History of Wyoming County, N.Y., with Illustrations, Biographical Sketches and Portraits of Some Pioneers and Prominent Residents, Part 66

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Publication date: 1880
Publisher: F.W. Beers & Co.
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Lammon, of Orangeville. a native of Otsego county. He has frequently besa obosen to positions of honor and responsibility.

JEFFREY H. WILCOX removed from Exeter. R. I., to Warsaw in 1814. In the spring of 1818 be bought and removed to a farm in the north- west part of Orangeville, one of the first settlers in that part of the town There he lived the rest of his life, dying May &d, 1870, aged eighty-coven years.

ALFRED 8. WILCOX, son of Jeffrey H. Wilcox, was born in West Greco- wich, R. I., April 24th, 1818, and came with his parents to Warsaw in 1816. and in 1818 to Orangeville, wbere be bas since lived. He bought of his father the old homestead on lot 56, and lived there until 1838, when be bought two hundred and fifteen aores on lot 55, on which be has since resided. He now owns three hundred and sixty acres, upon which he keeps a large dairy. He has been justice of the pesce sixteen years, overseer of the poor over twenty years. assessor, and supervisor for six terms. He did all the recruiting for Orangeville from the spring of 1863 to the close of the Rebellion. He was a captain in the old militia seven years.

JAMES C. WILCOX, son of Jeffrey Wilcox, bes always lived in Orangeville. where he was born July 7th, 1818. He was married February Ist, 1848, to Orpha J. Spink, of Orangeville, who was born in Shaftsbury, Vt., March Ist, 1868, and came with ber parents to Orangeville in 1832. From 1845 Mr. Wilnox lived eight years on a farm on Jot 55. This be sold, and in 1866 bought one hundred and fifty acres on lots 45 and 37, where he has since lived. He bes beid town offoes many years. His children are: Mary M., born Marob Zod, 1844, married Aaron Jones. of Orangeville, October 20th, 1883; Thomas B., born August 18th. 1846, and married to Rosa B. Winchester April 30th, 1830; Cordelia D., born May 18th, 1860, and married to Orlin Lawrence, of Sheldon. March 14th, 1872 ; Emma J., born November 7th, 1868, and married to David H. Edwards, of Attion, March 2nd, 1875; Clara E., born April 19th, 1868, and married to J. Frank Peck, of Warsaw, June 6th, 1873 ; Edward J., born April 9th, 1861.

CHAUNCEY WOLCOTT, son of Daniel Wolcott. was born in Wethersdeld, January 4th, 1823. In 1865 be removed to his present place, on Jot 34, Orango- ville. He has always been a farmer and dairyman. Mr. Wolcott bes served two terms as supervisor and held other town ofces. He was married Feb- ruary 1st, 1844, to Lydia, second daughter of Ephraim Durfee; who was born in Orangeville, April 18th, 1823. They have one son, William D., born ta Wethersfield, June 2nd, 1848, and married to Hannah M. Griffen April 12th, 1871.

CHESTER L. WOLCOTT, son of Daniel Wolcott, was born in Wethersdeld. August 14th, 1888, and was married February 18th, 1846, to Elisa, daughter of Ephraim Durfee, of Orangeville, where she was born March 25th, 1834. March Ist. 1847, be removed from Wethersfield to Orangeville, and in May, 1808. located permanently on bis present farm on lot 3. He has always been engaged in farming, dairying and sheep husbandry. He has bad four obil- dren-Elpha, born June 2nd, 1849, and died November 7th, 1876; Edmund C .. born June 3d, 1868, and died October 28th, 1809; Eari D., born June 19th, 1866, and Ella V., born May 4th, 1859.

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DANIEL WOLCOTT.

MRS.MARIA WOLCOTT.

CHAS.D.WOLCOTT.

THE WOLCOTT HOMESTEAD AT POPLAR TREE CORNERS, BUILT ABOUT 1825. RESIDENCE OF CHARLES D. WOLCOTT, TOWN OF WETHERSFIELD.

