Landmarks of Niagara County, New York, Part 29

Author: Pool, William, 1825-1912, ed
Publication date: 1897
Publisher: [Syracuse] : D. Mason & Co.
Number of Pages: 820

USA > New York > Niagara County > Landmarks of Niagara County, New York > Part 29

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The enemy pressed on up the river, destroying everything of value on the way. Isaac Colt was wounded at his tavern on the main road toward Niagara Falls. Major Mallory, who seems to have been in command at Fort Schlosser, made a little resistence, but in vain, and the settlement at the falls suffered the fate of Youngstown and Lewiston. Late in the month (December) a strong force of British went from Fort Niagara east to Wilson and as far as Van Horn's mill in Newfane, de- stroyed the mill and most of the buildings on their way. During the following summer, the British being in possession of Fort Niagara, small marauding parties, mostly Indians, paid unwelcome visits to the settlers who had ventured back to their homes. An Indian who was passing through the woods came out on the Ridge road at the house of Sparrow S. Sage. Mr. Sage was absent and the house was occupied by his wife and another woman. 'The Indian took them prisoners and started towards the fort. Before they had proceeded far the companion of Mrs. Sage escaped, found Mr. Sage and told him of the outrage. He pursued and caught the Indian, wounded him severely and rescued his wife. The concluding events of the war, as far as they related to this frontier, have been sufficiently described in the chapter before re- ferred to.

It must be borne in mind that the sufferings of the refugees from the frontier were much greater than they would have been if the settle- ment was an older one. Few of them had much money and many had very little property. What they did possess was in many instances abandoned in the hurried flight and was carried off or destroyed. The whole country was in a state of poverty. Prices of the necessaries for life were high and money hard to obtain Trade was at a stand-still and settlement in new localities had ceased. But the pioneers who had begun their homes in this town, as well as others elsewhere, were a courageous, hardy and determined class; otherwise they would not have been there in the first place, and when the terrors of near-by con- flicts had given way to peace, they hastened back to rebuild their homes, and were rapidly joined by others.

Many of the settlers returned in 1815. Isaac Colt, the tavern keeper who was wounded, brought back his family and bought lots 24 of the Mile Reserve and 30 of the Holland Purchase. Aaron Childs, John

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Robinson, Achish Pool, Silas Hopkins, Joseph Hewitt and their fami- lies, and others, returned before the close of 1816. Among the new- comers at about that time were Richard Ayer on the Ridge road ; Jairus Rose, the Carney family, the Defoe and the Springsteen fami- lies settled at and near Pekin ; the Bliss, Earl, Bridge, Balmer, Wilson, Dr. Orton and other families located between the ridge and the moun- tain early after the war.

Between 1815 and 1825 settlement advanced rapidly. G. P. Nichols settled in 1819; Andrew A. Farley in 1823 and Thomas Balmer in 1825. Later comers were Abel White in 1826; the Pletcher families in 1829; Peter Spickerman in 1835 ; Joseph Shippy, Sanford White, and John Cleghorn in 1836; James Buckley in 1838; Erastus Downer in 1841 ; Charles McConnell and Reuben M. Doty in 1842 ; and many others who will be found properly noticed in Part III.

At the close of the war the only structures left standing in Lewiston village were the stable belonging to Solomon Gillet, which was built of logs, and the walls of the stone house of Jonas Harrison, which he erected in 1809. The village had been surveyed into lots and a few streets in 1805 by Joseph Annin, and in 1822 it was chartered. When the troubles were over the warehouses of Porter, Barton & Co. were rebuilt and transportation between the village and Schlosser was re- sumed. Thomas Hustler returned to the place as soon as he could and began keeping tavern again. A man named Hart kept a tavern in the place in 1816; Josiah Shepard in 1817; Solomon Hersey in 1823 ; Sam- uel Chubbuck at the riverside in 1824, and Thomas Kelsey in the "Kel- sey Tavern" in the same year. Here La Fayette stopped in 1825. The Frontier House, built by Benjamin and Samuel Barton, opened in 1826, is still standing and occupied as a hotel. The American Hotel, at the boat landing, built by Nelson Cornell on the site of his old Steamboat Hotel, was opened about 1850. But in spite of what would seem an unusual number of public houses in the early years, the village did not grow rapidly. It was a port of entry from 1811 to 1863.

