History of Monroe county, New York with illustrations descriptive of its scenery, Palatial residences, Part 89

Author: McIntosh, W. H. cn; Everts, Ensign, and Everts, Philadelphia, pub
Publication date: 1877
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts, Ensign and Everts
Number of Pages: 976

USA > New York > Monroe County > History of Monroe county, New York with illustrations descriptive of its scenery, Palatial residences > Part 89

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PLATE XCIII.

STEPHEN LUSK.

MRS. STEPHEN LUSK.

RES. OF S.H. & G. H. LUSK , PITTSFORD, MONROE CO., NEW YORK

RES. OF FRANK B. LUSK, PITTSFORD, MONROE COUNTY, N. Y

PLATE XCIV.

RES. OF WM. AGATE, PITTSFORD, MONROE CO, N. Y.

FOR SALE

RES AND STORE OF JOHN BROWN . MAIN ST. PITTSFORD, MONROE COUNTY, N. Y.

PITTSFORD.

PITTSFORD comprises the first permanent settlements in the eastern part of Mon- roe County. It was probably also the first place in the county trou by white men. Traces have been found of the French expedition under La Salle, which visited westero New York in 1668. In 1813, Stephen Agate felled an old tree on which were plainly shown the marks of an axe. The rings outside the cut numbered one hundred and fifty. Some member of the expedition had doubtless " made his mark" in a growing tree, only to excite comment and speculation more than a hundred years after be had passed to dust and every other trace of his existence had been forgotten.

It was not until 1788 that the title of P'helps and Gorham to their purchase was perfected and the territory opened for sale and settlement. In August, 1789, Israel and Simon Stone came to the Gunesce country, and. liking the land, they, with Seth Dodge, purchased of Phelps and Gorham thirteen thousand two hundred and ninety-six acres, including nearly all that is now Pittsford. All were from Salem, Washington county, New York. Dodge never removed west, and soon after relinquished his claim. The contrnet with Phelps and Gorham was to pay eighteen peoce per acre as the land was surveyed and sold. Ouly this , dollars were paid for the article of agreement, and soon after, the price of land rapidly advancing, Phelps and Gorham gave the new proprietors one-half of the land with- ont further payment to relinquish their contract. Thus, for thirty dollars, one- half the land in Pittsford passed luto the hands of Israel and Simon Stone. They immediately began after their purchase, iu 1789, to clear land, sowed a few acres with wheat among the stumps the same fall, and then went east to spend the winter and induce as many as possible of their neighbors to returo with then. With the whole of Pittsford to choose from, Simon Stone built his first log bouse on the farm owned by Merrit Tobey, une and a half miles south of the village. Israel Stone settled and built by the spring near the old canal in the village, where H. Minnamoo now lives. He died there before 1808.

Two years before the Stones came into western New York, John Lusk, and Stephen, his son, a lad of twelve years, left their home in Connecticut for the Genesce country. They came by the old Indian trail from Canandaigua, bringing some cows and hogs with them, passed through Pittsford, and settled near the head of Irondequoit bay. Building a log house, they lived three years in the woods alone, secing no white man except an occasional visit to the semi-savage called Indian Allen; in the mean time clearing twelve neres and sowing with wheat. In 1790, becoming tired of this kind of life. Jolin Lusk and his son returned to Con- Dectieut, John Lusk to see and bring honte his family, and Stephen to learn the trade of tanner and currier. which they had found a very essential one in the new country. John Lask had bought of the Indians fifteen hundred acres around his elearing, but found his title worthless, and had to buy again. He returned in 1791, and repurchased one thousand acres, paying for it at twenty-five cents per acre, earned mostly by carrying chain for surveying parties. He came by way of Lake Champlain, the St. Lawrence, and Lake Ontario to the head of Iror dequoit bay, and bought a atock of goods for the use of himself and uther settlers. Several others came with him, including Alexander Dunn, who settled first on Armstrong Hill, and afterwards near Pittsford village; Enos Stone and the Hiucher family at the mouth of the Genesce. Mr. Lusk did not move into Pittsford until lau7, but as the pioneer of the new settlement, and identified with its history, his name deserves mention herc. Stephen Lusk returned in 1792, and established himself in the business of tanning and shoewaking, at the head of Irondequoit bay. In 1802, Stephen Lusk, with his wife and Dennis Lnsk, then an infant, were in an open boat on Iroudequoit bay, with Meyer and Asa Dunbar, and Captain Oliver Grace. They saw seven bears swimming across the bay to the castern side It was in the fall, and Captain Grace said, " Let us have a little fresh hog." One of the bears, an old and fat one, was attacked; but she showed fight, and for two hours it seemed doubtful which party would prove the victor. The men had only their oars and an ase, and the bear tried hard to ujet the boat. When they tried to strike her she would dodgr. and the axe came near slipping from their hands. Mr. Losk said he would gladly have let the bear alone if she would let them alone. At last a fortunate blow hit Bruin between the eyes, and she was speedily killed. The meat made good food for a long time. Stephen Lusk moved to

