USA > New York > Wyoming County > History of Wyoming County, N.Y., with Illustrations, Biographical Sketches and Portraits of Some Pioneers and Prominent Residents > Part 38
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Mag. OLIVER HODON was born in Middlebury in 1818, and married Oliver Hodges, of Attica, in October, 1861. Mr. Hodges died June 19th, 1878, and was buried in the Attios Cemetery. He had beld the ofloss of deputy sheriff and supervisor.
NORMAN L. Knox was born January 29th, 1819, at East Granby, Coop., and was married March 18th, 1840, to Lucinda Childs, of Pembroke, N. Y., where be bad removed from Connectiout in August, 1809. He has been a resident of Attion since 1844. He isa farmer and by trade a cooper. At the age of nineteen be was elected Heutecant of a militia company at Best Granby, Coon.
ANDREW KRAUSE'was born October Mod, 1826, at Altinesbeim, Baden, Germany, and came from his native land in 1849 to Attion, where be is co- gared in the sale of clothing, boots and shoes, hats and caps and gecitiemen's furnishing goods generally. September 2nd, 1861, be married Magdalena Foote, formerly of Postdorf, Alsace, France.
CARNI V. LINDERT, SOD of Kiliab and Eleanor Lindsey, was born in Attica November 8th, 1881, on the farm where be lives ; remained at home until twenty-two; taught school three years ; in 1864 bought a may-mill io the southwest part of the town ; in 1861 moved to the family bomestend and worked the farm on shares ; in 1886 built a cheese factory, and managed it four years ; in 1809 bought the homestead. He married Lovien, daughter of Henry and Lydia Smith, of Middlebury, Marob 20th, 1862.
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HISTORY OF WYOMING COUNTY, NEW YORK.
KILLAS LINDSEY was born in Warren county, N. Y., April 30th, 1783 ; set- tled in Attica In 1848, and died June 16th, 1875, at the age of eighty-nine. He was married January 15th, 1807, to Eleanor Loop, who died April 15th, 1800. at the age of eighty-two. Martin Lindsey, sua of the above and brother of Carmi V. Lindsey, was born in Warren county, March 3d. 1831. He is a farmer and bas beld the office of assessor. He married Lovina Smith, daughter of Heary and Lydia Smith, of Middlebury, January 81st, 1844.
WILLIAM LINDERT, brother of Carmi: and Martin, was born in Attica January 18th, 1888; lived at home until bs was twenty-six ; in 1849 removed to Genesse county ; in 1866 bought the farm where be has since lived, and was married to Harriet, daughter of Alpheus and Lydia Holcomb, of Java, in 1830."
JOHN M. LEARY was born March 27th, 1808, in Bennington, Vt. He lived in Merssobusetta, and came from Northampton, in that State, to Attics in 1875. He is a painter and paper hanger, and is connected with Reserve Engine Company, No. 1. He was married January 5th, 1879, to Sophia A. King, of Attics.
How. J. H. LOOMIS was born in Attion in 1888. ; His father, and his mother. whose maiden name was Collar, were natives of Connecticut. They came to Attion in 1816. The former died in 1841, the latter in 1896, while the subject of this sketob was an infant. 1 Hod. J. H. Loomis established himself in the banking business in Attios in 1887. He has served the town as assessor. and was elected State Senator in 1517.
JULIANA LUBBA was born in France October 28th, 1839, and married Frederiok Lubba, of Batavia, Genesse county, October 29th, 1839. Sbe came to Attion in 1835 and is engaged in farming.
.CAPTADI EDWIN 8. MOLETTRE was born in Elbe, Genesse county, where his father was a pioneer, in 1814, and removed with his parents to Attics in 1896. He subsequently Lived in Careyville and Alexander, Gonesse county, and returned to Attios in 1890, in which. year be married Mrs. Maryetta Boyce, widow of Harmon Royce, of Alexander. He is a farmer and the owner of eighty-six sores. He was appointed captain of militia by Governor Washington Hunt, and beld the office Ave years. He is a painter by trade. 'His father, Captain Moses C. Molutyre, was born in Chariton, Maes., and died in Attica at the age of seventy-two, in 1851.
Mas. RUIZA B. MOLBOD was born March 4th, 1817, in Williamsville, Brie county, and married Ronald MoLeod, of St. Lawrence county. 8be removed to Attics from Mackinaw tu L871, and is engaged in farming.
