History of Livingston County, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 32

Author: Smith, James Hadden. [from old catalog]; Cale, Hume H., [from old catalog] joint author; Mason, D., and company, pub. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y., D. Mason & co.
Number of Pages: 744

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 32

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).

"So far as we can learn comparatively little is being done in the several towns toward filling the quota under the last call. There are various causes for this. The season of the year is un- propitious-for the last three years there has been a constant drain on the people, until laborers in every branch of industry are scarce and are in great demand at almost unheard of wages. The farmers also engage their help in the spring for the season and the time of these men does not expire before October or November, and another cause in this county is the quite prevalent opinion that the quota of the county can be filled up by the agents sent south. * *

* The finance committee of the Board of Supervisors held a meeting at this

place [Geneseo] on Tuesday and they report that there is no trouble in obtaining from the people of the several towns on county bonds all the money needed to pay bounty.'

Sept. 2, 1864, the Supervisors authorized each town in the county to increase its bounty to a sum not exceeding $1,000, and the County Treasurer was authorized to issue county bonds as each Supervisor might call for them. Most of the towns of the county found it necessary to increase the bounties largely to fill the quotas in the hope of avoiding a draft.

In the early part of 1865, an additional stimulus became necessary. The local bounty system had worked such gross injustice and been subjected to such outrageous abuses that the Legislature pro- vided for a State bounty of $300, $400 and $600, to one, two and three years' men, and prohibited payment of all local bounties. This was at least an approach to a healthier system, but its injustice differed only in degree.

In addition to the large sums paid for bounties, considerable amounts were also generously paid for the support of the indigent families of soldiers. In 1861, not less than $16,000 was contributed by towns for this purpose ; and to July 1, 1863, $33,000 was paid by the county for the same object.

The troops raised in this county under the later calls were distributed through the various organiza- tions, generally but a few in each, whose history we have not the space even to epitomize. Many, however, went to fill the depleted ranks of old organizations. The quotas of the several towns under the last three calls are given below :-

Call of Call of

Call of

Feb. 1, '64. July IS, '64. Dec. 19, '64."

Avon

Caledonia

Conesus

Geneseo

Groveland

Leicester

Lima

Livonia

Mt. Morris

6.4

North Dansville.

.. 32

Nunda

Ossian

Portage

Sparta

Springwater

.22

West Sparta.

.12

York

5 1

* These quotas are assessed with reference to all deficiencies or ex- cesses under previous calls of years of service, reducing everything to a three years' basis, and representing the claim against-each town Dec. 19, IS64.

155

NORTH DANSVILLE.

CHAPTER XV.

HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF NORTH DANSVILLE.

NORTH DANSVILLE was formed from Sparta, Feb. 27, 1846, and like the town to which it originally belonged,* and the village of the same name, derives its name ( Dansville ) from Daniel P. Faulkner, an early settler, who, for a few years, was conspicuously prominent in its affairs, and was re- ferred to by Capt. Williamson, the agent of the Pultney estate, as the head of the settlement in 1798. A part of Sparta was annexed in 1849. It lies upon the south border of the county, east of the center, and is bounded on the north by Sparta, on the east by Wayland, Steuben county, on the south by Dansville, Steuben county, and on the west by Ossian and West Sparta, in this county.

It lies at the head of the Genesee Valley, or rather the flats so designated, which are terminated by the convergence of the east and west hills, whose summits rise to the height of six hundred to eight hundred feet above the valleys. These flats are continuous and mostly of uniform width from a point a few miles above Rochester to Mt. Morris, where they diverge from the Genesee, and gradually contracting, follow the course of Canase- raga creek to Dansville, where, after expanding and gradually rising in beautiful table lands, they are suddenly terminated by a succession of promon- tories overlooking the village, on one of which is located the beautiful Greenmount Cemetery, not unlike, in general appearance the equally beautiful Mt. Hope, at the northern terminus of the valley. They form in the immediate vicinity of the village a tract of some three thousand acres of choice lands, with a warm and productive soil. The hills, though steep, are generally tillable to their summits.

Its streams are Canaseraga and Great and Little Mill creeks, which emerge through narrow gorges from the highlands in the south and east portions of the town. The latter two unite near the south- ern limits of the village, and discharge their united waters into the former near the west bounds of the village. They are small but rapid streams, making a descent of some sixty feet within a mile and a half in the town, and furnish numerous mill seats and an abundant and constant water power, which is only partially utilized, though the manufacturing

interests of the town equal, if they do not exceed, those of all other towns in the county combined.

