History of Chautauqua County, New York, Part 99

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 99

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Harmony was first settled by Thomas Bemus, son of William Bemus, who took up land in January, 1806. Thomas, then a bachelor, built his log cabin on this land, lot 54, township 2, range 12, opposite Bemus Point, and occupied it several years. The first family to locate was that of Jonathan Cheney whose wife was Amy Cole of Pittstown. He bought land on the east side of the lake in May, 1806, brought his family here the next year, but located on the west side of the lake where some of his descendants still reside. His children were Nathan, Betsey, Clarissa, Calvin, Amy, Daniel,

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Alfred, Unisa (Mrs. James Green), and Polly. Myron Bly settled on lot 47, township 2, range 12 northerly from Ashville in 1809, on land entered by his father Asa Bly. In 1808 and 1809 Reuben and Thomas Slayton bought land at Ashville, settled there and before 1810 had sawmills in operation. In ISIo and 1811 the Matteson family came ; first Thomas, then William and his brother Estys ; their father, William Matteson, came in 1811. He was a Revolutionary pensioner, and died in 1858 in his 99th year. The Carpenter family were early owners and settlers. In 1808 Josiah Carpenter from Rensselaer county bought lots 55, 56, 64, in township 1, range 12, southwest of Ashville, about 1,000 acres. In 1809 his son, James, with his young wife settled on lot 56. In 1809 Goose creek rose to the dimensions of a swollen river, the cabin of James Carpenter was surrounded but by making a raft of cordwood he kept himself, wife, child, and pigs above the flood. They lived on uncooked corn until the swollen stream subsided, when he secured aid from his neighbor Jonathan Cheney. He made a pen for his sow and pigs; the latter disappeared one after the other until the bears had taken all.

In ISII Josiah Carpenter with his sons Daniel B., Isaac, Josiah, Jr., and Timothy came. Mr. Carpenter locating on lot 64, where he raised his log cabin ; his sons selected their future homes also on their father's land. One of his daughters married Oliver Pier, son of Levi Pier of Busti, who lived most of his mature life in Harmony. It is said that Mr. Pier paid for his land in Harmony with the bounty he received on wolf scalps. He was a great hunter, the " leather stocking " of Chautauqua county, and said " he had killed 1,322 deer with one gun, which had required three new stocks and hammers." Mr. Pier became totally blind in his old age and moved to Corry, Pa. Isaiah Rexford from Pennsylvania came in 1816, located near Blockville ; in 1824 settled two miles north of Panama. His sons attaining maturity were Everett, Myron and Lyman. Calvin Manley settled on lot 41, township 2, north of Panama. He purchased his land in 1821, and resided there nearly 50 years. John Steward, Sr., in 1821 located on lot 24. His son John was an early merchant at Panama and was in trade for a long period. His grandson Henry served in many battles in the Rebel- lion. Sardins Steward, son of John, Sr., at one time conducted the most extensive farming business in the county, owned several farms and acquired a large estate by his perseverance and work.

Obadiah Morley settled in the northeast part on lot 24, in ISIo; Jolin Morton about 1818 on lot 15, township 2, range 13; Edmund Wells on lot 7. purchased in 1826 ; Charles Saxton on lot 4, purchased in 1826; he later resided on lot 13 ; Edwin Gleason, a Massachusetts man, on lot 14 about the same time ; Clinton Marcy about 1822 on lot 22 ; his son on lot 15 near him. Peleg Gifford many years later located on lot 23. . In the north part, on lot 32, where Homer Pringle settled in 1828, his sons erected a cheese

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factory. Orson Whitford came about 1817. Samuel P. Durham settled on lot 56, bought in 1822. James and Peter Bloss came in 1830. Eleazer Dan- iels bought on lot 39 near Panama, in 1821. Samuel L. Paddock settled on lot 55, where William G. Cook subsequently took up his residence. The Wiltsie family in 1821 settled on lots 48 and 49. Reuben Randolph about 50 years ago settled near the center. Rufus, Elijah and Joseph Button located on lots 30 and 31. A descendant, Joseph H. Button, enlisted as a private in Co. F. 112th Reg't. N. Y. Vols., was promoted corporal March I, 1864, and killed at Fort Fisher, January 15, 1865. John Knapp settled in IS21 on lot 49, township 2, and his son Noah on lot 41, adjoining; two other sons, Darius and Levi, also made their home in town.