GEORGE MESTE, hotel keeper, was born in Attion April 6th, 1839, and married Kate M. Shafer. of that place, January 8th, 1866. He is the pro- prietor of a bakery.
GEORGE D. MILLES was born at Wallkill, Orange county, October 20th, .1848, and came to Attion in 1833. He has been roadmaster on the Buttalo division of the N. Y., L. E. and W. R. R. ten years, and has served as com- " missioner of highways three years. He married Mary A. Wilson, of Attica, September ad, 1874.
DAVID (800 of Heary and Elinor) NESBITT was born in Gaines, Orleans county, in 1884, and soon afterward removed with his parents to Attion. He was married in 1888 to Jane R., daughter of Asber and Ann Kinney, of War- www. Mr. Nesbitt is a farmer and dairyman.
HENRY NESBITT, father of David Nesbitt, was born in County Cavan, Ire- land, in 1808 .. He came to America in 1808, worked by the month in West- ington county for a time, and remained there till 1880; removed to Gaines, Orleans county. In 1:64 be located in Attion, where he has since lived. In 1881 be married Mies Minor Smith, of Washington county, who died in 1806. In 1843 be married Mies Sally Underwood, of Attics, his present wife, Mr. Nesbitt has always been frugal and industrious. Two of his sons are gradu- ates of the Buffalo Medical College.
A. B. NICHOLA, son of Edwin A. and Mary R. Nichols, was born in Attics .October 17th, 1881. Edwin A. Nichols was born in Attion July 10ch, 1868. .September 6th, 1881, bo calisted in Company G, 160th regiment N. Y. volun- terra," and died' at University Hospital, Now' Orleans, La., December 17th, 1888. Mrs. Niobols was born in Wheatland, Monroe county. September 5th, 1881.
JOHN B. NORGEIT was born in Hackettstown, Ireland, February 20th, 1867. In October, 1806, he came to Attion, where he has been engaged in . business as a Liquor dealer and builder, and bas beid the offices of collector, police constable and excise commissioner. He was married December 6th, 1808, to Anna C. Kaiser, of Attion.
NOAH NORTE was born at Alexander. Genesee county, June 27th, 1866. June 6th, 1841, be married Ana C. Williams ; she died June 18th, 1813. Janu- ary 19th, 1876, Mr. North married Caroline Gibeon. Both of these ladies were residents of Darisa, Genesse county. From that piace Mr. North came, May Nell, 1886, to Attica, where be has been employed as farmer, manufac- facturer of lumber, painter and teacher. and has served on the board of education. He was justice of the peace in Darien ten years, ..
: SEYMOUR NORTON was born March 11th, 1786, in Southerton, Hartford county, Comn. In 1810 be married Mies Anna Clark, and soon afterward re- mivel te Greene county. 'In 1013 be visited western New York, and cet- Did Jo Bennington in 1834. In 2864 he came to Attios and rasided with his atfighter, Mies'M. A. Morton, until his death, May att, 1834. His wife died in 18ST.
OWEN OWENS WAS born December 25th, 1837, in Wales. He came to Attica from Ution in 1883. He was married March 2nd, 159), to Mary Meredith, a native of North Wales. He is a farwer.
HENNY PALMER WAS born March 16th, 1811. at Maryland, Otsego county. He was married June Ist, 18J1. tu Mursby MeKnight, of Batavia, Genesce county, and again in February, 1867, to Abigail Hendrick, of Henrietta, Monroe county. He came to Attics in 1886, and is a boot and shoe maker.
JOHN PORTER was born in County Cavan, Ireland, August 14th, 1828. April 11th, 1886, be married Mary Soally, of Butternuts, Otsego county. He is a farmer. He came to Attics from Tompkins, Delaware county, in 1888.
MRS. HARRIET PRIME was born August 8th, 1819, at Paris. Oneida county, and came to Attios in 1834. June 14th, 1846, she married Joseph Primne, who Lived near Philadelphia, Pa.
NELSON REYNOLDS was born May 19th, 1814, in Buthany, Geneese county. He became a resident of Attica in 1836, and has served three years us issce- sor and five years as highway commissioner. He married Harriet Wales, of Attion, May 204, 1848.
AARON RICHARDSON Was born in Cheshire. Berkshire county. Muss., August 15th, 1804. "October 18th, 1837, be married Deidamia C. Whipple, of his native pisos. In 1884 be removed, with his family, to Trenton, Oneida county, and from there to Attion in 1848. He is a carpenter and joiner by trade, and has served as assessor one term. . His father and mother. Rufusand Wally Richardson, were born in Marsechusetts, where the former died.
