USA > New York > Ontario County > History of Ontario county, New York : with illustrations and family sketches of some of the prominent men and families > Part 33
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The old foundry and machine shop and edge tool factory of Thomp- son & Co. is now a part of the extensive plow works of G. H. Parmelee. The carriage factory of S Bowker is a thing of the past, the shop hav- ing been sold to other persons who for a time made thermometers, but afterward suspended business.
The Ontario Mills are half a mile northeast of Phelps, on the Newark road. Here are made about sixty barrels of flour daily. Fridley Bros. are proprietors. Next west of this place is the location of the Empire Mills, of which Philander Mott is proprietor. Still farther west is the Plainesville Mill.
At Unionville, which was formerly a place of some note, is the site of the once well-known Unionville Mill, originally built in 1839, also the New Mill, on the site of the old paper-mill. Although still in operation, now owned by R. A. Willing, this locality has lost its former
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TOWN OF PHELPS.
prestige. The roller flour- mill here has a seventy-five barrel capacity. A little farther east is the old Swift mill site, where General Swift built a small mill in pioneer days, and here a mill has ever since been contin- uously maintained. Since 1858 Jesse Barlow (now sole owner) has had an interest in the property. The present large mill was built in 1882, and has a fifty. barrel capacity. Unionville, though once a busy locality, has lost its primitive importance.
The Crown Manufacturing Company, by far the largest industry of Phelps, was incorporated in 1883 ; capital $100,000. The large build- ing was erected the same year, and here are manufactured annually about one thousand Crown Grain and Fertilizer Drills, and about one thousand two hundred Crown Wheel-barrow Grass Sowers. About fifty men are employed in the works. The officers of the company are Benj. F. Prichard, pres. ; Geo. C. Prichard, vice-pres. and treas., and Edward H. Leggett, sec. The officers are also directors.
Summarizing briefly, it is found that the manufacturing interests of Phelps at the present time are the Crown Manufacturing Company ; Fridley Bros., millers ; Peter Garlock & Son, cider and brandy manu- facturers ; Jno. Q. Howe & Sons, millers; Calvin McIntyre & Son, maltsters; J. K. Nester, maltster ; G. H. Parmelee, plow manufacturer ; the Phelps Chilled Plow Works of G. H. Parmelee ; H. C. & T. C. Sev- erance, carriage manufacturers.
In 1857 L. B. Hotchkiss opened a private bank in Phelps. Thaddeus O. Hotchkiss succeeded to the business in 1869, and Wm. B. Hotchkiss & Co. succeeded to the last mentioned owner in 1879.
The banking firm of Jno. H. Roy & Co. began business in February, 1883. The personnel of the firm is as follows : John H. Roy, Simeon K. Bowker, Wm. T. Van Vranken, Isaac Roy, and Isaac Roy 2d.
The villages and hamlets of the town, except Phelps, are small and have been of little importance as elements of local history. Of those worthy of mention Orleans is the largest, and is a station on the line of the Sodus Point and Southern Railroad It is situated in the southwest part of the town, on Flint Creek, which stream has been utilized to some extent in furnishing mill power. The Blythe Mills are to be mentioned as among the industries of first importance in this locality. The public properties, past and present, have been the district school, the M. E.
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HISTORY OF ONTARIO COUNTY.
church, the Baptist church and the H. P. Chapel. The M. E. church building was sold to the Presbyterians and its congregation joined with the church at Seneca Castle.
The Baptist church at Orleans was organized in 1819, under the min- istry of Elder Shay, its first pastor It had fifty-eight original members, among whom were a number of the pioneers of the town and their de- scendants. The first church edifice was built in 1820, burned in 1846, and soon afterward replaced with a more substantial structure.
Oaks' Corners is the name of a small hamlet situated three miles southeast of Phelps village, and attained an early prominence from the efforts of pioneer Jonathan Oaks, who built a hotel here as early as 1793, and who also contributed much to the general welfare and devel- opment of the town.
A Presbyterian society was informally organized here in 1803, and in the next year the organization was perfected by Rev. Jedediah Chap- man, the original members numbering fourteen persons. The society of this church has experienced many vicissitudes, yet its life has been constant to the present time. Originally organized as Congregational, it became Presbyterian in 1811 and so continues. The edifice was built in 1804, and still stands, a ne it and well preserved structure. Frequent repairs have been made to the building The present membership is one hundred, and in the Sunday school are over eighty pupils. The pastor is Rev. Henry W. Maier, whose term began June 1, 1893, suc- ceeding Rev. Samuel Murdock.