In the east part near Blockville many settlers came from 1816 to 1820. Among them were Zaccheus and Samuel Hurlbut, brothers, and Nathaniel, son of Zaccheus ; they bought land in 1816 and 1817, and located here. Timothy Jenner from Vermont, settled on lot 63, township 1, range 12. He purchased portions of this lot in 1817 and 1819. His son, Timothy G., settled near Blockville. Daniel Loomis, a Methodist local preacher, made his home 11% miles west of Ashiville. His sons were Eli, Francis, Levi, David and George. Simeon Powers, the first pastor of the first (Baptist) religious organization in the town, a native of Vermont, located in 1816 near Block- ville, but in 1823 made his home on lot 33, township 2, one mile north of Panama, where he resided until his death in 1842. He has many descend- ants in the town. William Scofield, Jolin Deming, Wanton Morey, Levi Rexford, Joseph Tichnor and John H. Matteson were other early settlers in this section. In the southeast part, Charles and Isaac Hoag settled on lot 53, township 1, range 12. The Hoag family is a prominent one in New Hampshire, and are Quakers. Elijah B. Burt, whose sons were Ethan and Barrett E., removed from Busti where he first settled, to lot 51, township 1, range 12. About 1830, Emanuel Smith, father of Cyrus, settled here on lot 49. Joli Badgley, of Busti, bought part of lots 57 and 58, and his sons Asa and Nathan occupied the old place. George Hawkins came in 1825, bought on lot 50, and made his home there. He had sons, George, James, Francis, Orrin and Albert. Nathan Hawkins and Marvin Pardee settled near him on lot 51, Joshua Rich on lot 57, Cyrus Ransom on lot 37, in 1825, and was a life-long resident. His sons were Cyrus, Samuel, Willard, Asa, Elisha and Thomas. George W. Westcott bought and located in 1826 on lot 27, later removed to lot 28, where his sons Jerry and Abraham have lived. Benjamin T. Hol- brook bought on lot 27 in 1827, and lived his life there. His sons John and Henry were later residents on the homestead ; Benjamin T., Jr., lived on lot 29. Ezra Abbott located in 1829 on lot 43. Francis W. Mather settled on the Little Brokenstraw. Amos W. Muzzy, about 1830, made his home on lot 34. William Kelso, a native of Westford, Otsego county, born in 1805, came

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to Harmony in 1834, and carried on blacksmithing and wagon making for over 50 years, and was one of the industrious factors in the furthering of the prosperity of the community. He served as assessor and school inspector. William S. Kelso has conducted merchandising for many years. Palmer Cross, a native of Vermont, came from the northern part of New York state in 1827, settled north of Panama on lot 41, township 2, range 13, and was a resident here until his death. He was the second pastor of the Baptist church. John Lewis, a local Methodist preacher for over 60 years, came from Vermont, settled in 1817 about two miles east of Panama on lot 24, township I, range 13. "There was nothing but a foot-path from his place west to the state line." His son Abner was a lawyer ; practiced at Panama and at Jamestown ; a deputy sheriff, first judge of the county, a member of assembly two years, and a member of congress for two terms. Levi, another son, resided in Pan- ama. "Judge Lewis did more for the cause of temperance than any man that ever lived in the county." John H. Pray, of Vermont, came to Panama in 1831, was in trade until 1855, and studied law with Hon. Abner Lewis. He commenced law practice in 1836, continued until about 1870, and is said to have been Panama's first lawyer.