The Canaseraga enters the valley through a nar- row pass called " Pogue's Hole,"* through which, climbing along a steep aclivity, and then descend- ing to a level with the stream, passes the Hornells- ville road. On the opposite side from the road through the whole length of the pass, is a perpen- dicular ledge of rocks a hundred feet in height. Beyond this pass the valley widens out occasionally into small areas of intervale, but ranges of high- lands rise in near proximity on either hand.

The town is wholly underlaid by the rocks of the Portage group. Quarries have been opened in both hills and valuable building and flagging stones obtained. A good quality of bituminous coal was recently discovered in the east hill, in a seam larger than is usual in this locality. ; The soil in the valley's is mostly alluvion and superior bottom timbered lands, and these, with much of the hills, where a mixture of clay and gravel prevails, produce excellent wheat. Fruit, especially grapes, thrives well upon the hill- sides. Upon the flats adjacent to the village, the nursery business has become an important indus- try, and engages the attention of various firms, among whom are E. H. Pratt, Sweet & Morey Bryant Bros., S. P. Williams, E. P. Clark, William Wilkinson, Uhl & Rhoner and Herndeen & Stone, besides several others who are less extensively en- gaged in it.

The Erie and Genesee Valley railroad, extend- ing by its charter from Mt. Morris to Burns, ter- minates in this town at Dansville village; likewise the abandoned Dansville branch of the Genesee Valley canal. The canal, so far as State enter- prise was concerned, terminated at Faulkner's dam, a half mile from the business part of the vil- lage on Main street. To better accommodate the business of the village, in 1844 a branch canal, terminating within about thirty rods of Main street, was constructed by private enterprise, at a cost of about $6,000, though the project was attended with intense local excitement. The completion of the canal gave a great impetus to business, especially the lumber trade, which was immense for many years, the principal operators being Coleman, of Troy, William Hollister, H. Southwick, Peter Myers and B. R. Streety. The streets of the vil-

* It originally comprised the north-west quarter of township 6, range 6, of Phelps and Gorham's Purchase, and as such was set off from Dansvdle, Steuben county, and annexed to Sparta, Feb. 15, 1822, its nat- ural affiliations with the inhabitants of Livingston county being greater than with those of Steuben county, from which it is in a measure barred by the conformation of the surface of the country.

* This name is variously spelled ; but we have adopted the orthogra- phy of James McCurdy, who says it derives its name from Benjamin Kenyon, who located at Dansville village in 1807, and afterwards in this narrow valley, " He was a desperate character," and was nicknamed " Capt. Pogue, signifying the devil." Recollections of James JK Curdy, in the Dansville Advertiser of August 9, 1877.

t See Subject of Geology, Chapter VIII.

156

HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.

lage were thronged with lumber teams from Per- kinsville, Wayland, Loon Lake and Ossian. In 1836, there were sixty saw-mills within a circle of a few miles of this place." In 1844 there were 10.372 barrels of salt brought here, on each of which a dollar was saved in the item of transportation charges as compared with former rates. t During the four years from 1841 to 1844. it is said that 450 new buildings were erected in Dansville. *

The citizens of Dansville were interested at an early day in the subject of railroads, for in 1832 a charter was granted for the construction of a road from Rochester to Dansville ; ¿ but for thirty-nine years they awaited the fruition of these early hopes. Ground was broken for the Erie and Genesee Val- ley railroad July 20. 1869. and the first passenger train rolled out of Dansville at 10:24 A. M., De- cember 12, 1871.

The population of the town in 18So was 4,181 ; the number of dwellings, 903 : and the number of families, 937. It is the most populous town in the county. In 1875 the population was 4.061 ; of whom 3,403 were natives, 658. foreigners ; 4.054, white. 7. colored ; 1,903, males, and 2,158, fe- males. In area it is by far the smallest town in the county, and one of the smallest in the State. In 1875 it contained 4.425 acres ;ª of which 3.578 were improved and 847 woodland. The cash value of farmis was $406,100; of farm buildings other than dwellings, $46,300; of stock, $33.039 : of tools and implements. $11.787. The amount of gross sales from farms in 1874 was $32,898.

There are six common school districts in the town. The number of children of school age re- siding in the districts Sept. 30. 1880, was 1,344. During the year nine teachers were employed at the same time; the number of children residing in the districts who attended school was 708; the average daily attendance during the year was 269 ; the number of volumes in district libraries was 232 ;

. Gordon's Gazetteer of New York; la 1850, the number had in- creased to toe within a circle of two miles .- The Dansville Advertiser of May 1, 1862.

t History of Dansville, No. 5, in The Journal of the Fair, to raise funds for the establishment of St. Patrick's School, Dansville, October 30, 18So.

