USA > New York > Livingston County > History of Livingston County, New York, from its earliest traditions to the present together with early town sketches > Part 89
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At the crossing of the York and Geneseo road, Asa Bidwell, jr., erected and operated another saw mill for upwards of fifty years, as did Josiah Fisher, one mile above at the crossing of the Leicester road.
In the year 1816 Samuel Warren, coming from Litchfield, Herkimer county, N. Y., the following year purchased one mile still farther up the valley from Asa Davis, some thirty-three acres of land, upon which he built a log dwelling, and the first saw mill in that part of the town, which after operating for many years he disposed of the mill privilege proper, to William Hull, who operated in connection with it a brick yard, until about 1841, when he sold the property to David Richardson and he to Erastus Knowlton, after which Isaac McMillan became the owner for twelve or fifteen years when in 1857 it again fell into the hands of the original owner, Samuel Warren. Mr. Warren was also an expert horticulturist, making himself generally useful in grafting the orchards of the surrounding country and in planting upon the banks of the stream an extensive vineyard, from which he supplied many vines and as early as 1832 he entered into the
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manufacture of pure wines for medicinal and sacramental purposes. In that year the product amounted to twenty gallons, the first pro- duce in the county. In the year 1853 it reached upwards of 3,400 gallons and its reputation became known from the Atlantic to the Pa- cific. Mr. Warren died very generally lamented on the 14th of September, 1862.
In the year 1865 Josiah Warren erected upon the grounds a large stone building to be used as a wine press and wine cellar and, a few years subsequently Harlan P. Warren, added the facilities for the manufacture of cider and grinding feed, in which he transacted a large business. The Delaware, Lackawanna & Western railroad hav- ing secured the right of way and run their tracks directly through this once interesting spot, the buildings are no longer in use and all the prolific vines have been exterminated. The company have a water station at the point and are about to rebuild the dam in a most sub- stantial manner. But what has given a boundless notoriety to the valley of "Warren Creek," has been the unprecedented salt discovery and development of the last decade. the first indications of which were found upon the premises of the late Samuel Warren some fifty- five or fifty-six years ago and for which he refused a competency at that day. The first salt well actually drilled in the town of York or county of Livingston, was in the year 1878 near Greigsville upon lands of Carrol Coker, who for some time previously had manifested a won- derful zeal in agitating and encouraging the project and who may be said to be the originator of the find of the salt deposit in the Genesee valley, Messrs. M. Noonan, L. W. Crossett, C. H. Young, H. H. Guiteau, Josiah Warren and Harlan P. Warren furnished the material aiding. At a depth of 1,012 feet a vein of 137 feet of rock salt was struck. The investment of capital and the employment of men by the Retsof Salt Co., upon the former farm of Asa Bidwell, Jr., and that of the D., L. & W. Co., upon the former farm of William Mc- Cleary, both upon the banks of this stream, are among the stupen- dous business enterprises of modern times, with a future that no man dares to predict.
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HISTORY OF THE PIFFARD CHURCH.
Mr. and Mrs. David L. Haight of New York, whose daughter, Mrs. David Piffard, had settled in the Genesee valley, Livingston county, in 1824, became in consequence of frequent visits to Western New York, greatly interested in the welfare of the people in the near neigh- borhood of their daughter's home. Feeling a deep religious sympa- thy with those about them, and bending with noble energy every power to the work, they succeeded in establishing a church of their own denomination-Protestant Dutch Reformed. Deeply interested themselves, every effort was seconded-with successful result, by their co-workers, and on the 13th of July, 1847, was duly constituted the Dutch Reformed church of Piffard.
On the 14th of August, 1843, a meeting was held at the house of Duty S. Thompson, to consider the subject of raising funds toward erecting an edifice for religious worship. David Piffard, Wm. H. Spencer, Duty S. Thompson and Samuel R. Hawks, were elected trus- tees for the purpose of raising a subscription, and superintending the building of the church. Wm. H. Spencer declined to serve.
The building was to progress as fast as funds were raised. As soon as the floor of the church was laid, the pews were marked out and numbered, and sold to the highest bidder. All subscribers were en- titled to apply their subscriptions toward payment for their pews, and the surplus -- if any-was to be considered as `donations to the church.
On the second Saturday of the ensuing September (1843), the corner stone of the church was laid with appropriate ceremonies, by the Rev. Dr. Gustavus Abeel, of Geneva, N. Y. The basement was soon afterward completed, and Rev. J. Hammond of Mt. Morris was then engaged to supply the pulpit every Sabbath, which he did until the spring of 1846.
