USA > New York > Livingston County > History of Livingston County, New York, from its earliest traditions to the present together with early town sketches > Part 67
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and in the summer of 1806 in a factory of the same kind in Henrietta in Ontario County. Then in the fall of 1806 he erected a small build- ing on the spring creek in Mumford, and commenced on a small scale the business of carding and cloth dressing. Not long after he extend- ed his business and built larger. After a few years more he was doing a large and profitable business by it and beneficial to the community at large, but in an evil hour while the workmen were eating dinner, it took fire from some cause, without saving anything and without be- ing insured, the insurance having run out. During this time he bought of the English company a large tract of land, several hundred acres, on part of which he soon built a large stone factory and commenced again not only the former branches but added to them the spinning and manufacturing of all kinds of cloth at a great cost. In the interim he built a large grist mill on Allen's Creek, a short distance east from Mumford where he was for some years doing profitable business. Owing to the location, it cost him a great deal of labor and money be- fore he got it perfected, and whether it was owing to, as President Jackson said on some memorable occasion, that he was doing too much business on borrowed capital, or that others took advantage of the oc- casion, his second factory having been burnt, which cost thousands of dollars in building and machinery, without insurance. Be that as it may, he lost the grist mill too; these misfortunes both coming on him nearly together reduced him from a state of affluence to a circum- scribed condition. He retained a part of his land and built a large, substantial saw mill near his house, which is doing business. About the year 1810 he married a worthy young lady, a daughter of Mr. William Hencher, a prince of pioneers, who was settled at the mouth of Genesee river in an early day. She was and is indeed a helpmeet to him. She had been inured to the hardships and discom- forts incidental to early pioneer life. I have not heard or seen that in all these adverse and calamitous providences, she uttered a perverse murmur. She is now a healthy matron and the mother of a highly respectable family. Two of her sons are in California, William and Simon Mckenzie; her other two sons, John and Joseph, carry on the business of the mill and farm; her oldest daughter, Jennet, is married to Mr. Daniel McNaughton, son of the veteran pioneer John McNaugh- ton; another daughter, Mary is married to Mr. Hector McLean, of Rochester (they conduct the McLean Hotel there).
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An authentic account of the settlement of Caledonia, which took place in the month of March, A. D. 1799: In the year 1798 a number of families and young persons emigrated from Broadalbin, Perthshire, in Scotland, for the laudable purpose of bettering their condition, and if possible, to buy themselves farms and a permanent home. They took shipping at Greenock in the beginning of March and proceeded from thence to New York, at which place they arrived before the first of May; from New York they proceeded without delay to Johnstown in this State. where a number of their friends had been settled for many years. While staying with or near their friends, they were visited by a man by the name of Williamson, who was agent for Sir William Pulteney, who owned a large tract of valuable land in South- ampton, now Caledonia. He found that many of them, if not all, were destitute of money either to buy land in Johnstown or to pay their ex- penses in coming to Caledonia. He found them, however, possessed of a more valuable ingredient-habits of industry, perseverance and economy, courage and patient endurance. Mr. Williamson agreed to pay all their expenses on the journey and also to furnish them teams and provision at a cheap rate until they could support themselves and a reasonable time to pay it in, but before they concluded this bargain they sent five of the young men to see the land and report to them be- fore they would venture to take so long and so hazardous a journey. Those courageous and hardy young men were sent by their friends, no doubt, with the same aim and for the same purpose that Moses sent the twelve from the camp of the children of Israel in the wilder- ness of Paran to see and search and satisfy themselves in regard to the promised land of Canaan. The names of the five men were John McNaughton, of Wheatland, a worthy and estimable man, and whose hospitality was proverbial and beneficial to all who came in in after years, and who still resides on the first farm he bought; Donald McPherson, another worthy man, who afterwards became an eminent elder in the Associate Reformed Church of Caledonia in October, 1813; Malcolm McLaren, who died soon after and who was the first white man that was buried at Big Springs; big John McVean, as he was for distinction called, who was a hardy intrepid pioneer and who lived for a number of years on an excellent farm now owned by Col. Rob- ert McKay and family about two miles west from the village of Cale- donia; Hugh McDearmid, an excellent penman ; James McLaren,
