USA > New York > Livingston County > History of Livingston County, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 21
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" Wheat, from 62 cents to 1 dollar a bushel- corn from 37 to 50 cents a bushel-rye from 50 to 62 cents a bushel-hay from 6 to 12 dollars a ton- butter and cheese, 10 to 16 cents a pound-a yoke of oxen, 50 to 80 dollars-milk cows from 16 to 25 dollars-cattle for driving, 3 to 4 dollars a 100 lb.,
* Doc." Hist, II., 1172, 1173.
t Doc. Ilist. II., 1182.
99
POPULATION FROM ISIO TO 1880.
a pair of good working horses, 100 to 125 dollars- sheep from 2 to 4 dollars-pork, fresh killed in winter, 4 to 6 dollars a hundred, and salted in spring, 8 to 10 dollars-whiskey from 50 to 75 cents a gallon-salt, 1 dollar a bushel weighing 56 pounds-field ashes, 4 to 9 cents a bushel-600 bushels may be manufactured into a ton of pot or pearl ash, which has been sold at market at 125 to 150 dollars, and some persons by saving their ashes, or by manufacturing them, have nearly cleared the cost of improving the land. The wages of a laborer, Io to 15 dollars a month, and board. A suit of clothes miade at 4 or 5 dollars. A pair of shoes, 175 to 250 cents. Store goods are sold at very moderate prices, the expense of carriage from Al- bany to New York being about two dollars a hun- dred weight."*
Settlements progressed rapidly till the opening of the war of 1812, which was " a complete damper to all sales of new land," and it was said "more set- tlers went out than came into the Genesee coun- try."f The settlers responded promptly to the call for volunteers, and left the improvements many of them had so recently commenced to take up arms to repel a threatened invasion. Under the leader- ship of Gen. William Wadsworth, of Geneseo, who early tendered his services to the government, they participated in the brilliant but unfortunate engage- ment of Queenstown Heights, October 13, 1812, and were surrendered with their commander, to- gether with the fort captured in the early part of the engagement, to the British under General Sheaffe. To subsequent calls the sturdy pioneers of the Genesee Valley as promptly and generously responded, but owing to the incompetence or cow- ardice of their leader-General Smyth-their labors were mostly crowned with inconsequential results ; notwithstanding they sustained severe losses by sickness and battle. The settlements during this period were frequently troubled with serious alarms by the reported invasion of the British and Indians ; and especially was this true on the capture of Fort Niagara by the latter December 19, 1813, with the burning of Youngstown, Lewiston, Manchester, (Ni- agara Falls,) and the Indian village of Tuscarora, and the destruction of Black Rock and Buffalo in like manner on the 30th of the same month.
"After the close of the war," says Hon. Augus- tus Frank, " the tide of emigration again set in for the Genesee country, and from that date until 1820 the increase of population was large, coming par- ticularly from the New England States. On the return of peace a surplus of labor, which the cur- rent prices of produce would not remunerate,
* Doc. Hist., 11., 1184. LIS5.
t Address of Hon. Augustus Frank, of Warsaw, Wyoming county.
flooded the land. The heavy duties which had been imposed on imports for the support of the war had stimulated domestic manufactures. On the removal of these imports the country was flooded with foreign goods. Manufacturing indus- tries became stagnant, the country was depleted of specie, and the currency greatly depreciated. Un- der such circumstances it is not wonderful that * * * the early snows of winter showed the tracks of many naked little feet."
From this period up to 1850 the population gradually increased ; from 1850 to 1865 it de- clined ; and since 1865 there has been a gradual increase, till at present, ( 1880) is has nearly reached the highest point attained, in 1850, and nearly double the population on the organization of the county.
The subjoined table shows the population of the county at different periods :-
13.390
1850 40,873
1820 t.
21,305
1855. .37,943
1825
23,860
I 860. 39,546
1830
27,729
1865
.37,555
1835
31,002
1870.
38,309
1840
.35,140
1875 .38,518
18.45
33,193
1880. 39,261
The Genesee's beautiful valley attracted many sturdy and active emigrants from the comparative luxury of their eastern homes to grapple with the temporary hardships and privations incident to the settlement of a new country. A steady and healthy growth was maintained for many years; and though Livingston cannot point to any gigantic commercial or manufacturing enterprise within her borders, she can, with just pride, refer the stranger to the no less gratifying evidences of wealth, pros- perity and contentment exhibited by the tillers of the soil, who have supplemented nature by im- proving an already beautiful country and trans- formed it from its pristine wilderness to the produc- tive and attractive farms which adorn its hillsides and gentle slopes. If we do not hear the busy hum of mechanical industry as it greets us in large and populous cities and villages, neither do we see and deplore the disparaging contrasts between affluence and poverty which the latter picture inva- riably presents. Here all are producers, and the wealth of the country is more uniformly distributed.
