USA > New York > Livingston County > Conesus > History of the town of Conesus, Livingston Co., N. Y. : from its first settlement in 1793, to 1887, with a brief genealogical record of the Conesus families > Part 16
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"The machine was to come on the cars, and to have been here the Saturday before he was to have used it. My brother went to the de- pot the Saturday morning as agreed, but it did not come. The Monday morning came, that my father was to commence his haying. So obtaining several hands, he prepared to do it by the 'old way.' While the dew was on the grass in the morning, my father sent my bro- ther to the depot again, and to their surprise, it can:e on the morning train. They brought it home and soon put it together. Yet they still could not believe it would do all that was claimed of it. My brother took the machine to the lot west of the Conesus cemetery, to commence operation; my father sent his men also with their scythes, to go to work when it failed. My brother started in, and the little machine left a swathe behind it. My father still had his doubts that it would yet fail, and Mr. Thurston would have to come and get his
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THE HISTORY OF CONESUS.
machine. My father then was called to the house, after leaving instructions with my brother to mow until noon, expecting that he would succeed in that time in cutting two or three acres. When the hour of twelve came, he had about six acres cut, and the men whom had been engaged, spent the forenoon in the shade. The little machine did its work so finely, that the next year, my father did not have any grass grow on the lot. Not knowing how to adjust it, it mowed the ground so close, as to kill all the grass-roots. My father kept the machine for several years, 'his special pride.'"
The next invention, that was of great impor- tance to the farmers, was a threshing-machine to separate and thresh the " golden grain " from the straw, and in accomplishing the same, many devices were adopted. The first, was by the flail, swung by the strong arms of the men, or treading the grain from the straw, by horses or cattle. This was in operation, until threshing- machines came in use.
The first one in the town, was fifty or sixty years ago, and was known as the " Douglas. machine," and owned by Hiram May, at Foot's Corners. This machine was constructed by raising two large posts, with a heavy beam from one to the other, in form of a bent. From this bent there was a shaft ran down, with a wheel on top, and a hole through the same in which was inserted a sweep, and a horse was hitched to this, so as he could travel between the posts, and turn the shaft and wheel. From the wheel, there ran a belt or rope to an open cyl- inder, which they passed the grain through, doing the separation by hand.
The next machine was that of Alexander Patterson and Hiram Boyd. This consisted of an upright shaft, placed on the out-side of the barn, with a sweep in it, to hitch a horse to. On top of the shaft, was a large wheel, on which
a chain ran from this to another wheel that was on the shaft that had the drive-wheel on, and from this to an open cylinder, on the barn-floor.
The next improved machine, was the Bills machine, made at Mount Morris, N. Y. The power was made with an iron wheel, in a wooden frame. The cylinder was drove by a pulley, on the end of the tumbling-rod, connecting to the power. The machine had a cylinder that was open, and the separation done by hand.
In the year of 1839, Thomas Luke brought the first separator into the town. This con- sisted of a cylinder and fanning-mill in the same frame, and the straw was run from the cylin- der to the rattles by a belt. It had no straw- carrier.
James McNinch and Matthew Allen in 1841, bought of B. F. Dow & Co., of Fowlerville, N. Y'., a machine like Lukes, except in the place of the belt they used rattles. They sold this machine, and then purchased in 1842, the first complete machine-consisting of cylinder, chaff- carrier, fanning-mill, straw-carrier elevators, etc .- ever used in the town; using the wooden frame power, as described above. The first iron frame power, was brought into the town in 1844, by James McNinch and Geo. F. Coe.
The first portable threshing engine in the town, was brought here by Wm. Holmes in 1876. It was Wood's engine, made at Clyde, N. Y. The first traction engine, was that of John Holmes, in July, of 1884. It was called the " Wide-a-Wake," made by J. O. Spencer & Son, of Waterloo, N. Y.
The first stationary-engine, was that of Coe & Baylas, in the grist-mill at Conesus Center, about 1844. The same was sold by E. W. & J. F. Clark, a few years ago, and was re- placed by a second one by them. The first steam saw-mill, is that of Charles Humphry, at Conesus Center, built in 187 -.
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THE HISTORY OF CONESUS.