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who removed to Canada soon after the late war-these young men traveled all this distance on foot from Johnstown to the Big Springs which gushes forth today as freely and apparently as inexhaustibly as when I first saw it in March, 1804. After seeing and searching the premises they were well pleased with the prospect and offer made by Mr. Williamson, and when they returned to their friends they advised them to accept the offer, which they did and was as follows: they were to buy as much land at three dollars per acre as each should think best after seeing it, to be paid in wheat at six shillings per bushel, and ten years to pay it in. The number of persons, male and female, old and young, who came and formed this new colony did not exceed twenty. Few as the number was, they formned an important nucleus or centre, around and to which accessions were yearly made from Johnstown, from Inverness shire, Argyle shire and other places in Scotland, and in this country. Sir William Pulteney had a land office at Geneva, under the agency of Robert Throup at this time. He soon after appointed Mr. Alexander McDonald agent, to superintend the business of the colonists. He was a worthy man and died in 1826. He had an only son, whose name was Donald McDonald, a merchant and farmer; he died also in 1843, leaving a large and highly respect- able family to enjoy a large and rich inheritance and a good name. In the month of March, 1799, these few persons arrived in safety at the Big Springs, the place of the future residence of the most of them. Some few, having sold their first inheritance, went to other places. Most of the first settlers remained on their original farms until re- moved by death, and left large and rich inheritances and good exam- ples to their children. They built comfortable log houses, somewhat rough and rude, to be sure, but the latch string was always to be found in its place and always on the right side of the door. I saw every one of them in March, 1804, and was in them. Those early pioneers had to struggle with many inconveniences and discomforts for several years at first; among the most important was the want of good and sufficient teams and farming implements, and good mechanics of every kind and sort were not to be found for many years. West of the Genesee river and for a long distance east of it, for two or three years, there was no grist mill nearer them than twenty-five or thirty miles and bad roads at that. Besides these there were other obstacles, the want of experience and practice of the way and manner in which
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their labor would benefit them most retarded their progress and pros- perity, but their patient perseverance overcame this also. In com- mitting these facts to the pages of history, I have no other design but faithfully to record them, and also to take especial notice of God's goodness in protecting and prospering so humble a beginning. Let not the reader suppose that these few highlanders and others whose names may be mentioned in this narrative were the only poor pioneers who settled in the Genesee country since the year 1799, no, they were not, as many others who are yet living can testify. There is another remark I will make in this place and of which I wish the reader to take particular notice, especially if you are one of the descendants of those early pioneers here and elsewhere, and that is when you read of their poverty and privations, their patient endurance of fatigue, toil and discomforts, that this would tend to endear their memory to you more, especially when you look out on the rich and broad acres of land which their prudent forethought and persevering industry secured for the benefit of their families, and that you will with me honestly say and acknowledge before God when you worship him and offer to him your rich first fruits "A Syrian ready to perish was my father and he went down into Egypt," Deut., Chap. XXVI., Verse V. The names of those who came to the Springs, besides those already men- tioned were Peter Campbell and family, John McLaren and three sons John, Duncan and Peter; Finley McKercher and his two sons Peter and John McKercher ; John McPherson, John and Duncan Anderson- these last three were unmarried. In the spring of 1800 several others came, among whom was Alexander McPherson, Alexander Thompson, Thomas Irvin and family, William Armstrong and family, John Chris- tie and family, Duncan McPherson and family, Peter Anderson and family. On the arrival of the first named party Mr. Williamson promptly gave orders to Alexander McDonald, who was then clerk and agent for him at Williamsburg, to supply them with provisions and other necessaries. Wheat was procured at Dansville and ground at the Messrs. Wadsworth's mill at Conesus, and pork was drawn from the store at Williamsburg; they also bought cows of him, for all which they gave their notes which they paid when due. During the short time that the Scotch settlers at Caledonia were being supplied with provisions, oxen, cows by their patron, Mr. McDonald attended to their purchase and disposal and was soon settled among them invested