ASHVILLE took its name from the circumstance that at one time there were four asheries in operation in the place. Alvin Williams, who estab- lished a store here in the fall of 1822, built the first ashiery ; Adolphus Fletcher, who had also engaged in trade here, built an ashery soon after, and later Ephraim Berry built an ashery, and another person was also in the same trade. In 1821 and 1822 Titus Kellogg, Alvin Williams and Adol- phus Fletcher had established stores here, and in 1824 James McClellan erected a dwelling which was afterwards used as a tavern. In 1826 a tan- nery was built by Daniel and Joseph, brothers of Alvin Williams. Dr. Elder- kin was the first physician to locate here. His successors were Hiram Alden, Stephen Eaton, Simeon Buzzell, Dr. Dorr, John S. King, Dr. Parker. In 1870 there were 350 inhabitants, who sustained Baptist, Congregational and Methodist churches, and one school. They were an industrious com- munity as their three stores, gristmill, sawmill, two shoe shops, two wagon shops, two blacksmith's shops, a harness shop, a cabinet shop and a hotel were all in " working order." Ashville is a station of the Erie railway.

Daniel Williams was a native of New England, born in 1806, and came to Ashville in 1824. He was of great use to this little community, as he car- ried on several pursuits. He was a tanner, shoemaker, merchant and far- mer, and was much in town affairs, also active in the advance of any move- ment which tended to the growth and improvement of his town and county. He took an active part in originating and constructing the Atlantic and Great Western and the Cross Cut railroads. His children were Oscar F., Addis E., Adelaide E., Earl P. and Alton L.

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Joseph Hoyt commenced merchandising in Ashville in 1836, removed to Panama about 1844 and continued in business. In connection with farming he attended to much public business.

Morris Norton, a native of Otsego county, settled at Ashville in July, 1833. He held the office of justice of the peace, and did much at conveyan- cing, etc. He was supervisor of Harmony, and county superintendent of the poor. He married Olivia Kent, of Rome, N. Y., and had 6 daughters : Helen O., married Dr. Win. P. Bemus, of Jamestown ; Jennie, wife of Enoch A. Curtis, of Fredonia ; Therese M., married Wmn. W. Partridge ; Gertrude N., married Charles T. Douglass, Busti ; Ida E. ; and Alice I., wife of Thomas H. Agnew, of Cambridge, Pa.

PANAMA was incorporated as a village in 1861, and was formerly the chief business place of the town. It now has about 400 population, is the center of butter and cheese factories, has two hotels, churches, a newspaper, Panama Herald, established 1879, edited by Dr. J. C. Lewis, a steam mill, and a few business houses. The millsite at the Upper Village has been used ever since Jesse Smith and Horatio Dix built saw and gristmills there in 1824. From this ancient millsite the lovely village stretches down the beautiful valley for half a mile, its principal street being a graceful avenue overshadowed by magnificent trees.

Dr. A. B. Rice in his history of Panama gives the early settlers thus : "The first settlements were made on The Flat, but The Hill a few years later took the lead. It is not known who built the first log hut, but in Feb- ruary, 1821, there were but two loghouses occupied in the place ; one on the site of the " Cottage Hotel," occupied by Elihu Wing, the other a few rods north of the house on the William Daniels farm, where his father, Elea- zer Daniels was living. Probably in the summer of 1822, Samuel Tanner built the next loghouse. I find no record of any purchase of land in the village by Wing, and think that he was a squatter and not a bona fide set- tler. If this be true Samuel Tanner was the first real settler. In July, 1818, Robert Lytle became a settler. Calvin Manley, Amos Tanner and Elisha Cook located in 1822 near, not in, the village, and Eleazer Wiltsie in the same year settled where he ever after resided in the village. Nathan Eggles- ton came in 1825. An ashery was early built in the Gulf by E. S. Cone and Dr. Hood, which is said to have been six or seven stories high. Elisha Cook sold $60 worth of ashes, the result of one winter's work."