Melvin Hill is a settlement in the southeast part of the town. The village of Clifton Springs includes within its corporate limits a portion of the town of Phelps, a subject more fully discussed in another chapter. Gypsum is a hamlet north of Clifton Springs and extends over the town line into Phelps, but it is a settlement belonging chiefly to Man- chester.
In this chapter occasional reference has been made to the early schools opened in the town, and however interesting might be found a complete history of each from the time of founding, such a record is impossi- ble in consequence of insufficient minutes and record books. Accord- ing to the present arrangement the town of Phelps has a total of twenty- four school districts, four of which (Nos. 3, 5, 7 and 10) have no
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TOWN OF VICTOR.
school-house. The school census of 1892 shows the number of children of school age to be 1,614; number of teachers employed, thirty- three ; amount received from all sources for school purposes, $18,056.80; paid to teachers, $10,959.49 ; total value of school buildings and sites, $48,- 120. Of the school buildings in the town, thirteen are of brick, five of frame and two of stone.
CHAPTER XIX.
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF VICTOR.
N 1789, under the name of Bloomfield, the territory of the town now known as Victor, was first organized by competent authority and without dispute as to right of sovereignty and jurisdiction. However, there was an earlier occupancy of this particular region than that ac- complished by the settlers under the Phelps and Gorham titles, for re- liable records furnish the information that here was the Seneca village known as Gan-da ga-ro, although of the time of its founding we have no knowledge. In 1656 the Jesuit father, Chaumonot, visited the locality, but some doubt has been expressed regarding the exact loca- tion of the village at that time, for the Indians were not only migratory in their personal habits, but frequently changed the location of their villages. In 1677 and ten years later the village was on Boughton Hill, one mile directly south of the village of Victor, and contained, ac- cording to Greenhalgh, about 150 houses In 1669, Galinee, the asso- ciate of La Salle, described Gandagaro as a large plain, about two leagues in circumference on the edge of a small hill, and surrounded with palisades. It was this description that aroused a feeling of doubt as to the time the village was founded. Denonville found some kind of a work on the hill north of Victor village, and evidences of a small village have been discovered here, but the weight of testimony tends to show that Gan-da- gan was south of the great hill. This Gandagan, alias Gandagaro, was the "St. James" founded by the Jesuits about the middle of the seventeenth century, and afterward discovered by the
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HISTORY OF ONTARIO COUNTY.
Moravian missionaries. It was also a chief seat of the Senecas and the residence of the sachem who presided over the grand council of the tribe. In 1687 Denonville, the French governor of New France, made an expedition against the Senecas and destroyed the village. How- ever, this subject is treated at much length in one of the earlier chap- ters of this volume, to which the attention of the reader is referred for greater detail ; and the brief observations we have here made are only introductory, and for the purpose of showing that the earliest history of this locality was fully as interesting as that of later years.
By an act of the Legislature passed January 27, 1789, Ontario county was created, and provision was also made for the formation of jurisdic- tional districts for the purposes of organization and government. One of these districts was called Bloomfield, and included all that is now East and West Bloomfield, Mendon and Victor. The town last men- tioned, the subject of this chapter, was set off and separately organized May 26, 1812 ; and although the early history of the town was made while it formed a part of Bloomfield, that fact will be disregarded and and the town treated in the same manner as if No. II in the fourth range was an original creation.
Pioneer and Early Settlement .-- All authorities concede to Jared Boughton the honor of being the first pioneer settler in what is now Victor. Enos Boughton, brother to Jared, was a clerk for William Walker, ths principal agent for the surveys and sales of the Phelps and Gorham Co. Enos purchased township No. 11, fourth range, from the proprietors, paying therefor twenty cents per acre for the land, the money being furnished by his father, Hezekiah Boughton, and other members of the family. In the spring of 1789 Enos and Jared Bough- ton came to Canandaigua, and soon afterward visited the recently pur- chased township, in their journey following the old Indian trail. In the extreme south part of No. II, they built a small cabin and made other preparations for a permanent residence in the then wilderness region. In June following, Hezekiah Boughton, jr., and Jacob Lobdell arrived at the cabin, bringing with them cattle and implements for household and farm use. After making improvements and clearings, and harvest- ing the season's crop, all these pioneers, except Lobdell, returned to the east for the winter. In February, 1790, Jared Boughton and his
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TOWN OF VICTOR.
family set out upon the journey to their future home, and after many noteworthy incidents, and some hardships, they safely arrived at their destination on the 7th of March, and gained the distinction of being the pioneer family of Victor.