Joshua Fairbanks returned and began his mercantile business. Amos Tryon opened a store in 1815 ; Solomon Hersey and Crosier & Parish in 1816; Fairbanks & Thompson in 1817; Calvin Hotchkiss in 1818; Townsend, Bronson & Co., in 1819; John Wyner, druggist, in 1820;

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N. Tryon & Co., in 1823; Norton Tiebout and L. & A. Woodruff in 1825 ; Joseph A. Norton, 1826; William Hotchkiss, jr., F. J. Hotchkiss and Guy Reynolds about 1830; Hugh Fraser, 1838. Other business men of the village during this period were Samuel Mackin, who had a tannery about 1820; Joseph Tryon, a tailor, who began as early as 1825 ; Harvey Shepard and Leonard Shepard, blacksmiths in early times ; and Benjamin Barton, who was nearly or quite the first postmaster. Later merchants were Nelson Cornell, Burr & Belden, John L. Whitman, Cady Murray, and Sanford White. The present merchants are C. C. Whitney, John Fleming, Mrs. Eugene Murphy, Mrs. John Hamilton, Murphy & Townsend, and Powell & Welch. The St. Elmo was built as a residence by Shurburne B. Piper and in 1895 converted into a hotel.

Drs. Alvord and Willard Smith, the early physicians, have been men- tioned. Dr. Smith came back after the war and continued in practice, dying in 1835. He had as a partner for a time, Dr. Frisbee, who was the next physician to arrive here. Dr. William McCollum came from Porter in 1834 and became a partner with Dr. Smith, and removed to Lockport after the death of the latter. Dr. Ambrose Thomas, a pioneer physician at Niagara Falls, settled in Lewiston about 1837 and re- mained to about 1855. In 1843 Dr. George P. Eddy, sr., came; he subsequently removed to the Falls. Dr. Edward Smith, son of Dr. Willard Smith, practiced in the place in later years, as also did Dr. George P. Eddy, son of the senior physician of that name, and Dr. Milton Robinson, son of John Robinson, the pioneer. Drs. Coon, Whittaker, Cole and Thomas were also physicians of past years.

Jonas Harrison was the first lawyer in Lewiston and was here before the war. Judge William Hotchkiss settled here in 1810 and remained until his death in 1848. Bates Cooke, before mentioned, probably studied with Mr. Harrison, and became a prominent official. Ziba Colvin practiced at one period as partner of Judge Hotchkiss. Sher- burne B. Piper settled in Lewiston in 1833. Other lawyers of former times were Judge Birdsall, James H. Paige, Leonard Bennett, John V. Berry, and Judge Horatio J. Stow, who was once recorder of Buffalo.

Immediately after the war the citizens of Lewiston, as well as of the other parts of the town, adopted measures for the establishment of

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schools. A few log school houses had been built and schools taught before that event, the first one in 1806. In this village a stone school building was erected and finished in 1816, in which Jonas Chamberlain was teacher. It stood in what was afterwards known as Academy Square. This was superseded by a brick building on the public school lot, and that by a more commodious one which was erected about 1845.

The Lewiston Academy was an incorporated institution, the corner stone of which was laid by Niagara Lodge, No. 345, F. & A. M., July 4, 1824. It participated in the general school fund and also was endowed by the Legislature with the proceeds of the Lewiston ferry license, which yielded in some years nearly $1,000. The academy building was erected under the supervision of Benjamin Barton, William Hotch- kiss, David M. Smith and Robert Fleming, building committee. The first principal was Rev. David M. Smith. The institution was prosper- ous for a number of years and drew many students from Canada. These were mostly lost after the time of the Navy Island affair, and seriously reduced the receipts. It continued in existence, however, until 1851, when the building of the Lewiston suspension bridge caused the dis- continuance of the ferry and the consequent failure of that endowment, when it was closed. During the life of this old academy many young men were educated within its walls who in later years became promi- nent in public or private life.

