USA > New York > Erie County > Elma > History of the town of Elma, Erie County, N.Y. : 1620 to 1901 > Part 20
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29
The young People's Association of Elma Village was organized by Rev. George P. Harris in the fall of 1876.
1877.
Two stone abutments for the Northrup bridge were built in the summer of 1877 which cost the town $210.00. The Bullis bridge was repaired this year at a cost of $639.00.
Harvey J. Hurd was elected to the Assembly at the November election. At the election held November 6th, 478 votes were cast in the town.
John G. Fisher bought of Stephen Northrup the brick store in Spring Brook, deed November 12th, 1877, recorded in Liber 376, Page 20. Fisher was appointed postmaster at Spring Brook in 1880.
1878.
Thomas Moore was the East Elma blacksmith this year. The Lutheran church in Blossom was rebuilt this year. Alois Dusch opened a blacksmith shop in Blossom this year.
The Elma Center postoffice was established with Eron Woodard as postmaster, April 1st, 1878.
Hugh Mullen bought the north half of Lot 2 of the Aurora part of the town on the east side of the Thompson Road, in the spring of 1862.
The Hanvey sawmill, built on a small stream on the land bought by Mullen, being out of repair, and the timber being well worked up in that vicinity, Mullen decided not to repair the mill but took it down this year.
Henry A. Wright opened a store at Elma Center in the building near the railroad depot, which the Elma people built and offered
212
to the railroad company for a depot in 1868, but which they re- fused and instead built a board shanty which is still used in 1878 while the new depot is being built.
Harrison Tillou this year bought the John McFee place in Spring Brook, across the Plank Road from the Catholic church.
Carl Manke, on April 2d, 1878, shot and killed his neighbor, John Atloff. As Atloff was returning from Buffalo on the Bullis Road, when near the northeast corner of Lot 85, Manke fired at him from behind a pile of lumber. There had been a difference between them as to a line fence.
At the election November 5th, 1878, 481 votes were polled in the town.
Harvey J. Hurd of Elma Village was the second time elected to represent this district in the Assembly.
William Edwards' blacksmith shop and residence, on the south- east corner at East Elma had been occupied but a short time when it burned in 1878.
1879.
May 1st, 1879, Joseph Kratz's grocery on the northwest corner at East Elma burned.
Harvey J. Hurd was for the third time elected to the Assembly at the election held November 4th, 1879; and at this election there were 475 votes polled in the town.
1880.
Cyrus S. Spencer opened a small store on the south side of the Plank Road in Spring Brook on Lot 81 in the spring of 1880.
John G. Fisher was appointed postmaster for Spring Brook in 1880. The Bullis schoolhouse being too small to accommodate the children of the district, and being in need of large repairs, the in- habitants of the district decided to build a new house. The old house was sold to Philip Stitz for $25.00 and this year, 1880, a new house was built in its place.
The German Evangelical Society this year took down the old Ebenezer Society church and built a new church on the same site, on the north side of Main Street, in Blossom Village.
E. J. Markham, this summer built a cidermill and vinegar factory on the bank of the millrace on the west end of his lot in Elma Village.
At the Presidential election November 2d, 1880, 566 votes were cast in the town. James A. Garfield's popular vote was 4,442,050.
The Electoral College gave James A. Garfield 214 votes and W. S. Hancock 115 votes. Harvey J. Hurd was for the fourth time elected to the Assembly.
213
The population of the town was 2,555. (See United States census, Chapter XXI). George W. Hurd moved on to Lot 85, on the south side of Bullis Road, December 24th, 1880.
1881.
The Northrup bridge was repaired this summer at a cost to the town of $223.46. 435 votes were cast at the election November Sth, 1881.
1882.
At the death of Lewis Northrup in April, 1882, Eli B. Northrup by the will came into possession of the gristmill, and the homestead on Lot 84, in west part of Spring Brook Village.
Jacob Miller's house, on Lot 46, on the north side of Clinton Street Road, burned in February of this year. Miller and his wife went to Blossom to attend a funeral, leaving three small children at home. While the parents were away, the house took fire, the children and part of the furniture being saved by the neighbors.
Adelbert Spencer bought his father's interest in his store in Spring Brook in the spring of 1882.
Cole & Sweet bought of John Collins, the store in Spring Brook at the corner of the Plank and Northrup Roads.