At a special meeting of the citizens held in the basement of the church on the 13th of April, 1846, the following resolution was unan- imously adopted: That we politely solicit the Rev. J. C. VanLiew, one of Christ's commissioned servants, to be presiding minister over the Dutch Reformed church of this place, and that Mr. Piffard be re- quested to inform Mr. VanLiew of this resolution. In compliance with this invitation, Mr. VanLiew was appointed by the synod's
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY
board, and entered on his labors as minister in charge, about the middle of May, 1846.
The church edifice being completed, was solemnly dedicated to the service of the Triune God, on Saturday, August 1st, 1846. The Rev. Dr. Wyckoff preached a most interesting and appropriate sermon from Isaiah, 60th chapter, and 13th verse, "And I will make the place of my feet glorious. " The act of dedication was performed by the Rev. Mr. VanLiew, the minister in charge. The exercises were solemn and impressive.
On Sept. 1st, 1846, they met to consider the sale of the pews, or renting of the same. The valuation was assessed at $2,500. The funds raised for those sold were to go toward expenses of building, of those rented toward the minister's salary.
The committee appointed by the classis of Cayuga, to organize a church in this place, met in the basement of the church July 13th, 1847, at three o'clock, p. m. The Rev. Dr. Abeel and Rev. J. C. Van- Liew, were present, and opened with prayer. The following persons were then received as members of the church: Mr. Chauncey Van- Vliet and his wife, Pelina Van Vliet, and Miss Sophia Steenberg, on certificate, from the Presbyterian church at Perry. Thomas Boyd and wife, Mrs. Miriam Boyd, on certificate from the Presbyterian church at LeRoy. Thomas Kincade and his wife, Mrs. Susanna Kincade. Mary Adeline, wife of Rev. J. C. VanLiew, from the 2nd Dutch Reformed church of New Brunswick, N. J. Jacob N. Clute, George Sinclair and his wife, Mrs. Mary Sinclair, also Mrs. Mary Sprowl. The following gentlemen were then elected officers of the church: Elders-Thomas Boyd, Chauncey Van Vliet. Deacons- Jacob N. Clute, George Sinclair.
Public service was then held in the church according to notice given on the previous Sabbath. Dr. Abeel preached the sermon, the text taken from 1st Timothy, 3d chapter, last clause of the 15th verse, "Which is the church of the living God-the pillar and ground of the truth." After the sermon, the elders and deacons were ordained in their respective offices. At a meeting following these services the fol- lowing wardens were elected: David Piffard, Edwin Buckridge, and B. C. Nichols.
Matters thus went on comfortably until Oct. 1847, when the Rev. J. C. VanLiew accepted a call to be principal of the Geneseo academy.
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However, in accordance with request, he continued to preach in con- nection with his new duties, until a resident minister might be ob- tained. Application was made to the classis of Cayuga, in 1847, for missionary aid with every prospect of its being granted, and the Rev. James M. Compton-a relative of Mr. VanLiew-was called, ac- cepted, and entered on his duties as pastor. A little later on, Nov. 16th, 1850, the missionary board failing to make any appropriation, he withdrew his services and gave up the charge.
In June, 1853, the Rev. Charles Ray, Presbyterian pastor, took charge of the congregation, and under his influence and that of others, it became a "society" connected with the Presbytery of Wyoming, and took the name of "The First Presbyterian congregation of Pif- fard." In the year 1853, Mrs. D. L. (Ann) Haight, gave to the church, and placed in the hands of Levi A. Ward and others, the sum of $1,500, the interest of which was to be used for various church ex- penses. Rev. Charles Ray continued his labors in this field for sev- eral years, when he removed to Geneseo, to fill-as did a predecessor -the position of principal of the Geneseo academy. Subsequent to his removal, the Rev. F. DeW. Ward, lately missionary in India, took charge of the church in connection with his parish in Geneseo-the Old School Presbyterian church. For twenty-five years he labored patiently and faithfully-never deterred by inclement weather or bad roads-winning the appreciative love of his parishioners. The organ- ization being at that time merely a "society" he was obliged to take those converted under his efforts, into his church in Geneseo, until such time as a church organization here would admit of their being enrolled members of such in this place.
When at last Dr. Ward resigned his field here, the church was var- iously opened by clergymen in the vicinity, kindly giving their ser- vices during the summer months, or Mr. Slack during the winter months, it being closed in the intervals. During the spring and sum- mer of 1884, a number of the members of Dr. Kittredge's congrega- tion of the Prebsyterian church in Geneseo, held weekly meetings in Piffard, with such success that out of the new life instilled through their labors, the church after a season of semiquiesence, started afresh with every prospect of enduring success. In the summer of 1884, the following trustees were elected: Nina H. Piffard, T. N. Shattuck and Robert M. Ferris. Subsequently in the place of Mr.
