USA > New York > Livingston County > History of Livingston County, New York, from its earliest traditions to the present together with early town sketches > Part 33
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY
In 1826, after an exciting contest, William H. Spencer and James Faulkner were chosen Assemblymen by large majorities, while Ethan B. Allen was elected Senator. Levi Hovey having been elected County Clerk, John H. Jones, who had recently held the same office in Genesee county, was recommended by the Republicans to fill the vacancy as Judge of the courts of Livingston county. The appoint- ment. however, was given to Willard H. Smith of Caledonia, who served in this capacity with great acceptability until 1832
On the evening of the 30th of May, 1826, a meeting of a number of the prominent citizens of the county was held at the Court House in the village of Geneseo, to take steps for the establishment of a school on the monitorial plan, "sufficiently extensive to teach 600 scholars, particularly in the higher branches of science " Articles of association. previously drawn up, were adopted, and a committee consisting of George Hosmer, Charles HI. Carroll, James Faulkner and Philo C. Fuller was appointed to solicit subscriptions in aid of this project. In August of the same year a committee advertised for proposals for the erection of buildings for the "Livingston County High School." The specifications called for an academic building of brick, 65 by 33 feet, three stories high, and a brick or frame boarding-house of about the same proportions. These buildings were completed in due season, and constitute the property of the old Geneseo Academy, yet standing and owned by Abram Goodwin, Esq. In 1827 the Legislature incorporated the lavingston County High School Association, with the following corporate members: William Wadsworth, James Wadsworth, William Fitzhugh, Daniel H. Fitzhugh, John H. Jones, Charles H. Carroll, George Hosmer. James Faulkner. William H. Spencer, Philo C. Ful- ler, Charles Colt, Henry P. North, Leman Gibbs, Orlando Hastings, Augustus A. Bennett, William Finley, Moses Hayden and Jeremiah Briggs. The school remained under the control of a stock association until 1849, when it passed to the Synod of Buffalo and became a school under Presbyterian control, but not especially a sectarian institution. For nearly half a century it remained one of the most useful and pros- perous, as it was one of the oldest, academies of the State. Its grad- mates have been numbered by thousands, and students from every clime have laid the foundations of their education within its walls. It is a source of deep regret that in 1875 the Academy was finally closed.
Livingston County High School.
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY
The post-rider in early days was an important personage. His visits were eagerly watched for and none were more warmly received in the settlements than he, whose coming brought tidings from absent friends or news of the great world's doings. Besides delivering the letters and papers coming through the mails, he made it a part of his business to supply newspapers to the people on his route, in much the same manner as the business is done by newsdealers at the present day, buying his papers of the publishers and furnishing them to regu- lar customers at a certain rate per annum. As in more modern times, payments were not always made with as much promptness as they should have been, and the post-rider was often compelled to issue touching appeals to the delinquent customers to pay him. William Hutchins gives notice, over date of Dee. 10, 1823, "to all those who have received of him the Livingston Gazette, printed at Moscow, that a collection must be made in order to enable him to pay the printer." He very kindly offers, however, to receive grain in payment for news- papers, if delivered by the 15th of January at Gainesville, China, Springville, Collins or at Walnut Creek Mills.
In the fall of 1824 the mail stage between Geneseo and Rochester ran three times a week each way, leaving the former place Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays at half past six o'clock in the morning. In April 1825 E. Fisk advertises that the "Rochester stage will in future leave Geneseo every morning at half past five o'clock," and the com- mon wagons before in use were exchanged for "elegant coaches." In December of the same year the stage was advertised to leave Geneseo for Dansville, Bath and Olean Sundays and Wednesdays, on the arriv- al of the Rochester stage. The line to Rochester intersected the east and west line at Avon, thus giving a daily communication with Roch- ester, Canandaigua and Batavia, and points farther east and west. "For this accommodation," says a contemporary account, "the public are indebted to the enterprise of Mr. E. Fisk, whose perseverance has, from the use of a common wagon, which lately passed between this place and Rochester once a week, established a daily line of ele- gant coaches."
As early as January 8th, 1824, formal application was made to the Legislature by residents of Nunda, "That six miles of the north part" of that town in the county of Allegany might be erected into a separate
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY
town and annexed to the county of Livingston. Some years later this prayer of the people of Nunda was substantially granted.