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The year when the first plow was introduced into the town, we are unable to say. But it was not long after the first settlemnet. At this time they were rudely made, having a wooden mould-board covered with iron, and one handle, which in a few years afterwards they were improved by using two handles. These plows had a wrought iron point, which was taken off and sent to the blacksmith shop when dull, to be sharpened. The next improved plow, was a cast-iron plow called the "Liv- ingston County Plow," made at East Avon, N. Y., by Thomas Wiard, about 1846, and was nearly the same style, as made at the pres- ent day. The first sulkey-plow, brought into the town, was by James Alger, about 1870.
When the first iron tooth drag was introduced into the town, we have no record; yet it could not have been far from the year of 1835 or .40. Before this date, they were made from the forks of a tree in the shape of a "V." The first spring-tooth harrow was brought here by Wil- liam L. Perrin, about the year of 1870, and was made by Ovlin & Co., Perry, N. Y.
The raking of all the hay and grain from the first settlement of the town for several years were done by hand. Then they brought into use the revolving horse-rake for hay, about the year of 1835, which was used until the wheel horse-rake took its place. For raking stubble, they first used a one horse, wire-tooth rake, and the driver walked behind, and when he came to the windrow, would raise it up by two handles, to dump it. The next came was the wheel horse-rake, and the first one in town, was owned by James Alger, about the year 1860.
The first hay-tedder that was used here, was by the McMillan Bro's, of which we have no date. Although it must have been about the year of 1868. It was called the " American."
The first platform-scales owned in the town,
was erected by A. D. Coe, where Dodge's, hardware store now stands. In what year, we are unable to say. Yet it was not far from 1857. These scales was destroyed in the great fire of 1871.
Who started the first cider mill in the town, we have no record. One of the first, was that of Davenport Alger's, who owned and ran one upon the farm now owned by his son James Alger. The date of this mill, we can not tell. Since that time, there has been three or four different ones here, as follows: One at the head of the Conesus lake, owned by J. G. Pridmore. One south of Conesus Center, owned by David Coleman. One in the north- ern part of the town, upon lands now owned by Mrs. Harriett King, and owned by John Mc Vicar. These mills were all run by horse- power and the pressing done by hand.
In the fall of 1874, Bennett R. Boyd built the first steam cider mill, near the residence of Mrs. Harriett King, on the land of his father. Here he did the grinding by the power of a 10 horse engine, and the working of the press by hand. In 1876, he went into partnership with -Andrew Kuder, and n:oved into the build- ing they now occupy, and then added more ma- chinery, so as to do the grinding, pumping, pressing and elevating, by steam-power.
The first and only cheese-factory in the town was started by Andrew Perrin, in the Spring of 1878, near his residence, south of Conesus Center. It was a company formed of the sur- rounding farmers, who carried their milk there and had it made into cheese. It was in op- eration for a short time, and then abandoned, and the building has since been converted into a horse barn by the above gentleman.
The first hop-yard was started by Solomon Trescott at Conesus Center, in the year of 1862, and part of the same is now still in operation.
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THE HISTORY OF CONESUS.
He was soon followed by Lewis Carroll, and still later, by David Coleman, Amos D. Coe, and others.
The first evaporater was started at Conesus Center, by Trescott Bros., in 1869. They have dryed several thousand bushels of apples every fall since.
The first church-bell, and the heaviest bell, was placed upon the school-house at Conesus Center, in 1870. Its weight is about 2501bs. The next heaviest, is the farm-bell of Hiram and William Boyd, bought in the summer of 1884. Its weight is 1601bs. The first farm- bell in town, was purchased by Franklin Foot, Sept. 21, 1868. Weight, 601bs.
The first iron road bridge built. here, was erected by. Road Commissioner, A. J. Piekle, over the inlet creek, at the head of Conesus lake, in the summer of 1883. The second one by Commissioner Maron Cole, in the spring of 1886.
The first billiard-room was opened in the town, by Frank Eno, in the building now occupied by Grover & Snyder, in the fall of 1865. In a few weeks he was followed by a second one in the town hall, by Davenport Alger. In the spring of 1886, these two fell into the hands of John C. Coe, who built the bulding on the oposite side of the street, and moved into the same.
The first lathe for turning iron, was brought into the town by William P. Boyd, June 4th, 1878.
In January of 1875, he opened the first print- ยท ing office in the town. At the time of the open- ing of this office, (which was located at the resi- dence of Hiram Boyd,) there was no printing office nearer than Geneseo, or Dansville. In this office, he had the first printing press here. The second press was introduced. by Geo. K. Vincent, soon after ; both of these presses were
hand-lever presses. Two years later, I placed in the place of this press, a rotary power one of my own make, being the first printing press that was built in the town. In 1884, I issued from this press, a book entitled, "History of the Boyd Family and Descendants," being the first book ever printed here.
