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 31
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CHAPTER X.
THE TOWN OF OGDEN.
On the 27th of January, 1817, the Legislature passed an act by which the town of Parma, then one of the civil divisions of Genesee county, was divided, and the southern portion erected into a new town by the name of Ogden ; and so called in allusion to William Ogden, the son- in law of John Murray, and the latter an original proprietor of the lands. The town embraces a part of the " Mill Yard " or " Mill Seat " tract, which was purchased from the Seneca Indians by the Phelps and Gor- ham proprietary, and in which transaction the customary charge of fraud was made. In his treaty with the Indians, Mr. Phelps wished to obtain a tract of land. west of the Genesee, but the natives were only willing to cede the lands east of the river. A compromise was finally made by which a tract twelve miles wide and twenty-four miles long was granted to Phelps and Gorham for a mill yard, and the Indians were soon afterwards much astonished to learn how little land was really necessary for a mill and how much was required for the mill yard. Hence we have the name "Mill Yard Tract," which included within its boundaries the present town of Ogden.
Ogden is one of the interior towns of the county, lying west of the center. The surface is comparatively level or gently undulating with a slight indication toward the north. The streams are small brooks, forming head branches of Sandy, Salmon and Little Black creeks. The soil is a fine quality of calcareous and clayey loam, and possesses a changeable nature. In certain localities the lands were avoided by early settlers as being heavy and not very productive, while other sec- tions had light and easily cultivated areas, and were much sought by pioneers. In later years, however, the result of constant tillage changed the conditions and while the once heavy lands became much lighter the formerly light lands became heavier ; but all, from first to last, have
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been highly productive, and among the agricultural towns of Monroe county Ogden holds a position in the front rank. It has also been noted as one of the best wheat and potato producing towns of Western New York, while in fruits it ranked well. All cereals yield abundantly in response to the efforts of the husbandman, yet many of these pro- ducts are now unprofitable, hence discontinued, and in their stead other corps are cultivated, to all of which reference will be made in another part of this chapter.
Referring briefly to the subject of early ownership of the lands of Ogden, the statement may be made that New York ceded this entire region to Massachusetts, and the latter commonwealth sold the fee in the land to the Phelps and Gorham proprietary subject to the Indian title. However, the State of New York retained the right of sov- ereignty and jurisdiction over the ceded lands. After the Indian title had been extinguished, the region was surveyed into townships by Judge Fuller, who established an office at Canandaigua. Ogden, as at present constituted, comprises one township, divided originally into 230 farm lots of about 100 acres each, and contains a little more than thirty- seven square miles of land. The lots were offered to settlers at two dollars per acre, an unlimited time being given for payment so long as improvements were being made and the annual interest paid. This was a most fortunate provision for the pioneers, as but few of them possessed sufficient means to pay for their lands when they came into town. They were chiefly New England Yankees with a sprinkling of Mohawk and New Jersey Dutch, and were attracted to the region of Western New York as settlers in a new and undeveloped country. They came to make homes and none of them had money with which to buy luxuries. They were content to find a suitable abiding place, and here they built log houses, cleared the forest lands and laid a substan- tial foundation for future prosperity, both for themselves and their descendants.
The disposition and settlement of the lands in this town was under the direction of James Wadsworth, the representative of the proprietor, and when the farm tracts were in constant demand pioneer John Gott was appointed local agent under Wadsworth, the latter being then located at Geneseo, or " Big Tree." John Gott was brother of Samuel Gott, and father to Oscar F. Gott of Spencerport. In carrying out the
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purpose of his agency Mr. Wadsworth visited New England to induce settlement in the Genesee country, but then referred to as Fairfield in the town of Northampton. A public meeting was called at Haddam, Conn., after which Daniel Arnold, father of Elder Enoch Arnold, visited this region that the proposed settlers might fully and truthfully under- stand the conditions awaiting them in the West. Arnold's report was favorable and in 1802 George W. Willey made the first settlement in what afterward became Ogden. In August of that year he made an improvement on the west side of what is now called Union street, about half way between Ogden Center and Spencerport. Mr. Willey is accorded the honor of being the first permanent settler in Ogden, and he was, withal, an enterprising and worthy man in the locality. His wife died in April, 1804, and in the next year Mr. Willey married widow Brown, whose pioneer husband had died in the town in 1803.
Daniel Arnold, the emissary of the Haddam contingent of colonists, first came to the town in 1801, and became a resident in 1803. The next year he brought his family here. He was the first resident sur- veyor in the region and his services were in constant demand. Mr. Arnold was born in Haddam, June 9, 1757, and in 1781 married Esther Fox. Their children were Daniel C., an early school teacher and also surveyor in the town, and Sally, Lydia, Aaron, Esther, David W., Epaphroditus, Enoch, Sophia, Ebenezer and Mary many of whom were afterward prominently connected with local history. The pioneer himself died during an epidemic of " black tongue " in 1813.
In December, 1802, Abraham, Isaac, Timothy and Ephraim Colby came to the town and settled on what afterward became known as Colby street. This party of pioneers encountered many hardships in the course of their journey, one of them having his feet frozen, while an- other was severely cut with an axe while attempting to remove a fallen tree from the road. Each of these brothers located and cleared a good farm, and some of them were associated with first events in town his- tory. John M. Colby, son of Abraham Colby, was the first white male child born in the town, in 1803, while Betsey, daughter of Ephraim Colby, born in October of the same year, was the first white female child born in Ogden. She married John A. Fincher, father to Mrs. Joseph Parker of Ogden. In 1804 Ephraim Colby, sr., and three other
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sons, Zacheus, Eastman and Merrill, came to the town, but Zacheus, who was a physician, settled on the Ridge. The others became heads of families here and added greatly to early local prosperity, for each was an industrious and energetic man. Ephraim, the pastor, died in 1823 ; his wife in 1806. Eastman Colby was a colonel of militia in the war of 1812-15. and one of the foremost men of the town in his day. He died in 1859. Each of these seven pioneer brothers lived and died on the farm settled by him.
In 1803 several new settlers came in, among them Josiah Mather and Mason Brockway, both of whom located south of the Center. Jonathan Brown settled north of the Center, and Henry Hahn, on the north town line. The Center church stands on the Brown farm. William Banning and Justin Worthington also located in the vicinity in 1803, and the latter was quite prominent in local history ; was the last town clerk of the old town of Northampton, and the first in Parma, also the first school com- missioner of Ogden. Other settlers in this year were Judge William B. Brown, whose father, Daniel Brown, is said to have preached the first sermon in Ogden (at George W. Willey's house in 1805) and William H. Spencer, the latter the builder of the first saw mill in Ogden, and who brought the machinery and mill irons from Connecticut, driving an ox team the whole distance.
Still greater numbers came in 1804 and made settlements in the town, among whom were Benajah Willey, Dr. John Webster, Daniel Spencer, Benjamin Freeman, John Gould, Isaac Nichols, Mr. Snow and Daniel Wandle, all from Connecticut. Spencer and Freeman came together, and both were were prominent in early history. Freeman was the first collector elected in Ogden, while Mr. Spencer was the founder in fact of the village of Spencerport. His purchase comprised 180 acres and included nearly the whole of the village. The canal was laid out through his lands and completed in 1825, and soon after Mr. Spencer began selling village lots. He also built a water power grist mill, though he died (1834) before it was fully completed. Daniel Spencer married twice, his second wife being Polly Foster, by whom he had three chil- dren, Joseph A., John and Libbeus F. Spencer. Dr. John Webster was in the war of 1812, and in town affairs was especially prominent. He was the first physician and a remarkably good man. His wife was
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Susan B. Allen, and both were born in 1780. Their children were Stephen, Asa, Jeremiah, Sylvester, Alvin, Huldah, William, John, Will- iam (2d), Hiram and Susan.
The pioneers of 1805 were few but among them were John D. Web- ster and Samuel Flagg, both of whom were men of influence and worth. Mr. Webster came from Salisbury, N. H., and located on Colby street, with his young wife. His children who were born in Ogden, were Persis E., John West and Clarissa M., and Samuel and Nathaniel, all of whom are now dead. Mr. Flagg also settled on Colby street, where many of his children were born. They were Hannah, Henry S., James. Thomas, Charles, Samina, Ely, Ann, Edwin and Samuel. In 1806 William Web- ster came to the town, and about the same time Norman Davison, Charles Freeman, James King and others, all New Englanders who sought to make homes in the new country. In 1808 Austin Spencer, Ezekiel Goodwin and Oliver Gates came to the town. Joseph A. Spencer now lives on the farm taken by his uncle Austin in 1808, and it has been in the family more than eighty. five years. Charles Church and Gustave Huntley were also settlers about this time. John P. Pat- terson, the first supervisor of the town, came here in 1810, and Stephen Gridley, a well remembered pioneer, in 1811. James Pettengill, Adol- phus Simons, Ira Nichols, Benjamin Simons and John Walton came about the same year. In 1813 Samuel Kilbourne came from Broome county and located in the north part of the town.
However, for several years following 1811 but few settlers came to the region, for at that time the second war with Great Britain was in progress and the whole territory of Western New York was threatened with invasion. The available men of Parma were among the enrolled militia and subject to call to the frontier, and on one or two occasions were ordered out on the lines. Colonel Eastman Colby was frequently on the frontier and the young men of Parma were quite anxious to serve under his leadership. However, the war passed without serious injury to local interests, other than to delay settlement for a time. Ansel Chapman may fairly be regarded as the pioneer of the south part of the town, though his settlement dated 1814. He came with his fam- ily from East Haddam, Conn., with a yoke of cattle and a span of horses and located where his son John now lives, and here he built a
Fred E. Foto,
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log house, and later a frame one. His wife was Abigail Chauncey, sister to Henry Chauncey, one of the builders of the Panama railroad. Mr. Chauncey took up fifty acres but increased his land to 220 acres. Edward Covell, a Vermonter, settled in the southwest part of the town in 1815, and was the head of a large and respected family. About the same time came the Gotts, Samuel and John, who located nearer the center, Samuel where his son Fred. E. Gott now lives. Stephen Ross came from Salisbury, N. H., in 1816, and settled one mile south of Adams Basin, where he had a farm and also a cabinet shop. His chil- dren were George, James, Bartlett, Arnold, Benjamin F., Ralph, Stephen and Frances. Josiah Rich came from Washington county in 1818, and before going on a farm was tavern keeper and lumber merchant at the village. In his family were eight children. Joshua, Edmund and Reu- ben Whittier came from Raymond, N. H., soon after 1812 and settled in Ogden, Joshua on Union street and the others on what was known as Whittier street. Reuben afterward moved to Wisconsin. Joshua's children were Richard, Samuel and Martha, and Reuben's, Sarah, Mary, Alvira and Lucinda. Edmund's children were Elisha, Julia, Asenath, Charles, Martha, Rufus and J. Newton. The last mentioned now owns his father's old home farm. Cornelius Voorhis settled where W. W. Nichols now lives in 1813 or '14. He died in 1872. He was a son of John Voorhis, a pioneer on the Buffalo road. The Tucker family were also among the pioneers of Ogden, though recollections of them are meagre. The old Caleb Tucker farm was purchased by John A. Fin- cher in 1834, and is now occupied by Joseph Parker and family. Amos Clark Wilmot, a soldier and pensioner of the war of 1812-15, was an early settler of the Center road. He began chopping and eventually bought the Trowbridge farm. His wife was Elizabeth Hiscock, by whom he had six children : Louisa, Lucina, Servetus, George, Seymour and Amos. Pioneer Wilmot passed the last twenty-five years of his life in Rochester, and there he died in 1881. William Hiscock settled on the farm now occupied by Mr. Sias in 1817, and died there in 1823. He had a large family.
Among the other early settlers though perhaps not pioneers in Og- den, may be mentioned the names of Major Gillman and his sons Will- iam, Hiram and Amos, Nicholas Kelley, Charles Eber, James Cate and
41
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his sons Enoch, Thomas and Reuben, James and John Hill and Aaron Robinson, all of whom were in the east part of the town. In the same connection may also be named John Brigham, Timothy Kneeland, James Baldwin, Harry Patterson, Darius Clark, Zachariah Olmstead, Simeon Wheeler, Bezaleel Whitney, John Woodard, Aaron Arnold, Joseph Stanley, Windsor Trowbridge, Rufus Humphrey, Theodore Goodwin, Enos Pembroke, Joseph Webster, John Collister, John Evans, Thomas Lindsley, Jesse and Stephen Mason, Israel Osmon, Stephen Angel; and also the Gilletts, Vanests, Walkers, Browers, Keelers, Crom- wells, Handys, Hodges, nearly all of whom were in the east part of Ogden and many of whom have descendants in the town. On the west side, besides those already mentioned were the families whose sur- names were Perry, Dart, Dewey, Gilman, Osborne, Hill, Richmond, Hall, Graves, True, Pettingill, Howard, Hubbell, Ross, Hicks, Rollin, Stone, Anderson, Boughton, Niles, Adams, Danforth, Parmele, Mc- Brown, Curtis, Doty, Goodrich. Rich, and others whose names have been lost and have no representatives in the locality.
These early settlers in Ogden were chiefly farmers, yet some of them were mechanics and worked at their trades after coming to the town. They also established schools and organized churches that the educa- tional and spiritual welfare of the people might be promoted. The earliest trading point was established at the center of the town in accordance with New England custom, and for many years Ogden Center was a hamlet of some importance. It had its stores, shops and dwellings, the town house, school and churches, Congregational and Baptist. The first afterward became Presbyterian and was the mother of churches in the town. The Baptists removed their seat of opera- tions to the western part of the town, while the completion of the Erie canal drew from the Center its principal interests and located them at Spencerport.
As has been noted, this town was separated from Parma in 1817. At that time the population had become sufficient to justify such action, the convenience of the inhabitants demanded it, and, accordingly, on the 27th of January of that year an act granting the division was passed. The first meeting of electors was held on the first of April following, at which time these officers were chosen : John P. Patterson,
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supervisor ; Abraham Colby, town clerk; Benjamin Simons, collector and constable ; George W. Willey, poundmaster ; George W. Willey, John D. Webster and William B. Brown, assessors ; David Wandle, Ira Nichols, overseers of the poor; Austin Spencer, Erastus Spencer, Samuel Kilbourne, road commissioners; Justin Worthington, Charles Freeman, Oliver Gates, school commissioners.
Succession of supervisors : John B. Patterson, 1817-18; Austin Spencer, 1819; James Baldwin, 1820-21; John P. Patterson, 1822 ; James Baldwin, 1823-24 ; Austin Spencer, 1825, 1829-33, 1839, and 1846; Samuel Kilbourn, 1826-28 ; Amos C. Wilmot, 1834-37, 1844-45, 1850-51; Charles Church, 1838 ; John Gott, 1840-41 ; Ezra B. True, 1842-43, 1852-53, 1860, 1862-63; James A. Pettingill, 1847-48 ; William B. Brown, 1849, 1854; Jesse S. Church, 1855; Selden O. Banning, 1856, 1858 ; Enoch Arnold, 1857 and 1859; John Borst, 1861, 1865-66; Edward Covel, 1864; Josiah Rich, 1867-74; William B. Arnold, 1875-77 ; L. F. Spencer, 1878-80; Leonard Burritt, 1881-89 ; Lester S. Nichols, 1890-91 ; Frederick E. Gott, 1892-94.
The present officers (1894) are Frederick E. Gott, supervisor ; John Upton, town clerk (for the last ten years) ; Fred E. Gott, Albert M. Barker, Oscar P. Colby and Lewis W. Adams, justices of the peace ; George H. Comstock, Nicholas H. Hoy, Edward J. Rollin, assessors ; James B. Dresser, collector ; Silas F. Smith, George E. Colby, Edward W. Arnold, highway commissioners; Orel T. Hubbell, overseer of the poor ; Oscar E. Nichols, John Upton, Lewis P. Geering, J. Peter Fetter and John Riley, constables; Samuel H. Day and Bowker Hinckley, excise commissioners.
Passing along the various thoroughfares of Ogden the spectator can- not but be impressed with the changes wrought by passing years. On almost every farm is an orchard of greater or less extent, indicating the fact that this town was once noted for its apple product. Less than thirty years ago Spencerport and Adams Basin were shipping points of much importance on the Erie canal and also on the railroad, and while in later years the town has lost much of its importance in this respect, other products have replaced the apple crop to maintain at least a portion of the former reputation of the locality. Fifteen years ago the farmers raised cabbage sufficient only for home use, but by
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development this industry has grown to gigantic proportions, and it is estimated that in 1894 at least a thousand acres were planted with cabbage, while the output reached nearly ten thousand tons. Potatoes have also been a prolific crop in Ogden and the source of much profit to farmers. However, the husbandman has never been fully compen- sated for the loss of the apple crop, which with the least expenditure of money and muscle yielded for better results. But, notwithstanding the embarrassments which have operated against the farmer of Ogden, they are a thrifty and energetic people and the town to-day presents as many fine farms with excellent buildings as are to be found in this part of the country. The land, too, has maintained a uniform popula- tion through years of unprofitable, labor, indicating a determination on the part of its people to remain on the old farms rather than seek and hazard the uncertainties of village and city life, and other pursuits.