The people of the young and growing county were not allowed to suffer for the want of amusements. Travelling shows early found the way hither, and the public journals contained frequent flaming announcements. The Register of June 17, 1824, advertised a new museum of wax figures as "now open at the house of C. Watson in Moscow for a few days only." The collection embraced noted person- ages, the "Sleeping Beauty, " and views of celebrated places. "The decorations and dresses are made in that style of elegance that will insure gratification to the observer. The museum will be open from 9 o'clock in the morning till 10 o'clock in the evening. Music on an elegant organ!"' Unless the making of wax figures has since become a lost art, and the specimens to-day but inferior imitations of those then shown to the public, it is not to be presumed that the exhibition was a very meritorious one. Perhaps as fascinating, at least far more disastrous in its consequences was the show of the snake charmer, who about this time visited Geneseo and surrounding towns. Allowing the repulsive reptiles to crawl freely about his person, he attracted curious crowds wherever he went. He was frequently warned of the danger he ran in allowing the reptiles to touch his person, but he only laughed at the fears of his spectators. One unlucky day, however, while exhibiting his snakes in Conesus one of the reptiles in crawling across his face bit him on the lip. Everything was done by the kind hearted people that was possible, but he was soon beyond human aid and died in the most terrible agony.
There were very few Indians within the limits of the new county at the time of its erection. An informant states that there could not have been more than eighty or a hundred at this time, including young and old, male and female, remnants of the Senecas. The resi- dence of these people was at Squakie Hill. Soon after the sale of their lands in 1825 they began to leave, going to the western reservations, and in a few years none were left. The Indians of Allen's Hill, Lit- tle Beardstown and other villages had gone some years before. Civil- ization had done but little for these dusky natives. With rare excep- tions they continued to live in their old huts, with fires in the centre, and nothing but skins and blankets for beds. The women also con- tinned to the last the laborers of the tribe, while the men spent their
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY
time in hunting, fishing and the idle amusements of their villages.
On the 28th of January, 1824, a meeting of inhabitants of the county was held at the court house in Geneseo, for the purpose of forming a county Bible Society, auxiliary to the American Bible So- ciety. The history of one of the oldest and most useful organi- zations of Livingston county dates from this meeting. The meeting was well attended, and an organization effected. As officers for the ensuing year, the following were chosen: President, James Wads- worth; Vice Presidents, Charles H. Carroll and Jeremiah Riggs; Treasurer, Orlando Hastings; Corresponding Secretary, Rev. Norris Bull; Recording Secretary, Augustus A. Bennet; Directors, Willard H. Smith, Caledonia; George Hosmer, Avon: Orrin Gilbert, Lima: William Janes, York ; Eben E. Buell, Geneseo; Leman Gibbs, Livonia; Dr. Asa R.' Palmer, Leicester; James Rosebrugh, Groveland; Samuel Chapin, Jr., Freeport (Conesus) ; Jonathan Beach, Mount Morris; William McCartney, Sparta; Alva Southworth, Springwater. The society had an organized and active existence until the meeting held February 20th, 1886; at this meeting the officers were A. J. Abbott, President; Corresponding Secretary, Dr. F. De W. Ward; Recording Secretary, Lockwood R Doty ; Executive Committee, William J. Milne, John Rorbach, L. J. Ames, Dr. W. E. Lauderdale and Rev. K. B. Nettleton. While the Society retains a nominal standing and has a depository in Geneseo at present, but very little local interest has been manifested in its affairs since the date last mentioned. This circum- stance is probably due to the fact that the activities of the Society in the past have placed in practically all of the homes of the county, not otherwise furnished, copies of the Bible, and it must be said that in its peculiar field, no organization had done greater or more efficient work. The bibles distributed by it are numbered by thousands, and repeatedly the whole county has been canvassed, and a copy of this precious book placed in every home where one was found wanting. often without money and without price.
