USA > New York > Genesee County > History of the Genesee country (western New York) comprising the counties of Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Chemung, Erie, Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Niagara, Ontario, Orleans, Schuyler, Steuben, Wayne, Wyoming and Yates, Volume II > Part 44
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they came to be improved and made navigable for arks and rafts, their names were changed to those of rivers. The colonel ordered the Cohocton and Mud creeks to be explored by a competent com- mittee, and a report to be made and an estimate of the probable expense required to make them navigable for arks and rafts. The report of the committee was favored. A number of hands were employed to remove obstructions and open a passage to Painted Post, which was done, though the channel still remained very im- perfect and dangerous. The Cohocton was declared navigable above Liberty Corners. The first attempt at clearing the channel was made on the strength of a fund of seven hundred dollars, raised by subscription."
About 1800 a mail route was established from Wilkesbarre to Canandaigua, leading through Painted Post and Bath, and early in the new century the opening of highways did much to attract settlers to this country; canals also gave an impetus to settlement, which was steadily increasing, except during the War of 1812, when the entire Genesee Country suffered a period of stagnation.
The town of Addison, originally a part of the old town of Painted Post, was organized as Middletown at the time the county was erected. The name was changed to Addison, for Joseph Addison, British essayist, April 6, 1808. The first town meeting was held in April, 1797, when Reuben Stiles was elected super- visor. The first settlement was made by Samuel Rice in 1791, and among those who followed him were Reuben and Lemuel Searles, Oliver Miller, George Goodhue, John Martin, Jonathan Tracy, Abel White, Isaac and James Martin, James Benham, Asahel Stiles, Silas Morey, Elisha Gilbert, Lemuel Stiles, William Wombough and Martin Young. A post office was established at Addison in 1804, and mail brought weekly by horseback from Painted Post as late as 1830. The village was incorporated in 1878. The First National Bank of Addison was established in 1899; R. S. Brown is the president. The First Presbyterian Church of Addison was organized in 1832, the Episcopal in 1854, the Methodist in 1835, the Roman Catholic in 1854, the Baptist in 1869.
The town of Avoca was formed from the towns of Bath, Co- hocton, Howard and Wheeler April 12, 1843. The first settlement
COLONEL CHARLES WILLIAMSON Founder of Bath and one of the foremost promoters of the sale of Genesee Country lands.
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was made by William Buchanan and his son, Michael, about 1794. Then came James and Hugh McWhorter and James and George Moore, two years later. Finley McClure and Gershom Towner, Asa Philips, Abram Towner, James Babcock, Richard Van Bus- kirk, Henry Smith, James Davis, John Van Buskirk, William Moody, Daniel Mckenzie, Jonathan Tilton, John Donahe, Eleazer Tucker, Allen Smith, Samuel Burnham and Oliver Rice were others. The first religious meetings in the town were those of the Christian or Campbellite denomination. The first Methodist Church was organized at East Hill in 1827. The first steps in education consisted of a "traveling" teacher, Anna Parker, who journeyed from home to home, imparting the three R's to the youngsters.
In the spring of 1793 Charles Cameron landed on the site of Bath, made a clearing, and started the erection of a cabin for the accommodation of his employer, Captain Williamson, and a sec- ond building for the land office which they intended to establish at this point. Cameron afterward claimed that he laid out the village at this time, but whether this is true or not, the platting made by Thomas Rees, Jr., in 1793 was adopted. In May, William- son arrived, having traveled from Williamsport by the new road mentioned. On June 15, 1793, one of the proprietors, Colquhoun, wrote to him: "I am glad you are so much pleased with your new town of Bath. I hope it may prove a healthy spot, for on this much depends. It is certainly a position infinitely more conveni- ent than Williamsburg, and on this account I am glad you mean to fix your residence there."
Williamson named the principal east and west street Morris, the public square Pulteney, and other streets as St. Patrick, Steu- ben and Liberty. Williamson's wife and family arrived June 10th. Sawmills were erected in order to supply boards for building purposes, and by the close of the season nearly fifteen families had settled in the village. George McClure, who came here with his uncle, James Moore, sometime between the autumn of 1793 and the spring of 1794, wrote as follows:
"We put up at the only house of entertainment in the village- if it could be called a house. Its construction was of pitch pine logs, in two apartments, one story high, kept by a kind and oblig- ing English family of the name of Metcalf. This house was the
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only one in town, except a similar one for the temporary abode of Captain Williamson, which answered the purpose of parlor, din- ing room and land office. There were besides some shanties for mechanics and laborers. I called on Captain Williamson and in- troduced myself to him as a mechanic. I told him that I had seen his advertisement, and in pursuance of his invitation had come to ask employment. 'Very well,' said he, 'young man, you shall not be disappointed.' He told me I should have the whole of his work if I could procure as many hands as was necessary. We entered into an agreement. He asked me when I should be ready to commence business. I replied, as soon as I could return to Northumberland, engage some hands and send my tools and bag- gage up the north branch to Tioga Point, that being then the head of boat navigation."
