History of Livingston County, New York, from its earliest traditions to the present together with early town sketches, Part 91

Author: Doty, Lockwood R., 1858- [from old catalog] ed; Van Deusen, W. J., pub. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1905
Publisher: Jackson, Mich., W. J. Van Deusen
Number of Pages: 1422

USA > New York > Livingston County > History of Livingston County, New York, from its earliest traditions to the present together with early town sketches > Part 91

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

950

HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY

The following is a list of the supervisors of Groveland :

Win. Fitzhugh ISIO-20-21

James Rosebruglı. 1813-14

Nathaniel Mann IS57-58

Jolın Hartman. 1863-64-65-67-68

Orimel Bigelow . 1866

Hugh W. McNair

IS73-75

Daniel Kelly

1827-28-29

Daniel H. Fitzhugh

IS30-31-32-33-34-35-41

Walter E. Lauderdale 1836-37

Reuben Field

1838

Daniel Kelly, Jr.

IS42-43

Daniel Kelly

IS44

W'in. Ewart ..

I847-49-50

Edward P. Fuller

Edward Logan. I852-53-59-60-61-62

Murray L. Gamble 1899-00-01-02

L. A. Hilliard. . 1903

The assessed valuation and tax rate per 81,000 are here given :

Assessed Valuation

Tax Rate 011 $1000

Assessed Valuation

Tax Rate on $1000

Assessed Valuation

Tax Rate 011 $1000

1860

786,552

7.12

IS75

1,491,367

7.91

1890

1,511,271

7.66

1861

778,341

7.66

I876

1,427,596

5.25

I891

1,560,738

6.39

1862

741,608

9. 88

IS77

1,336,559

5.54

1892

1,637,434

6.95

S63

736,915

10.42

ISSS

1,307,034

4.60

1893

1,011,516

IS61

736,717

16.90

1879

1,255,883

5.39

IS94

1,607,459

5.52

1865

782,094

47.00

ISSO

1,264,20I

5.31

1895

1,506,323

6.19

IS66

736,855

19.60

ISSI

1,260.970

4.65

1896

1,500,864

6.50

1867

759,213

20.35

ISS2

1,275,328

1897

1,507,641

6.57

1868

760,760

16.67

1883

1,396,071

5.00

1898

1,458, 121

7.02

ISog

768,984

15.54

1884

1,433,031

3.93

1899

1,450,350

8.69

1870

773,386

17.15

1885

1,488,697

4.52

1900

1,454,619

6. 13

1871

793,593

14.77

1886

1,599,758

6.81

1901

1,483,531

5.40

IS72

755.120

21.21

IS87

1,570,670

6.94

1902

1, 490, 110

3.49

IS73

768, IOS

15.83

ISSS

1,603,770

6.41

1903

1,522,020

6.57

IS74

1,501,578

9.80

1889

1,590,850

7.67

ISS5-So

Win. G. Wilson

I SSS

Edward E. Mann ..

1890

R. E. White. 1891-92

George T. Ewart. 1893

Edward M. Magee. 1894-95-96-97-98

Harvey Ewart ..

1854-55

Geo. S. Ewart .. 1869-70-71-72-74-82-83-84

Augustus Palmer IS56

Samuel Niblack 1815-16

Charles H. Carroll 1817-18-22-29-40-48

David Gamble. IS23-24-25-26-45-46

Jerome A. Lake .. 1876-78-87-89

George W. Kelly IS77

John W. Sickly ISTS-So-SI

Wm. H. Grav.

The Civil war record of the town is incomplete. In 1863 $100 was voted for the relief of each family of volunteers. Bounties for volun- teers and drafted men, "not exceeding $1,000 for each" were voted in 1864. In 1865 the town auditor was authorized at a special town meeting to issue town bonds "to the amount of 8400 to each volun- teer to fill the quota of the town"; and a month later another special town meeting voted the sum of $300 for the relief of each needy family whose natural supporters were in the military service or had died in the service.