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Pittsford in 1807, buying the tannery of Benjamin Weeks, who had preceded him at least eight years. He died in 1814, aged sisty-six years.

Israel and Simon Stone, on their return in 1791, brought not only their own families, but those of' Jusiel Farr, Silas Nye, and his sons Nathan, Silas Jr., and Caleb, Thomas Cleland, Major Ezra Patterson, and Josiah Gininson. The last- named did not stay long. Thomas Ciclul was a Revolutionary soldier. and lived many years one-fourth of a mile south of Stephen Lusk's. Ile did not attempt to accumulate property, but was an inveterate fisherman in Mendon pondy and Irondequoit bay. Ezra Patterson settled on Reuben Tobey's farm ; Captain Nye north of him. where Squire Nathan Nye and Levi D. Mitchell afterwards lived. Jasiel Farr settled in 1791. adjoining Major E. Patterson. He planted the first orchard. procuring seeds from the old Indian orchard on Sencea point. . Canandaigua lake. Mr. Farr's orchard was several years earlier in bearing than any other in a wide extent of country. Among the others fruin Salem, Washing- ton county, was Dr. John Ray, who came in 1792 or 1793. He was the first physician iu the settlement, and in early years was called to attend patients in the scattered settlements west of the Genesee river, often fording it when he was in greater danger from drowning than his patients were from discase. A younger brother, Isaac, and a cousio, Israel Ray, followed a few years later.

Simon Stone, one of the proprietors, on his return io 1790, brought his wife and infant son Orrin, then noly one year old. He lived until April. 1875. and. Dp to within a few months of his death, retained his faculties in excellent preser- vation. The first white child born in what is now Pittsford was Alfred Stone, son of Simon, in 1792. He went as pioneer to Painesville, Ohio, about 1818 The first death was the wife of Jasi ? Farr, io 1791. Simon Stone was in many ways useful to the infant settlement. He built a saw-mill where Richardsou's mill now is, in 1794, and from that date frame houses began to be built in the town. Noah Norton settled in 1794. on the hill two miles south of the village, where Henry Thornell now lives. He built the first frame house there in 1795, which is still standing. Simon Stone was a nail-maker, and, having built the primitive saw-mill to furnish the boards, he made many of the nails with which they were put together. The first log houses were built without nails, the roofs being made of boards bound by poles to keep them from blowing away. Luckily. the forests sheltered houses so that the winds did not blow so fiercely as in later days. The difficulty for many years of early settlement was to procure iron. At first it was brought from Utica, but after a few years from Albany via Lake Champlain, the St. Lawrence, and Lake Ontario. The first saw used in Stone's mill was made by Samuel Bennett, the primicive blacksmith, who iu those days lived where the village now is. He made the saw of pieces of old scythes, and it answered the purpose several years. It is not known whether Bennett had a shop. A forge and anvil under a tree sometimes furnished the only accommoda- tions the primitive blacksmith had. " Where is Mr. Bennett's shop ?" was asked of such a one hy a traveler whu wanted some blacksmithing done. " You are in the shop now," was the ready answer. " The whole of out-doors is his shop ; but you will find the forge and anvil under a tree five miles farther on." Ben- nett afterwards removed to what is now Penfield, as his name appears in Northfield records unti that town was set off.