# A O. Bunnell, in The Dansville Advertiser of April 26, IS --.

§ It has been erroneously stated that this was "the second railroad charter ever grar.ted in tins State." There were seventeen railroads chartered previous to 1832, and twenty-four in that year, six of which were prior to the "Dansvi le and Rochester."-State Engineer's Report on Railroads.

A O. Bunnell, in The Dansville Advertiser of April 26. 1877.

' Census of 18-5. The published Proceedings of the Board of Su- pervisors of Livingston County in 1879, state the number of acres to be 5,560, the equalzed assessed value .of which was $1, 267, 273, or $117.94 per acre, far exceeding, notwithstanding its diminutive size, any other town in the county.

the value of which was $191; the number of school houses in 1877 was six, five frame and one brick, which, with the sites, embracing seventy- nine rods, valued at $575. were valued at $7,775 ; the assessed value of taxable property in the dis- tricts in 1877 was $1,794,523, and in 18So, $1,428,993.

In 1877 there were It private schools, attended by 147 pupils. This sufficiently indicates the character of the public schools, which in the vil- lage are lamentably poor.

The Indian village of Kanuskago or Ganuskago occupied the site of the present village of Dans- ville. Though it had once been a village of con- siderable magnitude and importance. it was nearly deserted when the first white settlers came in, only fifteen or twenty huts then remaining, though several Indian families lingered in the neighbor- hood for several years .* Their presence here was of incalculable advantage to the first settlers ; for, says one of them, "we could hardly have lived here the first year had it not been for the Indians, who were exceedingly friendly. "t This beautiful and romantic portion of the famed Genesee valley was a favorite haunt of theirs, and was regularly visited by them from their settlements on the Genesee during their annual hunting excursions, for these hills abounded in deer and other game, which were taken in large quantities. A favorite camping ground, says one of the oldest living pioneers, was on the deep gulch on the creek, at the upper end of the village, at what is now called the California House, as the bank. under which they built their huts, protected them from the winds."+

We have no means of knowing at how early a period this Indian village was established, though it has been supposed by modern writers to be of modern origin. It may have existed at the time of M. de Denonville's invasion in 1687, though no specific mention is made of it. That Governor, in his report of this expedition, regretted that sickness, extreme fatigue and uneasiness of the savages, prevented his visiting other villages. When we reflect that that expedition was directed especially against the Senecas, it is fair to presume that the villages referred to were Seneca villages. There are other circumstances, however, which incline to the supposition that its origin was either subsequent to that event, or that the Indians

* Recollections of Conrad Welch, a son of the pioneer Jacob Welch, in Turner's Pioneer History of Phelps and Gorham's Purchase, 359. t Recollections of James McCurdy, in The Dansville Advertiser of August 9, 1877.

I Dansville as I found it, by Dr. James Faulkner, at the Pioneers' gathering at Dansville. Jan. 21, 1873.

157

NORTH DANSVILLE-EARLY SETTLERS.

residing here, though it was denominated the "door of the Six Nations," in "the most remote parts of the Senecas' country," did not hold important diplomatic relations with the English and French colonial governments.

These Indians had an extensive burying ground, covering some two or three acres. The main street in Dansville village passes directly through it. Numerous remains and relics of this interest- ing people have been exhumed in making excava- tions in that part of the village adjacent to the public square.

There is a tradition that before the Revolution a battle was fought on a hill a few miles distant from the village of Dansville between the Canisteo and Kanuskago Indians, in which a renowned chief of the latter tribe was killed. He was in- terred in this old burial place, near the site of the German Evangelical Lutheran church in Dansville village, which is said to occupy the site of an ancient Indian mound, and its pulpit to rest over the remains of a noted Indian chieftain. The spot where he fell was marked by a large excavation, made in the form of a man lying prostrate, with his arms extended, and was quite discernible when the first white settlers came here. It was near an Indian trail, and the depression was kept free from forest debris by the passing braves, who also reared to him a monument of loose stones, brought from a hill a mile distant, each as he passed casting upon the accumulating heap his tribute of affection, "after the manner of the ancient Caledonians." These stones are said to have remained in their monumental form until 1825, when they were used in the construction of the foundation walls of the edifice before referred to .*