Briggs & Sweet bought of Horace Kyser the steam saw and grist- mill in Spring Brook in October, 1882. 463 votes were cast in the town at the election November 7th, 1882.
Ernest Bleeck bought of Fred Wilting on December 12th, 1882, the store and saloon which Wilting had run for four or five years, on southeast corner of Lot 42, on north side of the Jamison Road.
During the last few years the owners of land in the town have been gradually closing up their wood and lumber business, and have put in their time cleaning up their farms; for on many of the farms there was not a tree of the old growth remaining, and as the timber was gone, they must engage in regular farming.
In six to ten years after the trees had been cut, most of the stumps would decay so as to be easily removed, except the pine, which being the last to decay, had to be removed by stump ma- chines. This was quite expensive and on what was called pine lands, the cost was forty to eighty dollars per acre; but these pine stumps were utilized and put into fences, making a homely but durable fence.
1883.
On Sunday morning, February 4th, 1883, before daylight, the people of Elma Village were called from their houses by the cry of "high water coming!"
214
This flood in the village was caused by the previous thaw and the breaking up of the ice in the creek, and a jam or dam of ice forming in the bend of the creek near the Elma cemetery, caused the water to set back over the flats and Elma Village, the water and ice reaching nearly to Mr. J. B. Briggs' house. Never before had there been any water north of the millrace.
Mr. Erastus J. Markham who with his family occupied the store building over the race, fearing that the building would be carried away, left the store, thinking to go to C. W. Hurd's house until the water subsided. Mrs. Markham, while going north on the side- walk, when near J. B. Briggs' south line, slipped and fell, breaking her ankle. While sitting there a few minutes, waiting for help, the water came up so as to be two feet deep where she sat. The ice in all streams in town went out during this thaw, but no great damage was done to any of the bridges in the town.
Four hundred and four votes were polled at the election Novem- ber 6th, 1883. Mrs. Julia A. H. Jackman bought of Mrs. Lovina C. Markham, the house and four acre lot, being part of Lot 59 on the east side of the Bowen Road, one-fourth mile south from the Big Buffalo Creek, and one mile north from railroad station. -
1884.
Alexander Rush bought of Helen Ignatz, the hotel property at the southwest corner of the Bowen and Bullis Roads, being the north- east corner of Lot 60; deed April 28th, 1884, recorded in Liber 474, Page 79.
Warren Jackman moved from Youngstown on to Lot 59 on east side of Bowen Road near Elma Village April 30th, 1884.
A. M. Edwards moved from Buffalo into the Standart brick house, three-fourths of a mile south from Elma Village, May 1st, 1884.
Mrs. Caroline Thayer bought of Julia A. McFee, four and one- half acres being the Mouse Nest tavern and Lot in Spring Brook, the deed dated May 1st, 1SS4, recorded in Liber 391, Page 133.
"The New or Meridian Time" was adopted by the principal railroads of the United States at 12 o'clock noon, November 18th, 1883, and the trains were from that date run on that time instead of local time as heretofore.
The lines of longitude designating the time for the different stations were 75th meridian, 90th, 105, and 120th; these being res- spectively 5, 6, 7 and 8 hours west from Greenwich.
For seven and one-half degrees east and west they indicate the new standards of time.
215
The time of Philadelphia, on the 75th meridian, is used for all places between meridian of New Brunswick and Detroit, Columbus, etc.
From Detroit to central Nebraska, the time is that of St. Louis, New Orleans on the 90th meridian. From central Nebraska to western Utah, the time is that of Denver, on the 105th meridian. From Western Utah to the Pacific Ocean, the time is that of Vir- ginia City on the 120th meridian.
Ernest Bleeck built a new store at Jamison on northeast corner of Lot 42. C. W. Hurd built a new barn 110x60 feet and moved other barns and out buildings.
The M. E. Church in Elma Village was painted this year by Clayton Standart. At the Presidential election November 4th, 591 votes were polled in the town.
Grover Cleveland's popular vote was 4,874,986.
The Electoral College gave Grover Cleveland 219 votes; 'gave James G. Blaine 182 votes.
216
CHAPTER XVI.
TOWN OF ELMA, 1885 TO 1900.
Harvey J. Hurd bought of J. B. Briggs on March 22d, 1885, his interest in the Hurd & Briggs sawmill property in Elma Village. The same year, Harvey J. overhauled and rebuilt the sawmill which was built by Hurd & Briggs in 1845, taking out the north saw.