The chief centers of trade and population in Ogden are the village of Spencerport and the hamlet of Adams Basin, and both owe their existence and construction to the Erie canal, in 1825, while their respective interests were materially increased by the subsequent build- ing and operation of the railroad. Ogden Center and Town Pump de- rived no benefits from these improvements, and indeed their then existing interests were seriously impaired by them as trade points and the center of population was naturally drawn to the hamlets on the north.
The locality commonly called Town Pump, or Ogden post- office, is in the southwest part of the town, in the region settled by the Pettingill, True. Gilman, Hill, Richmond and other prominent families. For mutual accommodation the settlers here dug a well in the center of the intersection of two principal thoroughfares, and from this the locality has ever been designated "Town Pump."
Ogden Center, in the early history of the town, was a place of much importance, in fact was the central village of Ogden ; and it retained its prominence until the building of the canal, after which all local enter- prises were removed to Spencerport, leaving only the Presbyterian church, the school and the town house and about a score of comfortable dwellings.
Adams Basin is a post-office and station on the railroad, and in its
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- history dates to 1825. Previous to the building of the road the volume of business done here was apparently larger than in recent years, for the old warehouses and other unused buildings are visible evidences of former greatness. However, this hamlet is in the center of a rich and fertile agricultural region and here large quantities of produce are annually shipped to market. The existing industries are the fruit evaporating and warehouses, two or three stores and shops, the Methodist Protestant church and the district school.
Spencerport, the only incorporated village within the township, dates its history from the completion of the canal, although it was not until some ten years afterward that it began to take the form of a hamlet. Pioneer Daniel Spencer little thought that his original purchase here would be covered with a flourishing village, yet after the canal was put in operation he began developing a trading center. The principal north and south highway, the old Canawaugas road, led from the lake to the southern towns of the county, and along this the village lots were sold off, and in later years the whole tract was subdivided, streets and lots laid out, and now we have on the site an incorporated village of 1,000 inhabitants. Its volume of business was never greater than at present, though appearances would seem to indicate to the contrary. However, the work of shipping the produce is now much more easily and rapidly accomplished, and with far less demonstration, in these days of railroading, than was the case half a century and more ago. The canal carries its fair proportion of freight in season, but by far the greater quantity of products is shipped by rail.
The first merchants of the village were West & Richards, whose store was north of the canal. The next store was started by Philander Kam, who carried a general stock of goods, and they also owned the site of the Lincoln House hotel property. . The store was kept south of the canal. Charles Church came next, also south of the canal and on the west side of Union street. Daniel Spencer opened the first hotel, on the east side of the street and over on the creek he built the mill, before mentioned. Benjamin Cole was also an early merchant, and in the same connection may be mentioned the firm of Church, Ball & Co., also Mr. Woodbury, who built the stone block which stood on the Upton block site. Charles Church built the store now occupied by George
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Cole, and lived where Mr. Fowler resides. Mr. Crosby and William Andrews were other old merchants of the village. The Kam hotel was sold to Mr. Church, thence to Mr. Ball, and from him to Lincoln and burned during his ownership. He rebuilt the house and subsequently it passed through the hands of Mr. Trimmer, James Upton (who im- proved it), Mr. Lincoln, Lincoln & Wallace, Mr. Edwards, and from the latter to William Ackley the present proprietor. Benjamin Cole also kept hotel north of the canal, and the property later went to James Upton, thence to William Kinney and finally to John Leonard.
From this small beginning Spencerport has grown to a desirable size and is a residence village as well as one of commercial importance In mercantile and manufacturing pursuits it has never attracted much attention, as its location is too near the city of Rochester to admit of such a possibility. However, all local demands are readily supplied and no branch of business is over represented. Spencerport became an incorporated village by an act of the Legislature passed April 22, 1867, and its first charter election, held May 13 thereafter, resulted in the selection of these officers: President, Dr. William C. Slayton, and trustees, E. H. Davis, George K. Field, C. S. Cole, and Austin Reed ; clerk and treasurer, Charles Brigham ; collector and constable, Jesse B. Walker. The subsequent village presidents have been E. H. Davis, W. H. Crosby, W. C. Slayton, John Borst, Miles Upton, William C. Slay- ton, F. W. Lincoln, William Brown, William C. Slayton, F. W. Lincoln, William C. Slayton, H. H. Brown, Thompson Hartwell, Samuel H. Day, Peter Helfrich, B. H. Goff, Peter Helfrich and Daniel L. Walker. The present village officers are D. L. Walker, president; John B. McCabe, William Ballard and A. N. Barker, trustees ; W. W. Malay, clerk; W. S. Millener, treasurer ; John Upton, collector.
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