Chistes de Wolcott Mars Eliza Wolcott

RESIDENCE OF M! CHESTER L. WOLCOTT, TOWN OF ORANGEVILLE.

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RESIDENCE OF WW O. NEWCOMB, PERRY CENTRE, WYOMING CO., N . Y.

RESIDENCE OF DAVID ANDRUS, PERRY, WYOMING CO., N . Y.

RESIDENCE OF D.W. HOUGH, CASTILE, WYOMING CO., N. Y.

CASTILE AGRICULTURAL WORKS

RES. OF J. N. HOAGLAND.

GASTILE AGRICULTURAL WORKS , HOAGLAND CUMMING & CO., PROPRIETORS. (CHILLED PLOWS A SPECIALTY ) WATER STREET, CASTILE, N.Y.

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THE TOWN OF PERRY.

HE town of Perry was named in honor of Com- modore Oliver H. Perry. It was taken from Leicester and incorporated March 11th, 1814, and at the time of its formation it included Castile and a part of Covington.

The town is included in a tract of fifty thousand acres which was sold by Robert Morris to Samuel Ogden, and which has always been known as the Ogden tract. The north half of this tract, which included about one-third of the town, was sold by Mr. Ogden in two par- cels-that on the east to Mr. Ely and others, and that on the west to Mr. Guernsey-and was by them subdivided. Between these, by reason of a discrepancy in the surveys, was what has been known as the gore. The south half, which is called the South Ogden tract, and sometimes the Lake tract, includes the balance of the town.

Four principal highways were opened through the town in an early day. The Allegany road, which intersected the Big Tree road near Moscow and led to Olean, crossed the southeast corner of the town. It was laid about 1806. The old Buffalo road, as it was called, was opened across the north part of the town very early, but was not worked, and it never became a thoroughfare because of the impractica- ble ravines which it crossed. The Big Tree road, which led from Geneseo to Buffalo, crossed the town near the middle, and became the main avenue west, as the Allegany road was south. A road was laid in 1813 from Perry village north through the villages of Perry Center, La Grange, Covington Center and Pavilion to Le Roy, then called Buttermilk Falls. Over these roads the first settlers came into the town, and the regions in their vicinity were first settled.

PERRY'S PIONEERS.

Of those here named as having settled on the lots into which the tract was subdivided, some are remembered as original grantees, and others as very early settlers. On the north side of the Big Tree road, on lot No. 1, were a Mr. Ensign, Caleb and Nahum Phillips, Samuel Waldo and Elisha Smith; on lot No. 2, Phillips Sparling and Almond Hart; No. 3, Charles Leonard, Gamaliel Leonard, - Campbell, - Voorhees, Elkanah Bates; No. 4. east half, Mr. Smith; west half, Ralph and Jabez Ward, who came from New Maltby, Mass., on a cart, and Abram Avery; No. 5, Lemuel Blackmar, Peter Beebe; No. 6, Peter Atwood, who built a hotel on the east part in 1817, Noah D. Sanger, a noted wit and story teller, William True, Graham Benedict and John Squiers; No. 7, Norman Blakeslee and afterward Alexander Kinner (on this lot the first town meetings were held, and

the first framed school-house was built); No. 8, Henry Bush, chiefly known because of his relation to Jack Bush, a slave; No. 9, Buckland, father of J. Buckland, and one Ferris; No. 10, Cassander Watrous, Mark Andrews; No. 11, David Moss, Jesse Moss; on the north side: No. 13, Amos Smith, Ger- shom Waldo, Gideon Tabor, M. Burt; No 15, Eleazer Shel- don; No. 16. Horace Sheldon; No. 17, Orrin Sheldon, Samuel Howard; No. 18, Nathaniel Howard, Jacob Reed, Pettis brothers; No. 19, John D. Taylor, who was an origi- nal grantee in 1814; No. 20, James Taylor; No. 21, Daniel Calkins; No. 22, - Silver, who had a hotel; No. 24, - - Foskett, father of Daniel Foskett, - Bills, father of E. O. Bills; No. 27, Elnathan Lacy, who had a tavern on the north end of the lot; No. 28, Josiah Williams; No. 32, Amos Otis, Abram Hamsley, - Fairchild, Daniel Richards;'No. 33, - Dickerson, Noah Bacon, Freeman Gates, Moses Wooley, Samuel Gates; No. 34, the Kingsleys.