The Boughtons were a prolific as well as adventurous family, and after their surname the historic Boughton Hill itself was named. Heze- kiah Boughton, the father, with his son Seymour and daughter Theo- doria, came to the town in the fall of 1790, and settled in the "hill" neighborhood in a locality afterward called "Turner's Hill."
Jacob Lobdell, who was about eighteen years old when he first came to this locality, became the owner of a hundred acre farm by purchase from the Boughtons, and he married the daughter of Levi Boughton, and was also the sire of a large family. He was the first supervisor elected for Victor, and was otherwise prominent in town affairs. He died in 1847. Hezekiah Boughton in 1792 built the first framed house in the town, which he put to use as a tavern, in which occupation he was the pioneer. He died in 1798, and was succeeded as landlord by one Dickinson. Jared Boughton left the town in 1799, but two years later returned, and remained until his death. Frederick, son of Jared, was the first child born in the town, the date being June 1, 1791. Claudius Victor Boughton, child of Hezekiah, jr., became a prominent man in the town, and after him the town was named.
Having mentioned at some length the facts connected with the set- tlement by the Boughton family, it is proper that there also be some reference to other early settlers in the township. We have noted the fact that Enos Boughton purchased the entire township from the Phelps and Gorham proprietary, but of course he did not remain absolute owner for a great length of time. The lands were sold to various pur- chasers, each of whom became in a measure a pioneer, or at least an early settler; therefore, for the purpose of preserving a record of all such persons and families, we may appropriately name them, but with- out reference to date of settlement or locality of their respective first purchases of land. The list is as follows:1 Elijah Ingersoll, David
1 The reader must not assume that this list contains the names of all the pioneers of Victor. The names mentioned are of persons who in some manner contributed to the erection of the " Proprie- tors' Church."
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HISTORY OF ONTARIO COUNTY.
Lusk, Asahel Boughton, Jirah Rowley, James Upton, George Low, Dinah Brooks, Joseph Rowley, Lora Davis, Thomas Ingersoll, Joseph Thrall, Elisha Coon, Isaac Marsh, De Forest Boughton, Silas Pardee, Solomon Turner, Nicholas Smith, Timothy Williams, Samuel Gillis, Jeremiah Hull, Thomas Hawley, Jabez Felt, Harry Hart, Eleazer Boughton, Jared Boughton, Lucy Boughton, Jacob Lobdell, Urana Willard, Erie Hawley, John Hughes, Nathaniel Turner, Isaac Root, Elisha Brace, Peter Berry, Elisha Williams, Jesse Scudder, Israel Sim- mons, Joseph Brace, Nathaniel Boughton, Solomon Griswold, Johanna Marsh, Claudius Victor Boughton, Isaac Hathaway, Reuben Parmele, Jonathan Smith, M. O. Dickinson, Alice Boughton, Abraham Bough- ton, Ezekiel Scudder, Ira Seymour, jr., Ebenezer Bement, Ezra Wil- marth, Reuben Brace, Thos. Beach, Asahel Moore, Abraham Brunson, Abner Hawley, Wm. Jackson, Seymour Boughton, Andrew Colton, Henry Bement, Simeon Parks, Silas Thayer, Harry Boughton, sr., John Brace, Gershom Wilmarth, Joseph Perkins, Peter Turner, Erastus In- gersoll, Enos Gillis, Asa Root, Samuel Perkins, Abijah Williams, Jabez Hart, Rufus Dryer, Seymour Boughton, jr., Asahel Lusk, Edwin Bement, Samuel Rawson, Silas Barnes, Manley Hawley
These names represent not only the proprietors of the 'ands of the township upon its subdivision, but represent also pioneers, and in many cases the children and wives of pioneers, in whose names titles were given through feelings of generosity and for convenience; and it is quite probable that names of persons are mentioned who were not early residents of Victor, but who were land owners for purposes of speculation, for of some of those named. there is little or no record ex- cept as holders of title However, of some whose names are above referred to there is a record of settlement, and also we may state that the town had a few pioneers who are not named in the list of proprie- tors.
Asa Hecock settled in the town in 1790, and was the first postmaster ; also an early tavern-keeper, and at one time a side judge of the courts. Abijah Williams also settled in Victor in 1790, first in the north part, but moving later on to the southern part of the town. Nicholas Smith settled in 1790; Ezra Wilmarth in 1796; Reuben Parmele, an early and prominent Presbyterian minister, in 1798; Elisha Brace in 1793.
Jeremiah Hawkins.
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TOWN OF VICTOR.