Local authorities do not entirely agree as to who was the first settler within the limits of the present town of North Dansville, and this is not surprising in view of the many territorial changes affecting it. It may not be possible at this day to definitely de- termine the fact ; yet, from inquiries made and a careful analysis of conflicting statements in reference to this matter, we see little reason to doubt that the credit rightly belongs to William McCartney, who was born in 1771, at Kirkcudbright, in the county and on the bay of the same name on the south coast of Scotland, whence he came to this country at the instance and as the clerk of Charles Williamson, on the latter's assuming the agency of

the Pultney estate. Reaching Philadelphia in 1791, early the following year he came to Bath, which Capt. Williamson made his home. Thence, after a few months, he came to Sparta, which then em- braced the present towns of Groveland, Spring- water, West Sparta and the major portion of Cone- sus, and subsequently North Dansville. In com- pany with Andrew Smith, who accompanied him from Scotland, he occupied a log-house erected by Capt. Williamson on the west bank of Canaseraga creek, on what is known as the McNair farm in West Sparta, three miles north of Dansville. Both McCartney and Smith were young single men, and there they kept bachelor's hall for about two years, when Smith, who was suffering from fever and ague, removed to and settled at Bath. McCartney moved further up the creek, and built on 209 acres purchased in 1793, on the flats in the locality of Comminsville, including that site, but lying mostly north-east of it, a log-house which stood about thirty rods east of the Canaseraga and about a hundred rods north of Comminsville.

July 14, 1796, William McCartney married Mary McCurdy, (a step-daughter of Cornelius McCoy, the pioneer settler on the site of Dansville village,) who, says Dr. James Faulkner, is remembered as a girl and woman of great beauty. The ceremony, it is supposed, was performed by Rev. Samuel J. Mills, of Groveland, from whom the Millses of Mt. Morris are descended, who occasionally extended his labors in this direction at an early day. This was the first marriage contracted in the town. He continued to reside on his farm in this town till his death, February 9, 1831. He was one of the original members of the First Presbyterian Church of Sparta, three miles north of Dansville, and one of its ruling elders. He was the recipient of various official trusts, irrespective of party. He was for twenty- seven years Supervisor of the town of Sparta, and for several years, during anti-masonic times, was the candidate of both parties. For a number of years he went to Canandaigua to attend the meet- ings of the board. He was for several years a Jus- tice of the Peace. He represented Ontario county in the Assembly in 1819, and declined a re-nomi- nation. He served on the Niagara frontier during the war of 1812. He was one of the most promi- nent pioneer settlers in this section. His wife sur- vived hin many years. She died Sept. 5, 1864. They had thirteen children, eleven of whom lived to maturity, and most of whom settled in this locality. Six are still living : - Maria, wife of Charles R. Kern, Hugh, Matthew and Sarah A., a

* From Turner's Pioneer History of Phelps and Gorham's Purchase, 359, (note) which copies from the manuscript of W. H. C. Hosmer ; and contributions to the local press, especially The Dansville Advertiser vf August 12, 1880.

158

HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.

maiden lady, in Dansville village ; David, in Ster- ling, Ill. ; and James F., in Dansville, Steuben county.

It is generally conceded that Cornelius McCoy, familiarly called " Neal" MCoy, made the first set- tlement on the site of the village of Dansville, and it is also urged that he was the first settler in the town, which is probably true of the quarter section of three miles square which originally composed it.

Cornelius McCoy was a native of the North of Ireland and married in county Antrim, Mary Mc- Curdy, whose first husband, John McCurdy, died in 1784. The McCurdys were natives of Scotland. In 1788, soon after his marriage, McCoy immi- grated to this country with his wife, two step-sons- David and James McCurdy-and a step-daughter, named Mary MeCurdy, who contracted the first marriage in the town with William McCartney. They landed at Wilmington, Delaware, in the spring of that year, and proceeded to Buffalo Val- ley, Northumberland county, Penn., where they resided seven years. In June, 1795, they removed thence to this town, locating in the south-west part of the village of Dansville. Our route from Penn- sylvania, says, the late James McCurdy, "was through a wilderness most of the way until we reached Painted Post in this State, There we found a store and tavern. Mr. Thomas McBurney settled there about that time. Twelve miles from there we found Mr. Tolbert located at the mouth of Mud creek, At Bath the principal settlers were Capt. Charles Williamson, Andrew Smith, Dugald Cameron and Daniel Cruger, senior, tavern-keeper. Eight miles from there Mr. Thomas McWhorter had settled at a place now called Avoca ; at Liberty, Mr. Bevins; at Blood's Corners, Mr. Hooker. From there to Havens's through the Springwater valley there was no settlement. The object of our coming this roundabout way was, there was no wagon road by what is now the ordinary road to Bath."* The journey from Painted Post occupied five days. The first night they stayed at Bath ; the second they encamped in the woods near Liberty Corners, in the the town of Cohocton ; the third was also spent in the woods, near the Conesus Lake inlet ; the fourth at Darling Havens's, in the present town of Sparta ; and by the fifth they had reached their destination. There was then a small surveyor's hut where Conrad Welch after- wards resided, on Ossian street. "At this time there was no white inhabitant in what is now the

