USA > New York > Livingston County > History of Livingston County, New York, from its earliest traditions to the present together with early town sketches > Part 35
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At the November session of the Board in the following year, the Superintendents of the Poor reported that they had purchased, under direction of the Board, "a farm one mile and a half from the village of Geneseo; containing about 136 acres, for the sum of 85, 440, payable in annual installments." The Superintendents erected an addition to the dwelling house already on the premises, 48 feet in length by 36 feet in width and two stories high. Other improvements were made, and on the 10th of June, 1829, they commenced to receive paupers into the house; receiving up to November 7th of that year thirty- four persons, of whom twenty were males and fourteen females.
Quite a formidable movement was inaugurated in 1830 for the erection of a new county, out of portions of Allegany, Genesee and "so much of Mount Morris in Livingston county, as would lie south of a continuation of the north line of the town of Sparta to the Gen- esee river." The project seems to have originated in Allegany county, and was there pushed with remarkable pertinacity. Outside of that county, however, few were found to favor it. At a meeting of the citizens of that portion of Mount Morris which it was proposed to include in the new shire, having appeared "by the legislative reports that petitions purporting to be 'from Allegany, Genesee and Living- ston' have actually been presented in furtherance of the said applica- tion," a protest was entered against this or any other project which
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contemplated the separation of all or any part of that town from the county to which it was then attached. The people said that while they conceded the right of their neighbors to "cut and carve" up their own county to suit their local or personal interests, they were "constrained to express the belief that the people of this section are unanimously opposed to the extension of the 'gerrymandering system' to this town or county."
A meeting of citizens of the whole town was held in the vil- lage of Mount Morris Jan. 11th, 1831, for the purpose of taking steps to oppose the efforts of those who were seeking a division of the town. William A. Mills was called to the chair and W. H. Stanley acted as secretary. A committee consisting of William A. Mills, W. H. Stan- ley, Mose's Marvin, Humphrey Hunt and James Miller was appointed to report resolutions expressive of the sentiments of the meeting. In the resolutions thus adopted the citizens said, "While we are willing that our more prosperous brethren of Allegany and Genesee should im- pose on themselves any amount of taxes which they may desire, for their own exclusive convenience, we have not sufficient disinterested benevolence to induce us to 'go over and help' them ; nor can we think it a generous attempt on their part, without consulting our feelings, to force us into a measure which we can have no possible interest to advance." And a local journal in commenting on this action ex- pressed the prevalent feeling in saying, that it was "sincerely to be hoped that the wishes of the inhabitants of Mount Morris would not be unheeded, " while it was unkind enough to say of the instigators of the county movement, that in advocating a division they were "suspected of being influenced more by considerations of private interest than by a proper regard for the good of the public." Owing probably to the determined and persistent opposition which it met, the new county project failed of success, and the people of the county were not called upon to discuss the question for several years.
Up to this time all efforts to secure the establishment of a bank in the county had proved futile, although such a monetary institution was imperatively demanded by the commercial necessities of the com- munity. Avon had made several attempts to secure a bank charter, and so also had Geneseo, Mount Morris and York, but at this time the Legislature was chary of its favors in this direction, and the desire of the people was ungratified. At the session of the Legislature of
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1830, however, the bill to incorporate the Livingston County Bank was passed, and the long wished for measure was secured. Naturally the people of the county were much elated, and especially so as this was the only charter west of Syracuse granted at this session. In May of the same year, the commissioners appointed to distribute the stock of the bank announced that the subscription books would be opened in Geneseo May 31st, at the house of C. Hamilton, and that a payment of $1 on each share of $25 was required by the act of incor- poration. The notice was signed by William HI. Spencer, Allen Ayrault, W. H. Smith, D. H. Fitzhugh and William Lyman. Such
was the public desire for the bank and the confidence felt in its finan- cial success, that in three days the entire capital stock, $100.000, was subscribed and the payment of $1 per share made. On the 25th of June the stockholders met for the purpose of completing the organization, when the following gentlemen were elected Directors for the ensuing year: John Greig, H. B. Gibson, Nathaniel W. Howell, Abraham M. Schermerhorn, James K. Guernsey, Charles H. Carroll, Hezekiah D. Mason, Felix Tracy, Owen P. Olmsted, Eli Hill, William Lyman, William H. Stanley and Allen Ayrault. Subsequently Allen Ayrault was chosen President, Watts Sherman.1 Cashier. Eben N. Buell, James Percival and David C. Stewart were appointed inspectors of the next election.
