USA > New York > Niagara County > Landmarks of Niagara County, New York > Part 10
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The officers of the society are elected annually by the life members, and of those who have been chosen and who have given good service in official capacity in the years gone by we find recorded as presidents :
William Parsons, J. D. Shuler, Willard Weld, Franklin Spalding, D. A. Van Valk- enburgh, William Robinson, Hatnell Hayward, Alexander Campbell, Benjamin Farley, P. D. Walter, Albert Flanders, I. H. Babcock, Elisha Moody, George L. Moote, Seneca B. Foote, E. W. Gantt, Solomon Ernest, John P. Sawyer, P. H. Corwin, John Hodge, John P. Brown, Charles A. Warren, George H. Bradley.
As vice presidents: Parkhurst Whitney, Jonathan Ingalls, O. P. Knapp, William Robinson, P. L. Ely, P, D. Walter, A. E. Reynolds, John H. Buck, I. H. Babcock, George B. Townsend, Mark A. Nichols, J. F. Trott, S. B. Foote, William V. Corwin, Solomon Ernest, John P. Sawyer, John Hodge, Henry C. Howard, John P. Brown, Charles A. Warren, George H. Bradley, Charles Flagler.
As secretary: Chauncey Leonard, Sullivan Caverno, S. S. Pomroy, N. M. Spald- ing, John R. St. John, P. D. Walter, Henry Shaft, J. F. H. Miller, John E. Pound, - George N. Nichols, Thomas Scovell, George G. Moss. L. H. Hill, M. A. Nichols, Louis Viedt, W. H. Case, John T. Darrison.
As treasurer: William O. Brown, Silas Marks, Roland Sears, E. A. Holt, P. D. Walter, A. C. Pomroy, Edward Simmons, L. W. Bristol, John G. Freeman, Benjamin F. Gaskill.
The officers for 1897 are: President, George H. Bradley; vice-president, Charles Flagler; secretary, John T. Darrison; treasurer, Benjamin F. Gaskill; directors:
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Benjamin F. Felton, James A. McCollum, Frank H. Terry, A. B. Lewis, George T. Pearson, A. Douglas Pease.
Town Vice-Presidents: - Cambria, Charles Young; Hartland, Jno. L. Chase; Lewiston, Samuel Townsend; Lockport, John H. Wilson; Newfane, John Coulter; Niagara, E. P. Bowen; Pendleton, G. C. Richards; Porter, Edward Calvert; Royal- ton, Seth Silsby; Somerset, William A. Sawyer; Wilson, J. G. O. Brown; Wheat- field, James S. Tompkins; City of Lockport, Jesse Peterson; City of Niagara Falls, John Whitney.
COUNTY POOR HOUSE AND FARM .- When the act was passed by the Legislature in 1829 providing that the care of the poor should de- volve upon the various counties of this State, instead of their being a a town charge as theretofore, Niagara county purchased a farm of ninety - one acres in the western part of the town of Lockport and erected thereon a commodious frame building. In the fall of that year the pau- pers of the county, then numbering about thirty, were placed in the building. Hiram McNeil, Henry Norton and George Reynale were appointed superintendents of the poor, and John Gould was installed on the farm as keeper. In 1833 larger and better accommodations were demanded and the main part of the present structure was erected, of stone, 100 by 60 feet in size and three stories high, with basement. In 1845 two three-story wings were added, each 40 by 60 feet, the east wing being intended for the use of insane poor exclusively. Other ad- ditions for hospital and other purposes were subsequently added. In 1858 a large area was inclosed with a stone wall nine feet high, in which insane inmates could obtain necessary exercise. In 1854 an ad- dition of twenty-nine acres was made to the farm. In former years paupers of all ages and classes were received and kept on the farm and a school for young inmates was maintained. In 1875 the county made arrangements whereby children between the ages of three and thirteen were to be cared for by the Lockport Home for the Friendless, the the county paying a stipulated sum for their maintenance. For many years past the insane of the county have been sent to State institutions for treatment or confinement. The county house and farm were under control of three superintendents until 1856, at which time the number was reduced to one. A keeper was employed regularly until 1875, when the supervisors made arrangements that compelled the superin- tendent to reside on the farm and have its immediate management.
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Samuel A. Carson was elected to the office in 1892, who was succeeded by W. W. Tompkins in 1895-the present superintendent.