The first clearing was that on Pulteney Square and four acres behind Williamson's house for a garden; Williamson even brought a gardener over from England. Williamson in 1793 became one of the judges of the court of common pleas of Ontario County. In 1791 all of the present county had been included in the so-called district of Painted Post, and the settlers were located along the Chemung, Tioga and Canisteo rivers. In 1794 a new district, called Williamson, was erected, taking in all the territory west of the third range; Bath was included in the district. A fair and races were held at Bath in September, 1795. A track was laid out east of May Street, and announcements of the affair were widely circulated; it was postponed to the latter part of the month be- cause Williamson had to sit in court at Canandaigua. McMaster describes the event as follows :
"On the day and at the place appointed for the race in the proclamation, sportsmen from New York, Philadelphia and Balti- more were in attendance. The high blades of Virginia and Mary- land, the fast boys of Jersey, the wise jockeys of Long Island, men of Ontario, Pennsylvania and Canada, settlers, choppers, game- sters, and hunters, to the number of fifteen hundred or two thous- and, met on the Pine Plains to see the horses run-a number as great, considering the condition of the region where they met, as now assembles at State Fairs and mass meetings. * The races passed off brilliantly. Captain Williamson, himself a sports- man of spirit and discretion, entered a southern mare, Virginia
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Nell. High-sheriff Dunn entered Silk-Stocking, a New Jersey horse. Money was plenty, and betting lively. The ladies of the two dignitaries who owned the rival animals, bet each three hun- dred dollars and a pipe of wine on the horses of their lords, or as otherwise related, poured seven hundred dollars into the apron of a third lady who was stakeholder. Silk-Stocking was victorious."
In 1796 a census of the town of Bath disclosed the fact that there were "above eight hundred souls, two schools, one grist mill and five sawmills." Then came the erection of the county, the designation of Bath as the county seat, and the appointment of the first county officers. The latter were: William Kersey, Abra- ham Bradley and Eleazer Lindsley, judges; Stephen Ross, surro- gate; George D. Cooper, clerk, and William Dunn, sheriff.
Williamson's first act after the location of the county seat was the establishment of a newspaper. He sent Judge Kersey to Penn- sylvania for the printing equipment, press, etc., and engaged James Edie, of Northumberland, a printer. The plant was as- sembled and, on October 19, 1796, the firm of Kersey & Edie issued the first number of The Bath Gazette and Genesee Ad- vertiser. This was the first newspaper in the Genesee Country. It was suspended in 1800, when Captain Williamson withdrew from the land agency. A theater, or playhouse, was built at the junction of Morris and Steuben streets in 1796, and we are tempted to reproduce one of the early programs, as follows :
"THEATRE. On Monday Evening the First of January, 1798, will be performed the comedy of THE SULTAN, OR A PEEP INTO THE SERAGLIO! (With Elegant Dresses.)
SOLYMAN, the Sultan;
OSMYN, Chief of the Eunuchs; GRAND VIZIER, MUTES AND BOTANG. ELMIRA, a Circassian Slave; ROXALANA, an American slave. COMIC SONGS.
To which will be added Moliere's Comic Farce, called the 'MOCK DOCTOR,' or THE DUMB LADY CURED.
(With New Scenes.) Sir Jasper, Gregory Grunt (the Mock Doctor) Dorcas, Charlotte, James, Leander, Harry.
Pit 6/
Gallery 8/
Tickets to be had of Mr. Andrew Smith, Capt. George McClure and James McDonald.
Doors to be open at half past five, and the curtain rises precisely at half past six."