Lewiston was connected with Rochester by a stage line as early as 1816, and the business continued until it was displaced by railroads. A survey was made for the Lewiston and Junction Horse Railroad, to connect with the Lockport and Niagara Falls Railroad in 1835, and work on the line soon began. The organization was named the Lewis- ton Railroad Company, which was incorporated under the names of Bates Cooke, Jacob Townsend, Oliver Grace, Leonard Shepard, Joshua Fairbanks, Calvin Hotchkiss, Amos S. Tryon, Seymour Scovell, Ben- jamin Barton and Lothrop Cooke. The route of the road was from the river bank at the landing along the course of the river to a little above Tuscarora street; thence it turned, crossed that street, followed up Fourth street to Center, which it followed to its intersection with Portage, whence it crossed several farms to a point of junction about two and a half miles from the landing. The road was finished in 1837,

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and though a primitive affair in all respects, it served its purpose more than ten years. When in 1851 the Rochester and Niagara Falls Rail- road was built, the charter of the horse railroad company was sold to the Buffalo and Niagara Falls Railroad Company.

The Lewiston suspension bridge was built by two incorporated com- panies, one on each side of the river; these were the Lewiston Suspen- sion Bridge Company and the Queenston Suspension Bridge Company. The board of directors of the Lewiston company were James Van Cleve, president ; Joseph E. Ways, Calvin Hotchkiss, Seymour Scovell and William Fitch, directors; A. V. E. Hotchkiss, secretary and treas- urer. Edward W. Serell had charge of the construction as engineer, and Thomas M. Griffith was the builder. The bridge cost $56,000 and was opened in the spring of 1851. The bridge was partially destroyed in January, 1864, and was not used after that time. Its ruins are still visible.

The business growth of Lewiston seems to have been most active between 1845 and the close of the war of the Rebellion, and a num- ber of enterprises were projected which promised to aid in the growth of the village. In 1851 the Legislature granted a charter for the con- struction of the Lewiston Water Works, the purpose being to con- struct a small canal to bring water from the Niagara River above the falls to a convenient point on the brow of the mountain near Lewiston, where a heavy fall could be secured for manufacturing purposes. This canal was projected twelve feet wide and four feet deep, and would have cost $175,000. The survey was made and estimates calculated ; but the difficulty of obtaining so large a sum of money for the purpose killed the enterprise.

A large steam stone grist mill was erected on the bank of the river at the foot of Center street in 1824, but it had been in operation only about a year when it was burned. A water power mill was afterwards built on the river between the steamboat landing and the suspension bridge, but it was carried away by ice in 1844.

The most destructive fire in the village was that of about 1867, which burned the Lewiston Hotel, in which it originated, and all the build- ings between that point and the tunnel on the railroad, with the cabinet shop and dwelling of Lemuel Cooke on the west side of the hotel and the buildings beyond.

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The village has always been very inadequately supplied with appa- ratus for extinguishing fires, and the place has suffered severely on several occasions on that account. A fire company which had charge of a small hand engine was organized about 1838. At the present time there is no organized fire department.

The first newspaper published in Lewiston was the Niagara Dem- ocrat, which was established in 1821 by Benjamin Ferguson ; it was re- moved to Lockport in the following year, when the chances of Lewiston being the county seat began to diminish. The paper was renamed the Lockport Observatory. The first number of the Lewiston Sentinel was issued September 20, 1822, by James D. Daly. In the following April it passed into the hands of Oliver Grace and was continued by him a few years. The Lewiston Telegraph and Ship Canal Advocate was established in the spring of 1837 and had a brief existence under management of Harrison & Mack. The Lewiston Review was pub- lished here for a time by Edward and William Rayment.