FARMERS' MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY OF ORLEANS AND NI- AGARA COUNTIES .- This company was organized December 18, 1877, chiefly through the efforts of George L. Pratt, of Ridgeway. George H. Bradley was chosen president, and A. P. Scott, vice-president, and both have held their offices to the present time The business of the company prospered from the first, and on February 19, 1878, applica- tions for insurance had been received amounting to $329,500. Six months later the amount of policies had reached more than a million dollars. The board of directors consisted of one member from each town in the two counties In 1884 the company reorganized under State laws, dropped the "honor" policy theretofore used, and received authority to carry on a fire insurance business in the two counties. Under the new system the company has been remarkably successful, as shown by the last report, from which the following figures are taken :
New Policies. 214
Amount risks last report. $7,812,400
Amount added. $249,500
Number of policies in force December 31st 3,934
Amount at risk January 1st, 1897. $7,584,400
Received on collections due, 1895 $1,065 88
Received on collections, 1896 .$13,760 44
Following are the names of the directors for 1897 :
Edward Manning, Cambria ; Fred J. Swift, Hartland ; E. H. Forsyth, Lockport ; Wm. P. Mentz, Lewiston ; Franklin Pletcher, Niagara ; Wm. H. Staats, Newfane ; Chas. W. Manning, Pendleton ; Peter S. Tower, Porter ; H. H. Bugbee, Royalton ; A. M. Armstrong, Somerset ; John W. Eggleston, Wilson ; M. J. Volmer, Wheat- field ; Geo. P. Warner, Albion ; Ora Lee, Barre ; N. R. Fuller, Carlton ; Daniel P. Albert, Clarendon ; W. J. Prussia, Gaines ; Alonzo Eggleston, Kendall ; L. J. Hill, Murray ; D. R. Watson, Ridgeway ; J. P. Clute, Shelby ; E. D. Miller, Yates.
NIAGARA COUNTY ANGLERS' CLUB .- This club was organized March, 1886. At a meeting held March 8, 1886, the following persons were appointed to draft a constitution and by-laws: David Millar, W. J. Ransom, and J. B. Boyce. The following officers were chosen at an adjourned meeting held March 15, 1886: David Millar, president ; J. B. Boyce, vice-president ; Wash. H. Cross, secretary ; Jerome E. Emer- son, treasurer. At the meeting held March 29, the following were ap-
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pointed as executive committee : W. H. Chase, F. N. Trevor, S. Olin Seager, W. J. Ransom, James Carter, A. J. Eaton, George M. Swain, and Harvey E. Matthews. At this meeting the membership was re- ported as sixty-six.
At a meeting held April 16, 1892, this club was incorporated by the following persons: Charles W. Hatch, Jerome E. Emerson, Fred K. Sweet, George W. Westerman, jr., Dumont A. Hixson, Frank N. Trevor, William E.Shaffer, Daniel E. Brong, and W. E. Huston. This board of directors succeeded the old executive committee. Charles W. Hatch was chosen president; Fred K. Sweet, secretary, and Jerome E. Emerson, treasurer. The club has been active and vigilant in restrict- ing illegal fishing and the punishment of offenders of the game laws.
NIAGARA COUNTY PIONEER ASSOCIATION .- This society was or- ganized at Olcott village on the 14th of September, 1877, on which occasion a number of the pioneers of the county met on the grounds of William Ten Brook. The chief purpose of the association was to pre- serve the records of the early settlement of the county, and at the same time render meetings of the pioneers enjoyable through social inter- course and recalling reminiscences of early times. The following list shows those who were present at the organization, the date of their ad- vent in the county and in most instances their age :
From Cambria, Harvey Beach, 77, 1801 ; Thomas Barnes, born in the county in 1811.
Hartland, Daniel Van Horn, 83, 1811; William Morgan, 62, 1830. Newfane, Benjamin Stout, 75, 1815 ; Stephen Wilson.
Porter, Peter Tower, 86, 1815 ; Henry Palmer, 69, 1832.
Pendleton, Orrin Fisk, 71, 1810.
Lewiston, John Cornell, 68, 1828.
Lockport, Elisha Clapp; B. M. Edwards, 81; Ira Farnsworth, 54, 1837 ; Peter Aiken, born in 1816; W. W. Bush, born in 1828.