The cause of the Greeks in 1824 excited the liveliest interest in Liv- ingston county, as it did throughout the country, and our liberty lov- ing people were not slow in showing their sympathy and extending substantial aid to the struggling Greeks. For this purpose a county meeting was held at Geneseo on New Year's day, 1824, at which Judge Jones of Leicester presided. A series of resolutions expressive
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY
of the sentiments of the citizens were submitted by William H. Spen- cer, Calvin H. Bryan and Orlando Hastings, which were heartily en- dorsed. A committee was also appointed to receive and forward to New York such contributions as might be placed in their hands, while committees to solicit and receive contributions were appointed for each town in the county In this way liberal contributions were secured, and substantial aid given to the cause in which the Greeks were engaged.
A local paper announces as "commercial enterprise," under date of May 27, 1824, the passage by Geneseo, on the river, of the canal boat "Hazard" from Nunda on her way to Albany, loaded with pine lum- ber, ashes, etc. The boat was owned by Sanford Hunt of the former place. Shipments were often made in this way down the river until the completion of the Genesee Valley canal. At one time an attempt was made to introduce steamboats on the river and steamboat navi- gation companies were organized, but the attempt was not successful, although trips were made during several seasons by small steamboats. The following announcement appears in the Livingston Journal of July 28th, 1824: "We can congratulate the public upon the arrival of the steamboat 'Erie Canal,' Captain Bottle, at our village last evening. A more welcome arrival and one which throws the smiles of a bland and hearty cheerfulness among our villagers could not well have happened."
The same paper contains a communication from Avon commencing as follows:
"Cheer up you lusty gallants. With music sound the drum, For we've descry'd a steamboat On the Genesee hath come."
The writer follows this rhyming effusion with a detailed account of the arrival of the boat at Avon on the 26th from Utica. "This being the first time the river has been navigated by steam drew to- gether a numerous multitude all eager to catch a glimpse of the novel stranger who had come in such a questionable manner among us. " A company of gentlemen immediately assembled on board the boat "to honor its arrival and greet the commander with a cordial welcome." Toasts were drunk, accompanied with music on board and the roar of
GENESEE LANDS For Sale.
THE subscriber offers for sale, in Lots to suit purchasers, the Estate on the Genesee River, on which Mr. Harris resides, about one half mile from Geneseo, in the county of Livingstou. There are about 3000 acres of upland and 1000 acres of River Flats; of which one half is in Timothy and Clover. The upland is first rate wheat laud, and the flats of the best quality. The upland is divided into farms of various sizes, many of them improved ; others in Timber .- The proprietor living at a distance, the prices will be low, and a liberal credit giveu for a great part of the purchase money, payable by installments. Apply at Geneseo, to
May, 1821.
JNO. S. BRINTON.
C. MORSE & CO. PAINTERS, GENESEO.
Notice of Sale of Lands, 1824.
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY
cannon on shore. The genius of Fulton, the steamboat itself, its gal- lant captain, the Genesee and the beautiful scenery on its shores, the arrival of the boat and the great promise of the future dating from this opening of steam navigation, all received due attention from the toasters, and each sentiment was lustily cheered by the multitude who had gathered to see the wonderful sight. "As the last gun was fired, the boat was gotten under way, and moved up the river toward Gen- eseo, the place of her destination, at the rate of about six miles per hour. "
At Geneseo the boat met with much the same greeting. On the day following her arrival a large company of ladies and gentlemen went on board and Captain Bottle gave them an excursion up the river, returning in the evening. The boat was about 77 feet long with a breadth of beam equal to that of the largest canal packet and drew about 11 inches of water, exclusive of her keel. Where no obstruc- tions existed the boat made about four miles per hour up stream. Captain Bottle stated at that time that successful steamboat naviga- tion might be prosecuted from Rochester to Geneseo, and even a few miles above, if the obstructions impeding the passage were removed. The channel was in some places filled with fallen trees and snags, which often detained the boat for hours. The editor of the Register concurred with Captain Bottle in the opinion "that nothing is want- ing but an alteration in the feeder at Rochester and a cleaning out of the rubbish in the river, to make this one of the most easily navigable streams in the State, " and favored an appropriation by the Legislature to effect this object.