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY
with a local agency to receive payment for the land and whatever else they had bought of Williamson. These persons were soon called on to extend and grant to others the same liberality and kindness, which they did cheerfully and for many years. In the year 1798 Mr. Wil !- iamson opened a road from the Genesee river to Ganson's tavern, now in LeRoy ; he called it the Niagara road; he expended $2,000 in doing it. L. Peterson was the only occupant at the Big Springs then. John Smith of Sparta surveyed the road; he afterwards re- sided in Wheatland. In the spring of 1799 Williamson commenced the erection of a small grist and saw mill on the outlet of the Big Springs. He brought the mill stones from Albany at a great cost, with only one run of stones. In 1803 he sold 200 acres of land, which in- cluded all the spring and mill, to a very enterprising young man by the name of John McKay who afterward married one of Major Isaac Smith's amiable daughters. He kept a tavern about half way between the Genesee river and the Springs, where Mr. Sylvester Hosmer now resides. He also married a daughter of Mr. Smith's, and is a son of Hon. Timothy Hosmer of Avon. Having gained considerable acces- sions from others who came in yearly, the people resolved to hold a meeting for the purpose of forming themselves into a civil and relig- ious society. I will here give an extract from the original minutes of that meeting; it is in the hand writing of Alexander McDonald : "South Hampton, 10th November, 1802. This will certify that a meeting was held at the house of Mr. Peter Campbell, by the inhabi- tants, on the 10th day of November, in order to incorporate and estab- lish themselves into a civil and religious society, conformable to an act of the Legislature of the State of New York, passed the 27th day of March, 1801. That Alexander McDonald and John McNaughton were selected officers to receive the votes, etc. Thomas Irvin, Dun- can McPherson, Peter Campbell, John Christy and Peter Anderson were elected trustees, and that they unanimously voted that the name or title of the society shall be the 'Caledonia Presbyterian Religious Society.' Attested, Alexander McDonald, John McNaughton." About this time Sir William Pulteney, by his agent Robert Throup, made over a deed of 150 acres of land for church lands, two acres for a place to build a manse on and fifty acres for school purposes, to the above society, all of which were recorded in the clerk's office of the County of Ontario, in 1802. Thus was formed the first society west
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of the Genesee river in that memorable year. In the fall and winter of 1803 and spring of 1804 a large number of Scotch people came in from Inverness shire, Argile shire and other places in Scotland, and some who had remained at Johnstown since 1798 came in then also. I will here give the names of such as settled in Caledonia of the emi- grants of this year : Duncan McColl, an honest man, and his family: John McKenzie and family; Angus Haggart and Neal, his brother, young men; Duncan McLaren and family; Donald MeVean and family; Laughlan and Donald McLean and families; Archibald McLaughlin and family; William Orr and family; Capt.' John Me- Pherson; Donald Taylor and their families, Malcolm McPherson; Peter W. and John and Duncan W. McPherson; John McDearmid and family ; black Alexander McPherson and family, and the worthy Angus Cameron and family; Finley McPherson, although last, not the least among these worthies. Mr. John Cameron came in the fall of 1806 and bought the log tavern stand near which he built a large frame house and store in which the inhabitants of a large district around traded for some time. Col. Robert Mckay opened a store in Cale- donia in 1808 and had for clerks Federal and Gad Blakesley, promising sons of the veteran Col. Blakesley, of Avon. Gad Blakesley, is the postmaster in Caledonia at this date, 1852, and has been for several years. Col. Mckay is and has been a true patriot and of the right stamp; he was Captain of the Scotch company, and Thomas Duer, Lieutenant, on the breaking out of the war of 1812. He and his Scotch highlanders marched immediately to Lewiston and there remained until relieved by the regular troops and again in December, 1874, he volunteered with as many of his command as would volunteer and went with the brave Major General Hall of Bloomfield, N. Y. and Col. Blakesley. Hon. Geo. Hosmer was Gen. Hall's aide-de-camp in that battle. Many of the British troops were killed before and after they landed at Black Rock and not a few of our men.