Lewiston was incorporated as a village under an act of the Legisla- ture dated April 18, 1843. It was divided into two wards, the first comprising the territory east of the middle of Fifth street, and the sec- ond that west of that line. The first village election was held on May 2, 1843, and the following officers elected :

President, William Hotchkiss; clerk, Jonathan Bell; collector, George W. Shockey; treasurer, Carlton Bartlett; constable, John T. Beardsley; trustees, Lothrop Cooke, E. A. Adams, R. H. Boughton, Nelson Cornell. The present (1897) officers are Wesley J. Bedenkapp, president; John Carter, Robert Pendergast, Charles A. Howell and J. W. H. Kelly, trustees; John C. Hooker, clerk.

The Lewiston and Youngstown Frontier Railroad (the Old Fort route) was opened in 1896, as was also the Niagara Falls and Lewiston Railroad (the Great Gorge route). Both are electric lines, connecting the points indicated, and afford easy and quick communication with all the historic spots along the Niagara River.

In 1855 Rev. J. J. Lynch, C. M., afterwards archbishop of Toronto, conceived the plan of erecting on the shore of Lake Erie an educational institution for the young of Catholic parents, and to accommodate those whose purpose it was to study for the Catholic ministry. Subse- quently a site for the institution was chosen on the Niagara River about two miles below Suspension Bridge. The institution, which was given 38

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the name, Seminary of Our Lady of Angels, had begun its existence on the lake shore and later was removed to Buffalo for a short time, where it had a feeble existence, until May 1, 1857. Father Lynch was now aided by generous persons to purchase an old inn which stood on the highest point of Monteagle Ridge and there the institution was opened in May, 1857. Other priests were associated in its manage- ment and it entered on a career of prosperity. On the 20th of April, 1863, a charter was obtained. On December 5, 1864, the building was almost wholly burned, one student perishing in the flames. Prompt measures were adopted for rebuilding, Pope Pius IX contributing $1,000, and the Seminary re-opened with 150 names on the roll in Sep- tember, 1865. At that time only one wing of the present main build- ing was completed. In 1866 the main structure, with a front of 214 feet, was erected ; in 1868 another wing was added. In 1874 the build- ing of the college chapel, 78 by 120 feet, was commenced and soon finished. The buildings are handsome stone structures.

In 1883 it was erected into a university, under the present title of Niagara University, by the Regents of the University of the State of New York; its original name and individuality, however, are still pre- served in the department of arts and theology. In the same year a medical department, located in Buffalo, was organized.

Faculty of the College .- Very Rev. P. McHale, C. M., president; Rev. J. W. Hickey, C. M., professor of French; Rev. C. J. V. Eckles, C. M., professor of Latin, trigonometry and rhetoric; Rev. E. L. Carey, C. M., professor of mental philosophy, chemistry and natural philosophy; Rev. J. V. O'Brien, C. M., professor of Latin, Greek and rhetoric; Rev. J. P. Cribbins, C. M., professor of mental philosophy; Rev. J. J. Brady, C. M., professor of astronomy and elocution; Rev. J. F. Kennedy, C. M., professor of Christian doctrine; Rev. J. A. Tracy, C. M., professor of Greek ; A. L. Kraegel, professor of music; J. E. Fitzgerald, A. B., professor of differential and integral calculus; W. J. Kuellertz, professor of German; A. F. Veit, professor of German.

Board of Trustees .-- Rt. Rev. James E. Quigley, D. D., chancellor; Very Rev. James McGill, V. C. M .; Very Rev. P. McHale, C. M., president; Rev. J. O. Hay- den, C. M., vice president and treasurer; Rev. L. A. Grace, C. M., secretary and librarian ; Rev. J. W. Hickey, C. M., Rev. C. J. Eckles, C. M., Rev. R. F. Walters, C. M., Rev. E. L. Carey, C. M., Hon. T. V. Welch.

Rev. Patrick Vincent Kavanagh, C. M., whom Rev. P. McHale suc- ceeded as president in 1894, was born in Ireland in 1842, came to Buf- falo in 1849, was graduated from this seminary in 1866, and the same

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year was ordained to the priesthood by the late Bishop John Timon. He became connected with the institution soon afterward, was elected vice-president in March, 1871, and in 1878 succeeded Rev. Robert E. V. Rice, C. M., as president, which position he held till 1894. He is now pastor of the Church of the Immaculate Conception of Baltimore, Md.