* This is not exact, but a close approximation to exactness. It is de- signed to give the population at that period of the towns at present com- posing Livingston county, as nearly as that can be ascertained. It does not, however, include that of North Dansville, which then formed a part of Dansville, Steuben county, which then had a population of 666.
t The figures for this year also embrace the population of all the towns at present in Livingston county, except North Dansville, then a part of Dusville, Steuben county, which had a population of 1, 565.
100
HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
CHAPTER X.
INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS-ROUTES AND MEANS BY WHICH THE PIONEERS REACHED THEIR WILDER- NESS HOMES-NAVIGABLE STREAMS THE PUBLIC HIGHWAYS-INDIAN TRAILS-ROUTES INDICAT- ED BY BLAZED TREES-IMPROVEMENTS IN THE NATURAL WATER CHANNELS- WESTERN INLAND LOCK NAVIGATION COMPANY -- OLD GENESEE ROAD-CAYUGA BRIDGE -SENECA TURNPIKE COMPANY - FIRST MAIL. BETWEEN WHITES- TOWN AND THE GENESEE - WILLIAMSBURGH ROAD-FIRST VESSEL AND STEAMBOAT ON LAKE ERIE-THE ERIE CANAL-EARLY SPECULATIONS REGARDING IT-FIRST SURVEY THEREOF-FIRST BOARD OF CANAL COMMISSIONERS-FIRST CON- TRACT ON ERIE CANAL-CONSTRUCTION COM- MENCED-THE COMPLETION CELEBRATED-ERIE CANAL ENLARGEMENT -NAVIGATION OF THE GENESEE-FIRST CANAL-BOAT AND STEAMBOAT THEREON-GENESEE VALLEY CANAL-PRELIMI- NARY MEASURES-CONSTRUCTION AUTHORIZED- ITS COMPLETION-DANSVILLE AND ROCHESTER RAILROAD -GENESEO AND PITTSFORD RAIL- ROAD-ATTICA AND HORNELLSVILLE RAILROAD- PORTAGE BRIDGE-PORTAGE RIOT-BUFFALO AND COHOCTON VALLEY RAILWAY -ROCHES- TER AND GENESEE VALLEY RAILROAD-GENE- SEE VALLEY RAILROAD-AVON, GENESEO AND MT. MORRIS RAILROAD-DANSVILLE AND GEN- ESEE VALLEY RAILROAD COMPANY-ERIE AND GENESEE VALLEY RAILROAD -- SILVER LAKE RAILROAD-CANANDAIGUA AND NIAGARA FALLS RAILROAD-ROCHESTER, NUNDA AND PENNSYL- VANIA RAILROAD-ROCHESTER AND GENESEE VALLEY CANAL RAILROAD.
W E turn from the fruitful and inviting subject of pioneer life to the consideration of the means by which the pioneer reached his home in the wilderness and the projects of internal improvement which subsequently engaged his attention. When the first settlers came in there was not a road in the county, nor one leading immediately to it. To the Wadsworths belong the honor of opening the first road into its borders. There were two princi- pal routes by which the pioneers came, denomina- ted the north and south water routes-the former the Hudson, Mohawk and Seneca rivers, the latter the Susquehanna and its branches-and the navi- gable streams were the most frequented highways for some years after they arrived. Many, however, compassed the entire distance from the far New
England States on foot, bringing nothing with them but an axe. Those who came with their families generally came with ox teams drawing sleds, sometimes wood-shod, or covered wagons, often performing the entire journey in this manner. and frequently driving a few sheep, cattle and other animals before them. Many, however, re- sorted to this mode of conveyance only to and from the termini of the water routes ; while others, accommodating themselves to circumstances, left water routes at various points. The winter season was generally selected, as they could then reach points in the wilderness which were inaccessible to their rude conveyances at other seasons. Many, after leaving the main roads, threaded for long distances forests unbroken, except by the few scant, rude clearings made by the Indians. Blazed trees were the forest guide boards, and by their aid the forests were traversed from one locality to another. But these human denizens could not prosper in their isolated settlements; they must needs open communication with each other and to points af- fording a market for their surplus products, and to this end roads were indispensable and of the first importance.