In the spring of 1867, the first base-ball club was formed here. They had their play- grounds, between Union Corners and Conesus Center, on lands owned by Timothy Degraw. This club only existed through one summer.
The first tin-shop was opened in town by Chas. Thorpe in the house now occupied by Henry Cramer. But the date it was opened, we have not. The first hardware store was opened by John Dodge at Conesus Center, in an " old building" that stood on the street leading to the depot, in the fall of 1867. From here he moved into a new store, which was built by him in 1880 upon the sight of John C. Coe's building, across from the Universalist church, and in 1884, moved it across the way, where it now stands. The first dealer in coal in the town, was O. W. Chapin, about the year of 1865. He was succeeded by Jacob C. Green, in the Summer of 1885, and in the spring of 1886, the business was transferred to Willian P. Boyd, who now owns the coal trestles at Conesus Center.
The first instrumental band of music in the town, was formed at Conesus Center, about the year of 1858 or '59. It was known and called "Erwin's Cornet Band of Conesus." It was composed of eleven members, as follows :-
1st. Eb., Henry Erwin ; 2nd Eb., Hiram McNinch ; 1st Bb., Thomas Farnsworth; 2nd Bb., Matthew Mead; 1st Eb. Alto, Colvin C. Barnes; 2nd Bb. Alto, Orville Chapin ; Bary- tone, George Northrup ; Bb. Bass, Frederick Straub; Eb. Bass, Henry C. Coe; Snair Drum,
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THE HISTORY OF CONESUS.
Lafayette Dartt ; Bass Drum, John Northrup. The Band was broken up in 1861, by several of its members going to the war ; but was soon re-organized with new members, and continued in exsistance until 1881, when it was again broken up and disbanded.
The first merino sheep was brought into the town in 1822 or '23, by - - Fellows, who lived in the eastern part of the Marrowback hills. The next person deeply engaged in them, was Hector Hitchcock a few years afterwards. The sheep before this was of a poor breed ; for they were very coarse, long-legged, and had but a little wool on the belly.
The first sewing-machine brought into the town, was by S. E. Sherwood in about 1860. It was a Parker & Goodwin make. Mrs. Allen McNinch purchased one of them, being the first owner of the same, in the town.
The first birth, was that of Jane Henderson, a daughter of Samuel Henderson, in 1801. The The first marriage, was that of Hugh Harrison and Elizabeth Collar in 1796. The first death was Elizabeth Collar in 1801.
The first lawyer admitted to the bar from the town, was James M. Alger, May 14 1847. He still has resided here.
The first Democratic pole raised at Conesus Center, was by Cleveland and Hendrick club, in the fall of 1884.
The first post-master in the town, was John Scott, who had an office at his residence on Turkey Hill.
INCIDENTS AND NARRATIVES.
The oldest person at the time of her death, that lived in the town, was Lucy Bates, who was born in 1725, and died in 1832. The next was Mary Mastin, who lived to the age of 103. The oldest person now living in the town that was born here, is Polly (Alger) Morris, born
Nov. 15, 1810. The oldest person living in the town, is Jotham Clark, born March 8, 1794.
In the fall of the year of 1859, the town was excited over a large comet, that appeared in the western sky. This comet was very bright, had a long firey tail, and shone several weeks in succession. At the time, it was held by many as the fore-runner of the war of 1861.
The year of 1820 is noted for the scarcity of salt in the town. It took eight bushels of wheat to buy a barrel, and many of the poorer settlers suffered for the want of it.
In 1805 or '6, there was a large tribe of In- dians came and encamped for the winter, upon the flat lands of Hiram Boyd, west of his resi- dence. When spring came, they departed for another location.
In the year of 1838, Robert McNinch came near meeting a timely death, while assisting in raising a large shed, attached to the barn, now owned by Franklin Foot. They had raised one of the bents half-way up, when the foot slipped, and it fell back, narrowly missing the other workmen, and striking him in the stom- ach, knocking him down, and crushing him in- to son:e soft earth, which saved his life. He was soon rescued, but badly injured, of which he never fully recovered.