The first schoolhouse in Panama was of logs, built in 1823 and located near the center of the East Cemetery. This was destroyed by fire in January, 1825 ; the loss of the books was a great misfortune as they could not be easily replaced, for in those early times ready money was scarce. Jesse Smith was the teacher, and school was to continue, a log hut was soon secured, and at the close of the term the scholars showed their appreciation

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of their educational opportunities by an exhibition, and a " real literary treat " was enjoyed by their friends. A second schoolhouse was built on the Rocks near the hotel site. John Steward who settled in 1821, 2 miles east of Pan- ama, was a teacher there in 1828 and 1829. The third was the "old red schoolhouse " on the hill.

About 1827 a few people commenced to build frame houses ; Benjamin Smith erected one near the site of Frank Hill's shop. The first hotel in the village was opened in 1827, and not long after one Smith built a hotel. The first hotel on the flat was kept in a building moved from the hill. Jesse Smith built a tavern where the brick hotel stands ; this corner has been used as a hotel site since.

A hamlet of log houses preceded the building of the mills at the Upper Village. In 1824 also, Moses Cushman Marsh (father of Mrs. J. H. Clark) from Massachusetts, who had been a wealthy Cuban trader, and by the dis- honesty of southern customers had been brought to failure, came to this new country to repair his fortunes by a development of the wilderness. He located at the Lower Village, built the first frame house in the vicinity, opened the first store of the place, to which he gave the name of Panama, and, according to the records of the U. S. P. O. Department at Washington, procured by Hon. W. B. Hooker, was made postmaster of the office of Panama on its establishment, March 22, 1826, and was very prominent in affairs until his death in 1833. "His wife was a woman of great strength of character, and it is said possessed the gift of oratory to a remarkable degree." The first birth of Panama was that of Eaton, son of Benjamin Smith ; the second that of Mary L., daughter of Mr. Marsh. Both occurred in 1827. Jesse Smith taught the first winter school in 1825-6, and Sarah Marsh the first summer school in 1826. .

PANAMA ROCKS. *- The Devonian rocks of Pennsylvania and Western New York are topped by five distinct conglomerate formations. The oldest of the five is in the Upper Chemung group, and its southermost exposure is in a charming little valley, through which meanders Brokenstraw creek. From its location near Panama village, it is called the Panama conglomi- crate, and its typical ridge, " Panama Rocks," has for many years attracted attention. The owner is Mr. G. W. Hubbard, who has expended a considerable sum in opening the grounds, without in any respect impairing their natural wildness, so that all parts are readily accessible. More than 10,000 visitors have viewed the " Rocks " in one year. The ridge is underlaid by a bed of arenaceous shale, that has been much eroded by the water soaking through the conglom. erate. As the shale gave way, the superincumbent conglomerate broke by natural jointage into square masses, which were left to slip apart, leaving spaces between the huge blocks. The local term "Rock City " is very appropriate. The impression of every visitor is that these rocks have been thrown to the surface by some subterranean force ; yet Ausable chasm, the canons of Col- orado and the caverns of Kentucky, testify that rocks of equal magnitude may be tossed about in an extraordinary manner by simple erosion and undermining. The Brokenstraw valley, a mile wide, has doubtless known a mightier flood than the little mill stream that now winds through its channel. This is proved by the conglomerate itself, which is a peculiar mass or tiny white quartz pebbles, each pebble a true oval, and all of them, as they repose in the strata,

*From an article written by Dr. A. B. Rice and H. C. Hovey for the Scientific American.