The pioneers first followed the Indian trails and from these branched off into routes indicated by marked trees. The principal trail extended from the Hudson, at Albany, to Lake Erie, terminating on the site of Buffalo. It followed the Mohawk to a point about in the locality of Utica, thence passing through Oneida and Syracuse, and near the foot of Skaneateles, Owasco, Cayuga, Seneca and Canandaigua lakes, crossing the Genesee at Avon. Its route was found to be so advantageous that subsequently the first great western turnpike was laid out mainly along its course. Two trails ex- tended along the Genesee, one on either side of the river, that on the west side following its tortu- ous windings through the Indian villages of Cana- waugus, near Avon, Ohagi, a Tuscarora village on the flats below Cuylerville, Big Tree, (Geneseo,) Beardstown, (Cuylerville,) Squakie Hill, near Mt. Morris, Gardeau, the home of Mary Jemison, and thence to Cancadea, in Allegany county, the last of the Seneca villages in the Genesee Valley. That on the east was intersected near Mt. Morris by trails extending up the Canaseraga to Dansville. Several other trails intersected these, connecting the numerous Indian villages within the county, and in many instances they have been perpetuated by local roads opened along their course.
From an early period in English colonial history,
101
EARLY ROADS AND NAVIGABLE WATER COURSES.
the subject of improving the internal water courses between the Hudson and the great lakes engaged the attention of the government. In 1724, Cad- wallader Colden, then Surveyor-General of New York, after mentioning the communication between the Oswego ( Onondaga ) river and Lake Ontario, ( Cadaraqui,) intimates that Seneca river might give a more advantageous route to Lake Erie, and avoid the falls of Niagara, (Jagara, ) by which the French were obliged to reach it .* This is doubt- less the first speculation in regard to an interior water communication between the Mohawk and Lake Erie ; and "was but the expression of a hope that a more safe, as well as convenient way might be found to the trade of the upper lakes than that frequented by the French, and made dangerous to the frail boats then employed in the fur trade by the storms of Lake Ontario."t In his report of that year, (1724,) Colden describes the portage be- tween the Mohawk and Wood Creek as being three miles long, except in very dry weather, when goods must be carried two miles further. This portage was obviated as early as 1766, for Carver, who tra- versed the lake country in that year, said the pas- sage between those streams was effected by means of sluices .¿ In 1768, Sir Henry Moore, in a mes- sage to the Colonial Legislature, suggested as a remedy for the obstructions to navigation in the Mohawk between Schenectady and Rome, (Fort Stanwix,) sluices like those in the great Canal of Languedoc, France.§ In 1784, and again in 1785, Cristopher Colles of New York city memorialized the Legislature and procured an appropriation of $125 to enable him to examine the Mohawk River, with a view to its improvement ; | and in 1786, Jeffrey Smith, a member of the Legislature, intro- duced a bill to effect this improvement, and for "extending the same, if practicable, to Lake Erie.""
Before and during the Revolutionary war, the Mohawk was navigated by bateaux of light draught and easy transport over the carrying place at the lesser falls .**
In 1791, Gov. George Clinton urged upon the Legislature the necessity of improving the natural water channels, so as to facilitate communication with the frontier settlements, and in that year a law was passed to authorize the Commissioners of
* Colden's Memoir, 28.
1 Origin and History of Erie Canal, by George Geddes, 2.
# Colden's Memoir, 12.
§ Colden's Memoir.
1 Clark's Onondaga 11., 51.
1 Turner's Holland Purchase, 619.
** Benton's Herkimer county and Upper Mohawk Valley, 212.
the Land Office to survey the portage at Rome and the Mohawk to the Hudson, for improvement by locks, and 100 £ were appropriated for the ob- ject .* The survey was made by Abraham Harden- burgh, under the advice of William Weston, an English engineer. The report of the commis- sioners was so favorable that March 30, 1792, the Legislature incorporated the "Western Inland Lock Navigation Company," with power to open lock navigation from the Hudson to Ontario and Seneca lakes. to " encourage agriculture, promote commerce and facilitate intercourse between the citizens" of the State.} 'The capital stock of the company was fixed at $25,000, and afterwards increased to $300,000. The improvement made consisted in the construction of locks and a canal around Little Falls, the removal of other obstruc- tions in the Mohawk, connecting that river with Wood creek by a canal from Rome, straightening Wood creek and shortening the distance over it nearly one-half, and the removal of obstructions in Oswego and Seneca rivers. These improvements, slight as they were, are said to have doubled the value of the contiguous lands, and greatly aided the settlement and development of the resources of. Central and Western New York.