Several years ago, Benjamin Bearss was en- gaged in feeding a threshing-machine upon the the farm of Cyrus Trescott, along the shores of the Conesus lake. Benjamin wore a pair of mit- tens, and in some manner, he place his hand too close to the cylinder, and it caught one of them, and in an instant, drew his arm in, and man- gled it nearly to the shoulder. The concussion was so great as to stop the machine, and to re- lease his arm, they were obliged to take the cylinder out. He bore it bravely, and with a good nerve had the same amputated without the use of any narcotics, and soon recovered.
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THE HISTORY OF CONESUS.
In the winter of 1867, Scott Jones was driv- ing a young horse hitched to a cutter up the road by the grist-mill to Conesus Center, and as he reached the north sideof the mill, his horse became balky, and began pushing the cutter with Mr. Jones in it toward the brink of the precipice-some 70 feet high-leading into the gully. Mr. Jones saw his perilous po- sition, gave a leap from the cutter, land- ing in the center of the highway, as his horse and cutter disappeard from his view, over the edge of the bank, and fell a mangled mass to the bottom of the gully. The horse was in- stantly killed, and the cutter broken to pieces, while Mr. Jones and his friends felt grateful for his deliverance from a sure death.
In years ago,-as well as at the present time,-it was a custom for the young men to visit the young ladies, on Sunday evenings of mid-winter, to pass the time away.
A number of years ago, a certain young man of the town, paid his respects to a young lady of high respectability, near Conesus Center. He made it his custom to call every Sunday afternoon, through the whole winter. When spring came, an difference arose between them, and he stopped calling on his lady friend any more. The father of the young lady, feeling disappointed in not securing him as a son-in- law, as he supposed might be the case, com- menced civil proceedings in the town, for the wood, lights, etc., they used through the win- ter hours, and received a judgement against him, which he duly paid.
Soon after the first settlement of the town, there was a certain landlord came to Conesus, and rented one of its famous hotels. He was a man of intemperate habits, and when under the influence of " ardent spirits," was very abusive to his family. The pioneers, being a charita- ble, good disposed people, felt grieved at the
conduct of the landlord, resolved to appoint a committee to call upon him, and ask of him, to do better. The landlord hearing of what was soon to occur, purchased several bottles of the very best whiskey he could obtain, and set it away for liis unwelcome (welcome at other times) visitors.
The day at last came; and the appointed committee called on the venerable landlord, and was conducted into the best room, that the house could afford, and requested to be seated. After spending sometime in telling stories, and discussing the events of the day, the landlord arose and went out, and soon returned with a bottle of his whiskey and several glasses, and the latter he sat down on the table, and began filling them from the bottle, and at the same time, telling them that he had just got a new brand of whiskey and desired them to sample it.
After he had passed it around several times, and they had taken freely of it, the committe- men, began to deeply feel the effects of the liquor. One of their number more shrude than the rest, saw if they did their errand, they must do so at once, or they would become powerless to accomplish their undertaking. So one of their number arose, and taking hold of a chair for support, said :-
" Uncle, (as they called him,) we persumne you know what we came here to-day for. We have come to consult yon in regard to your family ; and
"Well! Well!" said the landlord. Come, never mind that. Let's have another drink," as he poured out each another glass, and urged his friends to accept of it.
This accomplished the landlord's object ; for the last glass laid out the committemen, who resolved in the future, to let their friends do their own talking to the honorable landlord, in regard to his bad doings.
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THE HISTORY OF CONESUS.
The 16th. of January 1867, is the day that the robbery of the residence of John McVicar, now the Mrs. Harriet King place, in the north- ern part of the town took place.
This day, Mr. Mc Vicar had gone away, and his wife had gone to one of her neighbors (Mr. Alexander Patterson) who had died in the morning, to assist the family to make arrange- ments for the funeral She left the house about 10 o'clock in the forenoon, and returned a lit- tle afternoon. In the meantime, a young man came along with a basket in his hand, selling stove-dampers, entered the yard, went to the door and knocked, but receiving no reply, looked in the window and saw that all had gone away. He raised the window, and crept in, and went to a bureau in one of the rooms, which he found locked. He now went to the wood-shed and got an ax, went back and pried open one of the drawers, and took out $275, and then left the place.