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In the absence of regular government postriders, Captain Wil- liamson employed his own, and Charles Cameron acted as sort of postmaster at the village. A magazine of London, England, in August, 1799, contained the following concerning Williamson :
"He keeps stores of medicines, encourages races and amuse- ments and keeps a set of beautiful stallions. Bath is the chief settlement and chief town of the county. At this time he is build- ing a school, which is to be endowed with some hundred acres of land. The salary of the master, Williamson means to pay until the instruction of the children be sufficient for his support. He has built a sessions house and a prison, and one good Inn which he has sold for considerable profit and is now building another which is to contain a ball room. He has also constructed a bridge, which opens a free and easy communication with the other side of the river." The school mentioned was on northwest corner of Pulteney Square. The building of arks and rafts became an im- portant industry along the river at this time. The ark was a cumbersome piece of river craft, much resembling a canal barge. of the present day in general shape, although not so large and it had pointed ends. Oars, rather crudely fashioned, furnished the potential motive power. In 1801 Captain Williamson completed his stately frame mansion a mile and a half below the village; Major Pressly Thornton, former Revolutionary officer, and his wife occupied this beautiful home, and Williamson lived with them. The Major died in 1806, and soon after Williamson left for Europe. He died in 1808 of yellow fever, at sea, en route to the West Indies.
Other early settlers of the village included John Johnston, Hector Mckenzie, William McCartney, Henry Tower, James: Tower, Andrew Smith, William Aulls, Samuel Baker, John Met- calf, Thomas Corbitt, John Dolson, Amos Stone, Samuel Doyle, Henry Bush, Charles McClure, John Willson, George McClure, Finla McClure, William Dunn, William and Eli Read, Henry Mc- Elwee, William McElwee, Frank Scott, Gustavus and Brown Gillespie, Samuel and John Metler, James and Patrick McKell, Richard Daniels, William Howe Cuyler, Robert Campbell, Daniel Mckenzie, Isaac Mullender, Dugald Cameron, Dr. Benjamin B. Stockton, Dr. B. F. Young, James Edie, Henry A. Townsend, all of whom came to Bath before 1800. The village of Bath was in --
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corporated April 12, 1816. The Presbyterian Church here was organized in 1803, the Methodist in 1822, the Baptist in 1842, the Episcopal in 1826.
The New York Soldiers and Sailors Home at Bath was opened on Christmas Day, 1878.
The village now has two banks. The Farmers & Mechanics Bank was established in 1880; the president is Wilson R. Camp- bell. The sketch of Frank Campbell, for many years president of this bank, may be found in another volume of this work. The Bath National Bank, R. C. Turnbull, president, was organized in 1912.
The town of Bradford, so named for Major Robert Bradford, was erected April 20, 1836 from Jersey (now Orange, Schuyler County). In 1793 Frederick Bartles and John Harvey settled on the outlet of Mud Lake, and the place became known as Bartles Hollow. Mud Creek at this time was a navigable stream. These were the only settlements in the vicinity before the new century opened.
The town of Cameron was formed from Addison, April 16, 1822, and its territory afterward reduced by the erection of Thurston and Rathbone. The town was named for Dugald Cam- eron, an early settler of Bath. The first settlement in the town was made in 1800 by Richard Hadley and Phones Green. This town was a lumbering and rafting point, and among the leading lumber men were Capt. Luther White, James H. Miles, James Young and Isaac Sauter.
The town of Campbell was erected from Hornby April 15, 1831. The name was given for Rev. Robert Campbell, an early proprietor. The pioneers of the town were Joseph Wolcott, Elias Williams, Samuel Calkins, David McNutt and Robert Campbell.
The town of Canisteo lost a part of its original territory as other towns were taken from it from time to time. Note has been made of the first settlements here, which were among the very first in the county. Canisteo Village was incorporated in 1873. The first state bank in this village was established in 1897. The Presbyterian Church here was formed in 1836, the Methodist Episcopal about 1850, and the Baptist in 1876.
When the county was organized the land now within the town of Caton was designated as township number one in the first
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range, and as such remained until February 11, 1840, when it took the name of Wormley ; soon afterward it became Caton. The first settler in the town was a person named Ford, who came in 1810 and remained two years. The first permanent settlement was made by Isaac Rowley, in 1819. Two years later Stephen and Simeon Hurd, Uriah Willmont, John Rowe and Erastus Kidder found their way through the wilderness to this section.
The town of Cohocton was erected from Bath and Dansville June 18, 1812, and since that time has been subjected to a number of boundary changes. Ebenezer ("Indian") Allan tarried a while at Cohocton, while transporting his goods from Philadelphia to Mount Morris. Richard Hooker was an early settler here, also Elijah Parker, Joseph Bivens, James Woodard, Henry and Rich- ard Crouch and Frederick Blood.