* Reminiscences of Fames Me Curdy, in the Dansville Advertiser of August 9, 1877.

town of Dansville ; on the south, none nearer than Arkport."

McCoy took up the half of a 300 acre lot, the first Jot, says Dr. James Faulkner, surveyed in this locality. "The first summer," says Mr. McCurdy, " we or most of the family had the fever and ague, but in the fall of the first summer, my step-father, McCoy, and myself made out to chop logs enough to build a log-cabin 18 feet by 14, which we thought a very large house ; the next thing was in our opinion the hardest part of all about our log-cabin, that was to get it raised. But we found no trouble in that, as we gave notice of our raising day. We had hands enough and more than we wanted, for the hands came mostly the day before, and we got our build- ing up and shingled in one day with basswood bark which we had prepared in the summer."* This log-house stood near a fine spring a little north of the residence of the widow of David McNair, (a grand-daughter of McCoy's wife,) on land now owned by Mrs. Alexander Edwards. A second log-house, clap-boarded, and standing nearer the road, was afterwards built and occupied by the family. It stood until about 1870, and was then taken down. Here McCoy resided till his death, which occurred May 8, 1809. at the age of 46 years. His wife survived him many years. She died in 1835, in her 93rd year. She had only one child by her second marriage --- a daughter, who died in infancy.

During the first winters they needed no hay as the cattle preferred rushes which were abundant along the Canaseraga, which gave it the name of Rushbottom, Of these rushes, Mr. MeCurdy says, the cattle were extremely fond; they grew as much in one winter, he says, as in two summers; horses did well on them in the winter, but not in the spring. There was no grist-mill nearer than the outlet of Conesus lake. This family and others purchased meat of the Indians, at a settled price. The rate of exchange with this family was settled by Mrs. McCoy. * The price of a good * hind quarter of venison was two pumpions, six turnips, or two quarts of Indian meal. This was so perfectly understood, and so satisfactory to both parties, that there was no demurring: the Indian threw down his venison and took his pumpions or turnips without speaking, and all was right.

The McCurdys-David and James -- step-sons of McCoy, were young lads when they came here in 1795, being aged respectively sixteen and thirteen years. They took up the remaining half of the lot

* Miniature of Dansville Village, J. W. Clark.

159

NORTH DANSVILLE-EARLY SETTLERS.

on which McCoy settled. The latter, at his deatlı, gave one-half of his farm to his nephew, James D. McCurdy, who, says Dr. James Faulkner, was called "Little Jimmy," to distinguish him from James McCurdy, McCoy's step-son, who, for a like reason, was called "Big Jimmy." The other half went to McCoy's wife. David McCurdy after- wards settled in Ossian, and about 1825-30 removed to Indiana, where he became very wealthy. He died there in the fall of 1859, aged eighty years. James McCurdy, his brother, who was born in the parish of Billy, county Antrim, Ireland, May 10, 1782, married May 3, 1808, Sarah Gray, a native of Lancaster, Penn., her father having been one of the pioneer settlers of Almond, Allegany county. He succeeded to the homestead farm, eventually acquiring the whole original 300 acres, and both he and his wife resided there till their death. They became one of the wealthiest and most respected families in the town. Mr. McCurdy was Super- visor for many years. He died November 16, 1864, and his wife, February 5, 1864. They had nine children, seven of whom-four sons and three daughters-lived to maturity. They all settled in this locality, and all are now living in this town, viz :- William G., Mary Ann, wife of Samuel Stur- geon; Margaret, widow of David McNair; John; Hugh F .; Elizabeth G., wife of Alexander Edwards, and James.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Livingston County, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 32

Author: Smith, James Hadden. [from old catalog]; Cale, Hume H., [from old catalog] joint author; Mason, D., and company, pub. [from old catalog] Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y., D. Mason & co. Number of Pages: 744

Author: Smith, James Hadden. [from old catalog]; Cale, Hume H., [from old catalog] joint author; Mason, D., and company, pub. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y., D. Mason & co.
Number of Pages: 744