Work was immediately commenced on a new banking house, and in the Register of Sept. 8. 1830, we find the following reference to the bank and its building: "The capital stock of this bank ($100.000) was promptly paid in on the 1st inst., and everything is now in readi- ness for the transaction of business. A very neat banking house, well calculated both for convenience and security, has been erected since the first of June. The building is of brick, situated about the centre of the village, and will, as we understand, be completed in a few days; until which time the business of the bank will be transacted in an office appropriate for this purpose." The same paper indulges in a congratulatory strain over this event. It says: "Thus have the un- tired exertions of the inhabitants of this place been rewarded with success. Their perseverance for the last six years has resulted in the establishment of an institution which has long been needed, and the
. Afterwards a member of the well known firm of Duncan, Sherman & Co., Bankers, New York.
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lack of which has placed this section of the country under some dis- advantages which we hope will now be no more felt. We confidently look forward to the fulfillment of all the predictions we have hereto- fore made in relation to the benefits to be derived from this bank, and have still good reason to believe that with proper management, such as it will undoubtedly receive, both stockholders and those who have occasion to transact business with the bank will find an ample reciprocity of benefit and favor."1
Moses Hayden while serving his second year in the Senate sick- ened and died Feb. 14, 1830. His death was a shock to his constit- uents, and caused a feeling of deep and wide-spread regret. His public services had been rendered with marked ability and a sincere purpose to secure the public good, while his private character was one of singular purity and integrity. He consequently had the con- fidence and esteem not only of his own party, but of the people gener- ally, and his unexpected death was the cause of sincere sorrow. His remains were brought from Albany in May of the same year, and reinterred near his late residence in York. Philo C. Fuller was chosen to fill the vacancy in the Senate caused by Mr. Hayden's death.
The end of 1830 found the county, in the ninth year of its existence, in a highly prosperous condition. Its population had increased from 19,800 in 1821 to 27,719; its territory was dotted with numerous enter- prising and growing villages, and its active population was rapidly de- veloping the resources of this rich and fertile region.
1. The expectations of the editor were fully realized. During the twenty-five years of its ex- istence as a corporation it paid in dividends to its stockholders, $379,500, and then returned to them every cent of the capital stock. An eminent banker speaking of its management wrote: "In reference to the closing of the operations of the Livingston County Bank, after its existence of a quarter of a century under your management, a bank managed better, as well for the good of the country, as for the benefit of the stockholders, I do not think exists or has existed in the country."
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CHAPTER XVI.
N OTWITHSTANDING that the question of a canal along the valley of the Genesee to Olean had now been before the people for fully six years, and the measure urged year after year with great determination upon the attention of the Legislature. nothing had as yet been done by that body to further this object. Dis- couraged by their attempts to secure the needed measure, the people of this and Monroe counties turned their attention to other plans for improving the transportation facilities of the valley.
About this period the attention of the country was directed to the subject of railroads, which were then just coming into use, and the people of the valley naturally concluded that a railroad would solve the difficulties under which they labored.
On the 15th of November, 1831, a meeting of citizens of the county was held at C. Hamilton's house in Geneseo, for the purpose of taking measures to call a general meeting of the inhabitants of the counties of Monroe, Livingston, Genesee, Allegany and Steuben who felt an interest in the construction of the "Rochester and Dansville Rail- road," along the valley of the Genesee river and Canaseraga creek. Charles H. Carroll acted as chairman of this meeting and Allen Ayrault secretary. The object of the meeting having been stated, it was announced that a notice had been given that an application would be made to the Legislature for a charter for this road, with a capital of $300,000. It was therefore resolved that a call be issued for a general meeting to be held in Geneseo on Tuesday, Nov. 29, 1831, and all resi- dents of the counties previously named, who were interested in this project were invited to attend. The committee appointed to carry this into effect consisted of Charles H. Carroll, Allen Ayrault, C. H. Bryan, D. Firman, James Proudfit, Asa Arnold, William A. Mills, H. Jones, Jr., D. H. Fitzhugh, Smith Parmalee, James McCurdy, F. Blakesley, Robert Dixon, S. C. Grover, J. Clark and John Young.