Royalton, Andrew J. Secor, born in 1817; P. P. Murphy.
Somerset, David Barker, 83, 1815; Adam Pease, 68, 1817; Leman Hoag, 81, 1825 ; Loran Fitts, 77, 1810.
Wilson, J. M. Newman, 65, 1818 ; J. S. Cuddeback, 69; 1816; Rev. A. Holsey, 84, 1830; Richard Holmes.
Niagara, Asahel Colt. Wheatfield, Lewis S. Payne.
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The following were chosen the first officers of the association : Presi- dent, John Van Horn ; secretary, F. N. Albright; executive committee, J. S. Hopkins, Cornelius Tompkins, and Willard A. Cobb.
CIVIL LIST.
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTORS .- 1836, Hiram Gardner; 1840, Davis Hurd, Peter B. Porter; 1848, Solomon Parmele; 1852, William Van- dervoort, Sherburne B. Piper, at large ; 1856, William Keep; 1872, Moses C. Richardson ; 1888, Benjamin Flagler.
STATE OFFICERS .- Governor, Washington Hunt, 1850-54; Comp- troller, Bates Cooke, 1839; Secretary of State, Peter B. Porter, 1815 (then residing at Canandaigua) ; State Prison Inspector, Gaylord J. Clark; Canal Commissioners, George H. Boughton, 1840; Hiram Gardner, 1838 ; James Jackson, 1873.
When Niagara county was erected in 1808, it became a part of the Western Senatorial District, which had from 1803 been entitled to eleven members; nine from 1803 to 1808, and twelve from 1808 to 1815. Under the act of April, 1815, the district again was given nine mem- bers, and continued thus until the adoption of the second Constitution. The second Constitution divided the State into eight senatorial districts, and Niagara, with Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, and Steuben, constituted the Eighth district. Niagara continued in this district until the Constitution of 1846, which placed it with Genesee and Orleans in the Twenty-eighth district. Under an act of 1857 these counties were made the Twenty-ninth dis- trict. An act of 1869 made Niagara, Genesee, Livingston, and Wy- oming the Thirtieth district. Under the new constitution the district comprises Niagara, Orleans and Genesee.
The following have held the office of State senator from Niagara county :
Archibald S. Clarke, 1812-16; (Mr. Clarke was an Erie county territory resident before the division of the county of Niagara.) George H. Boughton, 1829-30; Sam- uel Works, 1839-44; George D. Lamont, 1858-59; Peter P. Murphy, 1860-61; Rich- ard Crowley,# 1866-69; Lewis S. Payne,# 1878-79; Timothy E. Ellsworth, * 1882-83- 84-85; Cuthbert W. Pound, * 1894-95; Timothy E. Ellsworth, * 1896-97-98.
*Still living-1897.
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Niagara county was not entitled to a member of assembly until the seventh apportionment made in 1822. The apportionment of 1836 gave the county two members. The following persons have held the office from this county :
1823, Benjamin Barlow, jr .; 1824-25, Daniel Washburn; 1826, William King; 1827-29, John Garnsey; 1830, Samuel De Veaux; 1831-33, Henry Norton; 1834, Robert Fleming, jr .; 1835, Henry McNeil; 1836, Hiram Gardner; 1837, Reuben H. Boughton (succeeded on January 24, 1837, by Davis Hurd), Hiram McNeil; 1838-39, Davis Hurd, Peter B. Porter, jr .; 1840-41, Peter B. Porter, jr., Francis O. Pratt; 1842, T. T. Flagler,* Francis O. Pratt; 1843, T. T. Flagler," John Sweeney; 1844, John Sweeney, Luther Wilson; 1845, Levi