There are a number of societies connected with the university, notably the R. E. V. R. Literary, organized September 20, 1866; the Basilian Literary, October 20, 1869 ; the S. O. L. A. Literary, October 26, 1869 ; the Niagara Cecilian Association, November 20, 1869; the Sodality, 1870 ; the P. V. K. Shakesperian Society, October 22, 1887 ; and the League of the Sacred Heart, September, 1892. The first attempt at a college journal was Niagara's Tribute, which appeared January 1, 1870. In 1871 this sheet gave place to the Index Niagarensis, which on De- cember 15, 1884, became the Niagara Index, which is issued semi- monthly. It is edited and conducted by a staff of students appointed by the president, and printed in the university.

The village of Sanborn is situated in the extreme southeastern part of the town on the Falls branch of the New York Central Railroad. It takes its name from Rev. E. C. Sanborn, an enterprising man who lo- cated there in 1846. The first settler here was Seth Lyon, who took up lot 33 in 1826. In 1863 Rev. Griffin Smith came to the town and located at Pekin on the eastern town line. In 1864 he associated him- self with Lee R. Sanborn, son of Rev. E. C. Sanborn, in the purchase of land on the site of Sanborn village. The purchase included ninety acres lying on both sides of the railroad, and in the following year the tract was divided, Mr. Sanborn taking about thirty-five acres, Mr. Smith ten, the remainder being deeded to Ryan Smith, a brother of the minister. The part going to the Smiths was fenced as farm land, while Mr. Sanborn carried out his previously formed plan of laying his tract out in village lots and placing them in market. John Dutton was the first purchaser. Lee R. Sanborn built a saw mill here in 1854, which was burned July 3, 1861, and immediately rebuilt on a larger plan. He was a member of the Legislature in 1870 and 1871. The first post- master was John Starr. Sanborn Union Hall was built in 1865. A cheese factory was started in 1867 by a stock company, which for many

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years did a large business. In 1868 Mr. Sanborn built a steam grist mill, which was purchased in 1875 by John Mower, who improved and enlarged it. It finally passed to Charles G. Sanborn, who sold it in 1894 to Hudson Brothers (Benjamin and James), the present owners, who came here from Virginia. Its daily capacity is about sixty-five barrels of flour and 125 bags of feed. The present merchants in the place are Andrew Riegel, A. L. Pierce, and L. B. Pike & Son. There is also a hotel kept by William D. Subberra and a few shops and artisans.

The hamlet of Dickersonville is in the northeast part of the town and in early years was of considerable business importance. It took its name from Col. Alexander Dickerson, who has been noticed as an early set- tler and tavern keeper there. Its business interests have almost wholly disappeared in more recent years. William Pool was appointed the first postmaster in 1850, and in 1852 was succeeded by Alexander Read, who was followed by Rev. Sheldon C. Townsend under whom it was discontinued.

Pekin is a post-office and hamlet which is divided by the Lewiston and Cambria town line, and has been noticed in the history of the latter town.

Model City is a recent production of the modern "land boomers'" enterprise. Its chief promoter was William T. Love, who about four years ago conceived the idea of founding, in the north part of this town, a city on scientific and artistic principles. He received options on large tracts of land, surveyed them out into city lots, and for two or three years "boomed" the place. He also obtained franchises from the State Legislature for an unlimited water supply from Niagara River, and projected a gigantic canal for this purpose upon which about $40,000 were expended. A few buildings were erected, including a union church in 1895, and streets were laid out and some grading done. On December 19, 1896, F. W. Moore started a newspaper called the Model City Power, which on April 1, 1897, passed to John E. Strayer, who removed the outfit in June to Lewiston. Model City is now a station on the R. W. & O. Railroad.

The first religious society organized in this town was the later First Presbyterian Society, which effected its organization in June, 1817, as the First Religious Society of Lewiston. The first trustees were Eras-

REV. P. T. MULLANEY.