R. J. RoGaas was born in Lime, Conn., in 1808. Esekiel Bogers, his father, and his mother, whose maiden name was Mary Bookworth, were both na- tives of Connecticut. Mr. Rogers emberked in the drug trade at Lewiston, Niagara county, in 1800 : from there be removed to Niles, Mich., and from Niles to Attien in 1800. He married a daughter of Ams Bishop, M. D., of Oneida county. He has been master of his masonic lodge.
JAMES SANBORN, son of Warren and Amanda Sanborn, was born in Attics, March 284, 1860. In 1870 be enlisted at Buffalo in Company G, 8th regiment, U. 8. infantry, and joined his regiment in New York that fall and remained there one year ; be went to Chicago and from there at the end of six months to Fort Russell, Wyoming Territory, thence to Utah and Arizona. He was promoted to the rank of corporal and afterward to that of sergeant, and was honorably diecharged at Camp Lowell, Arizona, in 1876. He is now co- gared in railroading.
WARRES F. SANBORN was born at Attion in 1831, and was married .to Miss Bilen Korton, of Linden, Genesse county, in 1868. He was a member of the State militia, and was early in the war of the Rebellion, going to Harrisburg, Pa., in 1881. His father, Warren Sanford, was a native of New Hampshire, who came to Wyoming county wben a small boy, with his parents, loonting in Attion. He was married in 1880 to Miss Amanda M. Eastman. He worked at the cooper's trade until 1840, and from that date until 1876, the year of his death, was engaged in the grocery business.
Mas. MARYETTE SCOVILLE was born September 27th, 1836, at Attica. She married Armenius B. Scoville, of that piace, December 10th, 1848.
WHITNEY 8. SCOVILLE, son of Ebeneser and Abigail Scoville, was born in Attios in 1818, and marzied Elisabeth Chambers in 1861. 8be was a native of Scotland, and caine to America in 1848. Mr. Scoville bes always lived in the town until the spring of 1818, excepting seven years spent in Wheatland, Monroe county. He commenced life a poor boy, but by perseverance and industry bas accumulated a bandsome property, and is now one of the most extensive farmers in the town.
MRg. HANTAK SHELDON, widow of Horses Sheldon, of Attics, who died in 1895, was born in Coshocton county, O., in 1848, and was married in 1889 ; she had one son. She came to this State from Indiana in 1899, and is making and dealing in all kinds of hair work, puis, ouris and switobes.
HUTRY STEAK was born in Holstein, Germany, December 37th, 1898, and married Elsabe Oldschwager, of his native pisos, February 8th, 1888, and dur- ing the same year came to Attion. He is a farmer, miller and dealer .in flour and feed.
A. A. SMITH was born in Manobester, Mass., July 17th, 1899, and has been a resident uf Attics since the spring of 1896. He served as supervisor of the town of Attica in 1676, and as president of the village board of trustees 1877-70. He was married September 10th, 1887, to Mary K. Kelbam.
HARRY W. SMITH Was born October 9th, 1817, in Attion, and married Lisa Austin, of that pisce, in the spring of 1847. Mr. Smith is a farmer. He has served as commissioner of highways. Mrs. Smith was born January 17th, 1899, and died October 18th, 2002, Rueba Smith, Harry W. Smith's father, was born March &th, 1787, and came to Action in 1813. He died June 18ch, 1830. His wife, Amy B. Smith, was born February &d, 1700, and die'd November 18th. 1805. They were married November 10th, 1808.
Lomza trurmora, draymen and expressman and meil messenger, ares ·bom at Attios June 10ch, 1830, and married Sibyl Daris, of Attics, October 30th, 1881.
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BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES, TOWN OF ATTICA.
Mas. FALLONLA RICHARDS GARRETSEE TANNER was born in Milton, Sara toga county. N. Y., March 17th, 1797. 8be was married to - Garretsee, of Sobenectady. a soldier of 1818, Marob 26th, 1815, and to Captain William To- Der December 5th, 1881, ber first husband having died February 10th, 1821. She came to Attics in 1860. from Salina, N. Y. Captain Tanner was a postmaster several years, and held other offoss. He was an early settler in Orangeville, and came from there to Attion Center, wbore be died in 1830.