Jonas Sawens and Dr. Daniel Rood canie to Pittsford about 1793. Dr. Rond did not practice medicine much. Ile settled where John C. Keeler lives, and re- mained there till his death from eauver, about 1820. Jonas Sawens bought the farm now owned by B. F. Barker in 1793, paying fifty cents per acre. This was just before the rise in price of' land. He married a daughter of Dr. Roul. ITis son, Sydney Sawens, born in 1800, studied medicine, and removed to Utica, New York, founding a leading drug-store in that city. The marriage of Jonas Sawens to Dr. Rood's daughter in 1796 was the earliest of which there is any record.

Caleb Hopkins came from l'ittsford, Vermont, to the Genesee country in 1792. Ile had education, enterprise, and means, and was for many years one of the leading men in town. After a few years' residence in Perrinton, where he married a daughter of Mr. Maybe, he bought the Porter place, south of the village of Pitts. ford, of Asa L'atterson, whu settled it. Elihu Doud, a neighbor in Vermont, came

233

HISTORY OF MONROE COUNTY, NEW YORK.

a few years Liter. Mr. Hopkins ww prominent in early politi. 1. entlector of the district of Genesce as early as Leis, and in 1812 was coloured of the Fifty -sound Regiment. Ile went to the lines and served through the war. In 1º17 he repre- sented Ontario connty in the State legislature, and the full wing year he died, aged only forty-seven years. His widow, Dorothy Hopkins, died in 1847. Marvin Hopkins, born in ISA5. was a son

The Stone family, in Washington county, was a lunge one, and in 1792, or soon after, many of thesu came to the new settlement. Among these were Aaron, Joba, Samuel, Isaac. aml Simon (3d). Abber Stone, an ulder brother of Israel, was the father of Shovo Stone (2d;, an early Lawyer in Pittsford, many yearssaper- visor, and in 1821 first clerk of Monroe county. Two daughters are now living in the village. Amos Stone came to Pittsford in 1723, and the same year bought the homestead which his son Sulumon Stone now owas. Ile died in 1913. He was the " Squire Suce" of that early day.

Daniel Perrin (brother of Glover) was in Pittsford at an early day. Gluver Perrin, after a brief trial of life in Perrinton, remove! to Putisfoni, and was the pioneer landlord in ISU, on the corner where the Phoenix Hotel now is. He be- exame involved in loses, aud was succeeded by Submuut M. hemupton, and afterwards by John Acer, about the year 1813-14. Julin Acer was son of William Acer, who came from Massachusetts in 1991 and took up the homestead in the south part of the town luog orcupied by David Acer. William Acer's wife was Dorothy ' Adams, a relative of President John AJatus.

Rev. Thomas Billinghurst was the first preacher who lived in the town. He came in 1799, and lived on the farm owned by L. D. Welch until his death in 1845, aged eightysix. Ile was a Baptist preacher in England when ouly seven- teen years old, and came to America in 1795 because of his sympathy with republican ideas, then very unpopular in England because of the excesses of the French revolutionists. He was a man of great enterprise and public spirit. Having considerable means, he would never take pay for preaching. but talked and preached in private houses, barns, and school-houses. After a few years his views changed, and he berame a preacher of universal restoration.