The town of Corning comprises what remained of the old town of Painted Post in 1852, when the name was changed to Corning in honor of Erastus Corning, Sr., of Albany, New York, and the first president of the Corning Company, hereinafter mentioned. The first settlements within the present boundaries of the town were made by Frederick Calkins, Ephraim Patterson and his son, Ichabod, in 1789. Calkins erected his cabin on the south side of the Chemung River opposite the chimney narrows. In the follow- ing spring Calkins, Caleb Gardner, Ephraim Gardner, Justus Wolcott, Peleg Gorton and Silas Wood bought what is now Corn- ing from Phelps and Gorham, except the "gore" taken from Hornby, and all of these men, except Wood, settled on their lands prior to 1792. Gardner, Patterson and Phelps reconveyed much of their land later to Oliver Phelps. The first grist mill in the town was built on Post Creek by Payne & Henderson in 1793, and the first store was opened in 1795 by Benjamin Eaton. Knox- ville, later part of the city of Corning, was named for John Knox, who came there in 1795. About 1825 Judge Thomas McBurney laid out that portion of his farm where Centerville was after- ward located into village lots and claimed it as the site of the original Painted Post, having set up a high post. Upon the com- pletion of the Chemung Canal in 1833, Knoxville and Gibson be- came important shipping points. The possibilities of this site for the development of a trade center were recognized by Erastus Corning and, with the cooperation of Thomas W. Olcott, the Corn-
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ing Company was organized in 1835; the other members were Joseph Fellows, Hiram Bostwick, Ansel Bascom, Bowen Whiting, William A. Bradley and Levin I. Giliss. This company purchased about 340 acres of land now within the corporate limits of Corn- ing. A railroad was laid down to connect the settlement with the Blossburg, Pennsylvania, coal fields. There was a period of de- pression in the early forties, but by 1849 Corning stood third in rank as an inland shipping point in New York State. The village was incorporated in 1848, and by 1851 had a population exceeding three thousand people and modern improvements. Early in the spring of 1888 some of the prominent citizens, among them F. D. Kingsbury, H. C. Heermans, E. D. Mills, George W. Pratt and F. R. Brown, inaugurated a movement to incorporate Corning as a city ; this was accomplished March 20, 1890. Dr. W. R. Gorton was the first elected mayor of the city.
The First Presbyterian Church of Corning was organized at Knoxville about 1810, and was originally known as the Presbyte- rian Church of Painted Post. Christ Episcopal Church of Corn- ing was established in 1841, and the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1839. The first Catholic services were held in the village in 1842. The Baptist Church was formed in 1842.
The First National Bank and Trust Company of Corning was started in 1882, and the Corning Trust Company in 1920. The Painted Post National Bank was organized in 1921.
The town of Dansville was formed in March, 1796, and named in honor of Capt. Daniel P. Faulkner, known as "Captain Dan." The territory of this town has been much reduced by the erection of other towns. In the portion of the town retaining the name, the first settlement was made in 1804 by Isaac Sterling and Samuel Gilson. In 1816 a decided increase of immigration began.
The town of Erwin was formed from Painted Post January 27, 1826. The first settler was Samuel Harris in 1786. George Goodhue, Eli Meade and David Fuller came in 1789, and in 1790 Bradford Edgeton, William Hincher, James Shaw and David Cook arrived. Colonel Arthur Erwin, the owner of the town, came in the spring of 1791. In this year also came John Wyman, Captain Samuel Erwin and Major Arthur Erwin. Then, before 1798, there settled in the town Eldad Mead, John Mulhollen,
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Hugh Erwin, Joseph Grant, Jacob Turner, Homer Lane, Asher Lane and John Kemp.
The town of Painted Post, when organized in 1791, embraced the whole territory of the present county, and at the time of the organization of the county five years later the area of Painted Post was reduced to about eighteen square miles, the last vestige of the original town. .
The town of Fremont was erected from Hornellsville, Way- land and Howard, November 17, 1854, and named in honor of General John C. Fremont. The first settlement was made by Job B. Rathbun, at "Job's Corners," in the spring of 1812.
The town of Greenwood was formed from Troupsburg and Canisteo January 24, 1827. In 1820 a road was opened north of the settlement by William S. Thomas, and extended to the salt spring in the later village of Greenwood. The next spring Alex- ander H. Stephens and Anson Robinson began the first clearing in the town.
The town of Hartsville was formed from Hornellsville Feb- ruary 17, 1844. The town was first settled by Benjamin Brook- ins in 1809. He was probably the sole inhabitant of the town until 1819, when Jesse Palmeter, Perry and Andrew Potter and William D. Burdick settled there.
Hornby was formed from the old town of Painted Post Janu- ary 27, 1826. The first settlers were Asa and Uriah Nash in 1814. In the next year there came Edward Stubbs, Ezra Shaw, Jesse Underwood, Samuel Adams, Jesse Pratt and John Robbins.