951

HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY

The Presbyterian church of Groveland Corners was organized in 1795 by the General Assembly through the efforts of Rev. Mr. Thatcher, according to one authority, and in 1809 by Rev. John Lindsley, according to Mr. Lindsley. In the latter year the society consisted of sixteen members and three elders. Rev. Silas Pratt preached to them for a year in 1818, and the church was taken under the care of the Presbytery of Ontario in 1819. A house of worship was erected in 1829, the services having previously been held in a school house. There has been a frequent succession of pastors. The Methodists built a church at East Groveland in 1828.

The following very interesting particulars of the town of Grove- land were prepared by Miss Wilhelmina Mann :

"Among the surveyors who came with Williamson were John and Hugh McNair and John Smith. The deeds of many of the farms of the town show that they were surveyed by Smith. He purchased a tract of land a mile square, upon which he built a two story frame house where the Ozro Clark house now stands. Perhaps a quarter of a century ago the old John Smith building was moved a little north- east of its original site to make room for the new dwelling; there it may still be seen, but much altered in appearance by a coat of paint.

"1795 witnessed the arrival of Judge James Rosebrugh, one of the most prominent of the early settlers. He lived for a year or two at Sonyea, afterwards removing to the farm now owned by Chas. A. Hendershott. In 1817 he built the house now upon the place; it is practically unchanged in appearance.

"William Magee came from Northumberland county, Pennsyl- vania, in 1796, and settled upon the Hartman farm, now occupied by John Cooley. Until a house could be built, he and his family found shelter in a tent made of poles and covered with bark. From this place his little son Samuel walked several miles, alone, through the woods, to school; at night his anxious mother would go far to meet him, fearing that he might be devoured by bears. In a few years Mr. Magee moved to the farm now occupied by his grandson, Edward Magee.

"Thomas Ward purchased the farm Mr. Magee left. He brought with him from Maryland the Lombardy poplar trees which still form a distinctive feature of the place. He was almost the only carpenter in town and found profitable employment in the making of doors,

952

HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY

windows, cradles, bedsteads, etc. He soon erected a frame house of two stories and an attic. This old, wood-colored house stood as built until a few years ago, when it was incorporated in the new house built by Mr. Hartman and where Mr. Cooley now lives. This build- ing was of particular interest as the postoffice, called Groveland, was kept here for perhaps twenty-five years in the early part of the nine- teenth century.

"Near the close of the eighteenth century William McNair located at Williamsburg and the following persons also entered the town : John Harrison, Captain John Vance, the Lattimores, Culbertsons, Robert- sons, Stilwells, Barbers, Dotys, Levi Dunn, the Kellys, Ewarts, Boyds, Roups and Gambles.

"In 1798 Benjamin Parker, step-son of John Smith, came on foot from Sussex county, Pennsylvania, carrying his gun with him and surveying. He built the first log house on the Dansville and Geneseo road. It stood in front of what is now the yard of James Gilman. The many friendly Indians called Mr. Parker "The Big House," and he learned to speak their language fluently. Among his friends were Mary Jemison, Little Beard, Tall Chief and Red Jacket.

"In 1803 Thomas Bailey came from New Jersey to Groveland. He was a soldier of the Revolution and his son became a soldier of the war of 1812.

"In 1805 came Samuel Mitchell Mann from Horsham, Montgomery county, Pennsylvania. Returning to Pennsylvania he brought back with him his wife, Susan Burrows, taking up land from the Geneva office in 1806. The farm upon which he located is now occupied by his son, Nathaniel. A log house first sheltered the family, but in 1816 the present dwelling was built. Mr. Mann was a blacksmith by trade and brought his anvil when he moved those many tedious miles through the woods. He often said that he would have found it very difficult to raise his large family in the wilderness without the aid of his trade. On at least one occasion he drew his crop to Geneva to market, receiving in exchange a side of sole leather. This was converted by the itinerant shoemaker into shoes for the family, a needed protection against the winter's snow.