They fought bravely and disputed and manfully opposed the landing of the British, but were at length obliged to yield to double their number of disciplined troops and swarms of Indians. There were but few of the regular troops on the Niagara frontier at that time. Captain Mckay, who was at that time Major was taken pris- oner and carried to Montreal with a number of other distinguished officers, where they were compelled to remain until they were regu-
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larly exchanged next year. The British being now unopposed and masters, immediately burnt Black Rock and Buffalo, having previous- ly taken that stronghold, Fort Niagara, burnt Youngstown and Lewis- ton, and lost no time in recrossing. I saw it stated in the newspapers of that period that the cause of this wanton waste of private property was in retaliation for the wanton burning of Niagara and Fort George by Gen. McClure, who was in command of a few of our troops, keep- ing possession of Fort George for the Americans. He on the night of the 19th of this same December, and as cold a night, I think, as has been since, set fire to everything that would burn of a public or pri- vate property and by the light of it crossed to the American side. This wanton act was afterwards excused on account of an ambiguous and unlimited order from the Secretary of War, Gen. Armstrong, which was worded as published in the public prints of that time and read as follows: "If you should consider it to be best for the safety of the frontier evacuate the place and burn it." I read probably exag- gerated accounts of the sufferings of the women and children, who had no other shelter, through that unusually frosty night, but the light and heat of their burning houses, Queenstown, the nearest place to them, being seven miles distant. Whatever was the motive that im- pelled them to burn this lovely village, I saw ample proof of the fact in the blackened walls of stones and brick and in the spacious and heavy chimney stacks, many of them costly, but fearfully and prompt- ly was it retaliated in the British burning everything that would burn on the American side, from Lake Ontario to Lake Erie at Buffalo. All this devastation was accomplished in the short period of time that intervened between the 19th and 30th days of December. The day on which Buffalo was burnt, a woman named Lovejoy was burnt in her house; she refused to come out, preferring to perish in the flames of her property than to survive without it. I shall have occasion to write more on this subject when I bring the history up to that date. After the first settlers had been in two or three years, they began to be encouraged and stimulated to perseverance and industry by their realizing twenty-five and thirty bushels of wheat per acre, although they could not with the means they had cultivate the ground properly. I have reason to believe that that fact was the bow of promise to them that a good time was coming and also that it was the origin of that consoling adage among us yet that a good time was in store for them,
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although none could fix a date when this much desired time would come. In a few years, however, they were able by their industry to evict poverty from their dwellings where it remains a stranger to this day. Without averring that all these people were truly religious, let it suffice the reader that they were brought up under the form and religious instructions of the church of Scotland, and that they mani- fested a regard for the institutions of the Gospel and a strict regard to sanctifying the Sabbath day, and for this purpose they used to assem- ble in private houses until they built a school house which must have been in 1802 or 1803, as I saw it in March, 1804, in which they after- wards met to worship God by prayer and reading of portions of the
scriptures. This people having been brought up carefully in the church under the regular preaching of the Gospel, they now began to consider whether they had not done wrong in leaving these blessed privileges and coming to a wilderness where they were deprived of these inestimable privileges. While they were thus blaming themselves and deploring their condition. God was developing and began to accom- plish his own wise purpose concerning them, as will be seen in the fol- lowing extract from the journal of the Rev. Jedediah Chapman of the Geneva Presbytery, who was a settled minister in that village then and as long as he was able to preach. He was of the Presbyter- ian denomination like themselves. Ile writes, "Lord's day, March 3rd, 1805, I preached in Caledonia, in a large school house which was full, and large numbers out of the door. The people are chiefly high- landers from Scotland; they appeared not only decent and attentive, but very solemn; they expressed a desire, if I thought proper, to be organized as a Presbyterian church. 1 then appointed a conference on Sunday for that purpose. Monday, 4th, the people met. Confer- ence opened with prayer. After giving an exhortation on the occa- sion proceeded to receive and examine certificates; numbers of them were produced from various parts of Scotland and approved-several persons were examined who had never joined the church and ap- proved, and some who were not approved, but desired to wait in the use of means until another opportunity. Matters being thus prepared, I then proceeded to oraganize them. They solemnly adopted the con- fession of faith of the Presbyterian church and the directory for church government and discipline. They solemnly covenanted to walk together in all the ordinances of the gospel of Jesus Christ, as a