The old Leicester and Buffalo Indian trail crossed lots 31, 32, 33, 34, etc.

In the northeast and north parts of the town settled Richard Alverson and his father, Truman; Samuel Benedict, - Rudgers (successor to Samuel Gates), Jehiel Glasgow and his father, Hugh; - Edgerly, at what was Edgerly's Corners. Aaron Hosford, now living at the age of about ninety-seven, and his father, Samuel, settled at Buffalo Corners in 1815. - Thompson, Bills, Carpenter and others were very early settlers.

The following sketch of pioneer times is gleaned from the recollections of a few of the surviving pioneers of the town:

In 1807 the south half of the Ogden tract, which includes more than half of the town of Perry, was surveyed by Wil- liam Shepard, of Canandaigua, and soon afterward put in market under the agency of John Greig. As early as 1803 four or five settlements had been commenced on the Holland Purchase west of this tract, a road having been made from Leicester, on the Genesee river, through it. Elizur Webster had settled on the present site of the village of Warsaw, on Oatka, then called Allen's creek. Roswell Turner had gone to North Sheldon, and near the village of Aurora, thirteen miles beyond, Joel Adams, Phineas Stephens, Jabez Warren and others had made a settlement. Considerable settle- ments had been made in these and other localities on what was called the Big Tree road before any one had located on the Ogden tract.

As early as 1806 the Allegany road from Leicester to Olean was surveyed, and soon afterward opened. A short time after the survey of the tract a road was opened from Leices-

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HISTORY OF WYOMING COUNTY. NEW YORK.

ter to Warsaw through near the center of the town. In 1809 Josiah Williams settled and opened a tavern on this road, about half a mile east from Perry village. In the year 1808 or 1809, a few months previous to the advent of Mr. Williams, Samuel Gates settled on the road between Perry village and South Warsaw, near Silver lake inlet.

Mr. Gates was born in Colchester, Conn., in 1752. When about twenty-four years of age he enlisted in the Revolu- tionary army. 'under General Gates. He was at Saratoga at the taking of Burgoyne, and in several other battles in the course of the war. After its close he made a voyage to the West Indies, in the course of which a violent storm was en- countered, which thoroughly cured him of all desire for a seafaring life. The next spring he shouldered his knapsack and started for the far west. On his arrival at Canajoharie, on the Mohawk, he hired to John and Archibald Kane, farmers and merchants, with whom he remained four years. He then left their service, and was married to a girl sixteen years of age, he being thirty-five. He then engaged for a time in boating on the Mohawk, through Oneida lake, etc., to the foot of Seneca lake. He made several voyages to the head of this lake, when the only whites to be supplied there were Indian traders. He was so well pleased with the country at the head of the lake that he moved his family to the place when there were no whites there. He remained about eight years, then sold his improvements and removed to Caneadea, where he remained about six years. When he went to Caneadea there were but two white families there, those of a father and son named Sanford. On learning that what is now Perry was being surveyed, and hearing good reports of the country, he went there to see it. He was so well pleased with its appearance that he built a house and removed his family there, as before stated, in 1808 or 1809, being then fifty-six years of age. He was the first settler by a few months, cleared the first land, raised the first wheat, and the first white child born in the town was his daughter Nancy, who was afterward married in Bloomfield.