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY
Ferris, resigned, Mrs. Charles F. Wadsworth was elected trustee.
In the autumn of 1884, the Rev. Mr. Gutelius of Moscow, began to hold services in the church at the request of the congregation, increas- ing the newly-grown interest, and continuing until a resident min- ister could be secured, which was done during the summer of 1885. Rev. John M. Wolcott of New Haven, Ct., was called, and accepted. Under his influence was regularly organized the "First Presbyterian Church of Piffard."
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1
GROVELAND.
Groveland may be called the central town of Livingston county. It is bounded north by Geneseo, west by Conesus, south by West Sparta, and east by Mt. Morris. Its area is 24,769 acres, and its pop- ulation in 1900 was 1949.
In 1812 the legislature enacted that "all that part of the town of Sparta in the county of Ontario comprising township eight in the sev- enth range and the west half of township eight in the sixth range of Phelps and Gorham's purchase" be erected into a separate town by the name of Groveland. The population was then very small and scattered, but soon increased. Three-fourths of the town consists of elevated table lands. These slope down to the tlats of Canaseraga creek which comprises nearly all of the remaining one-fourth of the area.
Doty's history says: "The pioneers found the surface of the town everywhere diversified with clusters of fine trees, free from under- growth, with intervals of natural openings. The fires periodically kindled by the Indians had destroyed the leaves and bushes and in a great measure the fallen and decaying wood, so that it presented the appearance of a succession of groves, and when the town was created the early settlers had the good taste to petition that it be called by the appropriate name of Groveland."
And Samuel Magee is quoted as saying : "What is now called Grove- land hill was at first considered very poor land. Many portions were scatteringly covered with chestnut and the different kinds of oak, and some places were destitute of timber altogether. The openings grew up to a tall red grass which was burned over every fall by the Indians. In some parts of the timbered lands would be found an undergrowth of whortleberry and other bushes; and take it all in all, the land was considered poor. Consequently there were few settlers on the hill until the introduction of clover and plaster. Then the land seemed to come right up. Groveland farmers could then raise as good crops as we of the valley, and the wheat was of better quality-the berry was larger and more plump."
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The uplands produce fine crops of wheat, and the flats are more suitable for grass, corn, beans and root crops. The farms are care- fully cultivated by progressive farmers, and it is a productive town as much by reason of their intelligent toil as its generally excellent soil. The surface is cut up somewhat by rivulets which have eaten so deep and wide as to make picturesque ravines with remarkable chasms and beautiful waterfalls. One of the chasms is 350 feet across, and has perpendicular banks 175 feet high. These scenic features attract and delight the lovers of nature.
The two principal streams are Canaseraga and Keshaqua creeks. The three hamlets are Groveland Corners, East Groveland (former- ly Hunts Corners) and Groveland Station.
Extinct Williamsburg was located in Groveland at the confluence of the Genesee river and Canaseraga creek, and here the settlement of the town and the first village of the county were started by Captain Charles Williamson in 1792. He came to the Genesee Valley as the first agent of the Pulteney estate, and quickly selected the site indi- cated for his trade center, as being the best for transportation pur- poses, the two streams being then navigable for flat boats- the river for fifty miles down the valley and the creek for twelve miles up, in straight lines. The same year he employed German emigrants to open a road through the wilderness from Pennsylvania north to Williamsburg.
Buildings were quickly erected at Williamsburg and in 1798 there were several log houses and three frame dwellings. A post office was established there in 1792, it being the terminus of a post route from Whitestown. Here the first store in the county was kept by Alex- ander McDonald, and near here in 1793 Capt. Williamson constructed the first race course for running horses.
Among the surveyors who came with him were John and Hugh McNair and John Smith, and the original deeds of many of the farms of Groveland show that they were surveyed by Smith. He purchased a tract of land a mile square on which he built a two-story frame house.
Judge John Rosebrugh, one of the most prominent of the early set- tlers, arrived in 1795. William Magee and family came in 1796, and until a house could be built they found shelter in a bark tent. Thomas Ward was one of the earliest settlers, and for a time was
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY
almost the only carpenter in town. Benjamin Smith, step-son of John Smith, the surveyor, came in 1798 on foot from Sussex County. Pa., and built the first log house on the Dansville and Geneseo road. He learned to speak the Indian language fluently, and counted among his friends Mary Jemison, Little Beard, Tall Chief and Red Jacket.
