county. Benjamin. Perry that year settled upon the same lot. Augustus Burnham the same year settled near Shumla on lot 60. The early settlement was made in the northwesterly part in that portion that bor- dered the more level country north of the ridge. The other parts of the town which included the highlands were settled much later.
In the south part of the county settlements and improvements began now to be made of as much importance as those in the towns bordering on Lake Erie. Kiantone was settled in 1807. Joseph Aikin of Rensselaer county was the pioneer settler. He came with his family in that year before the township was surveyed into lots, and settled on Stillwater creek, near the west line of Kiantone.
The principal impetus to settlement in that part of the county at this period of its history was given by Dr. Kennedy and Mr. Work in Ellicott and Poland. August 1, 1807, they purchased about 1,260 acres of land situ- ated on both sides of the outlet below Dexterville, then known as " Slippery Rock," including the mill sites since occupied at Worksburg and Tiffany's mills, and a tract of valuable timber land east of Cassadaga creek and Levant
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HISTORY OF CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY, N. Y.
along the Kennedy road. In the fall of 1807 Work erected his hewed log- house on the north side of the outlet, a little northeast of the mill, where he lived until he built the frame house in which he died. In 1808 he built his sawmills and put them in operation. The only inhabitants then on the ont- let were William Wilson, James Culbertson and George W. Fenton. About this time Kennedy and Work opened a road from Kennedy's mills to Work's mill, and built the first bridge across the Cassadaga. The following year they built a gristmill with one run of stone on the south side of the sawmill. The millstones were cut out of a large rock that lay upon the top of the ground. The building of these mills and the bridge, and the opening of this road invited settlement and greatly accommodated the carly settlers.
At that time and for several years after, the site of the city of Jamestown remained uninhabited. It was a rough, forbidding place covered with a pine forest ; between it and the lake lay a dismal morass, in the midst of which the ontlet wound its devions way. There were no roads in this part of the county except the rude woods-path called the " Miles Road," and the recently made road between Work's and Kennedy's Mills. The travel in this part of the county was confined to Indian trails and the water courses. Keel boats and canoes navigated tle Conewango, the Cassadaga and Chautauqua lake and its outlet.
In 1807 within the distance of 150 miles from Chautauqua county there was scarcely a place in New York or Ohio worthy of being called a town or village, nor was there a settlement within that limit that could produce the simplest articles of manufacture more than was sufficient for consumption by its own inhabitants and those in its immediate vicinity. Rochester had no inhabitants, Buffalo about 100 inhabitants, Cleveland less. Pittsburgh was the nearest point at which the settlers of Chautauqua county could obtain necessary manufactured articles. In 1807 this was the most populous inland town in the United States. It contained about 3,000 inhabitants. Even then the number and variety of its manufacturing industries entitled it to be called the Birmingham of America. It was the chief town of the west. The settles of Chautauqua county depended during many years upon Pittsburgh for their supplies. Whisky, glass, nails, iron and castings, cider, apples and bacon and other articles were brought up the river to Chautauqua from that place in keel boats.
Previous to 1796 Pittsburgh had obtained that necessary article salt from Baltimore. Subsequently large quanties were brought from Onondaga, N. Y., over the lake to the mouth of Chautauqua creek, and thence over the Portage to Chautauqua lake to Mayville, and the remainder of the way by water to Pittsburgh. Large quantities of salt were also sent to Erie and by way of the Portage there to French creek, and thence by water to Pittsburgh. Many thousand barrels of salt passed over these routes annually between
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1805 and 1810. Keel boats were built in 1808 at Work's mills for the trans- portation of salt. Samuel Wilkinson who was born in Carlisle, Pa., 1781, became a resident of Chautauqua county at the Portage in 1807 where he engaged heavily in the salt trade, transporting it over the Portage to Chat- tanqua lake, and thence down the Allegany and even the Ohio. About 1810 salt made in Virginia at Kanawha came in competition, and was sold at Pittsburgh at a much less price than Onondaga salt ; thereafter but little salt was carried over the Portage in Chautauqua. The war of 1812 cut off its transportation entirely. At the opening of the Kanawha salt works, Wilkin- son had on hand salt that cost $16 a barrel. He removed from Chautauqua county to Buffalo in 1812. For many years he was one of its most promi- nent and enterprising citizens, and filled the offices of member of assembly, judge, state senator and mayor.