Mrs. Gates died in August, 1812, from the rupture of a blood vessel as she was assisting her husband to roll up a log heap. She was buried near the center of the old ceme- tery in Perry village. In January, 1813, Mr. Gates died of an epidemic which prevailed that year, after an illness of only about three days. He was buried by the side of his wife. Some three years after his death Mr. Otis discovered an oak sprout, three feet in height, growing over their graves. This he trimmed with his pocket knife, and during several years he watched its growth, and occasionally trimmed it till it had reached the height of about twelve feet. It has now grown to be a stately tree, about twenty inches in diameter near the ground. It should be remembered and preserved as nature's monument over the graves of the pioneers of Perry. Mr. Gates passed thirty years of his life on the ex- treme borders of civilization. His entire life was one of severe labor and hardship.

As before stated, Josiah Williams came in 1809. The death of his daughter Nancy, in 1811, was the first that oc- curred among the settlers. Mr. Williams died where he settled.

The third settler in the town was Amos Otis, who arrived in February. 1810, and built a log house on the west side of Silver lake inlet, on lot 32, at what is now West Perry. He was born in Colchester, Conn., in 1787. He was kept at

school till he was seventeen years of age. He early resolved to be a printer, and on leaving school he applied to Colonel Green, of New London, for a situation as an apprentice. After examining him Mr. Green advised him to accept a position in a drug store, which he offered to procure for him. He went home to consult his parents, and there a friend re- quested him to accompany him to the Genesee country. He came to Bloomfield, where an uncle resided, and there en- gaged in teaching. He speaks with pride of his success in his first attempt as a teacher. During a term of five months he did not once administer corporal punishment, though this was near the commencement of the present century. He then went to Lima, where he engaged in teaching for a year and a half. He then alternately worked by the month at farming, and taught during the winter season for a time. While there he was married to Lovisa Davidson, the first white child that was born in the Genesee country. After two or three years they came to Perry and settled, as before stated, on lot 28. His wife died in 1852, since which time he has been twice married. Though he never learned a trade he has worked at the business of a millwright, and has built many mills of different kinds. He has passed through all the phases of pioneer life, and seen the wilderness into which he penetrated when a young man give place to the thriving towns and prosperous rural districts of the present time. He retains vivid recollections of Mary Jemison, who, he says, has often told him of events connected with the Sullivan invasion, which history records incorrectly. In 1867 he removed to Warsaw, where he still resides, at the age of ninety-two.

Elisha M. Smith settled near the inlet, on the Center road, in 18ro, built and opened a log tavern, and built a framed barn (the first framed building in town) the same year. It is worthy of note that at the raising of this barn help was so scarce that f.ve or six women were called on to assist, which they did. In 1810 Cornelius Anable, Amos Smith, Justus Lyon and Joshua Clark came.

During 1811 Seth Canfield, Julius Curtiss, John Ham- mersly, James Edgerly and family, Jonathan Atwood, Peter Atwood, Elijah Atwood and Aaron Pond arrived. At the close of this year there were seventeen families in town. Mr. Curtiss purchased a log house that had during the previous year been built but not occupied, on the outlet, near the present Main street bridge, by a>man named Palmer. He and Mr. Canfield commenced the erection of a saw-mill that year. John Hammersly, during that year, built a saw-mill and a grist-mill at the upper dam, on the outlet. James Thompson was his mil !- wright and afterward his son-in-law. James Edgerly erected the first framed house, on the hill at the south end of the village, and kept a tavern there. His son, James E., kept a few dry goods and groceries in the same house.

During 1812 settlers came in more rapidly. The war was then in progress, and many chose to stop here rather than go nearer the frontier. In the course of this year David Stannard built a public house, and William Gould a shoe- shop. Two school-houses were erected in 1812-one at Perry village, the other at West Perry. In the latter Ann Cutting taught the first school that was kept in the town of Perry. She was a sister of Jonas Cutting, of Warsaw. In 1813 Canfield and Curtiss both died of an epidemic which prevailed, and their mills were sold to Levi Benton and in

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EARLY HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF PERRY.

1817 they were sold to William Wiles, and the same year Jonathan Childs and Benjamin Gardner became the owners of the Hammersly mills.