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church of Christ, in the Presbyterian order." He says they chose three elders, two of whom were to officiate as deacons without giving their names. Donald Mckenzie, I know, was ruling elder from this day until his death in 1826, and the other three as far as I can find out, whether elders or deacons, were Duncan McPherson and Donald Anderson. "After sermon proceeded to ordain the elders and deacons. These people appeared to be very sensibly affected, and very thankful to me for coming among them, to the general assembly for their care, and to the great head of the church for these privileges and blessings in the wilderness. They also engaged to keep up the public worship of God on the Lord's day among themselves until it should please the Lord to send them a gospel minister." The following narrative will prove how faithfully the great head of the church fulfilled his part of this solemn covenant entered into on this memorable day, in not only sending to them one gospel minister, but in sending several. In the first place he sent this same Mr. Chapman at intervals, and Rev. John Linsley of Big Tree, and in February, 1806, he sent that eminent gos- pel minister Alexander Denoon from Inverness in Scotland, and of whom I shall have occasion to make frequent mention. Mr. Denoon was in Scotland at this date and not yet licensed to preach. Many of the people from Inverness shire, however, were well acquainted with his great talents and eminent piety, having often heard him lecture, while in Scotland, on portions of the Scriptures. Although he pre- pared himself for the gospel ministry, yet there were two or three oaths which he was required to take before or after ordination which he could not conscientiously take. About this time, 1805, this society sent him a friendly invitation to come to this place, which he complied with in February, 1806. He put himself under the care of the Presby- tery of Geneva and was licensed June 26 of this year, and on the 17th of August, 1808, he was ordained and installed the regular pastor of. the church in Caledonia, by the said Presbytery. That was a blessed day for the people of Caledonia, York, Wheatland and others. It may be asked what would they be now, were it not for this precious influ- ence of the gospel of Christ, which Mr. Denoon preached in its purity for forty-four years among them, teaching them, by the institutions of the gospel and by his own Godly example until his death in 1850. Others, too, were instrumental of much good to the people of these towns and co-workers with him, and he with them, which I shall re-
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late more fully hereafter. Mr. Denoon commenced to lecture in March, 1806, at the earnest request of the people, although he was not licensed to preach then. It was not long, however, before serious and open opposition was manifested by a large minority of the society openly and boldly. Many of them, however, after this became his sincere friends. His pungent, searching and scriptural doctrine was as offensive to the carnal mind at this time, as it was in the days of Paul, who thought he was doing good service when he was dragging to prison and consenting to the death of many of the sincere disciples of Jesus Christ. Now, without affirming that all who adhered to Mr. Denoon were true Christians, and that all the others were not, is not my object, in relating what I may have occasion to do of it, and I would rather the remembrance of this contention was buried in obliv- ion than to revive it, for I have reason to believe there is a Christian fraternal feeling existing now and for many years past between both ministers and congregations. There was another bone of contention and which created great animosity and bad feeling between them. In the 202 acres of land that had been deeded to them for church and school purposes, although the people that were in the place organized themselves into a civil and religious society in 1802, yet it was lost by their neglecting to elect trustees yearly so that the title to the land was vested in the part of the society that adhered to Mr. Denoon. In a few years after the seceding party solicited from the others and ob- tained an equal share of the land, and there are now and have been for many years two beautiful bands each vieing with the other in every good word and work. We can see in this that the great head of his church can bring good out of evil and make the wrath of man redound to his glory and to the furtherance of his all-wise and eternal purposes. These people are now, I think, in a more comfortable and convenient condition to worship God than they would be had they remained to- gether. There was, however, strong opposition made prior and at the time of Mr. Denoon's ordination and installation by a large and re- spectable minority, so that he had but a small majority of the mem- bers on account of this state of matters. The Presbytery that
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