After years of trying, and after several efforts had been made to have a new schoolhouse at Elma Village, with the same opposition and delay as has been given in the Spring Brook schoolhouse matter ; and after the old house had become untenable and the school com- missioner had threatened to withhold the public money from the district unless a new house was built, the inhabitants of the district voted to have a new house built and voted to raise $1,600 for build- ing and furnishing the same; and the old house was sold to Baltz Gloss for $25.00, which seems to be the price for all old schoolhouses. The new house was built and ready for use in the fall of 1885.
The following brief statement of efforts made to have a new school- house in Elma Village, is given; but as the district records from the organizing of the district to within the last few years are lost, the date of the several meetings and the exact vote on the several resolutions, for and against the building of a new house cannot be given, but the facts are as follows: At the annual meeting held in 1860, the motion was made and unanimously carried to build a new school- house, and the trustees were directed to raise by tax the money to pay for the building.
The tax was made out, the warrant given to the collector, and several persons paid their tax.
About six weeks after the annual meeting, a special meeting was called at which a resolution was adopted not to build the new schoolhouse and an appeal was started and sent to the State Super- intendent for his decision as to the action of the annual meeting; the claim being made that a majority of the taxpayers of the district did not vote for the resolution to build the new house and that a majority was not present at the annual meeting.
The decision of the State Superintendent was that the action of the annual meeting was legal and correct and the trustees were directed to go on with the building.
On receiving this decision, another special meeting was called at which the opposition said if the building of the new house was put off for five years they would then take hold and help build the. house. And the new house was not built.
217
In 1865, at the end of the five years, another vote was taken at the annual meeting and the resolution to build a new schoolhouse was carried but the attendance being small and, thinking that the promise of five years before would be kept, and to give all a chance to vote, the meeting was adjourned for one week.
The attendance at the adjourned meeting was large and the motion to rescind the vote of the annual meeting was carried by a large majority.
A vote to build a vestibule to the old house and to repair the old house were both carried and there was no further move made to- ward a new house until the school commissioner had ordered a . new house, when in the spring of 1885 at a special meeting, the money was voted as before stated.
Mr. Zina A. Hemstreet died August 5th, 1885. He had operated the Indian sawmill after the death of Leonard Hatch in 1842, was a large owner of real estate at East Elma, had been in active busi- ness there, a leading citizen in all public matters or of anything that would be a benefit or help to the people of that locality, and had been Supervisor of the town in 1860 and 1861.
Through mismanagement and hard luck he lost all his property.
Henry A. Wright was appointed postmaster of Elma Center postoffice in 1885, and moved the postoffice from Woodard's house to his store, near the railroad.
The summer of 1885 was very wet; twenty-four inches of rain fell in the months of May, June, July and August, making a very bad season for haying and harvesting; so that on August 31st, the greater part of the oat crop was in the fields, many pieces of grain had been spread out to dry, and before dry enough to take to the barn, another rain would come and as this weather continued, much grain was damaged.
William J. Cole was appointed postmaster at Spring Brook in the fall by President Cleveland, and moved the postoffice into Cole & Sweet's store, at the corner of the Plank and Northrup Roads. 362 votes were polled at the election November 3d, 1885. A good crop of fruit, especially apples, this year.
1886.
The schoolhouse bell was hung in the belfry of the Elma Village :schoolhouse January 14th, 1886.
E. J. Markham built a dwelling house on his lot on the west side of Main Street in Elma Village in the summer and fall of this . year.
Frederick Gramm was appointed postmaster at Blossom by President Cleveland in the summer of 1886.
218
On September 17th, 1886, Mr. C. W. Hurd had arranged for a clambake, to which all his neighbors in Elma Village, and many friends from Buffalo and adjoining towns had been invited. This was to celebrate his eightieth birthday.
The guests arrived early in the forenoon; the tables and seats were placed in the yard and the tables were set with dishes and flowers. The provisions in the pit were being cooked, when about 11 o'clock it began to rain with every appearance of continuing through the day. There was a hustle among all hands to get the tables and fixtures into the house. In due time, dinner was an- nounced and the guests showed their appreciation of the good things that had been provided for the feast. The rain continued all the afternoon, but this did not dampen nor hinder the enjoyment of all persons there. It was a very pleasant birthday party except the rainy part. It was late in the afternoon when the friends began to take their departure, wishing their octogenarian host many more birthdays.