John H., father of Benjamin H. Hollister, was born April 17th, 1795, in Berkshire, Mass. March 1st, 1816, he arrived in Perry, having driven a team all the way from Massachu- setts, and settled on lot 19 in the woods, part of which he had to cut down to get to his place, and more to build a house. He had married Polly Hart December 31st, 1815. Six of their eleven children are now living.

Wild animals abounded in those days here as elsewhere. In seasons of scarcity, like that of 1816-17, wild game, such as deer, etc., and fish from the lake, were welcome additions to the supplies of the hungry settlers. Bears, as well as wolves, were a pest to the settlers. Mr. Otis states that of five swine which he brought to the country the bears killed four, with their families, though he had the satisfaction of killing an equal number of bears. Bounties were offered for the scalps of wolves, and they were soon thinned out.

Rattlesnakes abounded here at an early day. It is re- membered that several people were bitten by them, and were successfully treated by Tallchief, an Indian doctor. They were soon mostly destroyed, though occasionally a solitary pair are still seen.

Almost every pioneer has his stories of encounters with wild animals, and especially with bears, which he delights to relate. It has been.said of the plots of romance writers that in the end in almost every case the hero and heroine " got married or else they didn't;" and the similar remark may be made of these bear stories-the bear was killed or escaped.

Among the pioneers of this town was one of whom special mention should be made, because of the uniqueness of his condition here.

Jack Bush, the only slave known to have been brought in- to Perry, came with his owner, Henry Bush, whose family name he bore, about the year 1811. He was then twenty years of age, and according to the law then in existence he would be free at twenty-eight.

Although his legal status was that of a slave, his servile condition was merely nominal. He was highly esteemed by those who knew him. He was a man of almost gigantic stature and immense physical strength, and although quite peaceable, he was a formidable antagonist when irritated be- yond endurance.

A noted bully and bruiser in an adjoining county, having heard of Jack, visited him for the purpose of testing his physical powers. He found him engaged in building fence, and at once made known the object of his visit. Seeing no reason for fighting Jack declined, upon which the man in- sulted him. Jack at once seized him by the nape of the neck and another convenient part, pitched him over the fence and landed him sprawling on the other side. He arose, rubbed his bruises, declared himself satisfied, and departed. Jack removed to Attica, where he died a few years since.

DEVELOPMENT OF INDUSTRIES.

The first settlers of this town, like those of other parts of this region, manufactured crude potash or black salts from the ashes that remained after burning the timber on their lands. Asheries soon sprang into existence, however. At an early day one was carried on nearly opposite the presen

residence of Dr. Crichton, at Perry Center, by Landon, Leonard & Sanger. Another was established by Jason Lathrop on the north side of the highway, just east from the cross roads at the same place. Potash was manufactured during many years at this ashery. Another was carried on in the northwest part of the town.

Distilleries sprang up early. The transportation of coarse grain was tedious and expensive, while the spirit into which these distilleries converted it could be taken to market more cheaply. About 1820 one was established at Perry Center by Samuel Howard, and another at West Perry between that year and 1830.

From the first the settlers in Perry, as well as in other towns in this county, engaged in mixed farming. The fer- tile virgin soil was well adapted to the growth of the cereals which are produced in this latitude, and the protection which the timber of the forest afforded to crops growing in isolated clearings was such that failures were rare.

A saw-mill was built on Beard's creek, near where that stream crosses the county line, by Mr. Fields, about the year 1817. A few years afterward another was erected by Hart & Buell on this creek, farther up, and another on Little Beard's creek, in the northeast part of the town, called the Alverson mill. All these are gone to ruin, and the water of these creeks, since the forest is cleared away, is quite in- sufficient to propel machinery, except during small portions of each year.

On Silver lake inlet, some two miles west from Perry Center, and about the same distance from West Perry, was also a saw-mill, built by a Mr. Goodell, about 1823. This also has gone to decay.