"Michael Johnson and his wife, Margaret Crossett came from Ire- land to Geneseo in 1804. But three years later they removed to Grove- land, bringing with them their little daughter, the late Mrs. Nancy

953

HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY

Culbertson. Mr. Johnson had prepared a log house for the reception of his family and it was complete, except that it lacked a floor and an outside door. A blanket did duty for the latter until something better could be made and a floor of split boards was soon laid. Mr. Johnson's first year proved a discouraging one, for vermin destroyed his corn and deer ate the buckwheat. But an energetic wife came to his assistance, and one fifty dollar payment on the homestead was made from proceeds of linen thread spun by Mrs. Johnson and sold in Canandaigua.

"Before the war of 1812, the Beans, Hendershotts and Gambles had become citizens of Groveland. It was in 1812 that Peter Titsworth came from New Jersey and took up a farm of seventy-five acres. He paid for it in wheat, which he sold in Rochester for twenty-five cents a bushel, the markets nearer home offering only ten cents. In 1814 the Hendershotts came and about the same time the Titsworths and Beattys.

"It was in 1823 that the late John Aten came with his parents from Pennsylvania, settling near Groveland Corners. The journey was ac- complished in a large covered wagon drawn by four horses and oc- cupied five days. There were then but two dwellings at the Corners. One still stands, changed in appearance, but with the same old frame; it is now the home of Richard Mate.

"About 1825 Isaac Havens built the grist mill at the south-west corner of the town. A few years later this was purchased by Abram Zehner. Another grist mill was previously built in the gully which came down where Judge Carroll lived. It was erected by a Mr. Shull, who lived near the present James Gilman house, but at what date the oldest inhabitant is unable to say. It could not have been running as late as 1823, for Mr. Aten recorded the fact that his father was obliged to go to Dansville for milling.

"George Bennett brought his family from Pennsylvania in 1824. They came in a large covered wagon, reaching the town on April 25, a cold time, three inches of snow having covered the ground a few days before. He settled upon the farm where his son Samuel recently died.

"In 1833 Theodore Swan, a lad, alone and a stranger, came to Will- iamsburg, then a place of importance, where he chopped wood for thirty cents a day and board. The post office was then at Hampton, with mail perhaps once a week.

954

HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY

"The pioneers found that they had to contest the occupation of their farms with the wild inhabitants of the forests. Cows were al- lowed to seek pasture in the unfenced woods, but they seem not often to have been molested; toward nightfall, the children would be sent to find them, often wandering for miles before doing so, their guide being the sound of the bell worn by the leader of the herd. It was while looking for the cows that two little daughters of James Beatty were lost and wandered all night in the dense woods around the inlet of Conesus Lake. Much of the time the older one carried the younger. It was not until morning that the children were found.

"Rattlesnakes were numerous and seem not to have inspired much fear in these hardy settlers. One day a farmer, swinging the scythe in the laborious haymaking of that time, found himself about to step upon a rattlesnake coiled in the grass. Perhaps because of the heat. but probably more for the purpose of economy, the farmer was bare- footed; he therefore made a hasty retreat, but the snake was killed by a man working with him. A little boy on his way home from school encountered and killed a rattler. Proud of his achievement, he dragged the dead snake after him to show to his people. Soon its mate put in an appearance. He succeeded in killing that also and proudly bore both snakes home.

"A farmer heard one afternoon, the squealing of a pig and found it being carried away in the embrace of a bear. Seeing the man she dropped the pig and showed her teeth in an ugly manner, and he de- cided that discretion was the better part of valor.

"When Hugh McNair lived in a log cabin at the spring near which Mrs. Aiten's house now stands he had his pigs enclosed by a high stake and rider fence and one day surprised a bear leaping over this fence with one of the pigs. In this case, neighbors collected and fol- lowe the thief with guns and axes. After a hard fight, the bear was killed on the flats below the Canaseraga.