Preliminary meetings to promote this object were also held in Dans- ville and other places which were participated in by leading citizens. On the 20th of the same month the general meeting was held in Geneseo,
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and proved a large and enthusiastic gathering. All sections were rep- resented, and a great unanimity of sentiment prevailed. In the pre- amble adopted appears this: "Whereas we have repeatedly and in vain petitioned to the Legislature of this State for the improvement of our natural means of intercommunication by the construction of a canal from Rochester to Olean up the valley of the Genesee river; and whereas, within a few years the science of the construction of railroads and the machinery employed thereon has been so much improved as to exceed the most sanguine expectation of power and speed in its adaptation to the transportation of passengers and produce; and whereas, in this latitude the railroad has a decided advantage over the canal system by extending its benefits and facilities throughout the whole year." Hezekiah D. Mason, Allen Ayrault, C. H. Bryan, Felix Tracy, William A. Mills and James Faulkner were made a Com)- mittee to circulate a petition for signatures, praying the Legislature to incorporate the company.
In the memorial to the Legislature on this subject, it was urged that the face of the country over which the projected railroad would pass, was well adapted to its construction. From Rochester to the mouth of Canaseraga creek, about thirty miles, the rise was stated at 45 feet: and from the latter point to Dansville, a distance of about eighteen miles, the rise was 160 feet, a total rise of 205 feet in forty- eight miles. Referring to the extent of the traffic over the water and land routes at this time, the memorial said: "The surplus products of the Genesee and Canaseraga valleys and southern country pass to Rochester down the Genesee valley. The amount of tonnage up and down the valley in the last year was 16,846 tons. This appears upon and is taken from the books of the forwarding merchants. Not in- cluded in this statement are the articles of oats, barley, beer, butter, cheese, lard, pork unpacked, tar, peltry, salt and lumber, and a great variety of other products that never find their way to the storehouse of the merchant. There are in the immediate vicinity of Dansville fifty-six sawmills surrounded by immense forests of white and yellow pine. The joint product of these mills at a low estimate is 5,000,000 feet. * * * Present price of transportation from Dansville to Rochester, loads furnished both ways, is $4 a ton. From Geneseo by water, twenty shillings. A trip on railroad to Rochester and return could be made in nine hours; from Geneseo in six hours."
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The Village Chronicle of Dansville gives an account of a meeting held in that village Jan. 7th, 1832, in furtherance of the projected railroad, at which addresses were made by Judge Carroll, James Faulkner and others. The members of Congress of the 26th, 27th and 28th districts were requested by this meeting to use their influence to secure the appointment of some member of the corps of topographi- cal engineers to make a survey from Lake Ontario to the head waters of the Susquehanna river, through the valleys of the Genesee and Canaseraga.
These united and persistent efforts were speedily crowned with success. The bill incorporating the railroad company passed the Senate Feb. 23d, 1832, by a unanimous vote, and in the latter part of March it was passed by the Assembly. This successful issue was the signal for joyful outbreaks throughout the valley. Public meet- ings were held, congratulatory addresses delivered and in other ways the people testified to the general good feeling. The Village Chronicle of March 29, 1832, thus notices the reception of the news at Dansville : "The cheering intelligence that the bill incorporating the Dansville and Rochester Railroad company had passed the Assembly, and only wanted the signature of the Governor to become a law, was received in this village on Monday evening last, about 8 o'clock, and as a demonstration of the joy with which it was hailed by our citizens in the short space of half an hour, every house and shop in the village was handsomely illuminated, which together with the skyrockets, fireballs, bonfires, etc., that were flying in all directions, presented a beantitul scene."