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HISTORY OF CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY, N. Y.

being pointed in the same direction. These were, of course, parts of larger fragments detached from primitive ledges, and subjected to long-continued attrition and polishing by water, until heavy beds of uniformly fine gravel were formed overlying beds of sandy mud. They were cemented by a calcareous deposit, and finally broken into blocks by the washing out of the shale underneath. These blocks present perpendicular faces from 20 to 60 feet high and the same in breadth. The fissures beneath them reach from top to bottom, generally giving room for a narrow pathway. In several instances the summits were in contact, while the bases were spread apart, thus forming caverns of considerable size. One of them is called " counterfeiter's den," because it was a hiding-place of manufacturers of spurious bills and coins. The "ice cave " is a cleft, in whose deep recesses the snow is drifted in winter in such quantities as to remain through the summer. It is a natural ice-house, and as such a great curiosity. By the "natural stairs " a fissure is reached that may be entered from the summit, followed for a long distance between rocks 40 feet high and under a rocky roof, until the winding tunnel opens at the foot of the rocks. There is abundant evidence of the powerful action of huge volumes of water at some former period. The surface of the conglomerate masses are frequently polished, the corners are nicely rounded, and to the same action of water may be ascribed the minnerous round pockets worn in the face of the rocks. "Cradle Rock " rests on a ledge of one of the many precipices, weighs several tons, and yet is so delicately balanced that the weight of a person stepping upon it will cause it to rock as if about to topple over into the chasm. Probably nothing less than a charge of dynamite would dislodge the stone from the tiny shelf on which it rests. The original forest has never been removed from the ridge, and the grand old trees so completely hide this remarkable formation, that one might ride through the valley without sus- pecting what a romantic region was concealed.

The Cooks of various families were among the early settlers. Stephen Cook, son of Warham and Mary (Bushnell) Cook, born in Oneida county, October 6, 1805, came in February, 1827, and selected a home to be carved out of the primitive forest. He returned to Oneida county and the next spring returned with his younger half brother, William, and they both became life residents of Harmony. Stephen located first on lot 32, township 1, and later on lot 51 on the Goshen road. His nearest neighbor at first was three miles away through an unbroken forest. Having made a clearing and put up a log house, he again went east and married Ruth Anthony. They lived on this homestead 32 years ; by industry and thrift brought a large and productive farm into being, and here their six children were born, of whom Orlando and H. H., now reside in town. In 1864 Mr. Cook removed to Panama. Orlando owns the homestead. Mrs. Cook died in February, 1886, and Mr. Cook April 23, 1894. H. H. Cook, son of Stephen, was born August 23, IS40, and lived on the farm until March, 1862, when he went to Illinois. He enlisted July 18, 1862, in Co. E. 91st Regt. Ill. Vol. Inf., was taken prisoner at Elizabethtown, Ky., December 28, 1862, by Morgan's cavalry, was paroled, and sent to Benton Barracks, Mo. July 1, 1863, he was exchanged and sent to the Department of the Gulf, where he served until the close of the war. He has been a resident of Panama since the war. William G. Cook, son of Warham and Olive (Gay) Cook, born in Oneida county, January 14, 1808, came in 1828, bought a part of lot 51, and after ten years labor here moved to the vicinity of Panama. In 1832 he married Amy Benton who died in 1892. MI. and Mrs. Cook united with

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the Baptist church in Panama in 1834. About 1831 Mr. Cook lost his right · arm, but performed all kinds of farm work, and even cleared land for others by the acre. He died April 12, 1894. His two children, Lyman C. Cook and Mrs. Frank Button survive him. Elisha Cook settled a short distance from the village of Panama. H. J. Cook, a farmer, is the representative of another branch of the Cook family. Hon. Ebenezer G. Cook, born in Oneida county in 1808, settled on lot 50, township I, range 13, and developed a fine farın where he lived over 40 years, and reared a large family. He has ever been prominent in affairs. He served in offices of trust, and was member of assembly. Ten of his II children attained maturity. Philander and De Forest located at Panama, where the latter has conducted merchandising for years. Elihu Cook, a brother of E. G. Cook, was a physician, resided here for some years, and later lived in Fredonia.