"In the pioneer household almost everything necessary was manu- factured by the family. Matches were unknown; flint and the tinder- box took their place. Honey and the maple tree supplied sweetening so that 'store sugar' was almost unknown; women sometimes stayed out a week at a time making maple sugar in the woods. Soap was made from lye and grease. Light was furnished by the home-made tallow dip. Clothing was made of flax and wool, spun and woven by

955

HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY

the busy housewife. Often a little girl wore one woolen dress throughout the year; it would be first worn in the fall and would be warm and heavy as a protection against the cold of winter; when spring came it would be considerably thinner and would not be un- comfortable during the heat of summer. But did the little maid never tire of the checked linsey woolsey gown ?

"The cooking was all done at the open fireplace, the baking being accomplished either in the old fashioned bake kettle or the 'Dutch' or brick oven. This oven was first thoroughly heated by a fire built in it; then the coals were swept out and the bread thrown in upon the hot bricks where it was left just one hour and came out lighter and sweeter than any bread of to-day.

"The first tavern was kept at Williamsburg in 1797 by William Lemen. The next was that of William Doty, who for many years kept an inn on the farm now occupied by Fort Benway. The first license to sell intoxicating drinks was granted to him in 1816. John Hunt, for whom Hunt's Corners was named, opened a hotel at that place in 1814. At Groveland Corners Deacon Abram Harrison kept a public house in the present Richard Mate dwelling.

"There is no more interesting building in all Groveland than the old 'Gully School-house,' intimately associated with the intellectual and the spiritual training of the early days. It stands about a mile and a half south of Groveland Center opposite Glenwood Cemetery. Two acres of land were given by the land office at Geneva to be used for a cemetery and church. The hewed log build- ing now standing is the one then erected, but there was no door on the south side. It seems almost sacrilege to see this ancient land mark, windowless, with almost useless roof, ex- posed in this unprotected state to the fury of wind and storm. It is rapidly falling into decay and, unless rescued by the town authorities or the Livingston County Historical Society, will soon be only a mass of ruins. During the week this building was used as a school-house to which came many children intent on climbing learning's difficult hill. They came for miles, some even from Sonyea, where there was then no school. Perhaps William K. Mann is the only person now liv- ing who attended this ancient school. It was eighty-five years ago when he first went there. Among the pupils were Rosebrughs, Lattimores, Stillwells, Roups, Goheens, Hendershotts, Barbers,

956

HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY

Culbertsons, Eagles, Norcrosses, Lairs, Magees, McNairs and Manns. The name of the teacher at this time was Armstead; he was an old sea captain, a kindly gentleman. Sometimes, when the pupils grew dull and sleepy, he permitted them to study aloud in Chinese fashion; needless to say this had the effect of arousing them, and when the noise had continued long enough he brought it to a sudden end by thumping on the floor with an old splint broom. John Dixon, Dyer Cowdrey, and a man named Corson also taught in this house. The wooden benches upon which the children sat had no backs and as many as possible were placed against the walls of the house, the teachers staying in the middle of the room. In the north-east corner was a large fire place.

"On Sunday the same building did duty as a church, the pulpit standing on the east side of the room. Here John Linsley, and later Silas Pratt, preached. These men were home missionaries. Mr. Pratt lived in Dansville and for a time preached in four different places, Dansville, South Sparta, Groveland and Lakeville. Conse- quently several weeks would intervene between the days when he could speak to any one congregation; but when he did come, he made up for his absence by preaching two sermons, neither of them short. Between the two services, the people ate the lunch they had brought with them, visited, and, if the weather permitted, walked across to the cemetery or in the surrounding woods. They came to church for miles around, those who were fortunate enough to have them coming in their large wagons with the children seated on chairs in them. But many walked; some women coming from Sonyea, with the laudable desire to save shoe leather, came barefooted as far as the Canaseraga, where they washed their feet and donned shoes to wear the remaining two miles up the hill; returning, the shoes would be removed at the same point. Sabbaths when Mr. Pratt was not at the church it was the custom for a sermon to be read by one of the officers and that duty generally devolved upon Deacon John Jones, called the 'Father ot the church.' He was a brother-in-law of Daniel Kelly and lived on what is now a part of the Isaac Slack farm. For many years Michael Roup was the leader of the singing.