Among other early settlers, before 1800, are Richard Welch, grandfather of Nathan K. Welch, who settled that housestead. William Agate, 1793, with Mr. Billinghurst, and on the street east of him. Mrs. S. Miles is a daughter; John S., now Living in the village, is a son. Mrs. Miles was born in 1797, the year before ber parents moved here, and has lived longer in the town than any other person now living. Robert Holland was an early settler. Ile lived north of Dennis Lask's, as also did Simon Holland, both at an early day. Israel Canfield settled befure 1798, in the north part of the town, where Shepherd now occupies. It is on the ald road to Rochester, and for a long time his house was the only one in the vicinity. Giles Blodgett settled the Guernsey place, east of the village. Jared Barker was here before ISOn, un the Tubey farm, half' a mile north of the home- stead of his grund-on David Barker. Nathan Calhoun came to Pittsford from Connecticut at an early day. and locatel in the south part of the town. He was magistrato thirty years. Benjamin Miller lived near the Brighton line, near Eaton. - Hughes lived near Richard Welch's, on what was called "Johnny- Caka street," as early as 1st. A daughter born there in 1800, and still living, became the wife of Sydney Sawens. George Welch and John Welch were sons of Richard Wekh. Richard Savage was the first settler on Julin Eckler's home- stead. Henry Bailey livel west of the village, opposite what is now the Cole farm, io 1798. William Griffin and Thomas Kempshall cleared the farm owned by Mr. Vale; George Parrott, the place occupied by William Earl. Horace Con- verse occupied the Hopkins homestead. In 1815 he moved north of the village. and fur some years kept a hotel on the Fairport road. Alexander Chubb lived on the Lyman Birker farus, and Joseph Chubb where ha S. Clark now does. Paul Richardson lived in the village in 179G, and the first town meeting was at his house, alsonuit where George Wund now lives. next to the Stone warehouse.

Until 1,06 there had never been a town meeting in the seven northern towns of Monrue cast of the river. Their scattered people belonged to the town of Canandaigua, and were entitled to a vote if they went to that place. The pulls were kept ajew three days for election ; and there seems to have been some sense in this, when weers had to go so far. In 1739 the seven towns of Pittsford, Perrintun, l'enficht, Webster, Brighton. Irundeyouit, Henrietta, and all uf Rach- ester east of the river, were organized as " the district of Northfield." In 1993, Alexander Doun Wits collectur of this district. This other did nut have much to do. There was an extra tax to build the first court-house in Canandaigua (1994), and is a total tax of nearly eight thousand dollars the proportion of Northfield was less than two hundred. This embraced what is now the wealthiest ond must populmis portion of Rochester, then aml long after counted as only so mach wilderness of little value. In 1796 the district of Northticid was organ- ised as a town, with the following officers: Supervisor, Silas Nye; Town Clerk, John Ray; Asxyours, Noah Norton, uf Pittsford, Cilch Hopkins, of P'enfield,

and Glover Perriu ; Collector und Constable, Jonas Sawens ; Overwers of the Poor. Jusiel Farr, Aaron Stone; Commissioners of Highways, Simon Stone. Jess: Perrin, Orange Stone, of Brighton ; Fence-viewers, Joel Souder. of Brighton, Ezra Patterson ; Overseers of Highway, Orange Stone, Samuel Bennett, Heury Bailey, Alexander Duun, William Acer ; Pound-keeper, Paul Richard-n. The meeting was opened by T'hiners Bates, of Canandaigua, and it was voted to " pay Jasiel Farr and Glover Perrin their expenses tu Canandaigua to get the town set off, it being one pound three shillings and sixpence." Twu dollars were voted for wolves' pates. This was increased in 1795 to twenty shillings, and in 1801 to five dollars. The list bounty for wolves was vuted in 1916. Bear, were quite numerous in the early settlement of the town. and destroyed a gued many hogy. They rarely attacked men of women unless first wounded. Several Jolies now living remember seeing beurs while passing through the woods in the present town of Pittsford. Deer were also common, and could be seen feeling occasionally among herds of cattle in the clearings. They were made very shy by the hunters, and soon exterminated. About 1805 squirrels became a serious just to farmers. It was voted to uffer a bounty of one shilling each for squirrels killed, but the vote Was reconsidered, as it was feared that the charge would be too heavy for the town to pay. All the cornfield's were near woods, and the crops suffered seriously. Hunters and a severe winter soon after lessened their nutubers. At the first town meeting it was voted that hogy might run at large from the 20th of April to the lat of November.

In 1799, Glover Perrin, Isaac Ray, Samuel Bennett, and Orange Stone were appointed " Sabbath-day Masters." Their function is questionable, as all North- field bad then no church aud no settled preacher. Occasional meetings were held at the houses of settlers religiously inclined. and this impulse was quie kened by the arrival this year of Me. Billinghurst. In 1799 a log meeting-house with buard roof was put up opposite the new cemetery, north of the village, on the old Rochester roud. Here occasional meetings were held years before any church was formed.