The town of Hornellsville, originally a part of Canisteo, com- prises territory which was first explored in 1788 by Richard Crosby, Solomon Bennett, Captain John Jamison and Uriah Stephens. In 1789, Solomon Bennett and Elisha Brown, acting as agents for a number of others, purchased the land from Oli- ver Phelps. There was a complication in the deed, and the por- tion of the premises conveyed constituting present Hornellsville was reconveyed to Phelps. Settlements in the town were made as early as 1790. The town was named for Judge George Hor- nell, and was erected April 1, 1820. Its development, while slow and uneventful during the early days, was much aided by the building of the New York & Erie Railroad in 1850. The village of Hornellsville was incorporated as such in 1852, and John H.
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Lillie was the first president. In February, 1888, it became a city, with James B. Day as first mayor. The name Hornells- ville was changed to Hornell April 20, 1906. The first store in the village contained a wagon load of goods brought from Dela- ware County, New York, in 1815 by Ira Davenport.
The First National Bank of Hornellsville was organized November 31, 1863, with Martin Adsit as president. At his death he was succeeded by his son, Charles Adsit, whose own recent death occurred after sixty-one years' connection with this institution. The Citizens National Bank of Hornell was organ- ized in 1881, with John Santee president. F. E. Storms is now president. The Steuben Trust Company of Hornell was estab- lished in 1902.
The Methodist Episcopal Church of Hornell was organized in 1830, the First Presbyterian in 1832, the Catholic in 1843, the Baptist in 1852 and the Episcopal in 1854.
The town of Howard was erected from Bath and Dansville June 18, 1812, and the first settler in the town was Abraham Johnson, who came in the winter of 1806.
The town of Jasper was formed from Troupsburg and Can- isteo January 24, 1827. The first settler was Nicholas Prutsman (or Brotzman) in 1807.
The town of Lindley was formed from Erwin May 12, 1837. It was named for Colonel Eleazer Lindsley, the original pro- prietor. He made the first settlement here in June, 1790.
The town of Prattsburg was organized from Pulteney on April 12, 1813. The first permanent settler was Jared Pratt, in 1801; the original proprietor of the soil was Captain Joel Pratt.
The town of Pulteney was erected from Bath February 12, 1808. It is believed that the earliest settlers of this town were John Van Camp and David Thompson, who came about 1797.
The town of Rathbone was formed March 28, 1850, and the earliest pioneer was William Benham about 1804.
The town of Thurston was formed from Cameron February 28, 1844, and named for William B. Thurston, a Quaker and landowner. Luke Bonney and William Smith started the settle- ment in 1813.
The town of Troupsburg was created from Middletown (Addi-
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son) and Canisteo February 12, 1808. The earliest settlement was made in 1805 by Samuel Rice.
Tuscarora was laid off from Addison December 13, 1859, and the first settlement was made in 1804 by William Wombough.
The town of Urbana was formed from Bath April 17, 1822. William Aulls made the first permanent settlement in 1793.
The town of Wayland was formed from Cohocton and Dans- ville April 12, 1848, and it is probable that the Bowles and Miller families made the first settlements in 1806.
Wayne was originally erected as Fredericktown March 18, 1796, and its name changed to Wayne, for "Mad Anthony" Wayne, on April 6, 1808. The first settlement in the town was made in 1791 by Zephaniah Hoff, Henry Mapes, Widow Jen- nings and Solomon Wixson.
The town of West Union was formed from Greenwood April 25, 1845. Jonathan and John Matteson and David Davis were the first to settle in this town about 1821.
Wheeler was erected from Bath and Prattsburg February 25, 1820, and named for Captain Silas Wheeler, who was the first permanent settler in 1799.
Woodhull was erected February 18, 1828, from Troupsburg and Addison. In 1804 Daniel Johnson made the first permanent settlement.
Mention has been made of the first newspaper in the county, published at Bath. It is not the purpose of this chapter to give the histories of all the newspapers of Steuben County which have lived their day and passed out; reference will be made as to those now surviving. The Steuben Courier, published as a weekly Republican sheet by H. O. Elkins at Bath, was founded in 1843 by Henry H. Hull, who for a time had associated with him M. F. Whittemore. The Steuben Farmers Advocate, Democratic weekly issued at Bath by E. S. Underhill, started as The Steuben and Allegany Patriot in 1815 or 1816, and was issued by Ben- jamin Smead. It remained in the Smead family, under different names, until April 4, 1849, when William C. Rhodes continued it as The Steuben Farmers Advocate. In January, 1857, the plant burned, and Rhodes sold his good will, all that was left, to P. S. Donahe who resumed the publication. The Bath Plaindealer, an independent weekly now issued by L. J. Seely and C. V. Provo,
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