The next attempt at steam navigation on the river was by the "Genesee," a rear-wheel steamboat owned by a stock company, Major W. H. Spencer and other citizens of the county being interested in the enterprise. It plied between Rochester and Geneseo, its landing at Rochester being at the head of the feeder, and at Geneseo a little below North's mill. Its carrying capacity was not very great. It was intended for passengers and for towing river boats, of which it could tow about three at a time. The speed of the "Genesee" was greater than that of its predecessor, being at times ten or eleven miles an hour. It would leave the Geneseo landing at 5 o'clock in the morn- ing and reach Rochester by 10 or 11 o'clock that forenoon. Return- ing, it would leave Rochester at 4 o'clock P. M., reaching Geneseo at
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY
10 or 11 o'clock in the evening,-distance by the river 65 miles. If it brought up a tow it might be detained two or three hours or more. There were berths for the hands but none for passengers. The "Gen- esee," however, was not a success, and after running two seasons the enterprise was abandoned. During the first season the boat was com- manded by Captain William W. Weed; Captain John Dallson was in charge the second season.
An old resident, writing to the Avon Herald in 1887 of the difficul- ties of early navigation of the river, says: "I have seen six or eight men struggle' nearly all a hot afternoon to get a barge up the little rapids in the river just below the bridge, -getting a rope out to the abutments of the bridge to aid them in their efforts. All the large boats had pollers. When the water was very low the current was quite swift and, to afford a better depth of water, the principle of Ead's jetties at the mouth of the Mississippi had been put in practice, -the stones on the bed of the river had been piled in rows from the shores towards the middle of the river, trending with the current.
The remains of these rude jetties may still be seen at low water. They served, with the aid of a lock at York, to keep the river navi- gable nearly all summer to Geneseo. It was only in the spring and fall that boats could go to Mount Morris, and even then the journey was a disheartening one, -thirty-six miles by river to make six miles by land!
"Of the barges which once floated upon the bosom of the placid Gen- esee, I have no distinct memory except of the old 'Northumberland,' whose size and carrying capacity, were a perpetual source of wonder- ing comment among 'us boys.' It was in the fall of 1839 or the spring of 1840 that she went down the river for the last time, carrying, it was said, the enormous cargo of 6,000 bushels of wheat and 200 bbls. of flour. She was too large to go through the locks of the Erie canal at that time, and some years after in going by packet from Rochester to Albion, I could scarcely repress a sigh as we passed this glorious cham- pion of the waters of the Genesee degraded to the service of a wood boat on the 'long level' between Rochester and Lockport."
On the 12th of August, 1825, as a Mr. Adams of the village of Gen- eseo was opening a drain to conduct the water from the marshy spot on which the two springs are located, which formerly supplied the vil- lage with water, "he came in contact with a substance between two
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY
and three feet below the surface of the earth, so peculiar in its appear- ance and delicate in texture that he was induced to make a critical examination of it, and found it to be a bony substance very much resembling ivory in appearance. After removing the earth he found it to be of a spiral form, measuring five feet in length and seven inches in diameter at its base. gradually diminishing in size to an ob. tuse point. The figure of the substance so nearly resembled the tusk of an elephant that he concluded it must have its fellow, so he renewed the search and soon found it situated about three feet from the first, and precisely resembling it in every respect, their points lying in opposite directions.1 He also found eight of the teeth, proceeds the newspaper account, "four of which were evidently the back teeth of each side of the jaws, they being fitted to each other, and two belong- ing to the upper and two to the lower jaw, all precisely alike as to fig- ure and dimensions, their transverse diameter being three inches and their horizontal diameter six inches, one of which weighed three and a half pounds without the process that enters the jaw, that being total- ly destroyed in all of them. These teeth were marked upon their grinding surface by four rows of studded, blunt points elevated an inch. The four remaining teeth were of less size, and their grinding surface perfectly smooth. The enamel of all the teeth was sound and perfect. "
The discovery of these mastodon remains caused no little excite- ment in the village. The citizens, believing that with proper care the whole skeleton might be obtained, volunteered to remove a suffi- cient area of surface to effect this object. As anticipated, the bones of the body and extremities were found, but so much decayed that it was impossible to raise any of the more important ones entire. Traces, however, were left, by which their size and figure were ascertained. The lower bone of the hind leg measured three feet in length from the knee joint to the ankle. The thigh bone, from joint to neck, was also three feet in length and eighteen inches at its smallest circumference.