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tus Park, Josiah Shepard, Aaron Childs, Augustus Porter, Rufus Spald- ing, Elijah Ransom, and Benjamin Barton. The first preacher was Rev. David M. Smith, who came in August, 1817 ; he resigned in 1821. Between the years 1825 and 1835 the structure known as "the stone church " was erected which has remained in good condition to the pres- ent time. The church was reorganized in 1854. Rev. L. G. Marsh is pastor.

St. Paul's Protestant Episcopal Church of Lewiston is noticed with other churches of the denomination in the chapter devoted to Lock- port.

St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church of Lewiston was organized as early as 1851, when the first records in existence were commenced, and when Rev. W. C. Stephens was the resident priest. He remained till 1856 or later. Rev. Patrick Thomas Mullaney is the present rector in charge, coming in June, 1885, as Father Morris O'Shea's successor. The society owns a frame church and rectory.

The Methodist church at Sanborn was organized February, 8, 1868, with Rev. George Kittenger as the first pastor. Meetings were held in various places until 1873, when a handsome church edifice was finished at a cost of about $6,000.

The Methodist church at Dickersonville was organized about 1850 or 1855, and an edifice was built on land donated by Rev. Sheldon C. Townsend, who was the first preacher.

A Universalist church had a flourishing existence at Lewiston for several years, but finally ceased as an organization. Their old frame edifice was converted into business uses about ten years ago.

There is a Baptist church at Sanborn which was built about twenty years since.

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CHAPTER XVIII.

THE TOWN OF WILSON.

This town was erected in the same year with Lewiston, but a little later, the date being April 10, 1818, when it was set off from Porter. It is one of the northern tier of towns in the county and borders the lake shore. It received its name from Reuben Wilson, one of the most prominent pioneers of this locality. The surface of the town is gener- ally level and productive. The east branch of Twelve-mile Creek crosses the town near the center, and the west branch crosses the north- west corner.

The first town meeting was held April 6, 1819, at the house of David Porter, and the following officers elected :

Supervisor, Reuben Wilson; town clerk, Daniel Holmes; assessors, David Bur- gess, John Carter, and Henry Lockwood; collector, Oramel Hartwell; overseers of the poor, Abner Crossman, and Burgoyne Kemp; commissioners of highways, James Mckinney, Joshua Williams, and John Carter; constables, Oramel Hartwell and Joshua D. Coller ; excise commissioners, Alexander Douglas, Reuben Wilson and Joshua Williams; fenceviewers, Jeremiah Whipple, Hiel Bixby, and Burgoyne Kemp; poundmaster, Elisha Stevens.

Reuben Wilson was then a justice and presided at this meeting. In 1824 a portion of the original town was set off to form Newfane.

The first meeting voted $250 for bridge purposes, and $25 for the support of the poor. Bounties were placed on wolves killed, and other usual regulations were voted for governing the community.

The following is a complete list of supervisors since the organization of the town:

In 1819-29, Reuben Wilson; 1830-32, John Carter; 1833-42, Luther Wilson; 1843- 45, Robert L. McChesney; 1846-47, Samuel R. Merwin; 1848, Alexander Pettit; 1849, Russell Robinson; 1850, R. L. McChesney ; 1851, Reuben F. Wilson ; 1852, Cur- tis Pettit; 1853, Alexander Pettit; 1854, Orsemus Ferris; 1855-56, Luther Wilson; 1857, Orsemus Ferris; 1858, Henry N. Johnson ; 1859-61, Ralph Stockwell; 1862-63, Tunis Outwater; 1864, David O. Jeffery; 1865, Benjamin Farley; 1866, Alexander

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Landmarks of Niagara County, New York, Part 29

Author: Pool, William, 1825-1912, ed Publication date: 1897 Publisher: [Syracuse] : D. Mason & Co. Number of Pages: 820

Author: Pool, William, 1825-1912, ed
Publication date: 1897
Publisher: [Syracuse] : D. Mason & Co.
Number of Pages: 820