In the same connection may also be mentioned the names of Josiah and Jabez Morehouse, Dr. Thomas Beach and Elisha, Herman, Joseph, Dr. Joel, and Reuben Brace, all of whom were early settlers and identified with the development of the region. Those who have been named in this connection were pioneers in the south part of the township, in the locality later known as School District No. 2.
In the eastern part of the town is the hamlet now called East Victor, which was originally named Scudderville, after Ezekiel Scudder, who built here the first permanent mill in the township. The locality has also been called Freedom. The pioneers of this district (No. 4) were Abraham Boughton, 1791; Thomas Hawley, a pioneer saw- mill builder ; Otis Wilmarth, builder of an early grist-mill ; Elijah Griswold, who had a carding. mill as early as 1800; Levi Boughton, settler in 1790 ; N. O. Dickinson, tavern- keeper ; Samuel Boughton, shoemaker ; James Felt, distiller ; John M. Hughes, carding-miller. In the same locality also were early settlers Samuel Drowne, Eleazer Boughton, Nathan Jenks (merchant), James Barnhart, Cornelius Conover, Asahel Moore. In the southeast corner of the town Solomon Griswold made the first settlement, remaining only a short time, and giving way to Isaac Wheeler. In this neighborhood also were Ebenezer Stone, wheel- wright and handy man at any trade, and William Barber, said to be a famous hunter.
The west and southwest portions of Victor were not settled until about twenty years after the eastern and southeastern sections, and a number of the settlers here were from the Mohawk valley country. Jona- than Culver came in 1801 ; Increase Carpenter in 1808 ; Roswell Mur- ray in 1810; as also did Stephen Ellis and Elston Hunt. Murray's wife was sister to Brigham Young, the Morman leader. Other early settlers in this locality were John and William Ward, James M. Camp- bell, Abijalı Covill, Ezra Wilmarth, Samuel Dryer, James Wilmarth, Deacon Sheldon, and James Potter.
In the northwest part of the town is located the railroad station and post-village called Fisher's, and so named in honor of Charles Fisher, who settled here in 1817. However, it was not until the completion of the railroad and the establishment of a post-office that the name was regularly applied to the station. Irondequoit Creek has its course in
47
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HISTORY OF ONTARIO COUNTY.
this part of the township, consequently the locality became desirable for the purposes of both farming and lumbering. The result was in the founding of a settlement at an early day and the starting of numerous saw mills along the stream mentioned. Asahel Lusk was an early set- tler here ; Elisha Coan was an early comer, and built a saw-mill ; Rich- ard Brunson had a saw-mill and also a distillery, the latter as early as 1818; Richard Hayes was proprietor of a grist-mill ; Jonas Allen built a saw mill in 1814, and a fulling and carding-mill in 1817. Among the other early settlers in this immediate locality we may mention the names of Gregory IIill, Joseph and Barzilla Woolston, Asa Gaskill, and David Barrett, while in the same general region, and a little farther east, the pioneers were Joseph Rowley, Simeon Parks, Eleazer Bough . ton, Jonathan Smith and Isaac Simmons. In the extreme north- west of the town dwelt pioneer Abraham Mattison, who built the first saw-mill on Irondequoit Creek. A little later David Lyon built both saw and grist-mills (1820), and in 1825 Erastus Hughes operated a fulling-mill. John Earle and Samuel Moore were also early settlers in this locality. East of the section just referred to, and in what after- ward became District No 7, the early settlers were Capt. Jirah Rowley, a pioneer of District No. 8, who served in the War of 1812-15, and was captain of the Victor militia company. In this neighborhood also lived at an early day Ichabod Town, the cooper ; Allen Bearmore or Barmour, Asa Root, De Forest Boughton, John Gould, and Squire Fox, the latter being noted for his native ability as a lawyer in justice court.
The northeast part of Victor was settled very early, when we consider its comparatively remote location. The first improvement here was made in 1797 by James Upton and Jabez Hart, and in the next year there came pioneers Isaac Marsh, the first tanner ; Jirah Rowley, who soon moved to the north part of the town ; Abraham Bliss, John Cline, and Joseph Trall came in the same year, while among the later early settlers were Timothy Wilson and John Rose, the latter a local preacher of the M. E. Church. John and Timothy Lane settled about 1800 in the extreme eastern part of the town, and in 1802 Jeremiah Richard- son began an improvement in the northeast corner.
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TOWN OF VICTOR.