A "Chautauqua Reading Circle " was organized at the house of J. B. Briggs with fifteen members on the evening of September 22d.
At the election, November 2d, 495 votes were polled.
The apple crop was very short this year.
1887.
The Jerge Brothers (Phillip and Hermon) bought of George Helfter, the house and lot on the east side of the street nearly opposite the blacksmith shop in Elma Village, also the blacksmith shop and lot on the southeast corner of Bowen and Clinton Street Roads. The deed was dated March 14th, 1887, recorded in Liber 512, page 638.
Clark W. Hurd and wife, Dulcena, celebrated their golden wedding at their home in Elma Village on the evening of April 4th, 1887. About eighty persons were present, among them four other couples whose wedding day was April 4th.
Mr. R. P. Lee and family came from Buffalo April 23d, moving into James T. Hurd's house on the west side of the Bowen Road on Lot 59.
The steam saw and gristmill bought by Briggs & Sweet in October, 1882, in Spring Brook burned in the spring of 1887.
Alonzo C. Bancroft took down the chair factory building on Pond Brook, on the south side of the Chair Factory Road in the summer of 1887.
219
The Erie County Farmers' Institute held a meeting of the society in the M. E. Church in Elma Village on Saturday, June 25th of this year.
E. J. Markham moved into his new house in Elma Village, July 1st, 1887.
The M. E. Church of Elma Village was re-shingled in the summer of this year, and in the fall was re-painted on the inside and re- papered above and below; new cushions for the seats and new carpets for the audience room, gallery, vestibule and stairs were placed.
The Elma Cemetery Association was organized June 11th, 1887. F Myron H. Clark remodeled and put on additions to the A. C. Bancroft house, in the summer of 1887.
Warren Jackman made a map of the town of Elma this year, on which was shown every original lot and every sub-division or piece of land in the town, with the then present owner's name, the number of acres of each piece, with courses and distances of every lot line and every road in the town as surveyed. This map is in the Town Clerk's office.
The building erected by the Lutheran Society on the Woodard Road in 1872 was now too small to accommodate its large and growing congregation, and the society decided to build a new church on the same place. The old church was therefore moved to the east side of its lot to be used for a Sunday School room and a new building, 32 x 56, was built and finished in the summer and fall of 1887.
At the election on November Sth, 428 votes were polled.
The gristmill and sawmill built by the Ebenezer Society in Blossom, owned by Lewis Ott, and the bridge across the Big Buffalo Creek at Blossom, burned on the night of December 28th, 1887.
The crops in the town were generally good, especially good were the hay and apple crops.
Jacob Bodamer's barn on Lot 30 and west side of the Girdled Road burned with contents in September, 1887.
1888.
Mrs. Adelpha C. Briggs, in the spring of 18SS bought the Eleazer Bancroft brick house and lot on Lot 58 and 63 on the west side of the Bowen Road and south side of Big Buffalo Creek.
James T. Hurd bought of A. C. Bancroft in the spring of ISSS, 28 acres, being that part of Lot 58 on the south side of the Big Buffalo Creek and on the east side of the Bowen Road.
220
Myron H. Clark during this summer remodeled and added to the barn on his lot in Elma Village.
A new iron bridge was built across the Big Buffalo Creek at Blossom with new stone abutment and breakwater at the east end of the bridge, in the summer of 18S8 to take the place of the bridge that burned December 28th, 1887.
William Philips is the blacksmith at East Elma this year.
Edwin H. Dingman bought of Joseph Wagner on August 9th of this year, a building lot at Jamison, near the northwest corner of Lot 39 between the Williams Road and the railroad and built a store with residence on the second floor in the summer and fall.
The Elma Town Sunday School Association was organized at East Elma September 21st, by Mr. Lewis Haas, the County S. S. Missionary.
Wm. Kleinfelder was appointed postmaster at Blossom this year and had the postoffice in his store.
Mrs. Maria Long was appointed postmaster at Elma and moved the office into her house.
On October 14th there was a very bright rainbow low in the north at noon for three-quarters of an hour. It was short and very flat, the centre not more than eight degrees above the horizon.
580 votes were cast at the Presidential Election of November 6th, 18SS. The Electoral College gave Benjamin Harrison 233 votes.