About this time, or near the close of the century, arrived in Grove- land John Harrison, Captain John Vance, Levi Dunn, the Hunts, Culbertsons, Robertsons, Stilwells, Barbers, Kellys, Ewarts, Boyds, Roups and Gambles.
Thomas Bailey, a Revolutionary soldier, came from New Jersey in 1803. Samuel M. Mann came from Pennsylvania in 1805, and the next year went back and returned with a bride. He was a black- smith, and brought an anvil through the woods to his new home. Michael Johnson and his wife Margaret came from Ireland to Geneseo in 1804, and three years later moved to Groveland. Their little daughter at that time was the late Mrs. Nancy Culbertson.
On the town records are the names of Daniel Ross, Levi Dunn, Hugh McNair, William Harris and William Kelly as settlers in 1797, and Elias Harrison, William McNair and John Rosebrugh as settlers in 1795.
Daniel Kelly came to Lakeville from Pennsylvania with his father and family of eight children in 1797, and settled in Groveland in 1799 on the farm where he died, and on which he lived sixty-two years. He was a man of strong character, and much esteemed. He was sup- ervisor of the town many years.
John Hunt, who in 1800 settled on the farm afterward owned by Samuel Culbertson, in 1814 opened a tavern at Hunt's Corners, and kept it six years. There were then two other taverns in town- William Doty's in the southern part and Joseph Richardson's at Williamsburg. The following is a description of William Doty and his tavern:
William Doty, Senior, came to what is now the town of Groveland, to reside permanently on June 4, 1806, from the township of Derry, County of Westmoreland, and State of Pennsylvania. This was his second visit. He had removed thither from the town of Groveland in the year 1795. On his first visit to the "Genesee Country," he resided about three-fourths of a mile from the residence of Judge Carroll, but had purchased a farm and had commenced the erection of a log house
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY
down very near the head of Conesus Lake, on the inlet of the lake. He had raised it about three logs high on each side before abandoning it and returning to Pennsylvania. The reasons for his leaving the "Genesee Country" are probably found in the fact that very few set- tlers had as yet made homes in that wilderness territory, his sons were not yet of an age sufficient to render him much aid, and becoming somewhat discontented, he went back to Westmoreland county, Penn- sylvania, where his brothers, Jonathan, Joseph and Nathaniel resided. Previous to his first emigration to Western New York, he had removed from Bascomb Ridge, Sussex county, New Jersey, to West- moreland county, Pennsylvania, and hence to the Genesee country.
He purchased the premises on which he resided until 1831, and now owned and occupied by Fort Benway, of one Jonathan Miller. Mr. Miller had built a dwelling house of round logs on the east side of the highway and about twenty rods south of the present house. There are still two apple-trees standing in the meadow, which stood on either side of the house. This house was one story and a half in height. It had two windows in front and end windows on the north side, and east side windows on the south side. The door was in the middle on the east side next to the corner. The marsh near which Geo. Patterson's fanning mill shop was afterwards built was only about eighty rods from this house.
The family when it left Derry consisted of Mr. Doty and wife and six sons (Parker, Jonathan, Hugh, Zebulon, William and Joseph), and an old bachelor named John Melvin. £ The conveyance consisted of an old fashioned Pennsylvania farm house wagon. The wagon box was of oak panel work and turned up at both ends. The top consisted of unpainted tow cloth stretched over hoops. The horses were four in number, two and two abreast, and driven with one line. In fording streams one of the boys would ride the lead horse, and Mr. Doty would ride what was called the "saddle horse," which was the near side wheel horse. The near side forward horse was called the "lead horse." When they came to the Susquehanna River it was pretty high. In crossing it three of the smaller boys were required to stand on their tiptoes in the front part of the wagon and hold on to the high front board of the wagon. The water was so high that it just came in on the bottom. A fifth or riding horse was brought along. The small riding horse was ridden alternately by the boys and the mother. In
LL
W DOTY'S INN. Croveland . N Y.
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY
crossing the Susquehanna Mrs. Doty chose to attempt fording that stream on horseback, and when about in the center, either from play- fulness or pleasure the horse laid down. Mr. Melvin who was on foot and happened to be near at hand waded rapidly towards her and res- cued Mrs. Doty from the water and carried her on his back to the bank where she rejoined the rest of the family thoroughly wet. This was in the month of May, 1806. They remained over night at Dansville on their way, and came next day to the house of Capt. John Smith. Capt. Smith was the step-father-in-law of Mr. Doty. Mr. Smith then resided on the premises since occupied by his daughter Rose Draper, and subsequently occupied by Dea. Wm. Leaming, and more recently by Mr. James Galbraith. In the following fall Mr. Doty moved up on Grove- land Hill to the Miller house, and commenced the construction of the hewed log house at once. This house was built on the west side of the highway, and a little south of the Miller house. It stood on a promi- nent knoll to the north of the well which is still in use on the farm.