Education, wherein all agreed, took precedence in time uf religion, wherciu the settlers differed widely. In 1794 a log school-house was built on the hill, a mile south of the village. This was the first. and for years the only, school-house in Northfield. It was built by subscription, the settlers taking as many shares as they had children to send. Scholars came here for miles around .- some days mure than the school would hold. Ann Agate ( Mrs. Miles) was sent here tu school in 1801, when only four years old. It was unsafe for so young a child to go through the woods so far, so her father hired her found at Major Pattern's one summer. So cruch did the early settlers think of education. The little girl of 1801, in danger of bears and wolves while going to and from schol, lives tu relate the facts three-quarters of a century later. Mr. Barrows taught the first school. Other early school-teachers were Jolin Ball, of Bloomfield, several years, and Charles Day, of Mendon, five years. Jerusha Foot taught there in the summer of 1805. She married Nathan Case, of Penfield, a colvuel in the war of 1812. In 1806 a frame school-house replaced the log structure; but before this a log school-house had been built ( 1805 , near Daniel Kingsley's, where No. 4 Duw stanels. Town meetings and religious meetings were held in the log schel- house No. 1. About three acres of land were given by Israel and Simon Som. in 1794, for public purposes. and on this the first school-house was built and the old cemetery laid out.

The first frame school-house in Pittsford was No 2, built in 1504 by sulverip- tion. Me. Billingburst and Mr. A ate were active in this effort. It was sty -- lated that the building shuuhl never be refused tu religions meetings ut any seet. Years after, when Joe Smith, Brigham Young, and Heber C. Kimball. of Mendon. were busy propagating Mormoni-m by hobling meetings, this stipulation was k.14 very quiet, lest the Mendon prophet should insist on their privilege. The criling of No. 2 was arched, to make it better for public aretings, and an extra sum votrel for this purpose. This old school-house is now used as a dwelling. John Bul was the first teacher, in 1804-5, and for several winters thereafter. Miss Ilof- kins, niece of Culonel Hopkins, Lenght in the summer of 1805. Bell had twelve dollars per munth and board,-thought theu to be an extravagant prue.

Pittsford increased rapidly in population about 1800-5, and many new familie- enme in. Latul advanced in price to three or four dollars per acre. Chard Loel was worth more. In 1503, John Armstrong paid one thousand dollars to .\h v. ander Dunu for one hundred acres of cleared land on Somstrong Will. ww owned by James Pugsley. In 1804 a family of English settlers, under the head Richard Priestley. came to Pittsford. The party consisted of Richand Priesths. and Ann his wife, with their sons, daughters, sons-in-law, and grandchildren. - in all nineteen, -who came to America in one -hip in 1802. Nearly seventy five years have passed, and two of thee emigrants are yet living, viz .. thenge Walen. of Brighton, and Miss Hannah Parker, of Fitt-find. Edward Will-on diet IS- cember 20, 1876, agel eighty-three years. Every one of the nineteen livet t .. advanced years. Among the names were William Parker, wife, and chd Jon,

PLATE XCV

MARY AGATE

WILLIAM AGATE.

RES OF ANN A. MILES, P.ITSFORD, MONROE COUNTY, N Y.

PLATE XCVI

Solomon Stone was boru April 21, 1800, on the homestead which he always occupied, and where bis father, Amos Stone. tirst settled. He is the oldest person living in Pittsford who was boru in the town. Left an orphan by the death of his father wheu only thirteen years old, he owes his success in life to good native sense, energy, and ouly the advantages of a common school edo- cation. He has always taken an active part in politics, and has voted

at every election since he was a voter,-now numbering more than one hundred and ten. His wife. u daughter of Israel Ray, is still liv- iog, and his children, a son, Hanford Stone, lives on the homestead, and a daughter, Mrs. Sheldon Smith, near by, ou the farm long owned . by Deacon Wm Hill. Mr. Stove has always enjoyed the confidence of his fellow townsmen, and for nearly thirty years was a magistrate of the town.

SOLOMON STONE.

RES. of CAROLINE THORNELL, PITTSFORD, MONROE CO, N. Y

MRS. C. THORNELL.