Surveys for the proposed road were commenced in July, 1832, by Mr. Almy of Geneseo, and on November 20 the stock books of the company were opened at the Eagle tavern in Rochester and Hamilton's tavern in Geneseo, for the purpose of receiving subscriptions. A portion of the stock was taken during the three days the books were kept open at this time, but in the following year the directors were compelled to give notice, that the subscription to the stock of the company not having been filled, the books would again be opened at the Eagle tavern in Rochester on the 9th of September. The persons signing this notice were Elisha Johnson, Charles II. Carroll, A.'M. Schermerhorn, W. H. Spencer, Daniel H. Fitzhugh, James Faulkner and William Lyman. Unfortunately, however, this constitutes the substance of the history
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of the Rochester and Dansville railroad. Like all similar enterprises it met with delays, disappointments and embarrassments, and the enterprise was finally wholly abandoned. Subsequently the Genesee Valley Railroad Company built a line from Rochester to Avon, finish - ing it in 1854; the Avon, Geneseo and Mount Morris Railroad Com- pany extended the line to Mount Morris, opening the road to the pub- lic in 1859; and forty years after Dansville celebrated the chartering of her railroad company the cars entered that village for the first time the line having been extended by the Erie and Genesee Val- ley Railroad Company from Mount Morris in the fall of 1871. The line from Rochester to Mount Morris is now under lease to and operated by the Erie Railroad Company, and that portion of the line from Mount Morris to Dansville is owned by the Dansville and Mount Morris Railroad Company, which was organized in October 1891.
In addition to this railroad enterprise, a charter was granted in 1832 for a railroad from Geneseo to Pittsford, but nothing was done in the direction of building the road.
The general election of 1830 resulted in the election of the entire Anti-Masonic ticket. The Senators chosen were Philo C. Fuller, and Trumbull Cary; for the Assembly, Jerediah Horsford and James Percival. Calvin H. Bryan was a candidate for Member of Congress for the Twenty-seventh district, but was defeated by Frederick Whittlesey of Rochester, who filled the position during the years 1831 to 1835 inclusive, the congressional district at that time embrac- ing Livingston and Monroe counties.
The town elections of 1831 resulted very favorably to Anti-Masonry. But three towns elected opposition tickets, Groveland, Mount Mor- ris and Lima. The Anti-Masonic organ in commenting on this result said, "The elections demonstrated that Anti-Masonry not only holds strong in this county, but that it is continually increasing in strength. In several towns the fraternity, although they put in requisition their utmost endeavors, were unable to get up any opposition."
In March. 1832, Willard II. Smith was appointed by the Governor and Senate First Judge of the County Court of this county, succeed- ing Hezekiah D. Mason, who had served since 1829. At the same time Samuel W. Spencer was appointed in the same manner as Sur- rogate to succeed James Rosebrugh, who had filled the office since the organization of the county in 1821.
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By the act of June 29, 1832, Livingston and Allegany were made the Thirtieth Congressional district, and the first Representative chosen was Philo C. Fuller of Geneseo, who served from Dec. 2, 1833, to Sept. 2, 1836, when he resigned and was succeeded by John Young of Geneseo. Mr. Young was succeeded by Luther C. Peck of Al- legany, whose service covered the years 1837 to 1841 inclusive, when John Young was again returned and served one term.
The election of 1831 resulted in the choice of George W. Patterson' and John Young as Members of Assembly, and in 1833 the county was represented by George W. Patterson and Samuel W. Smith. The election in the fall of 1833 resulted in the choice for this office of Salmon G. Grover and Tabor Ward. Again in 1834 Mr. Patterson became the choice of the electors for this position, his colleague being Hollom Hutchinson. At the same time Elias Clark was chosen County Clerk, the Whigs carrying the elections.
In 1835 the elections resulted in another sweeping Whig victory. the Assemblymen chosen being Charles H. Carroll and George W. Patterson. On the 20th of January, 1836, Calvin H. Bryan was ap- pointed District Attorney by the Court of General Sessions, but was superseded May 30th of the same year by A. A. Bennett. The elec- tion of this year resulted in the choice of George W. Patterson and William Scott, Assemblymen; they served two successive terms. In 1833 Mr. Patterson was again reelected, his colleague being Elias Clark. At the session of 1839 Mr. Patterson was chosen Speaker and filled the position two successive terms with great credit to himself and honor to his constituents. Elias Clark was succeeded as County Clerk by William 11. Stanley, who was elected in 1837. In 1840 Samuel P. Allen was chosen to fill the office. George Hastings fol- lowed A. A. Bennett as District Attorney May 27th, 1839, while the Sheriffs of the county during the period covered by this chapter were Augustus Gibbs, elected in 1831; Josiah Wendell, 1834; William W. Weed, 1837 and James Brewer, 1840.