The length of the animal, measuring from the centre between the base of the two tusks to the exterior point of the pelvis, was estimated at twenty feet and the height at twelve feet. "The animal could not have been old, as eight molar teeth were found-old animals have only
1. Livingstou Register, Aug. 17, 1825.
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY
one molar on either side of each jaw."1 The bones were placed in the cabinet of the Buffalo Natural Historical Society.
A similar discovery was made about the year 1835, in straightening the road from Scottsburg to Conesus lake. In digging the ditch on the east side of the road, where it ran through a swamp of five or six acres near the inlet of the lake and about thirty rods to the west, the re- mains of a mastodon were discovered about three feet below the surface. Eight teeth were found, four of which had blunt points and weighed about two pounds each. The shoulder blades, pieces of the ribs and some joints of the backbone were also found. Some of these bones were placed in the LeRoy Female Seminary. 2
In November, 1824, Livingston county gave 849 majority for DeWitt Clinton for Governor, over Samuel Young. Every town in the county except Groveland gave a majority for Clinton. In 1820 Governor Clinton had proposed in the State Senate that the Federal constitution be amended so that presidential electors should be chosen by the people in districts. Following up the idea, he recommended in his speech at the opening of the extra session in November, 1820, that a State law be passed providing for the election of the electors by the people on a general ticket. This proposed change was the great theme of discussion in the fall of 1823 and throughout the fol- lowing year. Originally agitated by the "Bucktails, " all the Clinton- ians joined them in favoring the bill. The advocacy of this measure added to Clinton's popularity with the people, but the moving cause of his triumphant election may with safety be attributed to the action of the Legislature in the spring of 1824, in removing him from the office of Canal Commissioner. This was done by the "Bucktails," his political enemies, yet though it was but following out the policy he had himself always pursued, it seemed to the people "like striking a fallen enemy." His work in behalf of the people, especially in de- veloping the resources of the State, were not forgotten, and rallying to his support they carried him into office with a majority of over sixteen thousand. In this contest, as has been shown, Livingston stood firm- ly by the "people's candidate," and contributed largely to his succes- ful canvass.
Warmly supporting Clinton, the people also strongly favored his pro-
1. Silliman's Journal, Vol. 12, p. 380, ist Series.
2. See in another chapter the account of a more recent discovery of mastodon remains.
Judge Charles. H. Carroll.
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY .
posed change in the manner of choosing electors, and looked with sus- picion on all who did not hold the same views. During the sitting of the January Common Pleas, and while the electoral bill was pending in the Legislature, John Van Fossen, with a view of getting up a gen- . eral meeting of the electors of the county, without reference to party, to give expression to the views of the people on this subject, presented a paper to Judge Carroll, then First Judge of the county, who was also Republican candidate for Congress, while he was at dinner with about fifty others at Amos Adams' tavern in Geneseo. The Judge declined to sign the paper, believing that Van Fossen had some ulterior pur- pose. Van Fossen at once caused to be struck off handbills, which he circulated slyly in Monroe county, stating that Judge Carroll was op- . posed to any change in the existing mode of appointing presidential electors. Judge Carroll, when appraised of this fact, publicly denied the assertion. His opponent,. Moses Hayden, was also compelled by public opinion to define his position on this question, and his letter caused considerable discussion, although he warmly favored Clinton's measure. At the election Mr. Hayden was successful in securing a reelection.
In the summer of 1826 Governor Clinton, accompanied by his son Colonel Clinton and General Beck, visited the Genesee valley. Ac- cepting the statement of the opposition organ as true, his reception was not a warm one. "His Excellency's visit at this place was remarkable for nothing but its silence; his friends, we think, were hardly civil to him. "1
In 1826 Charles H. Carroll was the Republican candidate for State Senator, his opponent being his old foe, Mr. Van Fossen. The re- sult was somewhat of a surprise, a canvass of the votes showing that Judge Carroll had a majority of about 600 in a district which in 1824 had given Mr. Clinton a majority of between 5,000 and 6,000. The Register, then the "Bucktail" organ at Geneseo, commenting on this result, said: "Notwithstanding, the little regency editor of the Jour- nal in his simpering tone proclaims that 'in this Senate District Charles H. Carroll, the Bucktail candidate, has been elected by a small majority.' It is true that it is not 6,000, neither is it reduced to the sickly number of nine; but is respectable in a district where the polit-
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