As soon as Mrs. McVicar returned, and found that her dominion had been entered, she . gave an alarm, and then her husband return- ing, he with the aid of his neighbors offered a suitable reward, and soon had men in per- suit of the robber. The robber after leaving the house, cut cross-lots to South Livonia. then to Lakeville where he ate his dinner, and from there to Scottsville, where he was arrested by the men in pursuit as he was about to take the cars for Rochester. In the meantime he had walked twenty-eight miles in less than five hours, including the stop for dinner. Being his first offence, he was sent to Auburn prison for two years.
There' once dwelt in the southern part of the town, a middle aged man by the name of Shippy, who was always seeking after some hidden treasure that he claimed to have been revealed to him in some dream, and the
most of his time was spent in digging after these fancied treasures throughout the town.
So it came to pass one day, there came along the way a Gypsy woman, claiming to have the power of telling fortunes, and revealing hidden treasures, &c. Animated by his dreams, he consulted her. Said she : "There is a certain lot in the south part of the town, where if you will go on such a night, to a particular spot, you will by digging to a certain depth, find a large pan of gold that will make you rich."
This filled his heart with gladness, for the the secret was too good to be kept; and he was soon about revealing it to his neighbors, and telling them the night that he was to commence his work.
His neighbors resolved to have some sport with him. So when the evening came, two of them repaired to the place-which was a piece of new ground covered with large spots of un- derbrush,-and hid in the bushes. At last the sound of the pickaxe and shovel was heard, which told them that he had commenced his work. One of them now rigged the other so as to as to represent a ghost of enormous highth, by mounting him on a pair of stilts, and wrap- ping him in a sheet. When all was ready they gave forth unearthly groans, and the one dressed like a ghost, parted the bushes and began to advance upon the treasure-seeker. This was too much for poor Shippy, who gazed a moment upon the advancing form in bewilderment, then gave a shriek, dropping his tools, rushed acrossed the lot toward his home. For several days afterwards he related a splendid ghost story, until the truth was made known to him, which cured him of searching for hidden treas- ures.
The little town of Conesus was thrown into a state of wild excitement, in the summer of 1847, by a report being circulated by one Jer-
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THE HISTORY OF CONESUS.
ry Hall, that he had seen a wild man running at large in the woods on lot No. 35, near the residence of John Jerome. His story ran as follows :-
Jerry had some business that called him through these woods, which then consisted of a large tract of timber, which had a large brook running through the center. In passing along through the woods, Jerry claimed to have came across a large man, who at the time was busily engaged in washing himself in the brook. His description of the man was that he had hands that reached down to the ground, a long tail that he would draw after him in the mud, and his feet was nearly two feet in length, while his body was covered with long black hair. This hoax, of which he was the inventor, spread like wild fire throughout the town, and everybody was eager to see this wild monster of the forest. A large number of the citizens turned out and searched every nook and corner for him, but could get no sight of him, though they could trace him along in the mud by the mark of the foot, and on each side of it by the marks of the fingers as they stuck in the mud, while a trail followed after which they immagined to be the mark of his tail.
The excitement arose to such a pitch, that many were afraid to be seen after dark for fear of meeting this terrible wild man. But, af- ter a short time the tables turned, and the real truthi became known and the people were released from the fear of being gobbled up by the wild monster of the woods.
In producing this excitement, Jerry had placed over his feet the toe ends of several pair of boots to give great length to his feet, and had punched his fingers into the mud at his side and had drawn after him a long stick. In this way he had gone through the woods several times, and then to the brook where he
had seen the wild man. He then went about the town, and reported what he had seen, and went with many of the citizens and showed to them the tracks of the " terrible monster."
We have read of many somnambulistic feats, but nothing has come to our knowledge that equals to the walk of Carrie Esteralt in June of 1885, while living on the Marrowback hills, at the residence of Nathan Marsh.
Carrie had bought a new hat and dress the day before, and like many girls at the age of fifteen, her mind was constantly upon them.
One night, about midnight, as near as can be judged, she arose in her sleep, put the hat on her head and the dress over her shoulders, went down stairs, unlocked the door, and started barefooted and in her night clothes, over a rough and stony road, for her father's house, somne three miles away. When she had nearly reached her father's house, she awoke, and see- ing where she was, were nearly frightened to death. However she went to her father's door and knocked and called loudly for some one to let her in. Her father came to the door and opened it, and she stood before him, with her hat on, and her dress over her shoulders. The surprise of her father may perhaps be better imagined than expressed, when he viewed his daughter in her scanty apparel, as she stood before him.
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