The Pringle family are of Scotch descent. Homer Pringle, Sr., came to this county from Otsego county with his family in the spring of 1828. He bought of the Holland Land Company the west half of lot No. 32 in 2d township and 13th range in Harmony. Homer Pringle, Sr., was accom- panied by his brother James H., who bought a piece of land on lot 40, same township and range as his brother. James H. soon sold his farm, went to Jamestown, and after a few years went south, then to Buffalo, and subse- quently to Michigan where he went into the lumber business. He died about 1883 leaving a widow and one daughter. Benjamin Pringle, another brother, came west as far as Batavia, N. Y. He was a lawyer and held vari- ous offices of trust. He was a judge of Genesee county, a member of assem- bly, a member of Congress, and was sent under the Lincoln Administration to Cape Town, South Africa, as a judge of a mixed court ; he died about 1886 in Minnesota, leaving son and daughter. Homer Pringle, Sr., died in 1878 having lived fifty years on the same farm. He brought up a family of ten children. Those living are Eugene Pringle of Jackson, Mich. He is an attorney and has held various offices in his state, mayor of his city, prosecuting attorney, member of assembly and member of state senate. He is married and has two daughters. Jane married A. J. Palmer, a farmer of Harmony ; she has three children, Clarence S., Herbert N. and Blanche L. Clarence S. is a lawyer, was at one time a partner of Walter L. Sessions; is now at Kansas City, Mo. Henry, unmarried. Homer Jr., lives on the old homestead, married Gertrude Brown and has three children, Benjamin, James and Mary G. L. Annette married G. E. Brightman a farmer, resides at Mil- ton Junction, Wis. She has two children, Robert and Inez. Homer Prin- gle, Sr., held the office of justice of the peace, and his son Homer holds the same office.

William T. Morse, an early settler, born in Stoughton, Mass., in 1805, removed with his father to Onondaga county in 1819. In 1826 he came to

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Chautauqua county, bought 120 acres of wild land in Harmony and in 1829 took possession, cleared and cultivated the land and has since occupied the farm. He married Amelia, daughter of Rufus Anthony, of Scott, Cortland county. They had 9 children : Silas, who was a soldier in Co. K., 97 Regt. N. Y. Vols., died in Virginia of disease contracted in the army, November 25, 1863, William (dec.), Clarissa, Marinda, Elbridge G., Henry S., John W., Mary and Maria. . Mrs. Morse died in March, 1888.

Francis Starkweather, a pensioner of the war of the Rebellion, was born in Skaneateles, Onondaga county, in 1836. About 1842 his father moved to Portland, this county. Francis married Matilda, daughter of Nathan and Lucinda Eggleston of Harmony, and settled at Panama and engaged in the manufacturing of wagons. The Eggleston family were of the pioneer set- tlers at Panama. In 1862 Mr. Starkweather enlisted in Company F., 112 Regt., N. Y. Vols., and was with the army until mustered out.

PHYSICIANS .- Charles Parker, M. D., youngest son of Benjamin and Mary Parker, was born at Burlington, April 6, 1812. He followed the practice of his profession, that of a homeopathic physician until the spring of 1870, when he 'retired to farm life near Panama, where he died December 26, 1892. He married first Orlinda, daughter of Samuel Sinclear of Sinclairville. They had five sons, two died in infancy, three were in the military service of their country in the late war. Charles and Albert died, David B. Parker of Randolph, is vice-president and general manager of the Bell Telephone com- pany of Buffalo. Charles Parker married second Elizabeth An, daughter of Jolm James Atherly. (Mr. Atherly came to Ashville in 1831. He was born in Nova Scotia in 1786, married Triphena Loomis. He was a son of William and Elizabeth (Wigram) Atherly who came from Portsmouth, Eng- land, in 1784). Their children are Samuel A. Parker who resides on the homestead ; Will D. Parker of Mayville, clerk of the surrogate court ; Lettie O. Parker resides with her mother at Panama ; Julius W. Parker of West Fern- dale, Washington, and Milton E. Parker of Santa Fe, Oklahoma. Dr. Par- ker was an able physician. He was one of the founders of the Chautauqua Society of History and Natural Science.

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History of Chautauqua County, New York, Part 99

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