The first mill erected on the outlet of Silver lake was known as the Hammersly mill, after its builder, John Ham- mersly. It was erected by him in 1811, and became the property of Childs & Gardner in 1817, and subsequently of Mr. Gardner. It was used as a grist-mill till about 1828. It was converted into a pail factory, and used as such a few years. It fell into disuse, decayed and was finally torn away.

At about the same time Mr. Hammersly built a saw-mill on the north side of the stream. It was propelled by water from the same dam. About the year 1834 James N. Sher- man erected a new saw-mill on the site of this. It was used some years, but after a time it was converted into a pump factory, and finally went to decay.

In 1818 William Wiles erected a mill on what is now the fourth dam-where the wheel is now located that propels the machinery of Wyckoff, Tuttle & Olin's large rope fac- tory. The gearing or machinery in this mill was made wholly of wood. The mill was abandoned, and after stand- ing idle a short time, was, in 1860, burned.

About 1823 what is now the fifth dam was thrown across the stream, and a foundry was built there by Harvey Prich- ard. In this foundry the iron was at first melted in a potash kettle lined with clay, and dipped with ladles by the workmen. A few sleigh shoes that were thus cast are still in the county, and their quality is thought to be superior to that of any that have been manufactured since. A flax- mill took its place about 1860, and it is now operated by William T. Hamlin.

A clothiery was built here about 1827, and conducted by Wheeler & Buddington. It was converted into a flouring-

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HISTORY OF WYOMING COUNTY, NEW YORK.

mill in 1841 by Severance, Palmer & Atwood, and it is now owned by J. Richmond.

About the same time (1823) a clothiery and a saw-mill were built at what is now the third dam. The saw-mill has been rebuilt, repaired and enlarged, and it is now the flour- ishing lumber and planing-mill and factory of Messrs. Reed & Andrus. The clothiery was, about 1856, converted into a woolen factory, and has since been known as the Perry Woolen-mill. The change was made by John Post. He was succeeded by H. N. Page, then Wylie & Morton, and then the present proprietor, James Wylie.

What is now the second dam was built about 1826. A distillery was first erected on the north side of the stream at this dam, and in 1828 the present grist-mill of George Tom- linson, by Benjamin Gardner. Mr. Gardner had previously built a distillery below the first grist-mill.

About 1830 Bailey & Hatch erected an oil-mill a short distance below the foundry, and oil was manufactured there till about 1848, when the mill fell into disuse.

It was purchased by Robert Grisewood and used as a reservoir for the mill next below, but it finally ceased to be useful even for that purpose.

A short distance below this oil mill a lighter dam was built at a point where the fall in the stream is rapid, and a grist-mill was erected by a man named Bailey, from Le Roy. This mill was owned successively by Bailey & Hatch, Bailey, Brown & Grisewood, Robert Grisewood, Bailey, Brown & Frost, G. Taylor, A. D. Smith, R. Grise- wood. Grisewood & Bradfield, Bradfield & Bolton, Brad- field & Loomis, White & Harrington, and Cornish & Chace.

A tannery was erected about a quarter of a mile below this grist-mill by Samuel and Henry Phenix, and business was carried on there during a series of years; but it finally declined, and the tannery was converted into a spoke factory.

Near the county line, on this stream, a saw-mill was built at an early day. It went down years since. About the year 1864 the dam was rebuilt, and machinery was con- structed with which to drill for oil. This was done to a depth of about eight hundred feet, but no oil was found. Gas discharged from the well for a time profusely.

THE PIONEER PHYSICIAN.

Dr. Otis Higgins was, if not the first, one of the earliest practitioners in the town, and when the difference between then and now is recollected, it will not for a moment be imagined that a physician led a life of greater ease than the pioneer who subdued the forest.

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History of Wyoming County, N.Y., with Illustrations, Biographical Sketches and Portraits of Some Pioneers and Prominent Residents, Part 66

Author: Publication date: 1880 Publisher: F.W. Beers & Co. Number of Pages:

Author:
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: F.W. Beers & Co.
Number of Pages: