USA > New York > Monroe County > Landmarks of Monroe County, New York : containing followed by brief historical sketches of the towns of the county with biography and family history > Part 28
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In the village regular business interests are fairly well represented.
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THE TOWN OF HAMLIN.
There are no manufactures of importance. During the boating season the village presents its busiest appearance and the influx of pleasure- seekers is at times something surprising. From the Port of Genesee boats are constantly departing for other lake points and a correspond- ing number are daily returning. As a summer and pleasure resort Charlotte and the Beach are the most popular places in Monroe county. To accommodate the multitudes frequently gathered here, the village proper is provided with six hotels, while at the Beach are four more.
One of the largest and most attractive buildings in the village is the Union school. This was formerly the school house of district number four, town of Greece, built in 1869, but through the progressiveness of the people a Union Free district has been established, and in 1894 a material addition was made to the school building. The present Board of Education is comprised of A. J Mulligan, chairman ; William M. Richmond, John M Allen, and B. S. Adams, clerk.
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CHAPTER VI.
THE TOWN OF HAMLIN.
On the IIth day of October, 1852, the northern part of the then town of Clarkson was set off and formed into a separate jurisdiction and named Union. Then, as now, the new creation had a superficial area of 26,395 acres of land, the second in size of the towns of Monroe county. Its location is in the extreme northwest corner of the county, and until the completion of the Rome, Watertown and Ogdensburg railroad was only accessible from the county seat by carriage or foot travel, though in the early history of the region flat boats and other water craft were occasionally employed in transporting wares and pro- duce along the lake shore and thence up the Genesee as far as navi- gable.
The land surface in this town is slightly rolling and inclines toward the lake on the north. It is drained by a number of small streams, the largest of which is Sandy Creek. The soil is a sandy, clayey and grav-
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elly loam, rich and fertile, strong and enduring in its productive quality, which natural characteristics have been of immense benefit to the inhab- itants of the town, for Hamlin is regarded as one of the best producing districts of the county. General agriculture is and for many years has been the chief occupation of the people, and their special products, those which yield most profitably, are barley and beans; and it is a poor and ill-kept farm in this town that will not yield, in an average season, from thirty to forty and frequently more bushels per acre. At one time also, early in the history of the town, salt was manufactured here, though not in sufficient quantity to attract much attention to the locality.
The pioneer and early settlement of Hamlin was made while the ter- ritory of the town belonged to the old jurisdiction called Murray, or- ganized from the original township of Northampton in 1808. In 1819 Clarkson was formed, while Union was not separated from the town last named until 1852. In 1860 the name of this town was changed to Hamlin. The early history of this town is so closely connected with that of Murray and Clarkson that it is difficult to separate them, espe- cially in relation to facts which belong to the history of a region, rather than a limited and quite recently organized district. However, it is said that James M. Carson purchased the first lot of land in this town in 1804, though no proof is offered to support the statement that he settled here at that early day. Abijah Sayre and John Chapman bought farms here in 1805, and Perry Nichols in 1806. The first known settlement in this locality was made by Aretas Haskell (some writers call it Hascall), a Yankee from the State of Maine, in 1808, and he was accompanied or followed very closely by Josiah and Samuel Randall from the same State. About the same time, possibly in the same year, there came John Nowlan and his family of seven sons and daughters-Michael, Hannah, Harry, Loena, Patty, William and Napo- leon. Silas Nowlan, born after the settlement, was the first white male child born in Hamlin, while Michael Nowlan figured as the first school teacher in the town. Next came the Billings family and settled near the lake, a region then not specially desirable on account of the marshy lands and very malarious atmosphere. For this or some now unknown reason, Billings soon left the locality.
Andrew I Randall
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THE TOWN OF HAMLIN.
In 1811 the settlers were Alanson Thomas, Joshua Green, and the family of a Dutchmen, named Strunk, the latter settling near the mouth of Sandy Creek. It is not a fact, as found believers in some quarters, that the coming of the Strunk family gave rise to the German element of population now so strong in Hamlin. About the only settler who came here in 1812 was Stephen Baxter, and his family, from Oneida county, yet even his coming added materially to local growth, as he brought six children-Asahel, Reuben, Polly, Stephen, Lucy and John.
During the war of 1812-15, very little was done in the way of settle- ment or development, as the region, while never invaded or threatened seriously, was quite exposed to the ravages of the British and Indians, and " scares " were of frequent occurrence. However, soon after the close of hostilities other settlers came here, and among the many may be recalled the Wright family, on the Parma line, the descendants of whom are still in the locality. There were also Thomas Hayden, Will- iam Cook, P. Beebe, Joseph Knapp, the Paul and Pixley families, Caleb, James and William Clark, Albert Salisbury (near the Center), Isaac Allen, Howard and Aden Manley, Eli Twitchell, all of whom were here previous to 1820, and a number as early as 1815 or 1816. They were chiefly from New England, with a few from the eastern part of New York, but all were united in the common purpose to build up for them- selves and their children a better home in the then new country. That they accomplished substantial results is conceded, and is proven in the many fine farms of Hamlin as it is to-day.
However, the character of the population of this town has changed wonderfully during the last thirty-five years, and many of the old pio- neer families are no longer known to the town, though their work and their example have lived after them. As is noticeable all along the lake towns in this county, so in Hamlin, the Yankee pioneers have been followed in occupancy by foreigners, in this particular locality chiefly by Germans, many of them natives of the fatherland, while the younger element are mainly of American birth. And it may be stated that this change in occupancy has not worked any disadvantage what- ever to Hamlin, or to its interests or institutions, for the present people of the town are thrifty, industrious farmers, honest and determined
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men and women, and their efforts in life have been rewarded. This statement, too, may be made of the entire population, whether de- scendants of the pioneers or of more recent residence here, for Hamlin is as clean and wholesome a town, socially, morally or otherwise, as can be found in Monroe county.
Returning again to the subject of early history, we may properly re- call some of the first events in the town. The first saw mill was built by Joshua Green, about 1813, and stood on Sandy creek, and soon afterward James Sayres built the second mill west of the Center. Aretas Haskell built the third, Alanson Thomas the fourth, and then still later others by Carney Newell, Mr. Haskell and O. C. Webster until they became numerous in the town. Grist mills were also built and put in operation quite early, that of Alanson Thomas the first, fol- lowed by O. C. Webster, and still later E. K. Webster.
The first death in the town was that of Mr. Strunk, in 1812, followed soon afterward by that of Charlotte Barker. The first tavern was at East Hamlin, built by Philander Kane about 1830, and from this fact the locality was known as Kane's Corners. A. D. Raymond opened a tavern at the Center in 1842, though south of that hamlet David Look previously kept public house. H. Beebe had the first store at the East village, and Daniel Pease the first at the Center, while the first post- master here was Henry Kimball. At East Hamlin the first postmaster was Elisha Wheeler, and at East Kendall, Andrew Clark. At Thomas- ville, North Hamlin, the first postmaster was L. Hovey.
Such were the early events of Hamlin history, all perhaps important and worthy of record as they in a manner reflect the pioneers of a region difficult of settlement, and so situated and constituted as to occupy the position of passive factor in the affairs of the county. It is no discredit to say that Hamlin has never built up a municipality of either size or note, nor need her people lament the fact that manufac- turing industries, except saw and grist mills, have never had a place in local annals; but, at the same time, they have never had at any time either jail or station house, and very little of lawlessness or evil- doing. The light and opportunity of knowledge has been opened to this people through schools, churches, newspapers and books.
When first set off from Clarkson, Union, or Hamlin, had about 2,300
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inhabitants, and in 1860 had 2,460. In 1870 the population was 2,304, which had increased in 1880 to 2, 556. The population of the town in 1890 was 2,338.
The first town meeting was held March 1, 1853, at the house of John C. Patterson, at which time officers were elected as follows: Ebenezer Barringer, supervisor ; Harry Kimball, town clerk ; Seymour Sherwood, collector; Alanson Thomas, justice of the peace; Charles Barrows, H. J. Smith and Andrew Randall, assessors; Curtis H, Hole and Peter Crowell, overseers of the poor; James M. Cusic and Jermon Elliot, highway commissioners ; Seymour Sherwood, George Clow, Daniel R. Childs and E. C. Goodrich, constables.
The supervisors of Hamlin have been as follows: Ebenezer Barringer, 1853-61 ; Seymour Sherwood, 1862-63; Martin Webster, 1864-66; George H. Lee, 1867-71; James N. Kenyon, 1872-74; Walter A. Ferris, 1875-77; James H. Redman, 1878-80; George W. Storer, 1881-83 ; Enos B. Wood, 1884-86; James H. Redman, 1887-92 ; Frank Elliott, 1893 ; James H. Redman, 1894-95.
The town officers in 1895 are James H. Redman, supervisor ; H. E. Redman, town clerk ; James Burke, overseer of the poor ; A. D. Wood, J. G. Barry, G. M. Burt and J. H. Redman, justices of the peace ; Mel- ville Morey, Joseph Klefhen and Nathan Fisk, jr., assessors; Henry Schott, collector; Alfred Hosmer, highway commissioner ; J. C. Gas- coign, George Stoltz and John Klefhen, excise commissioners; How- ard Manley, Frank Madden, J. G. Nesbitt and Elmer E. Wright, con- stables.
During the period of its history there have been built up and estab- lished within the proper limits of this town several small villages or hamlets, none of which has ever attained sufficient population or com- mercial importance to justify incorporation, yet each is conveniently and pleasantly situated in the center of a productive agricultural region, hence a benefit to both town and its people. Among these hamlets, that known as Hamlin Center is the largest, has the greatest number of business houses, and is also the seat of town affairs. The early residents and interests of this place have been described, hence in this connection only the present need be mentioned. The local population numbers about three hundred. The merchants here are James H. Redman &
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Son, general store; T. W. Swansen, general store and large produce dealer ; James Burke, harness store and shop; Pease & Bullard, gro- cers and druggists ; H. C. & A. C. Hamil, hardware; Semon & Feltz, proprietors of grist and cider mills. The hotel is known as the Hamlin House.
East Hamlin is a quiet little hamlet in the east part of the town, about where was once the settlement known as Kane's Corners. The inhabi- tants here number about 150, and the business interests comprise the general stores of Horner & Eller, and Hamil Brothers.
North Hamlin is another small hamlet of the town, situate in the northern part, on Sandy creek, where once stood the Thomas's Mills, by which name the locality was once designated. The merchant here is Hiram Hovey.
Webster Mills, Kendall Mills, East Kendall, and Morton, designate a small village in the extreme west part of the town, the local interests being principally in the adjoining town of Kendall, Orleans county. This place now bears the name of Morton. The store here is owned by Elliott & Kenyon.
A history of the religious societies of Hamlin is a part of general town rather than local records, for they were built up and organized by the people of the town at large. The Freewill Baptist church at East Hamlin was organized about the year 1824, by Rev. Eli Hannibal, with an original membership of about twenty persons The first church edi- fice was erected in 1834, and was located about half a mile southeast of East Hamlin station. The church of this denomination at North Parma was an offshoot from the society at East Hamlin, thirty one members withdrawing to form the new society in 1831. In later years the soci- ety barely escaped dissolution, but in 1858 was reorganized. The old edifice was abandoned and a new one provided ; and about fifteen years ago a third edifice was erected half a mile south of its predecessor. The membership in this church now numbers about forty-five persons. The present pastor is Rev. E. H. Griffin.
In 1883 a Union church was erected by the Freewill Baptist and Methodist Episcopal societies and was located at East Kendall, though on the Hamlin side of the line. The Freewill society here was organ- ized as early as 1828 by Elder Eli Hanibal and has ever since main-
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tainedan existence. After many years of joint occupancy of the old meet- ing house, the societies parted company and the Baptists now have a new church edifice for their own use. The membership comprises fifty persons, and is now under pastoral charge of Rev. R. Tanner.
The Methodist Episcopal society at West Hamlin was organized in 1830 and united with the Freewill Baptists in the erection of a meeting house.
In the neighborhood of Morton and East Kendall is a fairly large Presbyterian society. Its members number seventy-five persons. Here, also, is a society of the Free Methodist church. It has no regu- lar pastor, services being conducted by supplies.
St. John's Evangelical Lutheran church of Hamlin was organized April 1, 1875, with eighty-one members, comprising representatives from nearly all the German families then living in North Hamlin. From that time this membership has grown to 300 persons, being by far the largest religious society in the town. The present pastor is Rev. Mr. Muehlhauser. The church edifice was built in 1874.
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The Methodist Episcopal church in Hamlin Center was organized in 1869, and three years afterwards erected a substantial church edifice. The present members number seventy-five. The pastor is H. B. Mason, who also officiates in the same capacity at Morton. Also at Hamlin Center is a regularly organized Baptist church and society, having sixty members and under the pastoral charge of Rev. Mr. Adams.
Tradition informs us that the first school teacher in Hamlin was Michael, son of pioneer John Nowlan, but the records furnish very little information by which we can determine either the location or teachers of the early schools. This question, however, is not of great im- portance to the present reader, and we may therefore briefly note the present condition of educational interests in the town. As now con- stituted, the school districts in Hamlin are fourteen in number, and in addition thereto is one public school with about thirty-five pupils. Dur- ing the school year ending July 31, 1894, the amount of money avail- able for school purposes was $4,562.61, of which $1,778.20 was pub- lic money apportiontioned to the town, and $2,541.89 was raised by town tax. In the year mentioned the number of children of school
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age was 617, for whose instruction fourteen teachers were employed and were paid for their services $3,648.97. In the town are fourteen comfortable school houses, ten of which are frame, three of brick and one of stone. The total value of school property in Hamlin is esti- mated at $9,350.
CHAPTER VII.
THE TOWN OF HENRIETTA.
This town was formed from Pittsford, March 27, 1818, and contains within its boundaries 21, 584 acres of land; and land of as good quality for general agricultural purposes as can be found in Monroe county. And it is no idle compliment to say of the farming inhabitants of Henrietta that they have ever been known as a thrifty and enterprising people, descendants from equally progressive ancestors who had to con- tend with more hardships and discouragements than almost any set of pioneers in the region. It so happened that the early settlers of this town were poor men, who came to a little known and then quite un- inviting region, where the lands were at first thought to be of compara- tively small value, and whatever advancement the pioneer was able to make was the result of determined effort; "hard knocks" as known at the present day. Even then, after having made a small beginning, in case it so happened the settler could not promptly meet the payment due on his land, he was ruthlessly dispossessed by the agents, receiving no compensation whatever for improvements made,
These are rather unpleasant recollections of pioneer days in Henrietta, yet are nevertheless true, as numerous instances will attest, and show a quite unscrupulous character on the part of some of the proprietors. However, in spite of all these early disadvantages and embarrassments the determined pioneers of the town finally succeeded in establishing themselves firmly, developing fine farms, improving every profitable opportunity, and to-day the descendants of these hardy sires find them-
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THE TOWN OF HENRIETTA.
selves possessed of the desirable comforts of life; and all this is the glorious result of Yankee energy and determination.
The early settlement of Henrietta was entirely accomplished while its territory formed a part of the still older subdivisions known suc- cessively as Smallwood and Pittsford. The first mentioned was one of the old provisional districts of Ontario county, and Pittsford was a later formation and of much less area. So long as Henrietta remained a part of Pittsford it was known as West-town, thus describing the western part of the mother town.
The first attempt at settlement in this locality was made in 1790, by Major Isaac Scott, who received for military services a grant of nine hundred acres in the southwest part of the town. Major Scott made his improvement in 1790 and after two years of fruitless effort aban- doned his land and sought a more inviting abode. About this time the township passed into the ownership of a party of Holland capitalists, who, being aliens, could not lawfully own lands and hold titles in this country, hence procured the title in the name of their agents, the Wads- worths, who were extensive land operators in the Genesee country. However, it was not until the early years of the present century that the settlement in fact of the town began. In 1806 the town was sur- veyed into farm lots, and almost immediately the pioneers came. The first comers were Lyman and Warren Hawley, who located southwest of the West village. Here they cleared fifty or sixty acres and sowed part of it with wheat. In the same year Jesse Pangburn made a settle- ment at West Henrietta. The first settler on the east side of the town was Joseph Carne, who came in from Pittsford in 1806. Charles Carne, son of Joseph, born October 16, 1806, was the first white child born in Henrietta. Ira Hatch and Moses Wilder were other pioneers in the same locality, the latter planting the first apple orchard in the town. Mrs. Hatch was the first white woman settler in Henrietta. Other settlers in 1806 were Charles Rice, Moses Goodale, Benjamin Boles, Thomas Sparks, George Dickinson, Asa Champlin, Selah Reed, Gideon Griswold, Asa Hull, William Thompson, Elias Wilder, Capt. Joseph Bencraft, John Gould and Orlando Brown. Jonathan Russell came into the town in 1807, and his son Moody was the second white male child born here. Hezekiah Sherwood was also here in 1807, and the death
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of his infant daughter was the first event of its kind in the town. Other settlers in this year were Jonathan Wilder, Mr. Parish, Artemas Bauer, Phineas Baldwin and his sons Jacob, Ansel and Charles. In 1808 Silas and Edward Dunkam settled, and in 1809 Asa Burr and two sons of James Sperry ; Mr. Sperry came here in 1812. In 1809 there were but thirteen families in the town.
The later settlers may be mentioned collectively and without refer- ence to exact year, for the greatest difficulty is encountered in deter- mining correctly when many of the old families came in here. There were, however, John and Michael Brininstool, John Cook, Charles Case, Isaac F. Nichols, Frederick Samples, Ira McNoll, Charles Cos- grove, Simon Moore, Bitternell Hitchcock, John Spring, Abijah Gould, John and Andrew Bushman, William Leggett and his five sons, Will- iam, Ira, Franklin, Stephen and Charles, all settlers in town previous to or during the year 1812. About the same time or within a year or two afterward there came Charles Daniels, David and Barzilla Archer, Harry Miller, William Frazee, Alva Remington, James Tinker, Daniel Roy, Timothy Torrence, Bishop Stilwell, George L. Valley (who had a lime kiln here as early as 1810), Captain Blodgett, David Scribner, and others. Jonathan Smith built the first saw mill in 1811, and the second was built by Eager Wells. Daniel Richards put up a small tannery building about 1813, and with the leather there made Phineas Baldwin and Mr. Austin made shoes for the townspeople. John Gooding was the first distiller, having come from Bloomfield with his brother Ebe- nezer. Sidney Warner made the first chairs in town, and Daniel Hedges afterward set up in the same business.
Among the pioneers of Henrietta were a number of old Revolu- tionary soldiers, whose names, so far as known, are worthy of mention. They were Major Gilbert, Joel Clark, Robert McLoud, Lyman Wright and Daniel Phillips. Also in the war of 1812-15, the town was repre- sented by several men who made honorable records, among them Jacob, John and Samuel Hibbard, Loren Connise (died in service),- Bartlett (killed), -- Beckwith (died in 1813), Samuel Cady (died in service), Ira, James and Dr. Phillips.
In the town, too, at an early day were a number of squatters, persons occupying land without claim or color of title; and though in no sense
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THE TOWN OF HENRIETTA.
pioneers of the locality, they are perhaps deserving of mention as early residents. So far as known they were George Allen, James Lawless (who made pot ashes), Simeon Magoon, Anson Beebe, Elijah Rose, James Whitehouse, Noble Clark, James Bliss, Amos Wood, James Gor- don, Robert McCloud, Hulbert Wilcox, Lyman Wright, Elihu Roberts, Seth Roberts, Abram Pease, Lyman and Sheldon Pierson, and others named Hartshorn and Baldwin. Several of these were worthy pioneers and afterward became permanent residents and were identified with town affairs.
Once well begun, settlement in Pittsford's " west town " was accom- plished rapidly, and naturally gave rise to the question of a division of the town In fact there was existing some little difficulty between the representatives of the east and west districts of Pittsford, each of course looking for the chief town officers and public improvements for the respective localities. Other disputed questions entered into the con- troversy, which, by the way, did not become more serious than a war of words, but the result was a division of the town and the creation of Henrietta ; so named in allusion to Henrietta Laura, daughter of Sir William Pulteney. The division was accomplished March 27, 1818, and on the 20th of April the first town meeting was held.
The first officers for the new town were as follows : Jacob Stevens, supervisor ; Isaac Jackson, town clerk; Martin Roberts, Lyman Haw- ley and Noah Post, assessors ; David Dunham and Elijah Little and Solomon Hovey commissioners of highways ; Elisha Gage, collector ; Thomas Remington and Daniel Hedges, overseers of poor; Justus Baker, Richard Daniels and Abel Post, school commissioners; Jacob Stevens, Charles Sperry, Chauncey Beedle, school inspectors; Roswell Wickwire and Elisha Gage, constables
In this connection may properly be given the succession of super- visors, viz .: Jacob Stevens, 1817-20; Elijah Little, 1821-22; Lyman Hawley, 1823 ; Elijah Little, 1824; James Sperry, 1825 ; Elijah Little, 1826-27 ; Isaac Jackson, 1828-29; Joshua Tripp, 1830-31; Elijah Little, 1832-33; Isaac Jackson, 1834-39; Elisha Gage, 1840; Mat- thias L. Angle, 1841-42 ; Isaac Jackson, 1843; Micajah W. Kirby, 1844; M. L. Angle, 1845 ; Wells Springer, 1846-47 ; Alexander Will- iams, 1848 ; Wells Springer, 1849; Alexander Williams, 1850; Ezra
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