"In 1829 the Groveland Presbyterian church was erected and the Methodist Episcopal church at East Groveland was built about the same time.

957

HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY

"It is difficult for us at this late date, to realize the privations endured and the perils encountered by the pioneers a century ago; a little consideration of their difficulties and dangers can but make us more grateful for the privileges of to-day."

SPENCERPORT.

READ BEFORE THE LIVINGSTON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, BY DONALD GRANT, ESQ.

A paper read before this society at its annual meeting two years ago, by one of its most estimable and versatile members, demon- strated quite conclusively how much there may be of real interest in the past history of mere hamlets, when properly brought out. that serves to deeply interest and benefit those of us who live in the pres- ent age. The writer closed his excellent paper by suggesting that many such localities had existed in the county worthy of attention, and that the old abandoned Genesee Valley Canal could furnish many themes for the local historians.

Attempting to act upon so good a suggestion, permit us to state that in the year 1820 the highway commencing at a point on the Avon and Geneseo road near Lakeville, and leading directly west to the Gen- esee River, was laid out and opened to travel. A bridge across the river was soon afterwards erected, largely by voluntary contributions and labor, and the road extended on through Fowlerville, Union Cor- ners and South LeRoy to Buffalo. The crossing soon became one of considerable importance being the only one between Avon and Gen- eseo. The fate of bridges at this point has been somewhat precari- ous, the fourth one having been now in use for eleven years past, and at one time ferry service was brought into requisition by Asa Phelps of Avon.

William Janes owned and occupied the lands on the west side of the river and north side of the highway, and conveyed at an early day, one acre upon the river bank to Judge Riggs, of Littleville, who erected upon it a commodious grain warehouse which continued to be used as such until the completion of the Genesee Valley Canal in 1840; the last occupant being Thomas Kempshall of Rochester under the supervision of Elijah Rust. William Janes also conveyed in 1835 seventeen and a half acres on the north side of the highway, to Loth- rop Gaylord, and he to Wells Fowler in 1836.

959

HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY

The premises on the south side of the highway were owned and improved by Alfred Collins, who conveyed them in the spring of 1833 to Peter F. Mclean, who in 1835 sold to Messrs, Little & Dixon one acre upon the river bank for the purpose of building thereon a ware- house and ashery. During their construction a sudden and unex- pected rise in the river, swept away the material upon the ground, along with the bridge spanning the stream and greatly endangered the lives of those endeavoring to preserve them. The buildings were however duly completed and used for the purpose intended until taken down and the timbers of the former utilized in the construction of a warehouse at Sackett's Basin, and those of the latter for a blacksmith and wagon shop at Spencerport, on the Genesee Valley Canal. Large quantities of wheat were for many years brought from either side of the river and stored in these warehouses preparatory to shipping by flat boats upon the river to the Rochester mills, and many tons of merchandise were annually by the same source brought up the river and landed at them for merchants on both sides of the river.