At a town meeting held in the spring of 1807 John McMahan was a third time chosen supervisor, and represented the town at the annual meeting of the board at Batavia. The first general election in the county was held in April of that year. At the town meeting previous, the town officers were chosen without reference to their political opinions. Now we have for the first time an opportunity to know something of the views of the settlers upon politics. It will be interesting to trace the progress and changes in the politi- cal sentiments of the people of the county as the history proceeds. In 1801 Thomas Jefferson was inaugurated president of the United States. At that time the people were divided into two great national parties about equal in numbers-Federal and Republican. Party spirit ran very high. In the election of 1800 the Federalists had supported John Adams and Charles C. Pickney ; the Republicans Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr. The last two received a majority of the electoral votes. As Jefferson and Burr had received an equal number, it devolved on the House of Representatives, under the constitution as it then existed, to select either Jefferson or Burr as presi- dent. Deep anxiety was felt throughout the nation as to the result. After 35 trials Jefferson was chosen president and Burr vice-president. Many of the Federalists supported Burr which caused him to lose the support of his former friends. Alexander Hamilton, however, the leader of the Federalists moved by high motives used his influence in favor of Jefferson. The leaders of these two great parties were equally devoted to their country and equally attached to liberty. They differed however as to the manner by which the interests of their country could be best promoted and the liberty of the peo- ple preserved.
Such a purely representative form of government as was contemplated by the constitution was regarded by the Federalists before it was adopted as an experiment. They questioned the capacity of the people permanently to maintain such a democratic form of government, and contended that a stronger
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HISTORY OF CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY, N. Y.
goverment was necessary not only to secure the respect of other nations but to suppress insubordination, and preserve authority over the people. They consequently favored long terms of office, and some of the leaders approved of a senate to be appointed for life, and officials who received their authority from other sources than the people. It is not surprising that such patriotic citizens as Hamilton, Jay, and John Adams at that period in the world's history should despair of accomplishing in America what had never before been effected. It was rather a wonder that men were found bold enough to venture upon the new experiment. The Republicans, and their leader Thomas Jefferson, maintained that long terms of office, and officials independent of the people and great powers lodged in the general govern- ment were dangerous to liberty, that civil liberty is best preserved in small states by local goverment as near to the people as possible ; that the world is governed too much ; that the natural rights of the citizen should seldom be interfered with, and maintained that the goverment is best which . governs least. The Republicans as a logical consequence defended the rights of state as against the Federal government and popular rights as against both. In the light of the present it would seem fortunate for the county and the world that there were at that time such bold and independent thinkers as Jefferson, Franklin, and Samuel Adams, holding such a sturdy faith in the people, their virtne, and capacity for self government. The power of the Federal party, although in its ranks was a full share of the most eminent, pure and patriotic men of the nation, soon greatly declined. Its loss of influence was largely due to its distrust of the intelligence of the people.
At the first election held upon the Holland Purchase it appeared that the great majority of the voters were Republicans. This election was held at Peter Vandeventer's log tavern in 1803, the next month after the first town meeting was held there. At this election Caleb Hyde the Republican can- didate for state senator received 146 votes, his opponent Vincent Matthews but 5. In 1804 Col. Aaron Burr, although he had lost the confidence of the Republican party of which he was a member, became a candidate for the office of governor of New York, and was supported by those Republicans who were his personal admirers. The Federalists had become so weakened, that they generally gave him their votes. Hamilton strongly opposed him. Morgan Lewis, the regular candidate of the Republicans, was elected. The senate and assembly were also Republican, and consequently the electoral vote of the state was cast for Jefferson, and he was chosen president for a second term. George Clinton the Republican candidate for vice-president was also chosen. This election destroyed the political prospects of Colonel Burr. He regarded Hamilton as his mortal foe and the principal cause of his political ruin. A duel ensued and Hamilton fell mortally wounded. This election for the town of Batavia was held at Vandeventer's inn as
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before ; Morgan Lewis received III votes and Aaron Burr II. The vote for lieutenant governor, senator and members of assembly indicate that the elec- tion for all the offices was given upon party grounds as strictly as at the present time.