C. 8. THOMPSON was born in Le Roy, Genesse county, in 1033. At the age of eleven be went to Lookport, Niagara county, and remained there until be was twenty ; removed to Monroe county, and from there in 1846 to Attics. He was of the Arm of Thompson & Loomis, bankers, and has been in the milling business since 18N. He married Barab A., daughter of Isaac Fargo, of Stafford, N. Y. His father, Hasel Thompson, a Bootobman by nativity, came carly in life to America, and died in 1006.
DANIEL THOMSON was born in Trenton, Oneida county, March Xist, 1810, and was married January 29th, 1887, to Achenh W. Burlingame, of his native town. They came to Attios in the fall of 1887. Mr. Thomson, who is a gar- dener and manages a farm near the Centre, is a man noted for his benevo- lence, and his many benefactions, in which his wife has participated. May 18th, 1874, they deeded a house and lot, valued at $1,400, to the Central Asso- atation, a benevolent society, for church extension, education and home and foreign missions; and on the 2ed of the same month Mrs. Thomson, with the consent of Mr. Thomson, gave the same association $1,000 to help codow a David Marks professorship in Hillsdale, Michigan. On these amounts they are to receive interest during their natural lives.
EDWARD D. TOLLES, hardware dealer at Attics, was born in Bennington February 20th, 1841, and was married April Mind, 1866, to Josephine E. Brain- ard, of Attics. During the civil war be was first lieutenant of Company F. 5th N. Y. cavalry.
FREDERICK TRUMMEL was born in Prussia August 18th, 1884, and came to Attion, where he is engaged in the manufacture and sale of furniture and comins, from Buffalo in 1808. October 11th, 1869, be married Kate Gangien, of Town Line, Erie county.
ALEXANDER H. VAN BUREN, 800 of Bernard and Barbara Wood Van Buren, was born at South Trenton, Onelde county, N. Y., November 14th,
1814. In childhood fe was adopted by Ebeneser and Pbebe Lewis, of Gor- ham, Ontario county, and be lived there most of the time till be was twen- ty-five. He then lived at Canandaigua five years and a balf, in Aurora, Brie county, six months, in Wales, Erie county, three years. and in Orangeville until May 2nd, 1878, when he came to the village of Attion. At Gurbum, September 20th, 1886, be married Nancy Wilson. 8be died at Attica July 20th, 1875, and on the ad of September, 1878, Mr. Van Buren married Barth I. Royos, of Attics, who was born in Moravia, N. Y., December 28th, 1083. He has been a trustee of the M. E. church since the autumn of 182, and president of the board.
WILLIAM WALBRIDGE, farmer, was born in Attion in 1812, and married Lots Lindsey in 1830. In the military be bas beld all of the ofces from ith corporal to lieutenant-colonel, and be bas served seven years as supervisor, three years as highway commissioner and three years as assessor.
CHARLAS WEREE was born in Nassau, Germany, in 1817, and was married to Miss Catherine Hardt, of that place in 1848. They came to America in 1845, and located in Warsaw. Afterward they lived in Middlebury, and came to Attion in 1886. Mr. Weber, who spent eighteen years of his life in the coal and tron mines of Germany, owns a fine farm of two hundred and sixty- one and a half sores, the result of frugality and industry.
WILLIAM WILDER WAS born in Madison, N. Y., April 7th, 1816; come from there to Attica in 1826, and is well known as a contractor and builder. January 20th, 1811, be married Adeline M. Seeney, of Canandaigua.
J. O. WILLIAMS was born in Attion February 8th, 1845, and is a tanner by occupation. He was married to Emma E. Doty, of Attion, September 57th, 1871. He has served as justice of the peace, and three years as villege trustee.
LESANAE WINCHESTER was born at Westmoreland, Chester county, N. H., April 10th, 1786. In 1808 be removed to Marceline, Onondaga county, with his parents ;. in 1800 to Batavia, Genesse county ; to Orangeville, Genesse county, in 1886, and to Attion in 1847. In 1818 be was married to Mies I. Campbell, a native of Bainbridge, Chenango county, who, with ber parents, was living in Marcellus. While a resident of Orangeville, Genesee county, Mr. Winobester served as highway commissioner two years. sobool commis- tioner. two years. justice of the peace sixteen years and supervisor two years ; and he has been for two years assessor of the town of Attion.
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THE TOWN OF BENNINGTON.