In the year 1834 surveys for the Genesee Valley Canal were author- ized and made, and its construction authorized May 6, 1836. The letting of contracts for the work occurred at Albany in 1837. At said letting the work upon sections 23, 24 and 26 in the town of York, was awarded to David, John and Daniel D. Spencer and Alexander Hubbs, under the firm and style of John Spencer & Co., who all came from Montgomery County, N. Y., bringing with them several families among which were those of Ira Averill, Samuel Cutler and Benjamin Loucks, and of young men, David Parker, James Gray, Moses Shawl, Horatio Loucks and Andrew Hunter, entering vigorously upon the work with a large force on or about November 1, 1837. Section 24 lay directly across the aforementioned highway at a distance of some fifty rods from the river bridge where the company made their head- quarters of operations, Mr. John Spencer and Alexander Hubbs taking charge of the work upon sections 23 and 24, and Mr. Daniel D. Spencer that upon section 26. The canal being completed and water let therein in Sept. 1840, John Spencer purchased from Peter F. Mc- Vean, two acres of land, one upon either side of the canal early in the year 1841, and at once commenced upon the berme bank the erection of a large building for storage, forwarding and mercantile purposes; and on the towpath side, one for the stabling of his own and of canal

960

HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY

horses. Also one for the business of blacksmithing, wagon-making and cooperage, and one or two tenement houses. On the west side, Mr. Spencer and Mr. Hubbs erected their respective residences, Casper R. Cook and William H. Plant and other mechanics coming from Rochester and performing the work upon the buildings.

During the same year of 1841, Amos Fowler purchased from his father, Wells Fowler, the seventeen and one-half acres on the north side of the highway which the latter had previously purchased from Lothrop Gaylord, and erected thereon a commodious hotel and barns adjacent to the canal, and a convenient grain and freight warehouse upon the bank. Alonzo Fowler also built a corresponding warehouse adjoining that of his brother Amos, upon a Jot purchased from the latter, who transferred the balance of the land to Casper R. Cook, who having been the master mechanic thus far in the erection of nearly all the buildings mentioned, reared a home for himself on the west side of the canal as did Benjamin Loucks and others on the east side, and the place by common consent took the name of Spencerport. John Spencer opened in his warehouse block a grocery and provision store for the accommodation of the canal and other trade, and at once entered upon an extensive storage, forwarding and produce business which he ac- tively prosecuted for many years. In 1845 he was succeeded in the mercantile part by Peter Frazer, and in the other departments in 1848 by Charles A. and Edward T. Hosmer. In 1850 Mr. Spencer re- sumed the entire business associating with him his son-in-law, John Van Valkenburg, who conducted it jointly as long as there remained any to do.

Amos Fowler having completed his hotel and opened it as such in the fall of 1842, with a fine assembly room, the young people of the vicinity complimented his enterprise at Christmas time with a large dancing party at which the music was furnished by Frank McBean and John VanValkenburg, and the figures were all of the country dance style. Later on in the winter a large cotillion party was given at the same place, under the direction of Prof. Kellogg of Spring- water, who brought his orchestra with him, and on both occasions there were present good delegations of brave men and fair women, from Cuylerville and Mt. Morris. From the former place besides others, came John Adams and James Gray ; and from the latter, James Bump and Elijah Thatcher. The following winter Prof. Kellogg gave

961

HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY

instruction in the same room to a large class in the polite art of danc- ing which was well patronized from both sides of the river.

Mr. Fowler continued the hotel and forwarding business with a fair measure of success until . 1846, when he sold out the entire matter to James H. Bow, who also proved a popular landlord and produce oper- ator, continuing actively in both branches until sustaining the great loss by death of his excellent wife, and that of his boys, by enlistment in the Union army, when he leased his hotel to other parties and which a few years subsequently became a prey to the devouring element.

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History of Livingston County, New York, from its earliest traditions to the present together with early town sketches, Part 91

Author: Doty, Lockwood R., 1858- [from old catalog] ed; Van Deusen, W. J., pub. [from old catalog] Publication date: 1905 Publisher: Jackson, Mich., W. J. Van Deusen Number of Pages: 1422

Author: Doty, Lockwood R., 1858- [from old catalog] ed; Van Deusen, W. J., pub. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1905
Publisher: Jackson, Mich., W. J. Van Deusen
Number of Pages: 1422