The death of Hamilton left the Federalists without a leader and the Republican party in this state practically, without opposition. The Repub- licans had been divided into three factions-that of the Clintons, that of the Livingstone families, and the admirers of Colonel Burr. At the election for governor in 1807 Colonel Burr having been overthrown, the Livingstones sup- ported Morgan Lewis and the Clintons Daniel B. Tompkins for governor. The votes of the Federalists and the Burrites were divided between the two Repub- lican candidates. Tompkins was elected by a small majority. It was at this time that the inhabitants of Chautauqua county cast their first vote at a general election. In 1800 there was no voting-place west of the Genesee river, nor any inhabitants in Chautauqua county. At the election in 1804, which resulted in Jefferson's second election, there was no voting-place nearer to Chautauqua than Vandeventer's, 50 miles or more away from the nearest point of the county. Probably no inhabitant of the county voted at this election, and we have found no certain means of determining the political views of the few scattered settlers.
In the result of the election held in April, 1807, we have the first expres- sion of the political sentiments of the people of the county. Elections other than those held for the election of town officers, until the constitution of 1821 was adopted, were held in April of each year, and the voting continued through three days. The election in Chautauqua in 1807 was held the first day at the house of William Bemms at Bemus Point. The election officers then proceeded through the woods to the tavern of widow Perry at the Cross Roads and there held the election on the second day. During the forenoon of the third day the election was held at the house of Hezekiah Barker at Canadaway and in the afternoon of the third day at the house of Orsamus Holmes in Sheridan. The election is said to have cost the town $68. 69 votes were polled of which Daniel D. Tompkins received 41 and Morgan Lewis 28. This election did not determine the relative strength of Repub- licans and Federalists in Chautauqua ; only the choice of the voters between the two Republican candidates for governor. There is little doubt however that Chautauqua at that time was strongly Republican like other parts of the Holland Purchase. At this election Daniel D. Tompkins was elected gov- ernor.
For several years prior to 1868 the plan of erecting new counties from Genesee was discussed by the inhabitants of the Holland Purchase. It was believed that the boundaries of the counties into which it was evident the Holland Purchase would ultimately be divided could be more judiciously
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HISTORY OF CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY, N. Y.
established when the population was sparse, than later when the inhabitants had increased so as to create conflicting interest with respect to county seats and county lines. Accordingly in 1806 a petition was presented to the legislature for the division of Genesee into four counties to be named Alle- gany, Cattaraugus, Niagara and Genesee, and asking that the organization of Allegany and Cattaraugus be deferred until they should contain a suitable number of inhabitants. It is said that about 750 residents of the Holland Purchase signed this petition. The result of the movement was that Alle- gany county was set off.
March 2, 1808, a petition signed by five persons was presented to the legislature asking for the division of that part of Genesee lying west of Alle- gany into two counties to be called Chantauque and Cattarangus, and that the governor appoint commissioners to fix the sites for the public buildings of those counties, and that their organization be suspended until they should contain an adequate population, and that those two counties and Niagara should be organized under the name Niagara. This petition, made by non- residents, contains it is believed the first suggestion of the name Chautanque for the county. Another petition was presented to the legislature in 1808 signed by 56 persons, among whom were Andrew A., Benjamin and Joseph Ellicott and other prominent residents of western New York, and by Thomas Pren- dergast, Asa Spear and John Mack of the present county of Chautauqua, asking among other things that Genesee be divided into four counties, Chau- tauque with its present boundaries, Cattaraugus, Niagara, (including the present counties of Niagara and Erie and all the remaining part of Genesee,) to continue a fourth county retaining the name Genesee ; that Chautauque, Cattaraugus and Niagara be organized as one county by the name Niagara ; that the county seat of Niagara be established at New Amsterdam (Buffalo), and that of Chautauque at Mayville.
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