F. Bowen, John Sweeney; 1846, Lot Clark, Morgan Johnson; 1847, Benjamin Carpenter, Christopher H. Skeels; 1848, Elias Ransom, Solomon Moss (Morgan Johnson contested the seat of Moss and was - admitted April 1, 1848); 1849, Hollis White, Morgan Johnson; 1850, George W. Jermain, James Van Horn, jr. ; 1851-52, Abijah H. Moss, Jeptha W. Babcock; 1853, " George W. Holley, | Reuben F. Wilson; 1854, Robert Dunlap, Reuben F. Wilson ; 1855, Linus J. Peck, Ira Tompkins; 1856, William S. Fenn, John Gould; 1857, Elisha Clapp, John Gould; 1858, Burt Van Horn, John W. Labar ;* 1859, James Sweeney,* Burt Van Horn; 1860, T. T. Flagler, * Burt Van Horn; 1861, Henry P. Smith, Oliver P. Scovell ;* 1862, Benjamin H. Fletcher, Peter A. Porter; 1863, Benjamin H. Fletcher, William Morgan ; 1864, James Jackson, jr., William Morgan; 1865, Albert H. Pick- ard," Guy C. Humphrey ;* 1866, Solon S. Pomroy,* Guy C. Humphrey ;* 1867, Elisha Moody, William Pool ;* 1868-69, Ransom M. Skeels, Benjamin Farley; 1870, Lewis S. Payne," Lee R. Sanborn ;* 1871, John E. Pound," Lee R. Sanborn ;* 1872-73, Isaac H. Babcock," George M. Swain:# 1874-75, Artemus W. Comstock, Orville C. Bordwell ;* 1876, Amos A. Bissell, Jonas W. Brown ;* 1877, Amos A. Bissell, Sher- burne B. Piper; 1878, Joseph D. Loveland, Sherburne B. Piper; 1879-80, Thomas N. Van Valkenburgh," James Low ;* 1881, Elijah Adams Holt, James Low ;* 1882, Joseph W. Higgins," Thomas V. Welch ;* 1884, Jacob A. Driess," Thomas V. Welch ;* 1885, Jacob A. Driess,* Thomas V. Welch ;* 1886, Lewis P. Gordon,* Walter P. Horne ;* 1887, Christian F. Goerss,* Peter A. Porter ;* 1888, Christian F. Goerss,* Nelson D. Haskell ;* 1889, John F. Little,* J. Marville Harwood; 1890, J. Marville Harwood, Ruthven Kill; 1891, Garwood Leverett Judd,* Levi Parsons Gillette ;* 1893, Elton T. Ransom ;* 1894-5, John H. Clark ;* 1896-97, Henry E. Warner,* Frank A. Dudley .*
COUNTY OFFICERS .- Treasurer .- 1848, T. T. Flagler ;* 1851, Alfred Van Wagon- er; 1854, William J. Dunlap; 1857, John Van Horn; 1860, Morrison W. Evans ;* 1863, Jacob M. Chrysler; 1866, Josiah L. Breyfogle ;* 1869, Hiram Benedict;# 1872- 78, S. Curt Lewis ;* 1881, Ed. J. Wakeman; 1884, John B. Arnold;# 1887, John Jacob Arnold,* to 1893; 1894-97, John C. Lammerts .*
County Clerk. - 1808, Louis Le Couteulx; 1810, Juba Storrs; 1811, Louis Le Couteulx; 1813, Zenas Barker; 1815, Archibald S. Clarke; 1816, Frederick Merrill; 1819, John E. Marshall; 1821, James L. Barton; (the foregoing were all residents of
* Still living-1897.
+ Died June 12, 1897.
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what is now Erie county ;) April 2, 1821, Oliver Grace; 1822, Asahel Johnson ; 1825, James F. Mason; 1828, Henry Catlin; 1834, Abijah H. Moss; 1837, Hiram A. Cook; 1840, David S. Crandall; 1843, James C. I,ewis; 1845, Edwin Shepard ;* 1845, John Van Horn; 1848, George W. Gage; 1851, Lewis S. Payne ;* 1854, Wilson Robinson; 1857, Nathan Dayton; 1859, Charles H. Van Duzen; 1859, Charles H. Symonds; 1862, William S. Wright; 1865, Lewis S. Payne ;* 1868, George B. Wilson; 1871, Peter D. Walter; 1874. George L. Moot ;* 1877, Amos W. R. Henning; 1880, John A. Merritt,* re-elected; 1886, Daniel C. Carroll,* re-elected; 1893, James Compton ;* 1896, Samuel H. Pettit .*
CHAPTER X.
SUBDIVISIONS OF THE COUNTY-TOWNS AND VILLAGES.
The territory now comprising Niagara county was formerly a part of the great county of Ontario, which was erected in 1789 and included all of the State of New York west of the Phelps and Gorham pre- emption line. The territory of the original provinces of New York and Massachusetts was chartered to extend westward indefinitely. New York in 1781 and Massachusetts in 1785 relinquished to the gen- eral government their claims to territory beyond the western boundaries of this State, but Massachusetts still claimed that part of New York west of the meridian line extending along the eastern line of the pres- ent Ontario county. Against this presumptuous claim New York con- tended, but the dispute was settled in 1786 by New York retaining the sovereignty of the territory, while the ownership, subject to the Indian title, should remain with Massachusetts ; that is, the Indians could con- vey title only to Massachusetts. The eastern boundary of the Massa- chusetts claim became known as the Pre-emption Line, as that State had the right of pre-emption, or first purchase, of the territory in ques- tion. New York, however, retained a strip one mile wide along the Niagara River.
In 1788 Massachusetts sold to Oliver Phelps and Nathaniel Gorham, and their associates, the pre-emption right to Western New York for
* Still living.
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$1,000,000. To acquire the Indian title a council was held in Buffalo in July, 1788, at which for $5,000 down and an annuity of $500 the company bought about 2,600,000 acres, bounded on the east by the pre-emption line. The tract thus secured is known as the Phelps and Gorham purchase. In March, 1791, Robert Morris contracted with Massachusetts for the pre-emption right to all of New York west of the Phelps and Gorham purchase ; the Indian title to this was acquired in 1797, excepting eleven reservations, two of which were the Tuscarora reservation (then about one mile square), and the Tonawanda reserva- tion, both in what is now Niagara county. Morris sold his lands in immense tracts, with only one of which are we here concerned. On December 24, 1792, he sold to Herman Leroy and John Linklaen 1,500,000 acres west of the east transit line.1 On February 27 follow- ing he sold to the same persons and Gerrit Boon 1,000,000 acres. July 20, 1793, he sold these three persons 800,000 acres, and to Herman Leroy, William Bayard and Matthew Clarkson 300,000 acres. These vast purchases were made for what is known as the Holland Land Company, or the Holland Company (though no such company ever existed), and the tract as the Holland Purchase. It included what is now Niagara county.
In 1797 the survey of this purchase began by Joseph Ellicott for the Holland people, and Augustus Porter (see history of the town of Niagara) for Mr. Morris, with numerous assistants. In the division of the land the plan adopted on the Phelps and Gorham purchase was fol- lowed ; strips six miles wide and extending from Pennsylvania to Lake Ontario were laid out and called ranges; they were numbered from east to west. These ranges were divided into townships by lines run- ning east and west and numbered from south to north. These town- ships were to be subdivided into sixteen mile-and-a-half squares called sections, and the sections into twelve lots, each containing 120 acres. The mile strip along the river was surveyed in 1798 at the expense of the Hollanders. This plan of surveying in its township and lot features was not strictly followed.
1 This line ran between the eastern tier of towns and those to the westward in what is now Orleans county, and on southward. It is called the east transit line to distinguish it from the west transit line, which passes through Lockport. Both lines were laid out in defining bound- aries of Morris's sales.
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The next county to Ontario erected in the western part of the State was Genesee, which was formed in 1802 from the territory west of the Genesee River and, of course, included what is now Niagara county. At the same time the great town of Northampton, which had consti- tuted a part of Ontario county and embraced the whole Holland Pur- chase, was divided into four, of which Batavia included all of the State west of the east transit line.
On the IIth of March, 1808, Niagara county was erected from Gen- esee. Its eastern line has remained unchanged, except that it extended southward to Cattaraugus Creek, which is the southern boundary of the present Erie county. Niagara county at its formation included what is now Erie county, the latter being set off on April 2, 1821. The bound- aries of Niagara county have not since been changed. By the census of 1820 the population of the whole of Niagara county was 23,313, of which number 15,668 were in the Erie county territory. The original town of Willink, erected in 1804 in what was then Genesee county, com- prised a tract of land eighteen miles wide and perhaps a hundred long, including all of Niagara county territory. When the latter county was erected its entire territory was constituted one town Cambria. On June 1, 1812, Cambria was divided and three new towns erected : Hart- land included all the territory east of the west transit line; Niagara the territory of township 13, ranges 7, 8, 9; township 14 in those ranges retained the name of Cambria, and the remainder of the original Cam- bria was set off with the name of Porter. On April 5, 1817, that part of Hartland south of township 15 and extending to the south and east bounds of the county, was erected into the town of Royalton. On Feb- ruary 27, 1818, Lewiston was set off from the west part of Cambria with its present bounds. On June 1, 1812, Porter was erected from the west- ern and northern part of Cambria, and Wilson was set off from Porter on April 10, 1818. On the 8th of February, 1823, Somerset was formed from Hartland with its present width, but extending west to the transit line, and on the 20th of March, 1824, the parts of Somerset and Hartland between their present west bounds and the transit line, and the eastern part of Wilson were erected into Newfane. Lockport was erected February 2, 1824, from Cambria and Royalton with its present boundaries. Niagara originally included what are now Pendleton and
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Wheatfield; the former was set off April 16, 1827, and the latter May 12, 1836. In the treatment of these county divisions, the cities and towns of Lockport and Niagara Falls will be considered first, on ac- count of their importance as business centers, one being the county seat. The remaining towns will be noticed in the order of their forma- tion as far as practicable.