HIS is the northeast corner town of the county, and contains 33,900 acres. The area of im- proved land is greater than in any other town in the county, it being 26,149 acres. The cash value of farms in 1875 was $1,322,081, and of farm buildings other than dwellings $149,760. The gross sales from farms in that year were $126,113. The stock on the farms was valued at $201,359. There were 11,997 acres in pasture, and 7,450 acres of meadow land; 2,251 cows were kept, from which was made in fam- ilies 85,212 pounds of butter and 33,347 pounds of cheese, besides 8,522 gallons of milk sold in market. There were produced 8,865 tons of hay and 3,323 bushels of barley; 20, 144 bushels of corn, 55,203 bushels of oats, 3,728 bushels of spring and 5,215 bushels of winter wheat, 56,302 bushels of potatoes, 35,871 bushels of apples and 31,460 pounds of maple sugar. The value of poultry sold was $2,350, and of eggs $3,290. There were 1,576 sheep kept, which produced 7,786 pounds of wool. There were 672 swine slaughtered, which made 162,744 pounds of pork.
The following is an exhibit of the earlier purchases of land from the Holland Company in this town, with the names of purchasers, as entered in the company's records :
John Tolles, 1808, lots 2, 4 and 6, section 8; Jacob Wright, 1808, parts of lots 8, 10 and 12, section 8; John Jones, 1804, lots 1, 3 and 5, section 4 ; Jabish Warren, 1808, lots 2, 4 and 6, section 5: Almond C. Laire, 1804, parts of lots 1, 8 and 5, section 7, also parts of lots 7, 9 and 11, section 7; Ama Jones, 1804, lots 7, 9 and 11, section 4; Ebeneser Smith, 1804, lots 1, 3 and 5, section 8 ; Joseph Browning, 1804, parts of lots 2, 4 and 6, section 6; Jacob Wright, 1808, lot 7 and part of lot 9, section 8 ; Job Mattson, 1805, lots 1, 3 and 5, section 5; Daniel Root, second, 1808, part of lots 11 and 13, section 8: Stephen Wickham, 1806, parts of lots 9 and 11, section 8; William Adams, 1806, lots 8, 10 and 18, section 5; John Toles, 1808, parts of lots 8, 10 and 12, section 8; Almond C. Latre, 1806. lots 2, 4 and 6, section 7; Joseph Bromaghan, 1808, parts of lots 1, 8 and 5, section 1; Bartholomew Armstrong, 1806, lots 1, 8 and 5, section &, also lot 5 and part of lot &, section 8, also lot 1 and part of lot 8, section 8; Daniel Watkins, 1808, parts of lots 7, 9 and 11, section 7; Chauncey and Jus- tice Loomis, 1808, lots 1-8, section 11; Joseph Browning, 1804, parts of lots 2, 4 and i, section 8, and parts of lots 1, 3 and 5, section 7; David Ward, 1808, lot 5, section 9; Ichabod Smith, 1804, parts of lots 2, 4 and 6, section 6; Aaron Whitney, 1806, lots 8, 10 and 12, section 7; R. Newell, 1810, parts of lots 2, 4 and &, section 4; Joel Maxon, 1810, lot 9, section 1; Joshua Lamphier, 1810, parts of lots 7, 9 and 11, section 5; John Green, 1810, parts of lots 7, 9 and 11, section 5; John Jones, 1808, lot 11, section 1; Chauncey and Justice Loomis, 1806, lots 1-9, 18, 21, 28, 29 (5.800 24-100 acres).
. PIONEER TIMES.
John Tolles, of the town of Orwell, Vt., in the spring of 1802, with no other outfit than a system inured to labor, an indomitable will, a few necessary articles of apparel, and the means of locomotion furnished by nature, started from his boyhood home, to carve out for himself a home in the far West. He fell in with Jacob Wright at the great bend of the Tonawanda, now Batavia. The latter was also from one of the Eastern States, and a "land looker," as the pioneers were
termed. They pursued their journey together, and located in the northeast corner of the present town of Bennington They were the first settlers of this town.
After looking about a little they built two rude cabins about half a mile apart, covered them with bark, which was a good protection from the storm, and with a fire built out- side and burning brightly, they were able to sleep soundly, notwithstanding the howl of the wolf and the occasional scream of the panther. The country was at that time an unbroken wilderness, where no foot but that of the red man had ever trod, excepting the surveyor, who was then in the woods. After building their log cabins the settlers cleared three or four acres of land, and sowed it to wheat, after which they returned to the East for their families. They arrived again at their new homes in February, 1803, and found that another settler had located his family on a part of the same quarter section, and had a good fire burning in his new log cabin to welcome his neighbors to their forest home.