District No. I and Victor Village .- In the central part of the town is located the large school district known as No. I, and within the limits thereof is the attractive village of Victor. The location of this district was generally favorable to early settlement, but it so happened that its pioneers were quite extensive land owners, consequently the number of early settlers was small. About where the depot is now located dwelt pioneer Peter Turner, and north of him was Isaac Root. Israel Blood settled in the northeast corner of the district soon after 1790, while in other parts the pioneers were Joel Hart, Samuel Burgman, Samuel Raw- son, and Michael Brooks, the latter a tailor by occupation. The village site was occupied and owned by Capt. Abner Hawley, whose residence, and also that of his son James, were the only buildings standing in 1798. James Hawley kept a tavern, and was the pioneer in that line, and was succeeded in business by Rufus Dryer, who came to the town in 1792, and became a man of note in local affairs. He was prominent as a land- lord, and built and conducted the Victor Hotel, one of the landmarks, in name at least, of the village. Enos Boughton was the pioneer mer- chant, and was followed in that line by William Bushnell. Other early business men of Victor may be briefly mentioned, among them Bush- nell & Jenks, Giles Arnold, Thomas Embry, Alfred Gray, merchant, 1817, succeeded by T. M. Boughton ; John Turner and William Turner, shoemakers, 1826; Stephen Collyer, wagonmaker, 1816; David Stout, hatter ; Wm. T. Roup, harnessmaker ; Enos, Samuel and James Gillis, tanners, established 1810.
For many years there was a feeling of friendly rivalry between the residents of districts Four and One, for each had an ambition to be the more important center. Scudderville, or East Victor, possessed the most desirable water-power, while Victor was the natural center, at which the principal highways terminated. The latter gradually ac- quired the greater population, and East Victor maintained its early manufacturing supremacy.
The completion of the Auburn and Rochester railroad in 1840, added much to the prosperity of Victor village, although the station is half a mile distant from the business center. The post-office was established at the village soon after 1810, the first postmaster being Asa Hickox, succeeded by William Bushnell, the latter serving twenty years, and
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HISTORY OF ONTARIO COUNTY.
being succeeded in 1835 by Wm. C. Dryer. In 1892 the Lehigh Val- ley Company completed an extension of their road through the center of the village, thus affording additional shipping and traveling facilities to the people, though it must be confessed that this improvement has made no apparent increase in manufactures.
Within the last score of years the people of the village have realized the necessity of having a corporate existence, which should in a meas- ure separate the municipality from the township. To this end an in- corporation was effected during 1879, and the newly elected trustees held their first meeting on December 31. These trustees were James Walling, Josiah Upton, Albert Jacobs and William R. Townsend, the latter of whom was elected president of the board. The first clerk of the village was F. W. Edmonds. The corporation includes about one square mile of land, extending about half a mile in each cardinal direc- tion from the business center. The trustees at present are Theodore M. Norton, Albert Bailey, John M. Ladd and William A. Higinbotham. Mr. Norton is president. The village clerk is Gilbert Turner. The population of the village is about 800 inhabitants.
Although one of the small municipalities of the county, Victor num - bered among the oldest trading centers of the region. James Hanley opened the way to trade by starting the tavern here, and was later on followed in the same pursuit by other worthy citizens, among whom we may recall the names of Eleazer Boughton, Rufus Dryer, Asa Hickox, John M. Hughes, George W. Dryer, Wm. C. Dryer, Harry Peck and others. Rufus Dryer and N. O. Dickinson were early millers, while Enos Boughton and William Bushnell were the first merchants. The stone store was built in 1834. The frame school-house was built in 1816, its first teacher being Melancton Lewis. The principal general merchants in the village at the present time are A. Simonds' Sons, suc- cessors to A. Simonds & Sons, and William B. Gallup. F. E. Cobb is the local druggist, Walling & Brace, the tailors, while the present in- cumbent of the post-office is D. A. McVean.
About 1870, William C. Moore opened a private bank at Victor, ran it about ten years and then failed. He was followed in business (more successful in results, however,) by Parmele, Hamlin & Co., and in 1889 Norman A. Wilbur purchased the Parmele interest, and the firm of
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TOWN OF VICTOR.
Higinbotham & Wilbur was formed. The members of the firm are William A. Higinbotham and Norman A. Wilbur, both men of worth and integrity, and each interested in the welfare of the village and town.
At the New York Central station is a large and well equipped flour- ing- mill, which was built in 1876 by Amos Scramling. In 1885 this property was purchased by the present proprietor, E. S. Berry.
In 1816 the first frame school-house was built in the village, and as has been stated, Melancton Lewis was its first teacher. In the village, both before and after the incorporation, educational affairs have re- ceived deserved attention from the trustees of the district, and a good school building and excellent teachers have always been provided. In 1883, at an expense of about $15,000, the trustees of the district caused to be built the large school-house which now adorns the village.
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