CHAPTER XI.
CITY AND TOWN OF LOCKPORT.
It is a well known fact that many villages and a few cities along the line of the Erie Canal owe either their very existence or their growth and prosperity after 1820, to the influence of the great waterway. The city of Lockport is one of these. If the Erie Canal had not been con- structed, or if it had taken a course elsewhere than through this county, it is quite certain there would have been no Lockport-probably no community of importance on the site of the city.
Lockport was incorporated as a village March 26, 1829. The popu- lation had increased very rapidly during the preceding five years, ren- dering such action necessary for the proper government of the commu- nity. In 1835 the population was over 6,000. The place was incor- porated as a city April II, 1865, and divided into four wards, which number has since been increased by subdivisions to six. The popu- lation in 1896 was 16,000, and has been the most important manufact- uring center in the county and still crowds Niagara Falls for first place. It is pleasantly situated on the so-called " mountain ridge " elevation, through which the canal was cut, forming one of the most remarkable series of locks in the world, five in number. The water power created by these locks has given rise to the extensive manufacturing operations of the city,
The soil of the town is a clayey loam and stony in the north part. The Niagara limestone crops out along the mountain ridge, and has been extensively quarried near Lockport; it is a good building mate-
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rial and was used in building the locks at this place. Underlying this is a stratum of hydraulic limestone from which waterlime has been made. Sandstone belonging to the Medina formation has been ob- tained on Rattlesnake Hill, northwest of the city, and at other points, and has been used for walks and building. There are six post-offices in the town-Lockport, Hickory Corners, Rapids, Warren's Corners, Raymond and Wright's Corners. The city contains a number of churches, an excellent school system, four banks, a street railroad sys- tem, good water supply, several newspapers, health, fire and police departments, and numerous and varied manufacturing industries. It is a station on the Rochester and Niagara Falls branch of the Central Railroad, a branch of which extends to Tonawanda and thence to Buf- falo; a branch of the Erie Railroad also connects it with Buffalo via Tonawanda. The city is the county seat of Niagara county.
The first settlement in this town was made at Cold Spring, about a mile east of the city, by Charles Wilbur, in 1805, nineteen years before the town was erected, and three years before the county was set off from Genesee. The old Indian trail and later mail route early in the century passed from Canandaigua to Fort Niagara and near this cold spring. Other early settlers were David and Joseph Carlton, 1809-10, David Pomroy, Thomas Mighells and Stephen Wakeman in 1810; Thaddeus Alvord and Alexander Freeman in 1811; the latter built the first saw mill in town; Jesse Griswold and Jacob Loucks in 1813; Josiah Richardson settled on what became the county farm, and Luther Crocker in the northwest part of the town in 1816; John Gibson opened the first blacksmith shop in town in 1815, a little east of Warren's Cor- ners; and Jared Tyler settled in the same year in the northeast part ; Charles Smith and Oliver L Millard came into the town in 1817; Dr. Ezekiel Webb, the pioneer physician, came in 1818, and Dr. Isaac W. Smith in 1821 ; Jesse P. Haines, a surveyor, Edward Raymond and Helam and Hiram Mead were other early settlers. On the site of Wright's Corners a man named Barber was an early settler and kept the first hotel. A later one was kept by Alva Buck. Solomon Wright settled on the Ridge road, at the point which took his name as Wright's Corners in 1822, or earlier ; he kept a hotel many years, and was post- master after the office was established in 1828. David Maxwell pur-
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