During the summer of 1803 several other persons made a "pitch," as it was familiarly called, in the vicinity of the first settlers, and now commenced the work of opening the forest, the axman plying his ax, the sturdy monarchs of the forest giving way, permitting the sun to shine where it had not for centuries before, and the cereals and esculent plants taking the place of the leek and the brake. The wild ani- mals that gave way before the advancing pioneer were the deer, bear, wolf, panther, fox, wildcat and a large family of squirrels, while the streams were inhabited by the otter, mink and muskrat.
When the first wheat was harvested a "threshing floor" was made by splitting and evening the surface of some basswood logs, and placing them side by side and as close as possible. There was no roof over this floor, for it was usually made near the wheat field, and could be removed to another field when required. The threshing was done with a flail. The winnowing was done in the primitive way of dropping the grain from a platform through a natural current of air. Then, with an ox-team, the grain would be carried twenty miles, to the mill at Buttermilk fall, now Leroy, to be ground; and as some time would elapse before the return of the grist, and provisions got rather short, the good housewife would resort to boiling wheat to satisfy the demands of the hungry juveniles, thus preparing an article of food not much inferior to boiled rice. When the corn crop was harvested, which had been raised among the logs, each settler provided himself with a mortar, which was made by hollowing to the proper depth a sound log or stump, making a pestle with a
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JACOB CLARK
RESIDENCE or JACOB CLARK, DECEASED , CASTILE, N. Y.
RESIDENCE or JONAS CLARK, CASTILE. N. Y.
RESIDENCE or JOHN B. CLARK, CASTILE, N.Y.
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RES, or W. L. HAWES, COWLESVILLE, WYOMING CO., N.Y.
Ir 2 Jours
JOHN LOOMIS.
RESIDENCE OF JOHN LOOMIS, BENNINGTON, WYOMING CO., N. Y.
RESIDENCE or GEORGE CHICK, DENNINGTON, WYOMING CO. N. Y
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EXPERIENCES OF THE BENNINGTON SETTLERS.
round face, and with it pounding the corn into meal. A better pestle, and more easily worked, was made by sus- pending a pole, with a mallet face at the lower end, from a spring pole overhead. In this way hominy was made, which was to the pioneer a saving of time to mill and a big toll.
At the close of the year 1815 wheat was worth two dollars a bushel in Buffalo. Not having the conveniences of the present day for threshing, the pioneer, when he had a barn floor large enough, would place his wheat on the floor, and drive his horses around on it until the grain was out. In this way one of the pioneers of the town commenced one morning in that winter, and threshed until dark; then, by the light of a tallow candle in an old tin lantern, cleaned up the wheat with an old-fashioned hand fan, fitting it for market, and at sunrise he had forty bushels bagged. He then started with it for Buffalo, made the thirty-five miles before sunset, and sold his wheat for eighty silver dollars. Soon after dark he was on his way home, arriving there at breakfast time, having in forty-eight hours threshed and marketed forty bushels of wheat, without aid other than that of his two trusty horses. This is only a sample of what Bennington pioneers could do.
During the summer of 1803 quite a number of horned cattle were brought into the county: For want of fences, and boys to watch, they were allowed to roam where they pleased and with the browse they found they soon became good beef, without expense to the owner. They were kept during the first two or three winters on browse without much difficulty. Early in the winter of 1804, the snow having become deep, the cattle strayed away in search of food. A company of men started in pursuit, and after much search found them on the Tonawanda, about six miles distant, but too late to get them home that night, or perhaps in a day or two. A crisis had come. The snow was deep, the weather cold, and night at hand. The old flint and steel were produced, for that was the only way of starting a fire in those days. But the flint being well worn, and the hand that held it numb with cold, the "punk " would not ignite, and there was a fair prospect of having to camp over night without fire. The flint and steel were passed to Nathan Clapp,who, after a few abortive attempts, in which he brought them within about six inches of each other, handed them back, with the remark, " I must freeze," and began to shiver and prepare to meet his doom. In warmer hands the flint and steel did better execution, and a fire was soon started, when Nathan concluded to help make a fire for the rest before laying down that mortal coil, and, seizing the ax, plied it dexterously for a few moments, when he was warm enough without a fire. The party slept soundly that night, and reached home the next day with their stock.
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