On the evening preceding Christmas 1807, William Doty removed from the Miller house to the new hewed log house, and in 1808, opened this house as a tavern. The main part was two stories and an attic in height; the first story of which consisted of two rooms, the second the same number, and the attic or garret was in a single room. The bar- room was in the large or south part. He built a lean-to for a kitchen on the north side, consisting of a single room, and one story in height.
After he opened as a tavern, John Yard, a cabinet maker residing in the neighborhood of Mt. Morris, constructed for him a sign. It con- sisted of a piece of black walnut board an inch and a quarter in thick- ness. The name was produced by veneering with a kind of white wood. The veneering was done by farrowing out the board in the shape of the letters and inserting the white colored wood. It had neither cornice nor moulding, but was perfectly flat. It read "Wm. Doty's Inn."
An influential Groveland citizen of the early days was Michael John- son, who came from Ireland. He was one of the first deacons of the Presbyterian church. The first minister to preach in Groveland was the Rev. Samuel J. Mills, a. Presbyterian, who held services in the warehouse at Williamsburg.
Among the earliest settlers were the McNairs, who were Scotch
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY
Irish. John McNair emigrated to America in 1736, settled with his family in Pennsylvania, and died there. His sons, William and John, came to the Genesee valley in 1798, driving teams and cattle before them. They made Williamsburg a temporary home. William bought a farm of 262 acres adjoining the lands of the present Craig Colony, cleared it and lived there until he died in 1823. His son Hugh became judge of Ontario county while it included Livingston.
It has been stated that Captain Charles Williamson came to the Genesee country as agent of the Pulteney estate. The lands had been purchased of Robert Morris, and were owned by an English company of which Sir William Pulteney was the head. Captain Williamson
HOTEL AT WILLIAMSBURG PHOTOGRAPHED FROM A DRAWING.
was a remarkable man. He was far-sighted and enterprising, with business ability to correspond, with genial and humorous qualities which made him popular. He did more than anyone else to bring settlers to the valley. The road which he opened through the woods to Pennsylvania was the first highway to the Genesee country from the south. The annual races and fairs which he organized and adver- tised in connection with his driving park at Williamsburg attracted distinguished sportsmen from Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Maryland as well as New York, who came with their horses, and some of them with their slaves, and others followed in their train and became per-
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY
manent settlers. Cattle and sheep as well as horses were exhibited, and dealers came from a distance to select and buy. The Williamson road which made Williamsburg so accessible to the southern people, started at Williamsport on the south, extended up the Lycoming, touching the Tioga at Blossburg, then called Peter's camp, followed the Tioga to the mouth of the Canisteo, thence to Painted Post and up thevalley of the Conhocton through Bath, through the present town of Wayland, along the head of Springwater valley, about six miles south of Hemlock lake, over the hills to the inlet of Conesus lake a mile below the site of Scottsburg, westward along the southern base of Groveland hill, and on to Williamsburg. Captain Williams had much trouble with the colony of German emigrants whom he employed to help construct the road. They were ignorant, inefficient and insub- ordinate, but, bossed by Benjamin Patterson, who understood their language and made them fear him, and stimulated by the example of six sturdy and skillful Pennsylvania woodsmen, the road was slowly cut through. This was in the winter. In the spring they were all conducted to Williamsburg, and here Captain Williamson was so lib- eral that he assigned to each family a house and fifty acres of land, with cattle and sheep, farming utensils and a stock of provisions. But they were shiftless and improvident, and instead of improving their opportunities, became destructive and mutinous. Captain Williamson was assailed by Berezy, their leading man, with his ill- favored rabble behind him, and for an hour and a half in a corner of a store between two writing desks, expected, as he afterwards said, every instant to be torn in pieces. But he and his friends managed to keep them at bay, and Berezy at last was influenced to quell the tumult. The mutiny lasted several days, however, and the Germans drove away or killed all the cattle on the premises. But the sheriff of Ontario county came with a strong posse and subdued them. Some of them were convicted at Canandaigua, and finally arrangements were made whereby the whole colony went to Canada. They con- sisted of eighty families, and had been selected and sent to this country through the agency of Sir William Pulteney. He supposed they were a superior class of emigrants, but had been completely deceived, for it was ascertained that they were vagrants collected from the streets of Hamburg and other cities, totally unaccustomed to any rural occu- pation.
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