Until the adoption of the new constitution in 1846 Surrogates were appointed by the Governor and Senate for the term of four years. On the 23d of March, 1836, Benjamin F. Angel was appointed Surrogate, and held the office until April 22d. 1840, when he was succeeded by William H. Kelsey, who in turn was followed by Mr. Angel again in 1844, upon the advent to power in the State of a
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Democratic administration. The office of Supreme Court Commis- sioner, an officer performing the duties of a Judge of the Supreme Court at Chambers, was conferred upon Mr. Angel at the same time, and held by him until the new constitution went into effect in 1847.
Applications to the Legislature for charters and legislative aid to various enterprises were of frequent occurrence at this time. In 1836 notices appeared that applications would be made for charters for banks at Avon, Dansville and York Centre, and the villages of Avon and York Centre wanted to be incorporated, while the people of Dansville asked for an act to incorporate the Dansville Academy, and the directors of the Livingston County Bank desired to increase their capital stock to $250,000.
In 1837 an act was passed incorporating the Geneseo Hydraulic Company. It was the design of this company to provide a great water power, by proper dams and other works on the Genesee river. The passage of the bill was hailed with the greatest demonstrations of joy on the part of the people of Geneseo, but it does not appear that the company ever commenced work. It is certain, at least, that the wild expectations of the people were never realized.
On July 13, 1837, a meeting of "the friends of universal freedom" was held at the Presbyterian meeting house in Geneseo, of which Felix Tracy was made chairman and Reuben Sleeper, secretary. The first resolution, offered by George Kemp and seconded by Rev. H. Snyder, was adopted unammously ; this is it :
RESOLVED, That slavery being a great political and moral evil, and this whole nation being guilty of upholding it, it is the plain duty of this whole nation to repent of it immediately and bring forth fruits meet for repentance.
The next resolution, offered by James H. Rogers of Mt. Morris, was as follows:
RESOLVED, That this meeting proceed now to form a Livingston county anti-slavery society which shall be auxiliary to the American Anti-Slavery Society.
This encountered the opposition of the Rev. W. P. Page of the Episcopal Church in Geneseo, "on the assumption that the people of the county have not been informed of the intention of forming an anti- slavery society; that it would be improper to call it a county society. when all the people had not been notified; that it would go forth to
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the world as an expression of the public sentiment of Livingston county, etc.," and he moved that the consideration of the resolution be postponed for one month and gave his reasons at some length. The motion to postpone consideration was laid on the table, and Gerrit Smith then addressed the meeting for nearly two hours, on the sub- ject of American slavery.
The meeting then took a recess; upon reassembling, the considera- tion of Mr. Roger's resolution and the motion to postpone were discussed. Mr. Page returned to the attack and urged the postpone- ment of the adoption of the Roger's resolution; the motion to post- pone was decided adversely.
The report of the meeting proceeds to say that. "Gerrit Smith then addressed the meeting about two hours discursively on the resolution, interspersing his remarks with illustration, anecdotes and clear and forcible arguments, on the safety and general benefits of immediate emancipation, pointing out the evils and wickedness of the slave system. the prejudice and hatred against colored people, the dangers which threaten the liberties and free institutions of the nation, in consequence of the growing influence of slavery, the infringements already made upon our constitutional rights, and portrayed in the most eloquent manner the duties of the people of the free States in resisting, by all lawful and moral means, the extension of the despotie doctrines of Slavery, and to labor for its immediate removal from the land; showing by scripture arguments and the history of all slaveholding nations that the only remedy against the threatened judgments of Heaven in the overthrow and ruin of this guilty nation is in their immediate repentance and the restoration of the oppressed to the rights of humanity."
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