235

HISTORY OF MONROE COUNTY, NEW YORK.

Zechariah Will-on, wife, and children; William Hill and wife; Richard and Elizabeth Priestley, then unmarried. The domeodants of these number hundreds in this and western States. The names of those who came in about this time are numerous, and many escape search. Robert Ileath. from England, was one. Ilis daughters live on the old homestead. As and Chauncey Wilmarth in the south part of the town. Caleb S. Martin and the Gandoer family on Fot attvet. Nathan and Calvin Kingsley where D King ley now lives, Edward Beers, Samuel Whit- comb, and Ise Whitcomb,-the latter where Priestley Ilill lives; was father of A. G. Whitcomb, long a popular hotel proprietor io Rochester. The Tillotson and Kinter families settled on West street. Hutchinson l'atterwo settled the Van Buskirk place. He moved to Ohio nearly forty years ago. He was in Pittsford as early as 1797. Moses Smith, in 1800, lived where Aibert Reyavids does. There have been Smiths in l'ittsford ever since. Samuel True settled the Orrin Todd place, where C. W. Rogers lives, and Jonathan True lived on the adjoining Geare farm. George Duan . brother of Alexander) setth-I the place owned by Mrs. Parsons. Ile was followed by Lawrence Whitbeck, from New Jersey, father of Dr. John F. Whitbeck, of Rochester.

Jobo Scott and James Smalley were early surveyors. It is not certain that they lived in town. They laid out early roads, in connection with Simon Stone, one of the proprietors. Some of the earliest roads were eut through the forest by pioneers who had settled there and were determined to get out. Thus William Agate and William Griffin, in 1799, jointly cut the road from their homes to Stone's mill, where the great Embankment mills oow are. The earliest land-sur- veys were very imperfect, and this afterwards made a good deal of trouble. Land was cheap, and the only care was to give enough. Afterwards the price advanced, sad the old proprietors demanded a new survey and pay for " overplus" lands. To this the owners objected, and many suits and much bad feeling prevailed. In 1816, while Simon Stone was sitting hy bis window, one evening, two shuts were fred at him. One grazed his shoulder, doing no damage, but narrowly missing bis wife and daughters, who were standing by a cable behind him. The other shot struck his throat, passing between the windpipe and a vein. The slightest variation would have caused certain death. It was believed that a man named Gardner, whom Stone had sued for overplus lands. fred the shots, but the proof was not couclusive, and, Mr. Stone recovering, the matter was dropped. Gardner was, however, expelled from church in consequence. Simon Stone lived until . 1826, but was always lume from the effects of this shot.

A more serious trouble to many early settlers was the claim of the widow of Ismael Stone to lands sold at an early day. on which she had out released her dower. She married, after Mr. Stone's death, successively Paul Richardson, - Mcclintock, and Moses Barr. She survived all, and, as the widow Barr, con- menced or threatened suits against nearly half the freeholders of Pittsford. Law- Fers found this business profitible, and took most of the money. On one occasion the deputy sheriff uf Outario, Mark H. Sibley, stood on the meeting house steps on Sanday and served processes on the people, as they caine out of church, to answer the detund of the .. Widow Barr" for dower on lands they had bought. Those warrants served on Sunday were void, but the settlers did not know this. Many of them compromised for a certain amount of money. graduatel according to the supposed ability of the victim to pay. This work was not stopped until the legisla- ture passed a law requiring widows to make their detuunds for duwer withio twenty years after the death of their husbands. This law could not constitutionally be made retroactive, so as to apply to previous elaims for dower. But he lawyers did but seuto to know this, and so the widow Barr was barred. She d'ed about 1830, in only moderate circumstances.

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History of Monroe county, New York with illustrations descriptive of its scenery, Palatial residences, Part 89

Author: McIntosh, W. H. cn; Everts, Ensign, and Everts, Philadelphia, pub Publication date: 1877 Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts, Ensign and Everts Number of Pages: 976

Author: McIntosh, W. H. cn; Everts, Ensign, and Everts, Philadelphia, pub
Publication date: 1877
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts, Ensign and Everts
Number of Pages: 976