As early as 1796, navigation was opened from Schenectady to Seneca lake for boats of sixteen tons burden, in favorable stages of water in the rivers ; but the locks, being constructed of wood and brick, soon failed, and had to be replaced by stone. In 1813, the company had expended $480,000, towards which, in 1795, the State sub- scribed $ro,ooo, and in 1796, loaned $37,500, taking a mortgage on the canal and locks at Little Falls .¿ At a later day, a proposed canal to con- nect the waters of Mud creek with those of Tona- wanda creek, thus opening water communication between the Genesee above Rochester and the Niagara above the falls, formed a part of this scheme of internal improvements.
In 1794 and '95 the State made appropriations for the improvement of the road which followed the trail between the Mohawk and Lake Erie, afterwards known as the "Ontario and Genesee turnpike," and subsequently as the "Genesee road" -the route by which the first settlers reached their homes in this county. The first improvements on
* State Engineer's Report, 1862, 619. The commissioners who had charge of the work were Elkanah Watson, General Schuyler and Golds- boro Banyer.
t Clarle's Onondaga II., ST.
# Benton, 212.
§ Geddes, 3.
102
HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
this road in its western course were made by the Wadsworths in 1790. They passed over it with a cart drawn by oxen on their way to the Genesee country. West of Whitesboro they were obliged to cut away logs. build causeways, ford streams, and at Cayuga lake to construct a pontoon, using for that purpose two Indian canoes, which they lashed together and covered with poles. In 1792, the road was described as passable for wagons east from Whitestown ; " but from that to the Genesee river it was little better than an Indian path, just sufficiently opened to allow a sled to pass, and the most impassable streams bridged." "From Geneva to Canandaigua" it was "only the Indian path, a little improved the first five miles."* The Duke de Liancourt, a French nobleman, who vis- ited this country in 1795, paid it the questionable compliment of being "a good one for this country," between Canawaugus and Canandaigua. He adds, "as usual it leads through the midst of woods. Within the space of twelve miles we saw but one habitation. " At Canawaugus, though there were but few inhabitants, he found "one of the best inns" he had "seen for some time past." It was kept by a "good civil man" named Gilbert R. Berry.
March 22, 1794, three commissioners were appointed to lay out this road from old Fort Schuyler, ( Utica,) as nearly straight as possible, to the Cayuga ferry, and thence by Canandaigua to Canawangus, on the Genesee. where the first bridge spanning that river was built in 1803 or 1804.t
In October, 1796, the consent of the Indians was gained to the opening of this road to the Niag- ara ; # and in 1797, the State authorized the rais- ing of $45,000 by lotteries, to be expended in improving various roads. Of that sum, $13.900 were appropriated to the improvement of this road from Fort Schuyler to Geneva .¿ The inhabitants of the country through which the road passed made a voluntary offer of their services, to aid the State Commissioner, and subscribed four thousand days' work, which they performed with fidelity and cheer- fulness. By this generous and uncommon exer- tion, and by some other contributions, the State Commissioner was enabled to complete this road
. Doc . Hist II., 1131, 1132.
"On the first day of November, 1823, the following notice was pub- lished in relation to building a bridge over the Genesee at Canawangus (Avon) :- 'Genesee bridge proposals will be received by Commissioners Asher Sexton and Benjamin Ellicott, for building a bridge over the Gen- esce, between the towns of Hartford [ Avon] and Southampton, | Cale- donia, ] in the counties of Ontario and Genesee.' " Canandaigua Repos- itory, February 11, 1875.
# Albany Gazette, Oct. 17, 1796.
& Hammond's History of Madison County, 128.
of near one hundred miles, opening it sixty-four feet wide, and paving with logs and gravel the moist parts of the low country through which it was carried. Hence, the road from Fort Schuyler * to Genesee, from being, in the month of June. 1797, a little better than an Indian path, was so far improved, that a stage started from Fort Schuyler on the 30th of September, and arrived at the hotel in Geneva on the afternoon of the third day, with four passengers. * * Not less than fifty families settled on it in the space of four months after it was opened."* During the winter of 1798, two weekly stages, one of them a mail stage, ran between Canandaigua and Albany; t and so great was the effect produced by the improvements made the preceding year, five hun- dred and seventy sleighs, with families, passed through Geneva within the space of five weeks.#
The Cayuga Bridge Company, consisting of John Harris, Thomas Morris, Wilhemas Mynders. Charles Williamson and Joseph Annin, was char- tered in 1797. and in 1799 commenced the con- struction of the celebrated Cayuga bridge, which was completed September 4, 1800, and speedily became the great highway of western emigration. It was for many years looked upon as one of the greatest public improvements in the State, and was considered the dividing line between the east and the west. It was about a mile long, twenty-two feet wide, and twenty-two feet between the trestles. Eighteen months were consumed and about $150,- ooo expended in its construction. It was destroyed in 1808, rebuilt in 1812-13, and finally abandoned in 1857. Nothing is now left of it but the spiles and timbers, which are mostly hidden by the waters of the lake.