At the close of the year 18SS, we find the town of Elma so different from what it was forty years ago, that wonder and astonishment comes over us. At that time there were not 200 acres of land in the town, except on the Mile Strip, that had been cleared by a white man. Now, in 1SSS, the old growth of timber is prac- tically gone and the timber in sight is mostly of second growth.
The sawmills that had then been built, with those built in later years, and which were then and for many years run day and night to work the timber into lumber, have gone into decay, have been taken down, or were burned. So that at the close of the year 18SS, there are but two sawmills in the town, viz .: The Northrup mill at Spring Brook on the same ground where Northrup & Baker built their first mill in October, 1844. and now owned by Eli B. Northrup. The other mill now owned by Harvey J. Hurd in Elma Village is the same mill that was built by Hurd & Briggs in the fall of 1845.
Instead of footpaths through the woods and wagon and sled roads among the trees and stumps, we now have good roads, generally on lot lines, nicely graded and worked.
Instead of fording the streams or using a fallen tree as a foot- bridge, or a cheap frame structure for a bridge over the large streams, we have permanent iron or lattice bridges on stone abut-
221
ments, which furnish a safe and durable means for crossing the streams.
The log house and barn, or the small plank house, with slab stable or small frame barn have been removed or torn down, and in their places are seen nice frame and brick residences with all the modern conveniences for the pleasure and comfort of the occupants, with large and commodious barns, many of them with stables or basements with stone walls, and carriage houses and other out buildings to satisfy the fancy or the needs of the owner of the premises.
The farms in 1888 are generally cleared of stumps, the rail and stump and road fences are almost gone and, where fences are necessary, they are of post and wire or post and board, the wire being generally preferred. Well cultivated fields with orchards and crops that gladden the farmer are everywhere found, where only a few years ago was the unbroken forest. It has taken many years of hard, persistent labor to make this change; but the settlers were equal to the task and it has been well done. Many of the first settlers who, at first, bought 5, 10, or 15, acres, and supported their families from the wood and timber sold from their small place, found, when the timber was gone, that they could not support their families from their small piece and that they needed more land; so they either bought out their neighbor, or sold to him and went west. This explains why there are so many small empty houses scattered through the town. The original owners have moved away and as a result, the population of the town has grown less and less for the last few years.
1889.
Samuel Schurr opened a blacksmith shop in March on the South side of Jamison Road and east of the railroad on land owned by Ernest Bleeck.
Peter Grader bought of Eron Woodard, one-half acre on the west side of the Bowen Road and south side of the railroad, for a grocery and saloon which he opened in a board shanty, July 2d, 1889.
The Town Board on April 27th, ordered a safe for the Town Clerk's office, in which to keep the town records.
On May 3d, (Arbor day) the residents of Elma Village set out thirty-one maple trees on the schoolhouse grounds, but many of them died that summer.
Jacob Jerge and wife left Elma in the spring for a visit to their native place in Germany, to be gone one year.
In April, Henry Kihm bought of John G. Fischer, the brick store on the southwest side of the Plank Road in Spring Brook.
222
A society of "The Farmers' Alliance" was organized in Spring- Brook this summer, the reputed object being to enable the mem- bers to sell their surplus products for better prices and to make purchases for their families and farms through the agency of the Alliance at wholesale prices, less the actual cost of transportation, rent of building and the necessary clerk hire. In this way they expected to save the profits made by the retail dealer, and the middle man.
George D. Briggs, this summer, rebuilt the Bancroft brick house on the top of the hill on the south bank of the Big Buffalo Creek and changed the large barn near the creek by additions and sheds.
Harrison Tillou was appointed postmaster at Spring Brook in the summer of 1889, and moved the postoffice into Henry Kihm's brick store, becoming a partner in the business.
Jacob Koch's barn in Blossom 47 x 147 feet, which was built by the Ebenezers in 1850, burned this summer; Koch immediately rebuilt.
Bower's barn on Clinton Street Road was burned about the same time.
James T. Hurd built a large house on the east side of the Bowen Road on Lot 58 in the summer of 1889 to be finished during the winter and next spring.
Hard frost with ice one-quarter inch thick on the morning of May 29th.
On June 25th, the Erie County Farmers' Institute held a meeting in the park in Elma Village.
Peter Grader was appointed postmaster of the Elma Center postoffice in July and moved the postoffice from Wright's store to his grocery.
Twelve sheds were built at the church in Elma Village in the summer of 1889. They were raised August 31st.
388 votes were cast at the election of November 7th, 1889.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.