The Seneca Turnpike Company was chartered in 1800, having for its object the improvement of this road .; The company was required to construct a road six rods wide from Utica to Canandaigua ; twenty-five feet of it. in the center, was to be cov- ered with gravel, or broken stone, to the depth of fifteen inches. They were permitted to place gates at intervals of ten miles, and exact twelve and one-half cents toll for two horse teams, and twenty-five cents for four horses.
The first United States mail over this road be- tween Whitestown and the Genesee was carried
* Williamson's Letter III., Doc. IList., 11., 1142.
t Ibid
W'illiamson's Letter V., Doc. Hist. II., 1052.
§ The capital stock was $110,00c, in shares of $50 each. Jedediah Sanger, Benjamin Walker, Charles Williamson and Israel Chapin were appointed Commissioners.
103
THE GENESEE TURNPIKE.
on horseback in 1797 or '98, by a Mr. Langdon, who distributed papers and unsealed letters on the way, before intermediate offices were established. Mr. Lucas succeeded Mr. Langdon in transporting the mail, which, in 1800, had become so heavy as to require a wagon to carry it. Mr. Lucas estab- lished a sort of two-horse passenger hack and did a brisk and profitable business. The first four- horse mail coach was sent through once a week by Jason Parker, in 1803, and in 1804 commenced run- ning regularly twice a week from Utica to Canan- daigua, carrying mail and passengers. In 1804, an Act was passed, granting to Jason Parker and Levi Stephens, the exclusive right for seven years, of running a line of stages for the conveyance of passengers, at least twice a week, between Utica and Canandaigua. They were bound to furnish four good and substantial wagons or sleighs, and sufficient horses to run the same ; the fare, not to exceed five cents per mile for each passenger, with fourteen pounds of baggage. They were required by law to run through in forty-eight hours, acci- dents excepted, and not more than seven passen- gers were allowed in any one carriage, except by the unanimous consent of the passengers. If four in excess of that number applied for passage, they were bound to fit out and start an extra for their accommodation ; or any number less than four could be accommodated by paying the fare of four. In 1808, a daily line was established, and afterwards several others, which were continued till the com- pletion of railroads along the line .*
This road was opened to Col. Ganson's, within a mile of LeRoy, in 1798, and completed to New Amsterdam (Buffalo) as early as 1809; and in 1810, the first mail stage was run over it west of the Genesee, carrying passengers at six cents per mile.
The road from the mouth of Lycoming Creek to Williamsburgh, at the mouth of Canaseraga Creek, before referred to, was the other important early highway affecting this county; and over it came the tide of emigration from the south-east, as did that from the New England States and the eastern part of this State over the one just des- cribed. This road pursued in the main the great Indian trail from the Genesee over the Alleghanies into Pennsylvania and the country of the Andas- tes, intersecting the Lake Erie and Susquehanna and Bath turnpikes, at Bath. It was located after a laborious exploration in the summer of 1792. by Captain Williamson and a party of Pennsylvania hunters, and opened in that and the succeeding
year, by " seven stout young Pennsylvanians, well skilled in the use of the ax and the rifle," under the immediate supervision of Benjamin Patterson, a notorious backwoods hunter and guide, assisted by a colony of German emigrants, numbering some two hundred, who were established at Williams- burgh under the auspices of the Pultney Estate .*
A small portion of this road in its lower course through this county is perpetuated in the present road between Geneseo and Dansville. The rest of its course through the county was in a south- easterly direction through Groveland, across the south-west part of Conesus, the north-east part of Sparta, and through Springwater, crossing at the head of the Springwater valley. For some years after it was opened the streams were unbridged and the low marshy places unimproved.
The enterprise which had the most marked effect upon the settlements of Central and Western New York was the completion of the Erie canal. It promoted the full development of agriculture, by opening up cheap and accessible markets for the surplus products of the agriculturalist. Lands ap- preciated and prices advanced.
With the rapid increase in population came the demand for increased facilities for transportation. The old methods were inadequate, and for several years in the early part of the present century the minds of public men, statesmen, and those whose genius adorned the humbler walks of life, were agi- tated by this intensely absorbing topic, as the necessities of its proximate cause became more immediate and pressing. To Gouverneur Morris is due the credit of first broaching the subject of connecting the waters of Lake Erie with those of the Hudson, a thought which took form in his brain as early as 1777,f and found more tangible expres- sion in 1800, in December of which year, he wrote his friend, John Parish, then of Hamburgh, and in descanting on the glories of Lake Erie, which he visited in that year, he said :-
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